Chapter 279: The Truth

(The Imperial Court, Jack Sullivan’s POV)

"Your Majesty, although the weapon used to murder the students did indeed belong to Riven Dawnriver, there is another discovery that demands this court’s attention."

Jack muttered while raising his eyes from the report, fully aware that Prime Minister Vinicius was watching him closely from beside the Imperial throne.

"The surrounding air contained lingering traces of exceptionally powerful Aether, consistent with an Ascendant of the Inferno Rank or higher, which both myself and Principal Boseman detected throughout the crime scene."

"At the time of the massacre, Riven Dawnriver was merely an Ember Rank Ascendant, and the disparity between his abilities and the power detected at the scene is enormous."

"There are therefore two possibilities worth considering. Either Riven received assistance from someone vastly stronger than himself, or an unknown Ascendant infiltrated the Academy and committed these murders independently."

Vinicius’s expression hardened, but Jack no longer cared to search the Prime Minister’s face for permission to continue speaking the truth, as in his heart he had already made his choice.

"What makes this case particularly peculiar, Your Majesty, is that the evidence supporting the possibility of collusion becomes considerably weaker once we examine the survivors."

"Only three students survived the massacre: Riven Dawnriver, Jeff Brevis, and Gary Ironveil, and coincidentally all three of them were rendered unconscious during the incident."

Jack muttered, as he looked towards Gary next.

"According to Gary Ironveil’s testimony, he and Riven were fighting shortly before the massacre, and Gary struck Riven with enough force to leave him nearly unconscious."

"Gary subsequently lost consciousness as well, while Jeff was also knocked unconscious. Riven, meanwhile, testified under the Truth Orb that he remembered losing consciousness and did not witness the killings."

"One explanation for their survival is that whoever carried out the massacre regarded the three unconscious students as harmless and therefore left them alive."

Jack allowed that possibility to settle before raising the matter that had troubled him most during his examination of the evidence.

"Furthermore, Riven testified under the Truth Orb that he harbored no intention of harming his fellow students and possessed no memory of killing any of them."

The grieving families stirred uneasily, although none interrupted him as he continued explaining why those answers carried such considerable investigative weight.

"Unless someone seized control of his body after he lost consciousness, those statements strongly support his innocence, particularly when considered alongside the physical evidence already presented."

Jack could feel Vinicius’s stare burning into him, yet the words came more easily now that he had finally abandoned the prepared deception.

"Naturally, there is an objection to the intruder theory. The Academy’s protective formations registered no unauthorized entry, which initially suggested that the perpetrator was already inside."

"However, after studying those formations, I personally succeeded in bypassing their detection systems, despite being only a Flame Rank Ascendant myself."

The admission drew surprised murmurs, as even some of the Academy officials appeared uncomfortable hearing their supposedly formidable defenses described so casually.

"An Ascendant of Inferno Rank or higher could reasonably accomplish the same feat, meaning the absence of an alarm cannot establish that no outsider entered the grounds."

Jack closed the first section of his report, then looked directly towards Emperor Diomande as he approached the conclusion he had dreaded delivering.

"There is one final consideration, Your Majesty. If Riven somehow wielded Inferno Rank power through an Ember Rank Soul Vessel, the consequences would have been catastrophic."

His voice grew firmer as he spoke, drawing upon the examinations that had convinced him the accused could not have produced such power.

"His Soul Vessel and internal Aether pathways should have suffered devastating damage, yet the examinations revealed no such injuries, making that explanation extraordinarily difficult to accept."

Jack drew a measured breath, conscious that the next words would destroy whatever understanding Vinicius believed they had reached the previous evening.

"Having weighed these findings, my professional assessment assigns approximately ninety-nine point five percent probability to the involvement of an outside perpetrator, and less than half a percent to Riven Dawnriver acting as the murderer."

For an instant, the courtroom seemed to forget how to breathe, as hundreds of listeners struggled to reconcile those figures with the accusations.

"I believe this massacre was an outside operation intended to frame Riven Dawnriver, and the boy himself is innocent."

Jack glanced towards Gary once more, remembering the testimony that had provided another important detail concerning Riven’s actions after regaining consciousness.

"Moreover, after awakening, Riven helped save Gary Ironveil’s life, and I believe the young lord would not be sitting amongst us today without that intervention."

The statement prompted another wave of murmuring, louder than before, as several nobles turned towards Gary and his father in search of confirmation.

"I will not pretend to hold any affection for Duke Drew Dawnriver, whose attack killed my assistants, and I firmly believe he deserves punishment for those deaths."

Jack’s eyes moved towards Drew, and for a moment the memory of the young investigators he had lost threatened to overwhelm his composure.

"But my personal hatred for the father cannot become justification for condemning the son, especially when the evidence overwhelmingly indicates that Riven Dawnriver is innocent."

He lowered his report onto the dais, feeling an unexpected lightness in his chest despite knowing that his career might already be finished.

"That, Your Majesty, is the conclusion of my investigation, and I submit these findings to the Imperial Court without reservation or alteration."

Vinicius stared at him with an expression so cold that Jack could almost imagine the threats waiting once the hearing concluded.

Emperor Diomande leaned forward, resting his nose against his clasped fists, concealing his expression while the courtroom erupted into uneasy discussion.

Across the chamber, Drew Dawnriver grinned from ear to ear and raised a thumb towards Jack, apparently delighted by the testimony.

The gesture only soured Jack’s fleeting relief, as the Duke’s amusement reminded him of the assistants who would never return home.

He had defended an innocent boy, but that did not mean he had forgiven the father who had murdered his men.