Ascension of the Harem King : From Fugitive to Lord

It was nighttime.

Students and instructors sat in the cafeteria, eating dinner while chatting about their day.

Zedd sat with Kayden and Murray.

Kayden and Murray were suspicious of Zedd—his indifference to the missing students and instructors, how he casually dismissed it as if it didn't matter.

Kayden spoke up. "Zedd, you know our classmate Elliot went missing a week ago. He was last seen going into his room after dinner. Do you know anything about it?"

Kayden asked this to see Zedd's reaction.

For a split second, Zedd's expression faltered, but he quickly regained his composure and replied, "Seems like there's a phantom amongst us making students and instructors disappear."

Murray then asked, "So where do you think Elliot is right now?"

"In my laboratory, limbless, writhing in pain on the verge of death," Zedd thought inwardly.

Zedd quickly responded, "Why are you two asking me all these questions? How the hell would I know where he is or what he's doing?"

Kayden replied, "Okay, but it sure is a mystery. Thirty disappearances since last year, and the academy hasn't found a single clue or trace of where the missing students or instructors are."

Zedd muttered, "Whatever," quickly finished his food, and walked away.

Kayden and Murray stared at each other for several minutes, neither saying anything.

Murray broke the silence first. "Kayden, something is definitely suspicious about Zedd. Something's been going on with him, but we don't know what it is. I feel like Zedd is somehow connected to all those disappearances."

Kayden replied, "Okay, but even if Zedd is somehow connected to all those missing cases, why would he do it? What would he gain from capturing classmates and instructors?"

Murray said, "How about tonight we keep watch over him and see if he does anything suspicious?"

Kayden was about to reply but was interrupted by a bell. The warden came in and said, "Students, dinner time is over. Lights out. Go to your rooms. You all have three minutes. Anyone even one minute late will do thirty rounds tomorrow morning around the training ground."

Kayden turned to Murray. "Okay, tonight we'll uncover whatever Zedd is hiding. But I still don't feel like Zedd is connected to all that. I mean, he doesn't seem the type. Sure, he's a loner and antisocial, but still…"

Murray replied, "Whatever, let's just check. There's no harm in seeing if he does nothing. It will ease our suspicions."

Kayden reluctantly nodded.

They both washed their trays and went to their rooms. Lights out.

Exactly ten minutes later, the warden made his rounds through the dorm, ensuring all students were in their rooms and none were out in the hallway. Any student caught socializing instead of being in their room got a heavy beating from the warden.

Most students and instructors were asleep, but neither Kayden nor Murray slept. They pressed their ears to the wall, hoping to hear any sign of movement.

Hours passed. Kayden and Murray were barely able to keep their eyes open, exhausted from the grueling exercise and training simulations they had gone through the night before.

Then, they heard it—a faint creak. The sound of a door opening. Slowly, they opened their own doors just a crack and saw Zedd slipping out into the hallway. They quietly followed him, keeping their distance so he wouldn't see them.

Kayden whispered to Murray, "What the hell is Zedd doing so early, and where is he heading?"

Murray replied, "We'll find out soon. For now, let's just follow him."

Kayden said, "I have a really bad feeling about this, but let's keep watching for now."

Zedd, completely oblivious to the fact that he was being followed, walked to the academy building. He easily jumped over the wall, picked the lock, and entered the building. Kayden and Murray were more curious than ever, quietly following behind.

Zedd climbed the stairs to the second floor.

Murray whispered, "Why is he going to a floor that was abandoned years ago? No one goes up there anymore."

Kayden replied, "Let's just keep watching. We'll find out."

Zedd reached the second floor and entered the second classroom. Kayden and Murray exchanged glances, but neither spoke. They quietly followed and peered inside. What they saw made their jaws drop.

The missing students and instructors were there—limbless, naked, their bodies cut and mutilated. The work of a psychotic maniac. Strange chemicals were applied to their bodies, and a white, pale substance was grafted into the skin of a few. Some students, declared missing, were chained to the wall, with the same pale substance grafted to their stomachs. Shelves were stacked with vials of chemicals and other substances. Stacks of paper with calculations and formulas 

In the middle of the room, a figure stood over a table, putting on gloves skillfully as if he had done this hundreds of times before. He took dissection rolls and skillfully continued his inhumane experiments. One of the instructors, who had been missing for eight weeks, was crying out in pain, but Zedd showed no sign of concern.

Kayden, usually calm and composed, could barely hold himself from vomiting in disgust.

He turned to Murray, and both of them shared the same look of horror.

Kayden whispered, "We have to leave right now and report this."

Murray nodded in agreement. They rushed out as fast as they could, stumbling down the stairs and running back to the dorm. Once inside, they began banging on the instructors' doors and the warden's.

After a few minutes, the doors opened. The instructors and warden stood there in their night clothes, the warden rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What is it, Kayden and Murray? Don't you know it's impolite to disturb someone who's asleep? Tomorrow, two extra sets."

The warden stopped mid-sentence when he saw the horrified expressions on their faces—eyes filled with anger, fear, horror, and disgust.

The instructors and warden asked, "What's going on, Kayden and Murray? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Murray stuttered, "Sir... sir... the missing disappearances of students and instructors... it's Zedd! Zedd... he's the one responsible! He's conducting experiments on them, using instructors and our classmates as test subjects!"

The instructors and warden were now extremely alarmed. They, along with eight guards, rushed to the academy building's second floor, standing ready with weapons to confront Zedd. They kicked open the door and the guards swarmed into the classroom.

Zedd turned and saw the guards, the instructors, and the warden. Beside them stood Murray and Kayden.

One of the instructors looked at Zedd with anger and disgust and said, "Zedd, explain yourself. What is the meaning of this?