Chapter 88: A Lie Beneath the Academy

"The creature was known as Wrath."

The professor allowed the name to settle before continuing, and the display behind him shifted to an illustration of a colossal figure surrounded by corrupted energy. Its features were indistinct beneath the distortion, but the ruined landscape around it conveyed enough to establish the scale of the threat.

"Wrath belonged to a group of Corrupt beings known as the Inverted Heavens, entities whose power placed them among the greatest threats humanity had ever encountered. It’s not known how many there are, but each possessed the strength to devastate entire regions, and Wrath was considered one of the most powerful among them, surpassed only by the Corrupt King itself."

Several students straightened in their seats. Even those who had spent the earlier part of the lecture whispering among themselves understood that the Inverted Heavens were far removed from the Corrupt creatures encountered during ordinary Fracture incursions.

"The awakened forces attempted to resist Wrath’s advance, but their defenses proved insufficient. Entire formations were destroyed, and humanity’s remaining strongholds faced annihilation until the Primordials appeared."

The display changed, showing several figures standing amid a ruined battlefield.

The Primordials had become legends even during their own lifetimes. Five centuries later, they still occupied a place in the awakened world that few others could approach, and their continued existence had done little to make them easier to understand. They had witnessed the rise and collapse of kingdoms, survived eras that existed only in historical records, and retained enough power to influence the modern world through their presence alone.

Among them was Headmaster Dover. And his father, Aldric Vespera.

Caelus had seen both often enough to know that their unassuming appearance revealed very little. Dover could wander through the Academy with the casual demeanor of an administrator burdened by paperwork, yet the strongest awakened treated his words with a caution that had little to do with his position. His authority had been earned long before the Academy existed, and the power he displayed publicly offered no reliable measure of what he could do when circumstances demanded more. His father was the same, though his achievements were mostly shrouded because he’d been completely inactive after the catastrophe.

The same uncertainty surrounded the other surviving Primordials. They were extraordinary, but their actual limits remained unknown, as did the extent to which their abilities had changed over five centuries.

That was why they were feared. Their reputation rested on deeds that had saved humanity, but also on the unsettling knowledge that even the strongest living experts could not confidently explain the full extent of their capabilities.

"The Primordials confronted Wrath and brought the catastrophe to an end," the professor continued. "Their victory allowed humanity to rebuild, and the site of their final confrontation would later become the foundation of this Academy, preserving the legacy of those who saved our world."

A few students began copying the statement into their notes, apparently recognizing it as a likely examination question.

Caelus stared at the display.

The story was half the truth.

He remembered writing the truth in Extra to Villain, buried within the history of the world where it would become relevant much later. The Primordials had not killed Wrath. They had nearly died fighting it and, when their strength proved insufficient to destroy the creature, sealed it instead.

The Academy had been built directly above that seal.

Caelus’s expression remained neutral as the professor continued praising the Primordials’ victory, but his attention had sharpened. The public story was convincing because most of it was true. Humanity had suffered, the Primordials had fought, and the Academy had risen from the ruins. Only the most important detail had been removed.

Revealing that Wrath remained alive would have caused widespread panic and undermined the authority of the very people humanity depended on for protection. The story of their victory had become a symbol of hope, while the creature they had failed to kill remained imprisoned beneath the institution that celebrated their achievement.

Knowing why someone had lied did not make the lie any less dangerous. ℴ

The professor moved on to describe the institution’s development over the centuries, outlining the expansion of its departments and the role it had played in training successive generations of awakened. Caelus listened when something seemed relevant, though the Academy’s self-congratulatory account had lost much of its appeal.

The main reason the Contractors were attempting to breach the Academy was to awaken Wrath, using sacred affinity bearers as a sacrifice.

Wrath’s release would turn the Academy from humanity’s monument to survival into the starting point of another catastrophe.

Caelus lowered his gaze toward the floor.

He could already imagine the explanations the Academy would offer if the secret ever came to light. The seal had remained stable for centuries. The Primordials understood its condition. The institution’s defenses were sufficient. Everything was under control.

Perhaps all of it would even be true.

That still wouldn’t make it safe.

The professor eventually concluded the lecture by returning to the Academy’s purpose: preparing humanity for future threats and ensuring that the sacrifices of previous generations would not be forgotten. A few students applauded politely before the room dissolved into conversation, chairs scraping against the ascending rows as everyone began gathering their belongings.

Caelus collected his things, intending to return to his own work. He had learned nothing new about the history itself, but remembering that the sealed creature was now a target had made the morning considerably less pleasant.

He pushed his chair back and was about to stand when a shadow fell across his desk.

Caelus looked up.

The student standing over him wore a respectful expression, his posture composed and his uniform immaculate. Yet the smile on his face carried an unmistakable note of condescension, as though he had already decided how the conversation would end.

Caelus recognized him immediately.

The student whose actions had nearly gotten Mira killed.

His expression turned cold. The lecture receded from his attention as he fixed his gaze on the boy before him.

The student inclined his head with practiced courtesy.

"Young master Vespera. I hope I’m not interrupting."

Caelus didn’t return the greeting.

"What do you want?"

The boy’s smile widened slightly.

He straightened, making certain that the whole lecture room could hear him clearly.

"I challenge you to a ranking match."