The hallway echoed with hurried footsteps. Lady Nishia sprinted forward, her arms cradling two unconscious students with ease. Behind her, Mister Claud guided several of his floating drones, each carrying a wounded student. Skye, panting hard, trailed behind them, one hand gripping a holographic map projection.
"I can't carry anyone," Skye huffed, "but at least I can lead the way…"
Lady Nishia didn't respond—her mind was elsewhere.
"Lady Nishia…" Skye asked between gasps, "Do you think… what the demon said… about Lumiel… was true?"
She glanced at him but said nothing.
"What do you mean?" asked Mister Claud, frowning.
"The thing about Lumiel being…" Skye trailed off.
"I'm not sure," Lady Nishia replied softly. "We'll ask him later. He must have his reasons."
Mister Claud looked between them, concern etched on his face. "What did that demon say?"
Neither of them answered. The silence grew heavier.
"I see," Claud finally said. "Must be serious, then."
The infirmary doors burst open. Ms. Viera and Professor Elrick rushed to meet them, followed closely by a middle-aged man in a white coat—Dr. John, the Academy's head doctor.
"Where have you three—four—been?" Ms. Viera scolded. "Get those students to the beds, now!"
But her voice shifted to panic. "Wait. Where's Lumiel!?"
"He's still fighting the demon," Skye said quietly, trembling.
"What? That boy—why would you leave him!?"
"He told us to take the injured and run," Mister Claud explained.
Lady Nishia's voice broke. "We have to go back—he's still fighting! He could be—!"
"No." Ms. Viera pulled her into an embrace. "Help has already been called. We must trust Lumiel… and wait."
As the injured were laid onto beds, Dr. John moved between them with practiced grace.
"Full Diagnosis," he muttered, pressing his fingers gently to Lady Nishia's temple. A soft light flickered.
"No internal damage," he murmured. "You're alright. But I need to know what happened—inside the gate, and after."
Nishia nodded and recounted everything—from Seraphine's arrival to the twisted events of the Simulation Gate. She spoke of skeletal horses, the riddle of the Twin Sentinels, and the lich boss whose decay rays threatened their lives. She described Lumiel's angelic wings, the final battle, and Seraphine's horrifying transformation after they escaped.
As she spoke, Professor Elrick's eyes lit up in fascination. "Skeletal horses? A Lich with decay magic? This is beyond normal simulation parameters…"
"And Lumiel summoned them?" Ms. Viera echoed.
Lady Nishia nodded. "Yes. He encouraged us… gave us strength."
By the time she finished her story, the room had gone silent—everyone stunned by the weight of her words.
Then the infirmary doors opened.
Lumiel stepped inside, bloodied but breathing, eyes weary but burning with life.
"Lumiel!" Nishia cried. She ran to him, throwing her arms around him, her tears wetting his shoulder. "You idiot… I thought… I thought you weren't coming back…"
"I'm sorry," Lumiel whispered, holding her tightly. "I promised I'd return. I always will."
A beat of stillness passed before Skye stepped forward.
"Lumiel… is it true? What Seraphine said about you?"
Everyone froze. The question rang louder than any scream.
Lumiel didn't answer immediately. He looked around the room—at the teachers, the students, Dr. John, and finally, at Nishia. She stared up at him, wide-eyed, waiting.
"I… I can't tell you everything," he said slowly. "Not now. But yes… what Seraphine said was true."
A wave of murmurs rolled through the room.
Professor Elrick took a step forward. "True? Are you saying—?"
"I'm sorry," Lumiel cut in. "I know this changes things… but I had no choice. I'm not ready to explain."
Questions surged toward him like a flood, but Skye raised his hand, standing in front of Lumiel protectively.
"That's enough," Skye said. "If Lumiel isn't ready… then we wait. He saved us. That's what matters."
A hush fell over the room again. Ms. Viera slowly nodded. Elrick, reluctantly, backed down.
Dr. John, who had remained silent the whole time, stepped forward. His expression was unreadable.
"Interesting…" he muttered. "So I wasn't mistaken…"
"What do you mean?" Lumiel asked.
Dr. John gave a small smile, placing his fingers on Lumiel's temple. "Full Diagnosis."
The soft glow pulsed.
"Fascinating," the doctor said. "You're holding something… ancient. Something pure."
Lumiel flinched, but Dr. John stepped back.
"I won't say anything more. Your secret is safe. But know this—if what I saw is true, you don't have much time before others find out too."
Lumiel gave a small nod. "Thank you."
As the room quieted, Nishia took Lumiel's hand in hers.
"I don't care what you are," she said firmly. "You're Lumiel. And I'm staying by your side."
He smiled, for the first time in what felt like days.
"Then I guess I'll have to keep living up to that trust."
Outside the infirmary, thunder rumbled in the distance. Storm clouds gathered.
A storm was coming—and the Hero's secret was now one step closer to being known.