The music pulsed through the grand hall of the student villa – Zack had gone all out. A glowing chandelier of floating mana lights hung above the dance floor, tables overflowed with food and drinks, and students filled every inch of space, laughing and talking loud over the pulsing rhythm.
Keal stood near a pillar in the far corner, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He looked… uncomfortable.
Zack, on the other hand, was in his element. A drink in hand, spinning through the crowd, laughing with everyone, he eventually made his way back to Keal with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"I brought her," he said smugly.
Keal raised an eyebrow as a girl with long silver hair and a very obvious attempt at seduction in her step sauntered toward him.
"Hey there," she said, batting her lashes. "You're Keal, right?"
Keal stared at her blankly. "Yes."
She leaned in close, her perfume strong. "Wanna get some air?"
"No," Keal said bluntly and took a sip of water.
The girl blinked. "Seriously?"
"Seriously."
She huffed and walked away. Zack laughed like a madman. "You're a stone wall, I swear!" he cackled.
"Okay, okay, wait—I've got more!"
And he did. One after the other, Zack dragged every type of girl to him – cute, flirty, bold, quiet. None of them even got Keal to blink twice. Not a blush, not a twitch, not even a change in tone.
Finally, Zack slammed both hands on the table and shouted over the music, "I KNOW YOUR TYPE."
Keal gave him a side glance. "I don't have a type."
Zack leaned close. "Don't lie. I've known you too long. There's someone that could make you sweat. I'll find her."
With that, he vanished back into the crowd, probably off to make more chaos.
Ron, sitting beside Keal with a half-eaten kebab, chuckled. "You really don't care?"
Keal shrugged. "I'm just here because you two begged."
Ron grinned. "We're best friends. Begging's allowed."
Eventually, after relentless pestering, Keal agreed to one drink. Just one.
Everything went dark.
…Until Morning
Keal's eyes fluttered open. His head throbbed like drums in a war march. The bed beneath him was soft… too soft. His shirt was halfway off. A warm arm was draped over his chest.
Slowly, carefully, he turned.
A green-haired woman was sleeping beside him – beautiful, big-breasted, and unfamiliar.
Keal jolted up – only to freeze in horror.
On the other side of the bed, lying in a pool of dried blood… Was a corpse. Eyes wide open. Pale. Dead.
Keal's breath caught. "What the hell…?"
And the green-haired woman, now waking, stretched with a soft groan. "Mmm… Good morning, Mr. Coldface… the hell" as she turned to see the corpse, then she said "The Imperial Princess July."
Both of them were in shock, not because of the corpse, but because of who was dead.
But as both of them faced each other, Keal knocked her out out of the heat of the moment.
And he knew… This was going to be a problem.
Keal stumbled down the marble hallway of the high-class inn, hand pressed to his temple, head throbbing from a night he couldn't remember. His uniform shirt was half-buttoned, wrinkled.
The luxurious corridor was too bright, too quiet, and every step sent a pulse of unease through him.
Then he heard voices – familiar ones.
"I'm telling you, the only time I saw that guy blush was in front of his aunt," Zack's voice echoed from behind the half-closed door. "So I knew none of those girls would work." Talking like he had accomplished something.
Ron's voice followed, "but instructor Lira man come on"
Zack chuckled. "I only wanted him to loosen up."
Keal's blood turned cold. His pace quickened. He pushed the door open.
The scene inside made him freeze.
The room was in disarray. Clothes and bottles scattered on the floor, the furniture slightly moved from its original position.
On the bed lay a green-haired woman – beautiful, mature, still breathing – but unconscious. Next to her… A corpse. Not just any corpse – the imperial princess's corpse. Her skin was pale, lips slightly parted, violet eyes glazed and lifeless.
It was a girl – no, a princess. The Imperial Princess, still in formal silk dress robes, now stained with blood.
Keal staggered back. His heart pounded. His hands trembled. His throat felt like it was closing.
"What the hell…"
Zack stepped in, eyes wide. "Wait—no—no, that can't be…"
Ron swore loudly, his usual calm demeanor gone. "Zack…"
Keal muttered, voice low. "What happened last night?"
"I… I don't know," Zack said, genuinely shaken. "You blacked out. Ron and I brought you here because we didn't want you passed out in the dorm with the nobles. That's all."
Keal stared at the princess's body, then at his own hands. Blood. Dry, flaked blood under his fingernails.
Then Zack remembered that her twin brother June was in the previous room with a woman too. As he turned to the door to close it, it was late. Standing there was the Imperial Prince June, whose face twisted in horror at the bloodied sight. His presence added to the gravity.
Before he could shout, Keal's shadow surged forward, gripping the prince's shadow – silencing him.
The atmosphere became tense, the weight of consequence suffocating the room as Ron and Zack stared wide-eyed.
Keal grabbed Zack's shoulder. "No time. Either we hide the body, or we find a way to clean this mess."
Zack looked between June and the corpse of the princess.
Zack didn't respond at first.
Ron was already locking the door and checking the windows. "We need to hide the prince, and make sure no one saw him come in."
The shadow under June trembled slightly – he was resisting.
"I can't hold him much longer," Keal muttered, sweat forming on his brow.
Zack stood over the prince. "Then end it. We'll tie him. Knock him out. Just don't kill him."
Keal nodded, releasing the possession. June collapsed, gasping for air, before Ron stunned him with a quick strike to the neck.
Everything was silent again.
For a second, the three friends stood in a room with a dead princess, an unconscious instructor, and an imperial prince bound in ropes.
Keal's heart thudded. "I don't know what this is," he said, "but it's not just about me."