NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48: Hidden Agenda
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
The rhythmic sound of the stress-relief artifact on the desk seemed determined to drive everyone in the room to madness. What was supposed to be calming had become a form of psychological torture after an entire hour of suffocating silence.
Two young men in crisp academy uniforms sat rigidly across from a middle-aged man. His neck-length gray hair was meticulously combed, thick-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and he wore a checkered black and white shirt that somehow managed to look both professional and slightly eccentric. His elbows rested on the polished mahogany table, fingers interlaced, chin resting thoughtfully on his hands.
"Sigh." The sound finally broke the oppressive quiet after what felt like an eternity.
"Now then," the man began, his voice carrying the weight of authority, "I want each of you to recount the events that transpired in the cafeteria based on your point of view. I want the absolute truth." He tilted his stiff neck slightly, joints audibly cracking. "Mr. Rophenia?"
Aden von Rophenia, third prince of Ezram, straightened in his chair with practiced royal composure.
"Well, I had just arrived at the cafeteria after a strategy meeting with my teammates when I witnessed this... idiot—"
"Language," the disciplinarian interrupted smoothly.
"I arrived with Ethan, a fellow teammate, and found Auston here harassing a female student. Unable to condone such degenerate behavior, I intervened and attempted to stop him. However, he remained adamant and chose to fight me rather than release the victim of his... inappropriate advances."
"That's not what happened!" Auston burst out, his composure cracking like thin ice.
"Mr. Orton." The disciplinarian's single glance was enough to freeze Auston mid-protest. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
"Please continue," he nodded toward Aden with the patience of someone who'd had this exact conversation a thousand times before.
"I couldn't simply stand by and watch such behavior continue, so I intervened. The situation escalated to physical confrontation." Aden's voice carried the conviction of someone who genuinely believed his own version of events.
"Even knowing it was against academy regulations?" The man's indifferent tone made it clear this wasn't really a question.
"I truly am sorry about that transgression. It was unbecoming of me—I allowed my emotions to control my actions. I simply couldn't witness such behavior and remain passive." Aden's voice was filled with what sounded like genuine remorse, though whether it was for his actions or getting caught remained unclear.
"You could have always reported the incident to the proper authorities," the disciplinarian pointed out with maddening calm.
"It wasn't my intention for the situation to escalate to that level. I only wanted to assist a fellow student in distress." Aden's diplomatic training was showing, but it wasn't getting him anywhere.
"However, according to the surveillance footage review..." The man paused deliberately, "you struck first."
Aden could only bite his lip. Apparently, smooth talking wasn't going to get him out of this particular mess.
"Mr. Orton?" The disciplinarian's attention shifted with the mechanical precision of a lighthouse beacon.
Auston shifted uncomfortably, running a hand through his hair. "I... sigh... My friend was having an emotional breakdown due to the recent loss of someone quite dear to her. I was only trying to get her to open up about her feelings. She's my friend, after all."
He said those last words as though they granted him some sort of proprietary rights over the person in question, but the disciplinarian's expression remained neutral.
"While we were having this private conversation, Aden here suddenly appeared and began harassing us both. All I did was protect her from his unwanted interference." Auston's gaze carried the wounded dignity of someone who'd been wrongfully accused.
"Yet according to the same footage, you were indeed restraining this 'friend' of yours against her apparent will. Would that not constitute a form of harassment?" The man's voice remained infuriatingly calm.
Auston's frown deepened as the trap closed around him.
At this point, both young men realized the uncomfortable truth: there was no talking their way out of this situation. They were, to put it in academic terms, completely screwed.
"Sigh." The disciplinarian leaned back in his black leather chair, then shifted slightly toward the corner of the armrest. His right hand remained on the table, fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood like a countdown timer.
"You both understand your positions within this institution, yet you chose to act as you did." The statement hung in the air like an executioner's axe. Both men shifted uncomfortably, suddenly finding the floor tiles fascinating.
"Do you accept responsibility for your actions?" The question was deceptively simple, but they both understood its weight. There was no point in further pretense—it was clear they'd both violated strict academy regulations.
Silence stretched between them as they exchanged hostile glares, each blaming the other for their current predicament.
"Come in," the disciplinarian said suddenly, making both students turn toward the door.
A young man entered, carrying a briefcase that looked distinctly official and somehow ominous. He moved with the efficiency of someone who'd performed this ritual many times before.
"Proceed," the disciplinarian instructed.
The assistant nodded and walked to a small table by the side of the room. He placed the briefcase down and, after some mechanical fiddling, opened it with a soft click. From within, he extracted what looked like...
"Ether cuffs," Aden muttered, finally understanding just how dire their situation had become. This wasn't just bad—it was catastrophic.
Click. Click.
The restraints snapped around their wrists with finality. The relics glowed briefly before settling into a steady, dim light that seemed to mock their predicament.
"Consider this your final warning. You should have received a punishment far more severe, but since this is your first time breaking academy rules so blatantly, I'm being lenient." The disciplinarian's tone suggested his version of mercy was still quite terrible. "For one week, you will remain in those restraints."
Both young men's eyes widened in horror. This was mercy?
"Sir, but the examination tomorrow—" Auston began desperately.
"Exactly. Now leave my office. I have actual work to attend to." The dismissal was absolute.
Both students ground their teeth in frustration. If they couldn't perform adequately in the upcoming test for class reshuffling, their academic futures would be completely derailed.
But there was nothing they could do. This was the head disciplinarian—if he wanted to exclude them from the test entirely as punishment, he had that authority.
Realizing that further protest would only make things worse, they both stood and walked toward the door with the reluctant steps of condemned men.
BAM!
The door closed behind them with ominous finality. They stood in the hallway for a brief moment, the weight of their situation settling over them like a suffocating blanket.
"Watch your back, bug," Aden said, his royal composure finally cracking to reveal something darker underneath. "Watch it very carefully."
He began walking away, his mind already formulating elaborate plans for revenge. In fact, he could potentially use this situation to his advantage—turn their mutual punishment into Auston's singular downfall.
"You should watch yours too," Auston muttered under his breath, his voice carrying its own edge of menace.
He wasn't an idiot. He knew exactly what the third prince was planning, but who said he couldn't play the same game? He watched Aden's retreating figure, his gaze darkening with each step.
'She belongs to me,' he thought with possessive intensity. 'No one else.'
The hallway fell silent except for the echo of their footsteps moving in opposite directions, each plotting the other's downfall.