Leon's phone buzzed again.
The sharp vibration cut through the silence inside the Devil Trio's room.
He glanced at the screen.
"It's a clip."
Marcus stopped pacing. Ethan leaned forward.
"Play it."
Leon opened the file.
The three of them watched without speaking.
The footage was grainy.
Night vision mode.
A corridor.
Eden's hostel corridor.
Shadows moved along the wall — three figures, their faces hidden beneath hooded silhouettes.
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"Maybe they're the ones who tortured Eden."
Marcus didn't respond immediately.
His eyes narrowed at the lower corner of the frame.
"Pause."
Leon froze the video.
Marcus leaned closer.
"Zoom in."
The image pixelated slightly.
Marcus pointed.
"These boots."
Leon frowned. "You recognize them?"
Marcus didn't take his eyes off the screen.
"They're similar to the ones Kwin used to wear."
Ethan looked confused. "Kwin left Hillcrest months ago."
Leon glanced at Marcus. "Who was Kwin?"
Marcus leaned back slowly.
"Son of one of the old professors. He used to visit the academy occasionally. After his father resigned, he stopped coming."
Silence lingered.
Ethan scoffed lightly.
"We're overthinking. It's a pair of boots. Anyone can buy them."
Marcus didn't argue.
"But what if it is him?"
Leon locked his phone.
"We observe tomorrow. No conclusions without proof."
After a moment, Marcus and Ethan nodded.
For once, they chose patience.
---
Morning arrived at Hillcrest without warmth.
The campus looked the same — but the silence underneath had changed.
The Devil Trio arrived at the academy canteen unusually early.
Even before Raymond opened properly.
They took their usual corner table.
No jokes.
No loud presence.
Just silent observation.
Raymond noticed them but chose not to provoke.
A few minutes later, he approached cautiously.
Leon spoke first.
"Where are the other students? Staff?"
Raymond shrugged. "It's early. Most come in an hour or two."
Marcus leaned back. "Any classes scheduled today?"
"No."
The Trio exchanged a glance.
Across the campus, inside the Principal's Quarter, Adrian watched the canteen feed through the security system.
His gaze rested on the three boys.
"What are you planning now?" he murmured.
His phone buzzed.
An email attachment.
From the counselling department.
Adrian opened it.
A list of students who had enrolled for individual counselling sessions. Along with their assigned time slots.
He scrolled.
Keris.
Eden.
Luther.
More names followed.
Then—
He stopped.
Marcus.
Adrian's eyes sharpened slightly.
He searched for Leon.
No result.
Ethan.
No result.
One devil enrolled.
Two did not.
Interesting.
Through the camera feed, he watched Marcus typing something on his phone.
Adrian leaned back.
"Let's see what you're looking for."
---
While suspicion brewed inside the canteen, another quiet decision was being made elsewhere.
Keris stood outside Luther's room.
For a brief second, he hesitated.
Then he knocked.
The door opened.
Luther froze instinctively.
Memories weren't easy to erase.
In the past, Keris's visits never meant peace.
Keris stepped inside slowly.
Luther closed the door, guarded.
"Relax," Keris said quietly. "I'm not here to bully you."
Luther remained cautious but nodded.
Silence stretched between them.
Keris finally spoke.
"I'm not the torturer. I was a bully… yes. But not that."
Luther didn't interrupt.
"Eden was tortured by someone," Keris continued. "I'm trying to find who."
Luther blinked slightly. "Why?"
"Because everyone thinks it's me."
He paused.
"I don't want to carry blame for something I didn't do."
A faint tension remained in the room.
Keris exhaled slowly.
"I've already done enough wrong. I don't want this to be another stain."
That made Luther look at him differently.
"What are you planning?"
"We observe people. Quietly. No confrontation. No accusations."
Luther hesitated.
"And if we get trapped instead?"
"Principal sir knows," Keris replied. "He told me to observe. To report anything suspicious."
Luther's thoughts shifted.
He trusted Adrian more than anyone else here.
After a moment—
"I'll help."
Keris nodded.
"One more thing. Can you talk to Eden? His father won't let me near him."
"I won't force him," Luther said carefully.
"That's fine."
For the first time, the silence between them wasn't heavy.
---
By the time the sun climbed higher, the canteen was no longer empty.
Whispers floated around.
"The Devil Trio hasn't been outside much…"
"Maybe they're scared."
"Or planning something."
Keris and Luther entered together.
Leon noticed immediately.
But said nothing.
Professor Daniel walked in for coffee.
"Raymond, no coffee today?"
"Coming, sir. Just a minute."
Professor Daniel stood casually, scrolling through his phone.
Marcus's gaze dropped.
To his boots.
His breathing slowed.
Leon followed his line of sight.
Ethan did too.
The boots.
Dark leather.
And near the ankle—
A faint silver scratch.
Marcus's fingers curled slightly.
The exact same scratch from the CCTV still.
Ethan shifted in his seat, almost standing.
Marcus grabbed his wrist subtly.
"Not now," Marcus whispered.
Leon nodded. "We wait for conclusive evidence."
Ethan's jaw tightened but he sat back down.
Their gaze didn't leave Professor Daniel.
