Everything unfolded exactly as before, even down to the speech…
“I respect only those who have proven themselves worthy… nothing more, nothing less,” the Dragon Emperor said, his tone as indifferent as ever.
This time, however, Victor didn’t react… He neither provoked the Emperor nor showed any sign of even caring about the speech. Everyone around him exchanged puzzled glances, clearly wondering why he was keeping so silent when he was usually the first to stir things up.
As the meeting concluded, and just like before, Kai approached Aqualina and asked for Aether.
Then, Jack suddenly walked beside Victor. He leaned in close, his voice a low whisper, “I need to speak with you. Alone.”
Victor raised an eyebrow but smiled faintly and gave a small nod.
Moments later, the Principal emerged from the meeting room, “The maids will guide you to your rooms. If any of you wish to explore, feel free, but ensure that you take a servant with you at all times.”
As the group dispersed, each choosing what they wanted to do next, Victor’s gaze landed on Helena.
Victor’s original plan had been to take her on a date after she had fully recovered, but after giving it more thought and sending Celestia ahead to gather intel about the area, he decided it was the perfect place for them. He had already been on two dates in Zephyra Empire, but this place… this would be new for both of them.
He thought it would be an experience they could share, so when he suggested the idea to her, she happily agreed to wait.
Victor’s smile widened as he turned and followed Jack through the winding corridors.
Aria, watching Victor closely from a distance.
…..
….
Jack led Victor to his allocated room, and the two sat down in silence, facing each other.
Neither spoke for a moment, the quiet stretching between them as they sized each other up.
Finally, Jack broke the silence with a small smile, “It seems like you’ve already made some plans to complete the mission.”
Victor frowned slightly, “And what makes you think that?”
Jack chuckled, ” Haha… You’re too calm. Way too calm. That’s how I know. Unlike me, you don’t seem the least bit stressed.”
“You have a mission too?”
Jack’s expression shifted, pride flashing in his eyes as he nodded. “Yeah. It’s from Master.” He leaned in slightly, “A personal mission, straight from him. It’s not every day you get something like that… it’s rare.” He leaned back, pride evident in his posture.
Victor raised an eyebrow, “And what exactly is this mission of yours?”
Jack smirked, “Now, now, it’s classified.” He gave Victor a mischievous grin. “But… if you show me your real face, maybe I’ll tell you. One secret in exchange for another.”
Victor stared at him for a long moment before slowly moving his hands to his mask.
Jack’s eyes widened, filled with anticipation as he leaned in closer, eager to see what lay beneath.
Just as Victor was about to pull the mask away, he stopped abruptly, a sly grin spreading across his face, “Nah, I’m good,” he said with a playful smirk.
Jack blinked in surprise, caught off guard. After a moment, he let out a short laugh. “You really are an interesting one, you know that?”
Victor was momentarily taken aback by the notification. ‘W-What the… that’s a huge jump… from 100 to 500? That’s… unsettling,’ he thought to himself, a faint feeling of unease creeping in. Not wanting to dwell on it, he shifted the conversation back to more important matters. “Anyway, why did you call me here? What’s this all about?”
Jack’s demeanour changed instantly. His playful attitude faded, replaced by a serious, almost grim expression, “You probably don’t realize it, but I need to warn you… this mission, it’s more important than you think. If you fail…” His voice lowered ominously. “Master will kill you. Personally.”
Victor frowned deeply, confused, “Why would he go that far? You guys said I could leave, right?”
Jack sighed, folding his arms across his chest, “It’s because you’re a New Kind.”
“New Kind? What do you mean by that?”
Jack leaned forward, “To be completely honest, the moment you showed up, rumours spread fast. People started talking about what your body could do… the fact that you can store Arcane energy. That’s something that just shouldn’t be possible.
Master sees you as a threat… that’s why he gave me the mission to eliminate you.” He paused, his face softening again, “But… when I saw the way you acted… burning Kennedy alive just because he irritated you… that’s when I went to Master and asked him to put the mission on hold.
I thought killing you would be a waste, and you’ve proved me right.” He let out a long breath. “Especially when the academy was in danger. You stood there, calm, like nothing mattered to you… like whether those people lived or died didn’t concern you at all.”
Jack’s voice quickened with excitement, “But the thing that really intrigued me… the thing that convinced me… was when you chose who to save based on their worth. You didn’t save everyone, you saved the ones that mattered. That’s when I realized… you understand something most people don’t.
Not everyone is equal!”
Victor stared at him, his expression unreadable, “Is that so…” he replied.
“See? You don’t even care about my words… others might think you’re just an arrogant man, but what I see… is a man who values worth above all else!” Jack said, his voice filled with admiration, though it was strained as he slowly panted, “T-Tell me, Victor, there’s a rumour going around that you killed a few students… Why did you kill them?”
Victor met Jack’s gaze, knowing full well that Jack had taken the bait he’d deliberately laid out. It was time to push this even further. He needed someone to be part of the game.
Still grinning, Jack moved even closer, lowering his voice to a near whisper,
“You see, Victor… I’ve never had a friend like that… someone who could stick with me through thick and thin, sharing blood, fighting the evils that threaten us, a brother in arms.
Someone to explore new worlds with, seeing new sights, feeling new sensations… I wonder… when will I ever have a friend like that?” Jack’s fingers began tracing lazy circles on the table, his demeanour turning oddly shy as he spoke.
Victor stared at Jack with a blank, unreadable expression before responding in a cold, unflinching tone, “Sorry to say this, but I don’t need any more idiots in my life. We can’t be friends.”
Jack’s face fell, genuine sadness flickering in his eyes, but even then…
Victor thought, utterly bewildered, ‘I swear I’m not trying to rizz this guy, but seriously… how is he falling for this? He’s easier than a woman!’ His mind screamed as he struggled to keep his composure.
Feeling the need to escape before things spiralled any further, Victor stood up abruptly. “Well, then. I’ll just finish the mission and be on my way.” He was already halfway to the door, desperate to leave the room before Jack did something even more disturbing.
As Victor turned to leave, Jack’s face grew gloomy. His voice shook as he called out, “V-Victor… all the best with your mission… My friend!
But if you fail… please, come to me. I’ll talk to Master for you. I won’t let him kill you.” His tone was soft, hopeful even, like he truly didn’t want his newfound “friend” to be punished by his Master.
However…
Victor maintained a calm, composed facade, but inwardly anything but calm, ‘Oh. Fuck. Oh, fuck, fuck, FUCK!’ His heart pounded in his chest. He’d faced a lot of worst things, but Jack… this was something else entirely.
This was beyond unsettling!!
Still, Victor managed to keep his voice steady as he responded, “If it comes to that, Jack, I’ll kill you myself and everyone.. Don’t worry.”
Before Jack could make any more revolting sounds, Victor quickly exited the room, his steps brisk as he put as much distance between them as possible.
His heart still raced as he muttered inwardly, ‘What the hell just happened?! Hey, Log! Fucking Log!! Are you seriously telling me this is the same Jack from before? Look at him! He’s way more… dangerous and weirder… than I expected!’
“Aria?” Victor was startled to see Aria standing before him as if she had been waiting for him this whole time.
