[Yesterday Night]

The dormitory room was quiet, wrapped in the stillness of late hours as the faint glow of ambient light reflected softly against the polished surfaces, leaving the space calm yet heavy with unspoken tension.

Serena stood before the mirror, her ivory hair drawn neatly into a high ponytail, its smooth strands falling behind her with quiet precision, while her ivory eyes remained unfocused, as though they were fixed not on her reflection, but on something far beyond it.

Her hands tightened slowly into fists at her sides, the subtle tremor in her fingers betraying the storm beneath her otherwise composed exterior, until that hesitation gave way to something firmer, something resolute, as a determined expression gradually formed across her face.

Without another moment of pause, she reached for her manacron and activated it, her movements steady despite the tension that lingered in her chest.

A soft hum filled the room.

Then—

A holographic figure materialized before her.

A woman.

Dark hair cascading over her shoulders, crimson eyes sharp and cold, carrying a presence that felt distant even through projection, as though the space between them was not merely physical but something far more deliberate.

"What is it?" the woman asked, her voice flat, devoid of warmth, carrying an impatience that did not bother to hide itself.

Serena lowered her head slightly, her fists tightening further as though she needed the pressure to steady herself.

"T-today..." she began, her voice faltering just enough to betray her unease.

The woman did not wait.

"Hm?... right," she said, her tone unchanged, "one of your professors called, saying something about you falling into a breach. So what now... you want me to ask how you are doing?"

Serena’s lips parted slightly before she shook her head.

"N-no..." she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

A faint pause followed.

"Then speak quickly," the woman replied coldly, her gaze unwavering, "I have more important things to attend to."

Serena swallowed lightly, forcing herself to continue.

"Y-yesterday... you asked me to m-make sure Damon and M-mira walked f-from the path of Veloria Lounge... s-so..." she said, her words uneven as she pushed them out.

The woman tilted her head slightly.

"So...?"

Serena’s fingers curled tighter.

"I—I manipulated the sequence by arranging a theft... to g-guide them through there... a-and..." she continued, her voice trembling at the edges.

The woman’s expression did not change.

"Hmm... so what," she said indifferently, "I seem to have forgotten whatever it was I asked you to do."

Serena froze for a brief moment.

"R-right..." she replied softly, though her eyes lifted slightly, searching the woman’s face as though trying to find something more, something beyond that dismissal.

"A-are..." she began, hesitating—

But the woman cut her off.

"If there is nothing else," she said, her tone final, already withdrawing from the interaction, "then I will attend to your father. He is needing more attention these past few days."

Serena’s expression drained instantly, the faint color in her face fading as the words settled.

"F-father... right..." she whispered, the weight of it pressing down quietly.

The holographic figure flickered once—

And disappeared as silence returned.

Serena remained where she stood, her shoulders rising and falling slowly as she exhaled, the tension finally slipping out in a quiet, unsteady breath.

In the end... I couldn’t even ask what I wanted to... she thought, her gaze lowering slightly as doubt crept in, I mean... she said she forgot about it... right?

Her thoughts wavered, shifting uneasily.

A-and who in the world could predict where a breach is about to open... if anyone could have t-that kind of power... t-then...

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

No.

She shook her head faintly, rejecting the thought before it could take form.

There is nothing like that.

The hesitation faded.

Replaced.

A determined expression flashed across her face once more, sharper this time, more grounded as her fingers slowly unclenched.

"I need to deal with him quickly..." she muttered under her breath, her voice steadier now, carrying quiet resolve, "unless he spreads unfounded rumors and it affects Valmont Duchy... a-and father..."

***

[Present Time]

The park beside the administration building lay wrapped in a quiet that felt deliberately removed from the rest of the academy, its neatly arranged paths winding between trimmed hedges and tall trees whose shadows stretched long across the stone pavement, while the distant hum of student activity barely reached this corner, leaving the space secluded enough for conversations that were never meant to be overheard.

Damon walked along one of those paths at an unhurried pace before coming to a stop, his gaze settling ahead as a faint smile curved across his lips.

"What do you want to talk about with me in such a secluded place..." he said lightly, his tone carrying an almost playful edge as his eyes met hers, "...what will people think, Miss Serena?"

Serena stood a few steps away, her posture straight, her expression composed to the point of coldness as she looked at him without any attempt at pretense.

"Let’s cut to the chase," she said flatly, her voice devoid of any softness, "what did you mean when you said I guided you there?"

The faint smile on Damon’s face faded.

Not abruptly but cleanly.

"Well... isn’t that so?" he replied, his tone shifting into something quieter, more deliberate, as his gaze sharpened slightly, "no one aside from you knew that Mira was coming with me yesterday, and then aside from her best friend who can have such... intimate information—knowing her favorite café, and then guiding her into going inside with me."

Serena’s expression did not change.

"It was just a coincidence," she said, her voice steady, though the firmness in it felt slightly forced.

Damon let out a low laugh.

"Was it now?" he said, tilting his head slightly as amusement flickered in his eyes, "even you know the theft couldn’t have been some petty thief thinking, ’oh, today is a good day, let’s steal a noble’s purse, then I’ll conveniently drop it in front of her favorite café and disappear—how fun.’"

A soft chuckle followed.

"Anyway," he continued, his tone easing into something almost casual, "I wasn’t entirely sure if you were actually involved in this... but you proved it yourself."

He took a step closer.

"With your guilty conscience... by calling me here...you could have just confronted me then and then and ignored me if there was no truth in what I said."

For a brief moment, Serena’s eyes widened.

Just slightly.

The reaction was there.

And just as quickly—It was gone.

Her expression settled again, controlled, her composure snapping back into place as though nothing had slipped through.

"Hmph," she said quietly, her chin lifting just enough to reclaim her ground, "and what are you going to do? Good luck proving that Serena Valmont knew where a breach was going to open and guided you there as a trap."

Her tone sharpened.

"Go ahead and inform the authorities... let’s see who believes such absurdities."

She turned intent on leaving.

But before she could take more than a step—

Damon was already in front of her blocking her path.

"Heh..." he let out softly, his voice dropping as something colder settled into it, "do you really think I care about authorities... or whatever breach and all that nonsense?"

Serena paused.

Her hands tightened behind her skirt, fingers curling into the fabric as she held her ground without stepping back.

Damon moved again slowly.

Circling her deliberately.

"I don’t care if this world discovers some breach detection method or not," he continued, his voice calm, almost conversational as he walked around her, "and who said I need to prove anything?"

He stopped just behind her shoulder.

"I could simply start a rumor," he said lightly, the words slipping out as though they carried no weight at all, "something along the lines of... the Valmont Duchy probably knows how to detect where breaches will open, yet has chosen to hide it from the world... using that knowledge to quietly eliminate their political enemies."

A faint pause.

Then—

"I could pick a few conveniently timed events from the past... shape them just right... paint a narrative," he added, his tone almost thoughtful now, "and with the current situation as supporting ’evidence’..."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small artifact.

Activated it as a soft hum followed—

And then—

Their voices.

Clear and unmistakable.

The entire conversation.

Serena’s eyes widened again, this time unable to fully conceal the reaction as the recording played for just long enough to leave no doubt before Damon deactivated it and slipped the artifact back into his pocket with ease.

"After all," he said, his gaze settling on her once more, calm and steady, "rumors are far more dangerous than truth... aren’t they?"

Serena turned toward him slowly, her composure strained just enough to reveal the tension beneath as her voice lowered.

"What do you want?"

Damon

chuckled softly.

"Ahh..." he said, a faint smile returning to his lips, "now we can start talking."