Leon's question hung in the air like a sword ready to fall. Aeris felt a cold sweat run down his back as three pairs of eyes stared at him with varying intensities—Leon with suspicion, Elena with curiosity, and Seraphina with burning obsession.
"I..." Aeris tried to find the right words. "I'm still the same Aeris. It's just that the life-and-death experience made me—"
"Made you what? Suddenly mastering the Soul Resonance technique that even the senior professors don't know about?" Leon stepped closer, his blue eyes blazing with determination for answers. "Or suddenly being able to predict demonic threats before anyone else senses them?"
Elena joined in, but with a more subtle approach. "Aeris, we don't mean to corner you. We're just... worried. The changes you've made are so drastic that they're hard to believe."
"Whatever changes Aeris has made, it doesn't change the fact that he saved us all," Seraphina intervened, standing closer to Aeris, as if shielding him from interrogation. "You should be thanking her, not interrogating her."
Leon frowned at Seraphina's protectiveness. "Seraphina, when did you get so... close to Aeris? As far as I know, you two barely even spoke before the incident in the library."
"Ever since he touched my soul," Seraphina answered without hesitation, her eyes radiating an intensity that made Aeris uncomfortable. "he saw the darkest part of me and still chose to save me. Such a bond is not to be taken lightly."
[WARNING: SERAPHINA'S PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE DETERIORATING]
[OBSESSION LEVEL: INCREASING TO DANGEROUS PARAMETERS]
[RECOMMENDATION: MAINTAIN DISTANCE]
Elena observed the interaction between Aeris and Seraphina with an unreadable expression. "Soul Resonance does create a strong spiritual connection, but it shouldn't change someone's personality so drastically."
"You have no idea what I'm feeling," Seraphina glared at Elena. "You weren't even there when Aeris risked his life to save me from Lilith."
"I wasn't there," Elena admitted quietly. "But as someone who studies Light Magic and spiritual healing, I know that your reaction to Soul Resonance is... abnormal."
Seraphina immediately went into a defensive stance. "Abnormal? Or are you just jealous that Aeris never used her special technique on you?"
The tension in the room was growing. Aeris could feel the situation getting out of control.
"Enough," Aeris tried to calm the mood. "We're all stressed out by the impending demon threat. We should focus on—"
"Don't change the subject," Leon interrupted firmly. "Aeris, I'm serious. As a friend and fellow student at this academy, I have a right to know. The changes you've made are too suspicious to ignore."
"Friend?" Seraphina laughed sarcastically. "Where were you when Aeris nearly died fighting Malphas? Oh yeah, you were busy screaming for the Headmaster's help."
Leon clenched his fists. "I did what was best for the situation—"
"What was best for yourself," Seraphina continued in a mocking tone. "While Aeris risked everything to protect all of us."
"Seraphina, stop," Aeris finally spoke in a firm tone. "Leon was fighting his hardest back then, too."
Seraphina's expression changed when Aeris defended Leon. There was a dangerous glint in her eyes. "You... are defending him?"
"I'm not defending anyone. I'm simply stating facts."
"Facts?" Seraphina's voice dropped to a cold whisper. "The fact is that you've always tried to distance yourself from me. Every time I try to get close, you always find an excuse to pull away."
Elena watched the developing dynamic with growing curiosity. "Aeris, can I ask you something? How can you be so sure of your abilities? I mean, the way you handled the Titan during the entrance exam... it was like you knew exactly what to do." Elena's question set the system's warnings ringing again.
[CAREFUL: HEROINE SHOWING HIGH ANALYTICAL SKILLS]
[AVOID REVEALING SYSTEM KNOWLEDGE]
"Intuition, perhaps?" Aeris answered cautiously.
"Intuition doesn't explain how you were able to communicate with an Ancient Golem that is notoriously unresponsive to anyone," Elena continued in a genuinely curious tone. "And the way the Titan responded to your commands... it's almost like you've known each other for a long time."
Seraphina didn't like the direction the conversation was heading. "Elena, why are you so interested in Aeris? Shouldn't you be focusing on Leon? You two... are a good fit."
Elena blushed slightly at the comment, but didn't turn her attention away from Aeris. "I'm just... amazed by your unique abilities. As someone who also studies magic, I want to understand more deeply."
"Understand or research?" Seraphina asked accusingly.
"Is there a difference?"
"Of course there is! Aeris is not an experimental subject!"
Aeris felt like a ping-pong ball being bounced around between their conversations. Worse, every passing minute brought the Ancient Demon Belphegor closer.
Leon, feeling left out of the argument between the two girls, tried to regain control of the situation. "Okay, let's forget about Aeris' abilities for now. What's important right now is that we need to prepare for the Ancient Demon."
"You're right," Elena nodded. "Belphegor is known to be an extremely dangerous demon. His memory manipulation abilities can—"
"Can what?" Aeris asked, even though the system had given him full information.
"He can enter his victim's mind and extract memories, even changing or erasing them," Elena explained with a serious expression. "In historical records, he once destroyed an entire kingdom simply by changing the memories of the king and his advisors."
