Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece-Chapter 176: Aftermath [4]

[Solvayne Academy]

Cedric stood outside the heavy wooden door. His fingers twitching slightly at his sides.

He took a breath. Slow. Deep. His heart wasn’t racing. But there was a weight in his chest he couldn’t quite shake.

He raised his hand and knocked.

The sound echoed quietly down the empty hallway.

A pause.

Then a calm voice from the other side. Measured, steady. Familiar.

"Come in."

Cedric pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The office beyond was large but quiet.

Lined with tall bookshelves and soft light filtering through a tall window. The space felt warm despite the serious tone that always lingered in the air.

A few stacks of papers sat neatly on the desk. There were plants by the sill, lavender, maybe. He could faintly smell it.

Behind the desk sat Seris Voidcrest.

Vice Principal of Solvayne Academy.

She didn’t look at him at first. She was seated, leaning back in her chair. Her silver-white hair falling over her shoulder like a river of moonlight.

Her golden eyes were focused out the window, as if thinking of something far beyond the glass.

The sunlight lit her face gently. Sharp features, still and quiet. Like stone carved into elegance.

Then, slowly. She turned her gaze to him.

"Take a seat," she said, motioning to the chair across from her.

Cedric nodded and stepped forward, carefully sitting down. The cushion was soft. But he sat straight. Hands resting lightly on his knees, trying not to fidget.

Seris studied him for a moment. Her expression didn’t change.

"I know this might be difficult," she said. Her voice was low, calm.

"But we need to understand what happened inside that dungeon. Anything you can share would help."

Cedric nodded. "It’s okay, Vice Principal. I’ll tell you what I can."

So, he began.

He told her about the battlefield.

The moment they had fallen into the dungeon, surrounded by war. The Red Legion against the Black.

How the dungeon had practically forced them to pick a side. How they’d chosen the Black Legion.

He spoke of the weeks that followed. The battles. The harsh nights. The days spent planning and bleeding and pushing forward.

How Kyle had naturally stepped into a leadership role. Calculating their moves, guiding them through every fight.

Seris listened without interrupting.

Cedric left certain things out.

He didn’t mention the hidden affinities. Not Kyle’s. Not his own.

That was something they had all silently agreed to keep buried.

Then he spoke of the final fight.

The one against the Red Commander.

Still, Seris’s expression didn’t change.

"And how did you defeat him?" she asked, her voice smooth, almost curious.

Cedric answered carefully. "Kyle set a trap. He planned everything. The timing. The terrain. The positioning. The rest of us helped execute it."

He described how Serena and he had worked together to form a special lightning spell.

One that needed precise mana syncing. He mentioned how Kyle had used it during a storm, drawing in natural lightning from above.

A dangerous move. Risky.

But it had worked.

At least... that was the story they had agreed on.

Cedric didn’t mention the truth, that Rodrick, the Red Commander, had survived the initial strike.

Or that Kyle’s body had nearly burst with power. Or the white hair. The glowing blue eyes. The storm itself bending to his will.

Some things couldn’t be explained.

And maybe... shouldn’t be.

Then came the final question.

Seris leaned forward. Her voice quiet but sharp.

"What happened to Kyle? How did his hair turn white?"

Cedric hesitated for a breath. Then answered.

"I don’t know. After the lightning hit... we found him like that."

A clean lie. Smooth. Practiced.

Seris didn’t push.

She simply nodded once. "Thank you, Cedric. You may go."

He stood, offering a polite bow, and walked toward the door.

As it closed behind him. He finally let out a slow breath. His shoulders eased, just slightly.

Inside the office, Seris remained still.

Her hands folded under her chin. Her golden eyes staring at the door.

That was the fourth time she had heard the same story.

Eleanora. Serena. Cassian. Cedric.

Every single one of them had recited the same version of events. Same pauses. Same word choices.

Even the same emotional tone.

Too perfect.

Too coordinated.

She wasn’t angry. Just... curious.

They were protecting something. That much was obvious. And Seris, of all people, knew how to read between the lines.

That energy she had felt when Kyle emerged from the gate... the unstable dangerous mana rolling off him like a tidal wave. It hadn’t been from any ordinary spell.

It was something else.

Something wild. Untamed. Old.

But still, she smiled.

A small, thoughtful smile.

"He has good friends," she murmured.

They were protecting him with everything they had. Risking their reputations. Hiding things from Academy officials. Lying to her face, even.

But she didn’t blame them.

She respected it.

Still... the curiosity remained.

