Each day followed the same rhythm — the trio moving between courtyards, halls, unused classrooms, and forgotten storage rooms. They were thorough. They were disciplined. But they found nothing. No signs of struggle. No mana residue. No eyewitness accounts.
"Is it just me, or is this entire investigation a joke?" Seren snapped on the third day. "They give us no real leads, no resources, and they expect results? This academy—"
"Doesn't want this solved," Kaidën finished quietly, eyes fixed on a patch of ivy climbing an old stone wall. Something about the curve of the vines felt...wrong. Like space had hiccuped there. But a moment later, it was gone.
Elric, scribbling runes in his notebook, paused and asked, "What did you see?"
Kaidën shook his head. "Nothing worth chasing. Not yet."