Seraphina looked at Aeris with genuine concern for the first time. "If the demon is really targeting you..."
"Why is he targeting Aeris?" Leon asked suspiciously. "What's so special about Aeris that caught the Ancient Demon's attention?"
The question silenced the room. All eyes turned to Aeris again, waiting for an answer he couldn't give without revealing his greatest secret.
[CRITICAL MOMENT: IDENTITY REVELATION RISK 85%]
[ANALYZING POSSIBLE RESPONSES...]
[RECOMMENDATION: CREATE DIVERSION OR PARTIAL TRUTH]
Before Aeris could answer, the Titan suddenly moved with faster than usual movements. The Ancient Golem walked to the window and stared out with a very alert posture.
"The Titan senses something," Aeris used the distraction to distract her.
Elena also sensed the change in energy in the air. "The magical aura around the academy is changing. Something very powerful is approaching."
Seraphina stood beside Aeris, her position protective. "If Belphegor really comes for Aeris, I won't let him touch a single hair on him."
"You can't fight an Ancient Demon alone," Leon said, gripping the hilt of his sword.
"Who said I was alone?" Seraphina glanced at Aeris with an intense gaze. "Aeris and I have a bond that none of you can understand." Elena watched their interaction with an increasingly curious expression. "What bond are you talking about? Soul Resonance is not supposed to create... this kind of dependency."
"It's not dependency," Seraphina answered defensively. "It's a... deeper connection."
"Connection or obsession?" Leon asked bluntly.
Seraphina's eyes glinted dangerously. "Be careful with your words, Leon."
The atmosphere in the room turned tense. Aeris could feel Seraphina's magical power starting to leak out, indicating her unstable emotions.
[WARNING: SERAPHINA'S MAGICAL POWER FLUCTUATING]
[EMOTIONAL STATE: HIGHLY UNSTABLE]
[POTENTIAL FOR MAGICAL OUTBURST: HIGH]
"Seraphina, calm down," Aeris placed his hand on the girl's shoulder. The touch instantly relaxed Seraphina, but it also made her gaze grow more obsessive.
"See," Seraphina whispered in an almost worshipful tone. "Only your touch can calm me down. Isn't that proof that we're meant to be together?"
Elena and Leon exchanged looks of disbelief and worry.
"Seraphina," Elena said carefully, "perhaps you should speak to the academy counselor about—"
"I don't need a counselor!" Seraphina cut in sharply. "All I need is Aeris!"
The situation was spiraling out of control. Aeris felt pressure from every direction—Leon's questions about his identity, Seraphina's increasingly dangerous obsession, Elena's curiosity that could expose his secret, and the ever-increasing threat of Belphegor.
Suddenly, the system gave an alert that nearly stopped Aeris' heart.
[URGENT ALERT: BELPHEGOR DETECTED]
[DISTANCE: 500 METERS]
[MAGICAL SIGNATURE CONFIRMED: MEMORY MANIPULATION FIELD ACTIVE]
[WARNING: BEGINNING PRELIMINARY MIND SCAN OF ACADEMY]
"He's here," Aeris whispered, his face pale.
"What?" Leon was immediately alert.
"Belphegor. He's arrived at the academy and has begun scanning people's minds."
Elena stared at Aeris with increasing suspicion. "How did you know that?"
Before Aeris could answer, Headmaster Aldric's voice echoed through the emergency communications system.
"All students immediately head to the shelter bunker! The Ancient Demon has entered the academy grounds! Do not attempt to resist! Repeat, do not attempt to resist!"
But instead of rushing to the bunker, Seraphina moved closer to Aeris. "I will not abandon you."
"Seraphina, this is dangerous—"
"Nothing is more dangerous than losing you," Seraphina interrupted with an almost fanatical glare.
Leon grabbed Elena's arm. "We have to get to the bunker now!"
"Wait," Elena refused to move, her eyes still on Aeris. "Something is wrong. How did Aeris know exactly when and where Belphegor would appear? And why is he so certain that the demon is looking for him?"
Elena's questions hit Aeris like a thunderbolt. In his panic, he had made too many mistakes that revealed his knowledge of things he shouldn't have known.
[CRITICAL ERROR: MULTIPLE SYSTEM KNOWLEDGE LEAKS DETECTED]
[COVER STORY COMPROMISED]
[IDENTITY EXPOSURE RISK: 95%]
Meanwhile, outside the window, a large black shadow began to hover over the academy. Belphegor had arrived, and his memory manipulation powers were spreading throughout the area.
Worst of all, the system detected that the demon had begun to focus on the male student dormitory area—exactly where they were.
[FINAL WARNING: BELPHEGOR TARGETING THIS LOCATION]
[MEMORY SCAN WILL BEGIN IN 60 SECONDS]
[IF DETECTED, SYSTEM WILL BE EXPOSED]
Aeris felt the world spin. In less than a minute, his greatest secret would be exposed—both by Belphegor and by his increasingly suspicious friends.
And most frighteningly, Seraphina's obsessive gaze convinced him that she would do anything—even face the Ancient Demon—to protect the object of her obsession.