SHAMAN PROTOCOL-Chapter 124: After the Labyrinth

The situation with the Cursed Labyrinth was huge, as the academy had lost several students that day. With more agents from Zone Zero coming to the school for investigation, classes were suspended. All students — those unaffected — must stay in their dorms and keep out of the Old Building’s area.

Gathered in the headmaster’s office were faculty staff, including Mr. Nocty, and a few representatives from Zone Zero. Tension hung in the air, but none of them dwelled on it.

"According to Agent Zira, the situation regarding the twins was much more complicated," Butler Basil reported, standing right next to the ghost blanket while everyone else sat around the long oval table. "I had encountered them during the rescue, and I believe since Blitz was an elemental-type user, the Labyrinth affected him."

After all, Blitz started acting strangely when he saved Ran from getting separated from them. Meaning, he had to touch the wall, closing off a door to avoid Ran from sliding in during‌ another student’s attack.

"As we already know, the Cursed Labyrinth had taken many shamans’ lives in the past," Butler Basil continued in the same solemn tone. "And it retains their memories, sufferings, and their skills, which the Labyrinth utilizes."

One of the agents from Zone Zero, who had helped with the treatment of the students, nodded. "That’s right. While I was treating the kid, his spiritual core was unstable even when he was unconscious. I had to exert more spiritual energy to calm it."

He then went on to explain in full detail what else he had found out during the treatment so everyone could understand. Blitz, after all, had killed some of his fellow students. And in the world of shamans, even if Blitz was young — very young — Zone Zero would show no mercy.

"Blitz is young," one of the teachers chimed in, eyes on the Zone Zero representatives. "He and his twin might’ve been blessed with enormous spiritual energy. However, they were young and inexperienced. I don’t think it is right to quarantine him or keep him in Zone Zero’s facility for further monitoring."

The healer shaman nodded. "I’ve made sure to purify his spiritual core."

"Even if you erased his memories of the incident, a young kid who had taken the lives of not just one but a few fellow young shamans is no excuse." One of the representatives, a bulky man in a formal suit, gazed at everyone sternly. "Zone Zero will still have to monitor such a dangerous shaman until we are certain he is not a threat to both the academy and Zone Zero."

"I didn’t erase his memories," the healer shaman clarified. "How can I? When there’s nothing to erase."

The representatives frowned, but the headmaster finally broke his silence.

"Blitz acted not as Blitz or as an individual, but as a vessel the Labyrinth used via its direct contact on my student’s unguarded spiritual core. But even then, I have no qualms if Zone Zero... or you, want Blitz in the Zone Zero headquarters," the headmaster’s voice was strict and calm, but there was clear hostility in his tone. "However, Zone Zero seems to forget there is a bigger issue we have at the moment than arresting a child who is also a victim of this situation."

The headmaster paused. "All these decades, the Old Building had always been part of the academy’s trial areas and curriculum. Today, however, the place where we entrust our students for assessing and training has become a battlefield."

"That is no accident," he continued, the blanket moving closer to the edge of the table. "And if someone had triggered all of this, then I believe Zone Zero is looking in the wrong direction. Unless... Zone Zero has no interest in knowing the whole truth and is more interested in putting this incident under the rug while pushing someone to take the fall."

Silence quickly followed in the headmaster’s office as the representatives and other agents gazed at the blanket ghost sharply. The faculty staff returned their sharp gazes equally, displaying a clear hostility between the members of the academy and the agents from Zone Zero.

"I appreciate Zone Zero’s help in sending reinforcements into the matter," the headmaster’s calm and resolute voice slashed through the thick air in the room once more. "However, the matters with my students will be handled by the academy. As for the entire incident, I am expecting Zone Zero’s help."

"After all, if this happened now, considering how the Type X have been hunting down young shamans, it will happen again," he added under his breath. "These young shamans are the future of Zone Zero, and without them, Zone Zero will eventually fall."

"Careful with your words, Headmaster," the bulky representative warned. "Zone Zero is not weak against the Type X."

"I never said it is weak. If I thought so, I wouldn’t be here with you," the headmaster returned. "What I am saying is this academy is currently the enemy’s priority. It is not the time for us to blame our students because of the school’s negligence. However, that doesn’t mean that if the investigation shows that a student had anything to do with this incident... then I will punish him or her myself."

Because students like Everest — a student from a long time ago — could’ve gotten into this place. The headmaster hoped from the bottom of his nonexistent heart that it wasn’t the case. But the possibility was high, especially since an outside force doing this would’ve been impossible.

Another moment of silence fell in the office as everyone just stared at the ghost blanket at the end of the table. The faculty members nodded quietly, while the representatives weren’t too happy with him. However, their agenda for today was to minimize the damage before it blew out of proportion. Not coming to a solid agreement with the headmaster would be another problem entirely.

In the end, the meeting ended with a mutual agreement.

The academy would handle most of the affairs while giving Zone Zero’s agents room to investigate the incident. As for Blitz, the headmaster agreed that he would be interrogated—but only in his presence.

And just like that, night fell and morning rose once more. But everyone knew that what had happened had changed a lot of things.

The new day was not going to be the same, nor were the students who had been in the Labyrinth.