The academy was quieter than usual.
Most students had already left the halls.
Li Xian stood before the chief's chamber.
For a moment—
He didn't move.
Then—
He pushed the door open.
The chief was already inside.
Seated.
Calm.
As if…
He had been expecting this.
"You came," the chief said, not surprised.
Li Xian stepped forward.
No hesitation.
No smile.
"Chief," he said firmly,
"…tell me the truth."
A pause.
The chief's gaze lifted slowly.
"What truth?"
Li Xian's eyes sharpened.
"This is not the usual time to meet me," the chief continued calmly.
"You should know that."
"I'm sorry," Li Xian said, voice steady.
A brief pause.
"But please… tell me everything about my father."
Silence.
The air grew heavy.
The chief's expression didn't change.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Simple.
Cold.
Dismissive.
"If you have nothing else to say," he added,
"…you may leave."
Li Xian didn't move.
Instead—
Slowly—
He reached into his sleeve.
And pulled out a piece of paper.
On it—
A symbol.
Carefully drawn.
He placed it in front of the chief.
Silence.
For the first time—
Something changed.
It was small.
Almost invisible.
But Li Xian saw it.
A flicker.
Shock.
Gone in an instant—
But real.
"…Where did you get this?" the chief asked, voice lower now.
Li Xian's gaze didn't waver.
"So you do know it," he said quietly.
Another silence.
"Chief…"
Li Xian stepped closer.
"Don't you think something is wrong?"
His voice wasn't loud.
But it carried weight.
"Don't you feel it?"
The room felt colder.
Li Xian's eyes darkened slightly.
"I want to know the truth of the past," he said.
A pause.
"So that I can stop… whatever is coming next."
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
The chief didn't respond immediately.
But his eyes—
They were no longer calm.
And Li Xian knew—
He had stepped into something real.