Chapter 88: Mysterious Sage

Adam sat cross-legged inside the small room he was assigned, quietly cultivating.

His uniform jacket and tie lay on the bed beside him, the sleeves of his blue shirt rolled up. He looked nothing like someone who had been holed up in a room for days. The last couple of days had been nothing but long hours of cultivation, aside from other matters.

Adam’s calm and composed demeanour looked strange to those who had been monitoring him through the surveillance cameras, but they eventually got used to it, chalking it up to the confidence he had in himself.

The soft clicking of the door made him open his eyes. At the entrance was the girl who had led a squad of Student Council Enforcers to escort him from the security office.

Captain Lenora Calls.

The girl leaned against the frame of the door and smiled, "Did you miss me?"

"Captain Calls," Adam acknowledged softly, slowly rising to his feet. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Don’t get all serious with me, pretty boy." She pushed off the frame and entered with calm, confident steps. "Did you know?"

The girl eyed Adam as she circled him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Know what?" Adam asked, his eyes following the girl’s movement.

"Hm... since we brought you in here, you’ve been nothing but well-behaved. Anyone would have lost their minds locked in here." The girl scrutinised.

"I’m not most people, Captain." He replied coolly. "And you visiting now can only mean one thing. I’m exonerated, aren’t I?"

"What makes you think so?" Captain Calls asked curiously, stepping in close. "I could be here to pass a message."

"Unlikely..." Adam refuted her words. "All the messages and instructions I’ve received here have come from other members of your division. You wouldn’t come all the way here just to pass a message. And your question before implied something I already know to be true."

"Indeed..." Captain Calls smiled, confirming Adam’s words. She looked him in the eyes and remarked, sounding genuinely bemused. "Your lucky stars came through for you. Someone high up there wanted you out of the academy. But I have to say... the results of our investigation really opened my eyes."

"What do you mean, Captain?" Adam tilted his head, feigning confusion.

The girl smiled as though she could see through Adam’s act. "Too many clues were left behind, Adam. It’s like a child or even possibly a complete moron had been behind the entire setup. It makes no sense."

"The truth always comes to light, Captain." Adam philosophised calmly, knowing he was the one behind it. "As long as one looks deep enough, they’ll be able to find something. And I’m glad the Student Council pulled through."

"Hmm..." Lenora stared at Adam knowingly. "You know something, don’t you?"

Adam could tell the girl was suspicious of him, or more like curious. Truth be told, the girl wasn’t bad. He kind of liked her straightforward personality and expressivity. It was refreshing.

Holding her gaze, he replied with a slight smile of his own. "I’ve been in here the entire time, Captain Calls. I don’t even know what your investigations uncovered. The only thing I know for certain is that I am the true victim."

"You’re a lot of things, Adam. But a victim isn’t one of them." Lenora snickered. "Your attitude changed soon after we locked you in here. That in itself is suspicious."

Adam looked at the captain with an amused smile. But the girl wasn’t done.

"Come on, Adam. Spill it." She persuaded, bringing her face closer to Adam’s. "What secrets are you hiding? You’ve survived two attempts on your life, put an arrogant student in their place, and now this... No one is that lucky, Adam. You’re hiding something."

"I don’t know what to tell you, Captain Calls." Adam could only smile stiffly. "It might perhaps be the luck you’re dismissing."

"Still tongue-tied, huh?" Lenora harrumphed.

After what felt like an eternity, the emerald-eyed girl finally stepped back, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "You’re free to go, Adam. Your name has basically been cleared."

"Thank you, Captain Calls." Adam nodded and grabbed his jacket and tie. He looked at the girl and added. "It was a pleasure meeting someone like you, Captain. You’re one of a kind."

"Careful there, pretty boy," she smiled brightly. "You might make a girl fall... And call me Lenora."

"Lenora it is." Adam nodded and made his way to the door.

"Catch!"

Before he passed through the doorframe, Lenora tossed something over to him. Without even looking, Adam caught the thrown item, realising it was a zip-lock bag containing his phone and the key fob to his car.

"Thanks."

"Don’t mention it." The girl replied smoothly. "Also, the mastermind behind your setup will be brought before the Academy’s Judiciary Committee two days from now. You should attend."

Adam looked over his shoulder and answered, "I’ll keep that in mind."

When he stepped out of the room, he took only four steps and stopped yet again. He looked over to his left, staring at the boy who leaned against the wall with arms crossed over his chest.

"You seem to be everywhere lately," Adam said. "Is there something you wanna say?"

Aurelius held Adam’s gaze for a moment and then replied, lifting his brows, "Do I give that impression?"

"I wouldn’t be asking otherwise."

Before Aurelius could respond, Lenora stepped out of the room and giggled, drawing the attention of the two boys.

"C-Captain Calls. Do you find something funny?"

Aurelius’s eyes twitched the moment he heard the captain giggle. The boy could only suck in a cold breath, as he knew Lenora was about to expose him.

"My, oh my, Aurelius." Lenora patted Aurelius’s shoulder, her smile mischievous. "You need to stop putting on airs. How are you supposed to make friends when you act like you’re some mysterious sage?!"

The captain’s words took Adam aback. ’Did I hear right?’

He looked at the boy, noticing how he looked away like he was embarrassed.

’No way... The great son of the Federation Chairman wants to be my friend?’ Adam could not believe his ears.

Lenora was right.

What had begun as a mild interest in a boy who had been making waves had grown into a genuine desire to know him. Adam wasn’t like the others he knew; he did not shy away from being himself.

Aurelius himself did not understand where the feeling came from. It was in complete conflict with his thoughts at the beginning of the academic year.

The boy had been thinking of how to approach Adam for some time now. And everything he came up with sounded silly or outright extreme. But leave it to the loud-mouthed Lenora to lay everything bare and cut down his steez.