The heavy silence of the principal's office lingered even after Elijah and Elbeth had left.
Alaric turned sharply toward Belbub, his voice tense.
"Why did you send him out? There has to be a way, father. You've lived over three centuries… there must be something."
Belbub didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stood slowly and walked to the window, watching the storm clouds gather in the distance. Then, with a heavy heart, he placed a hand on Alaric's shoulder.
"I know you're desperate to protect him," Belbub said quietly. "It's the only thing you promised your sister before she died."
Alaric clenched his fists and nodded. "Yes… and I won't let that promise be broken."
There was a long pause. Then, finally, Belbub whispered:
"There is a way to unlock Elijah's essence."
Alaric's eyes widened. "Truly?! Then—why not do it?"
Belbub raised a hand, signaling he wasn't finished.
"Even if we awaken his essence, the Supreme Celestial Leveling System will remain sealed to him. That path is closed—permanently."
Alaric's voice lowered. "Then… what can he do?"
"Everything a mage can," Belbub said. "Spellcasting, enchantments, interact with magical artifacts, even magical constructs. His mage bloodline is incredibly strong. But… he will never climb the celestial layers. Never grow stronger. Forever capped."
Alaric stepped back, processing it all. "Still… it's better than nothing."
"No," Belbub said grimly. "Because unlocking that essence is forbidden. And if the Magus Tower discovers we helped him… the consequences will be fatal."
"Why?" Alaric growled. "Why can't we help one innocent child?"
Belbub turned to face him, his voice sharp now.
"Because of two reasons."
He raised one finger.
"First—I am a Monarch of the Magus Tower. I helped create the laws. One of them states: Once the Red Elixir is consumed, the victim must remain as an ordinary human. No exceptions. Even if that victim is a child."
Then he raised a second finger.
"Second—those who regain their essence after drinking the Red Elixir are no longer human in the eyes of the Tower. They are known as the Circle of Intangibility."
Alaric's eyes narrowed. "I've heard of them… they were hunted down. Erased."
Belbub nodded.
"Exactly. The Magus Tower follows two sacred decrees:
1. Praise the Magus.
2. Kill all members of the Circle of Intangibility."
Belbub looked Alaric in the eye.
"If we awaken Elijah's essence… we'll mark him for death. And ourselves as traitors."
"But what if we keep it a secret?" Alaric whispered.
"The Serpentine Sect will find out. They already suspect something. And when they do, they'll leak it to the Serpentine Clan. That will destroy this academy's reputation… and your fiancée, Elbeth."
Alaric's breath caught at the mention of her name.
"She's worked so hard to become a master - tier professor here… she doesn't deserve this."
Belbub nodded. "Exactly. If you gamble with your own future, that's your decision. But don't destroy hers."
The room fell silent again.
Then Belbub took a deep breath.
"There are three paths forward. None of them good."
"Option One," Belbub began, pacing slowly.
"Elijah must remain as he is—essenceless. A shadow of what he could've been. The Tower won't care, but the Serpentine Sect will eventually uncover the truth. When that happens, the ridicule, the bullying… it will destroy him. And it will destroy Elbeth's future too."
Alaric winced.
"Option Two," Belbub continued.
"Take Elijah to some remote village. Live quietly among commoners. But even there, whispers will follow. You are the academy's top professor—your disciple reflects your talent. When the world learns your pupil is a disgrace, you will be mocked too."
He stared straight into Alaric's eyes.
"And in the world of Jade, mockery is more dangerous than swords."
Alaric clenched his jaw. "There has to be something else."
Belbub's voice dropped to a near-whisper.
"There is a third way…"
Alaric looked up.
"We erase everyone's memory of the event."
His heart skipped. "That… could work."
But Belbub shook his head.
"It won't. Even if no one remembers what happened, the symptoms of the Red Elixir remain. The Essence burnout. The energy distortions. Anyone who senses him closely will know something is wrong."
Alaric's face dimmed.
"Then…?"
"We must isolate him," Belbub said coldly. "Completely. Until the last trace of magic is drained from his body. Only then will the symptoms fade."
"How long?" Alaric asked, dreading the answer.
"Weeks. Months, perhaps years."
Silence fell again.
Alaric sat heavily in the chair across from his father.
"We're sealing away a boy's future… just to protect our own."
"No," Belbub said, eyes hard. "We're trying to prevent him from being hunted. This isn't about reputation anymore. This is about survival."