Draxus followed Henry outside the Academy grounds with blank eyes.
Blackthorn academy was located on the edge of the empire, bordering the dark forest filled with magical beasts, the academy would occasionally use this to train the students during assessments.
Henry and Draxus left the academy without an hitch, the guards were nowhere to be found and after getting to the forest, Henry stopped and looked back at Draxus.
"Be glad you died for this cause useless pauper. Oh wait, you were useful in the end. Works" Henry said with a smirk and threw a knife over then his eyes glowed white.
"Kill yourself"
Draxus' eyes opened wide but he couldn't resist and could only watch while his hands pulled the knife closer to his neck and stabbed it in, he felt a rush of pain shooting towards his brain then he fell on the floor while convulsing."
"Loser" that was the last thing he heard before his sight went blank.
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Blackthorn Academy
The Academy was woken up by the sharp scream of a maid who was sent to clean up professor Adrian's office finding his body in a mess....
"What happened?? Who dared to kill Adrian right on academy grounds?" Headmaster Kingsley was furious and felt like pulling his hairs.
Professor Adrian couldn't use magic but he was one of the top three best researchers of the empire, he was the prized asset of Blackthorn Academy.
"The galls to kill right on academy grounds!!" He said in rage with sparkling blue eyes.
"Call Ethan over" he told the maid who came to report Adrian's death to him.
Ethan was one of the three senior Researchers of the Academy but unlike Adrian he could use magic and was from a noble family.
Kingsley left his quarters and went to Adrian office, he didn't pay any attention to the others there and walked straight into the office disregarding the guards warnings to not step into there rashly.
Kingsley watched the brutalized corpse of Adrian lying on the floor and closed his eyes while muttering prayers.
"You've done your best Adrian, this must be the work of one of those greedy nobles who can't let go of their pride. They killed him and wasted a national treasure!"
He said then turned around and walked out. "Where's Ethan?? He's supposed to be here already isn't he?"
"He's on his way headmaster" a middle aged man standing nearby said.
"I'm here headmaster" a voice came from the door and a man 1.4 meters tall with beards and a red overcoat came walking in with a staff in his hand.
"The news of Professor Adrian's death is very saddening to everyone in the academy and I'll do my very best to find the identity of the killer." He said while bowing towards the body of the dead Adrian.
"Cast the Death Echo" headmaster Kingsley said.
Ethan looked shocked by what the headmaster said, "The death echo will take part of my lifespan to cast please reconsider." He said with a pleading look on his face.
"I'll give you anything you want as compensation.. as long as I can do it" he said then added the last part after some consideration.
Ethan raised an eyebrow and said "Alright then, I'll cast it just this once, I'm also doing it for Adrian as a colleague and a comrade"
He walked forward then raised his wand and his eyes slowly turned white then a slight wind blew over the room turning everywhere dark and a shadow walked over from the door, looking at it's face everyone could clearly see Draxus walking over then pick a bottle from the shelf then mutilate Adrian's body into a bloody mess before dropping it and leaving the office.
"That's one of Professor Adrian's assistants" someone pointed out.
"The professor showed him kindness by letting the pauper in and he choose to repay it this way?" Another one said with anger.
"He must've been an assasin sent by an enemy of his."
Kingsley watched all this without a word then looked towards Ethan "Thanks for your help, my word still stands ask for anything you want and I'll grant it."
"I'll keep the request for now headmaster Kingsley, I also did it for a friend." He said with a smile.
His words made Kingsley's fist loosen up a bit but then his eyes flashed with anger and he told the guards "I want a bounty on that boy right now all round the empire, I want news of his wearabouts before night!" He said then left without another word.
"Whoever it is and for whatever reason he has to kill a professor on the academy grounds I want to hear about it myself."
"How are we supposed to find him before night???" One of the guards said while rushing out.