For a brief second, Professor Daniel's eyes lifted — meeting Marcus's — before returning to his phone.
Nearby students noticed the Trio staring.
"Why are they watching him like that?"
"Don't get involved."
Luther overheard fragments.
He pretended not to.
Keris followed the direction of the Trio's gaze.
Professor Daniel.
A flicker of memory surfaced.
He leaned toward Luther.
"That day… during the tower incident. Was Professor Daniel present?"
Luther frowned. "I don't remember."
Keris thought harder.
"That day, he swapped his lecture with Professor Finch."
Luther's expression shifted slightly.
"Maybe."
Keris didn't jump to conclusions.
He just stored the observation.
Data first.
Judgment later.
But if the data pointed somewhere ugly… he wouldn't look away.
After a moment, Luther murmured, "What if the torturer isn't even here?"
Keris looked at him.
"You mean?"
"Someone could've paid someone. Or manipulated from outside."
Keris nodded slowly.
"It's possible."
Then another thought struck him.
"What if Eden isn't the only victim?"
The possibility lingered between them.
---
At the same hour, inside the Principal's cabin, a different conversation unfolded.
Eden entered with his father.
Adrian looked up calmly.
"Yes?"
Eden swallowed.
"Sir… I wanted to thank you. I almost… but you saved me."
Adrian gave a small nod.
"Focus on the present. Not the fall."
Eden's father watched closely.
He expected a lecture.
Instead, Adrian remained composed.
Eden turned to leave.
"Eden," Adrian called softly.
Eden paused.
"You can't change the past. But you can change your direction."
A brief pause.
"And you might not be the only one suffering."
Eden's father stiffened.
"You mean other students were tortured?"
Adrian met his gaze evenly.
"If it happened once… it can happen again."
Silence thickened the room.
Eden's father's fingers tightened around his son's shoulder — not protectively, but cautiously.
Eden and his father left.
Outside, Raymond noticed.
"Something's cooking," he muttered under his breath.
Lucas, holding a cup of tea, glanced at him.
"What happened?"
"Eden just met the Principal."
Lucas lowered his voice.
"I heard the Inspector slowed down the investigation."
Raymond's expression darkened. "Why?"
"Someone powerful made a call," Lucas said quietly.
"So justice just stops?"
Lucas took a slow sip.
"Unless someone forces it."
---
Evening settled over Hillcrest, but unease refused to rest.
Inside the Devil Trio's room, the atmosphere felt heavier than usual.
The clip replayed again.
Marcus replayed the frame again — the scratch on the leather catching the light.
Marcus looked at the frozen frame.
Ethan crossed his arms.
Leon stared at the time stamp.
The academy felt different now.
Less like their territory.
More like a chessboard.
And someone else had started playing.
---
Ethan broke the silence first.
"You enrolled for the individual counselling session."
Marcus didn't look up from his phone.
"Yeah."
Leon's voice was calm — too calm.
"You didn't tell us."
Marcus finally lifted his gaze.
"You didn't ask."
Leon's jaw tightened slightly.
"That's not an answer."
Ethan stepped closer.
"Why did you enroll?"
A brief pause.
Marcus locked his phone and leaned back.
"Maybe it'll help. Mentally."
Leon frowned. "Help with what?"
Marcus exhaled slowly.
"You heard the announcement. 'If you feel angry at your parents… if you feel alone… if something's bothering you…'"
Ethan's expression shifted.
"So you feel alone?"
Marcus didn't respond immediately.
"I don't know," he said at last. "Maybe I just want some mental peace."
Silence stretched.
Then he added quietly,
"And maybe I want to see whether this counselling is genuine… or just another trap."
Leon's eyes sharpened.
"You think it's a trap?"
Marcus shrugged slightly.
"One-on-one conversations. Closed room. Psychological probing. It's the perfect place to observe reactions."
Ethan crossed his arms.
"Then why walk into it?"
A faint curve touched Marcus's lips.
"Because if it's a trap… someone is expecting something."
Leon understood.
"And you want to see who's nervous."
Marcus nodded once.
Ethan ran a hand through his hair.
"Just don't say too much. What if it's not fully confidential? What if something leaks?"
"I checked," Marcus replied. "The counsellor isn't from Hillcrest. Certified. Professional."
Leon stared at him for a long second.
"Next time, don't hide things."
Ethan added quietly,
"We trust you. But when you act alone… it feels like betrayal."
That word lingered.
Marcus looked at both of them.
"I'm not playing against you."
A beat.
"If someone's setting the board… I'd rather see the first move."
Silence settled again — but it was steadier now.
Tomorrow would test more than just mental stability.
---
Outside the room, the corridor camera light blinked faintly.
Inside his office, Adrian watched the live feed.
No audio.
Just posture.
Distance.
Body language.
Ethan's defensive stance.
Leon's controlled authority.
Marcus's calculated calm.
Adrian leaned back slightly.
"So… one of you chose to talk."
His gaze lingered on Marcus's name in the counselling list.
"Let's see what you reveal… and what you protect."
He closed the feed.
Tomorrow's schedule remained open on his desk.
Individual sessions.
Closed doors.
Carefully chosen questions.
Tomorrow, someone would speak more than they intended.
---
End of Chapter 19