The Academy's Doomed Side Character

I barely raised my arms before the blast hit.

Lan’s absorbed most of it—but the sheer force still sent me tumbling, blades clattering from my hands.

I hit the ground and didn’t rise immediately.

Breath ragged.

Vision flickering.

"Just die already!" he shouted, the rawness bleeding into his voice now. "You’re wasting both our time."

Honestly, I was scared.

This was a risky gamble. A very risky one.

This was the villain that Ryen and Leo couldn’t stop until the latter half of the story. And now he was standing right in front of me—trying to kill me.

It was terrifying. More than I’d imagined.

Knowing a villain would come after you one day is different than actually being face to face with him. The danger felt real now—impossibly real.

But even so, thanks to the [Oath of the Saint], my mouth kept running. I couldn’t shut up, even if I wanted to. So I played my part.