Seris leaned back in her chair, fingers tapping lightly against the wooden armrest.

The story of how Kyle had lured the Red Commander into a trap? That part was true. That, she believed. And frankly?

It was brilliant.

She chuckled softly. "Use of natural lightning, huh?"

Her gaze shifted back to the window.

She imagined the battlefield. The sky cracked open in a storm.

A boy standing at the center of it all, hair turned white, eyes glowing, calling down a bolt from the heavens.

She wished she could have seen it.

Because whatever really happened in that dungeon... whatever power Kyle had tapped into...

It was something beyond ordinary magic.

Something terrifying.

But also... something very interesting.

She leaned back, lacing her fingers together.

"He woke up yesterday," she murmured, glancing at a report tucked under a few letters. "Stable. Recovery going well."

A soft sigh of relief escaped her.

She hadn’t realized how much she’d been holding onto that worry.

Maybe she’d visit. Not to ask questions. Just to check on him.

The boy who led his team through war.

Kyle.

Seris smiled once more. This time, softer.

"I knew he was something else."

———

[Eldermere City Hospital]

Kyle scowled as the spoon hovered near his mouth.

"I told you, I can eat on my own," he muttered, reaching out to grab the bowl.

Seraphina pulled it just out of reach. Her lips curling into a smug smile.

Her soft pink hair slipped over her shoulder as she leaned in closer. The light from the window catching in her eyes.

"No," she said sweetly. "I’ll feed you."

Kyle let out a sharp exhale and flopped back against the pillow.

Aurelia had finally gone home to rest. After an entire week of refusing to leave his side.She’d pushed herself beyond exhaustion.

Kyle had to beg her to go to sleep. Eventually, she gave in.

And now Seraphina had taken over.

"Guard duty," she called it.

’More like babysitting’, Kyle thought grimly.

She scooped another spoonful of porridge. Surprisingly fragrant, slightly sweet, and held it in front of his face with that same teasing smile.

Kyle frowned. "Why are you so happy about this?"

Her eyes flicked downward.

That’s when Kyle noticed the small black blur perched at the foot of the bed.

Mochi.

Tail twitching. Ears flat. Golden eyes narrowed into an unamused stare.

Kyle suddenly understood.

’Ah. Of course.’

Seraphina was smug.

She slowly raised the spoon again, keeping eye contact with the furious cat.

Mochi growled low in her throat, like a warning. But Seraphina didn’t flinch.

She fed him the porridge, bite by bite, grinning with every swallow Kyle took.

Kyle rolled his eyes, but the food was good.

Mochi, however, had enough.

With a sudden leap. She bounded into Kyle’s lap, fluffing up like a tiny storm cloud. Her golden gaze fixed on Seraphina with utter betrayal.

Kyle chuckled, reaching down to stroke her ears.

—

Once the bowl was empty. Seraphina set it aside and sat a little straighter, watching him carefully.

"You’re really okay, right?" she asked, and her tone was different now. Soft. Uncertain.

Kyle met her eyes. "I told you, I’m fine."

She looked like she wanted to say more, but didn’t.

Her fingers adjusted the blanket over his legs, then lingered a moment too long. She stood up slowly.

"Rest," she said. "If you need anything. I’ll be right outside."

She turned toward the door, then paused.

Her eyes flicked back to the bed.

To Mochi.

Seraphina raised a single finger. "And you, let him sleep."

Mochi let out a long, slow hiss.

Without missing a beat. Seraphina hissed back.

Kyle watched in silence as the two locked eyes for a second longer.

Then, with a final smug glance. She walked out and closed the door behind her.

—

Alone now, Kyle leaned back against the pillows. He glanced toward the ceiling, his gaze unfocused.

The dungeon. The battlefield. Rodrick’s. The raw storm that had burst out of him like something alive.

He remembered the power. The way the mana hadn’t just moved. It had obeyed. It hadn’t felt like casting a spell.

It had felt like becoming the storm.

And then there was her.

That chained being. The storm goddess, her voice echoing inside his head, whispering his real name.

Ethan.

How did she know that name?

Could she have been the one who brought him into this world?

A soft sound snapped him from his thoughts.

Mochi nudged his arm gently, golden eyes full of knowing.

She climbed up to his chest and settled there. Curling into a soft, warm circle.

Kyle gave a tired smile and scratched under her chin.

"Yeah," he murmured. "You’re right. No point thinking about it yet."

The cat purred, the sound low and steady.

"Thanks... Zalrielle."

———

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