How To Survive A Calamity-Chapter 261: Vice-Headmaster [2]

Arslan continued to scribble for a long stretch of time that wound on like an uncomfortable eternity before he slowly set the pen down and raised his head to speak to me. His bright orange eyes lit up instantly.

"Vic! You made it!" He threw his hands open like he was meeting an old friend, and in an instant, all of the solemn authority exuded from earlier was dispelled, leaving me befuddled and full of mixed feelings.

"Glad you could make it. I've been expecting you!"

Arslan didn't seem to notice my plight, or outright didn't care, as he pushed himself out of his swivel chair, rose to his feet boisterously, and walked away from behind his desk with casual movements.

"Drink?"

Arslan, dressed in a polished high-quality cotton dress shirt and fine straight pants, headed for the minibar and pulled out a half-full bottle of wine and two glass cups before smiling at me from behind.

"No... thank you," I managed to say, ignoring the look of disappointment Arslan made before he shrugged it away.

"Bummer. More for me then!"

Arslan poured himself a cup and strolled toward the leather sofa and couches next to the bar, daintily taking a seat.

"Come," he said to me.

I rose to my feet and slowly headed toward him, still confused and wary. Arslan's nonchalant and seemingly easygoing behavior was disarming, but I couldn't forget why I was here.

I moved stiffly to take a seat in front of him, as if following his words was the only natural thing to do. Arslan wistfully gazed at me with the same mysterious allure in his curious orange eyes as his light voice teased.

"You're probably wondering why I asked you to find me, aren't you?" he said, sipping from his wine before placing it down against the small coffee table.

"I'll give you a subtle hint." He raised a finger and pointed at me — specifically, my left arm — and I froze instinctively. The memory of just last night came crashing down at once, and the wide, ventilated office of Arslan suddenly felt chilly.

I clenched my left fist without realizing it. Arslan seemed to notice this, and his smile deepened.

"I know we both have questions, so I'll go first... You're the one who killed Nicodemus, aren't you?"

—Ba-thump!

The moment Arslan uttered those words, my heart thundered inside my chest and squeezed. It was like the very air vanished from my lungs, and breathing became a chore.

I tried to hide it, pulling on every last strand of my composure, but icy sweat broke out all over my face.

Arslan burst into mild laughter, amused by my reaction. But that didn't make the situation any better.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I managed to say in an almost raspy voice. The office felt more suffocating under Arslan's gaze, but I forced myself to remain as calm and composed as I could appear.

The conversation was just beginning. Though Arslan had control of the frame from the start, I couldn't just let him pull me along.

Thinking so, I managed a deep breath, exhaling slowly as I relaxed my shoulders.

"Sir, if you're referring to the Dungeon incident... then I believe you have me mistaken. I heard the cadet called Nicodemus was caught up in an accident and was killed by an unknown stranger. There are even rumors of a Demon or something..."

"You're embarrassing yourself, Vic. You really don't have to pretend... you can't," Arslan said leisurely with a sigh, crossing his legs.

The cold sweat flowing down the back of my neck felt uncomfortable, and I scrunched my face into a mild frown to appear insulted.

"With all due respect, Vice Headmaster Arslan, I really have no clue what you're talking about," I insisted calmly but firmly. "I, as well, was one of the victims involved in the incident..." I raised my bandaged left arm and waved it to drive my point.

"I nearly died. And in fact, my future as an Awakened and a Hero may have been potentially sabotaged as a result. Moreover, Nicodemus was a good friend to a close friend of mine, even though we had never personally met. Suddenly being accused of his murder is both deeply insulting and disturbing. Even if you are the Vice Headmaster, I refuse to stand for any more of this..."

Seizing that momentum, I rose calmly to my feet and pretended to storm out.

Screw the questions, screw finding out who Arslan was... I clearly wasn't as mentally prepared as I thought I was after all. With a single casual question, Arslan had thrown me for the craziest loop my paranoia couldn't have even anticipated.

The implications of the Academy — or someone — finding out I killed Nicodemus were immense for me.

I could always come back somehow. But first, I needed to leave for now and come up with a plan.

So as not to seem desperate and urgent, I presented before Arslan facts that distanced me from Nicodemus's killer before trying to storm away.

But Arslan didn't flinch or move an inch even as I walked past him and headed for the door. My fists trembled in my pockets as I tried to keep my shoulders calm and my gait steady.

Instead —

"And who gave you permission to leave?" Arslan said coldly.

The next moment, I felt the very will escape from my body as my knees trembled. A sharp, searing pain tore through my left arm like hot needles were being stabbed into my palm.

"Aargh!"

—Thud!

The pain was so fierce and sudden that I tumbled straight onto the wooden floor and grasped my left arm like it was on fire.

"Fuck!" I unconsciously spat out, tearing and ripping apart the bandage wrapped around my arm to reveal a boiling red mark that had spread from the center of my palm.

Then I heard Arslan's calm voice as I felt his deliberate approach from behind me.

"That mark on your left arm... the Devil's Karma is a brand which only appears on the chosen vessel of a Demon. There's a bit of nuance and complexity to it, but it usually appears on either the Demon's contractee or its murderer."

He stood directly over me from behind.

"So which one are you, Vic?"