Instantly, every cell in his body snapped to high alert. "If it ends now… if Edward suddenly comes back and remembers everything that just happened…" He swallowed hard, eyes locked on the two.

Deril was still grinning, still tugging at Edward's arm like he was seconds away from turning the court into a full-blown spectacle. Edward still hadn't moved. Still wore that same blank face. But Alaric, who had seen it before, knew the signs.

The fun part was over now.

It was just a matter of seconds before everything blew up.

Alaric deflated, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "Oh my God… what will happen when Edward wakes up?"

He's definitely gonna lose it. And who knows what he'll do after this. But…" a sly grin crept across his lips, uncontrollable, "this is about to get good. Looks like the real show's just about to begin."

And sure enough, the light in Edward's eyes began to flicker again. His movements shifted subtly, and the blank stare in his gaze was once again replaced by awareness. He turned his head to the right, then to the left, as if waking up from a strange dream.

Deril, who was still standing right next to him, completely unaware that the life-or-death performance had already ended, continued to hold Edward's hand tightly, grinning with satisfaction.

But the moment Edward fully registered Deril's presence beside him and more importantly. The fact that they were still holding hands, his reaction exploded like a firecracker.

"What—WHAT IS THIS?!" Edward shouted, his eyes wide with horror as he instinctively jumped back, nearly crashing into the bench at the edge of the field.

He frantically shook his arms as if trying to rid himself of something filthy. "Ugh! Disgusting! Why the hell am I standing next to you?!" he snapped, his voice filled with rage and sheer repulsion.

The atmosphere immediately shifted into a chorus of barely contained laughter. Several students who had witnessed just how chummy Edward and Deril had been moments ago weren't about to let this golden moment slip away.

"Oh come on, Ed… weren't you just getting cozy with your new buddy over there?" a female student teased, a wide grin spreading across her face.

"She's right!" chimed in another student, a guy this time, who patted his friend on the back while struggling to hold in his laughter. "You guys were holding hands just now like besties—or maybe even something more. And now you're acting grossed out?"

Small bursts of laughter erupted around the field. A few students had already pulled out their phones and started recording, which only made Edward fume even more.

"What the hell is wrong with you people! No! No! I have nothing to do with him! Stop making things up!" Edward waved his hands frantically, his entire face now flushed red. Not just with embarrassment, but with full-blown fury.

Meanwhile, Deril, the moment he realized that Edward's awareness had fully returned, reacted before his brain even had time to process. For some reason, his legs moved on their own. Without thinking twice, he broke into a full-on sprint down the road.

"Yikes, better get out of here before he throws something at me," he thought to himself. He slipped away into the crowd like a shadow. He knew all too well, if Edward snapped for real, he'd end up as the perfect punching bag.

Edward spun around quickly, fists clenched, clearly searching for Deril to grab him. But all he saw was a swarm of students still laughing, jeering, and recording the chaos with glee.

"Tsk tsk tsk... Oh Edward, Edward..." one student said, shaking his head with mock pity.

"Looks like our arrogant prince has found himself a new crush," another one mocked, sparking another round of chuckles.

"Shut up!!" Edward roared, his voice booming across the campus hall. But his outburst only triggered more snickers, whoops, and even a few playful whistles from the stands.

He was fuming now, his face scarlet, swatting away anyone who got too close. "Get away from me! Stop watching! GO AWAY, ALL OF YOU!!"

But instead of leaving, the students only crowded closer. They were savoring the rare sight of the campus's golden boy, red-faced and humiliated.

And among them all, there was Alaric.

From a distance, he stood casually leaning against a pillar near the corridor, arms folded neatly across his chest. A crooked smile tugged at his lips, a smile only he truly understood.

"Good. That's the real Edward. Cornered and exposed. And I haven't even lifted a finger yet."

He stifled a laugh, but the satisfaction in his eyes was impossible to hide. Watching Edward lose it, trapped and mocked. It elt like a well-earned reward for everything Alaric had endured in silence before.

But that satisfaction didn't last long. His smirk faded, replaced by a more serious expression. The brief moment of entertainment had been refreshing, a temporary distraction from the weight he carried. But he knew better than anyone—his time was limited.

"I can't afford to lose focus."

He stepped away from the still-buzzing crowd, their chatter about Edward slowly fading behind him. All that remained was the rhythmic sound of his footsteps echoing through the corridor. In his head, new thoughts were already forming... urgent ones.

The case. The accusations. The scandal that had once shaken the entire school. The one that dragged his name through the mud, leaving behind whispers, suspicion, even hatred.

People might seem to have forgotten about it now—but Alaric knew that was only because of the system's influence. Once this temporary power faded, everyone's memories would return. And when that happened, he would be alone again, surrounded by the same poisonous judgment.

Suddenly....

ding!

A soft sound echoed in his ears, faint but unmistakable. A glowing transparent notification appeared in front of him.

[Warning: Temporary Memory-Wipe Skill will expire in 5 minutes.]

Alaric's eyes widened slightly. He instinctively looked down at the digital watch strapped to his wrist. The display read exactly 10:05.

"Five minutes… only five minutes left," he muttered under his breath, voice heavy with the weight of it all. It felt like a load had just been dropped onto his shoulders, crushing his bones with invisible force.

He inhaled deeply. "That means… at exactly 10:10, everything goes back. I didn't expect time to fly this fast."

For a brief moment, Alaric closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing thoughts with a steady breath. But it didn't help much.

"I have to move. If I don't, all of this will be for nothing. I need to figure out my next step… which lead should I follow first? What evidence do I need to uncover?"

His gaze landed on a random spot down the corridor. An old bulletin board with crumpled papers pinned to it. He stared at it blankly, though his mind was far away. He wasn't really looking at the board. He was seeing beyond it, using it as a mental springboard into deeper thought.

"I have to find the root of it all… who was the first to spread those lies about me? Who stood to gain the most from my fall?"

His hands clenched into fists at his sides. His body shifted slightly, turning away from the noisy hallway and toward someplace quieter. He didn't want anyone to see his face right now. Not the face that wore a smirk, but the one that thought deeper than anyone suspected.

............

....

The corridor leading to the campus director's office felt silent. The sound of Alaric's footsteps echoed, answering the ticking of the watch on his wrist. The system notification from earlier still lingered faintly in his vision.

3… 2… 1…

Then it vanished as if it had never been there. He drew a deeper breath, forcing down the panic threatening to rise to the surface. "There's no turning back. This is the moment."

The dark brown wooden door stood tall before him. Alaric paused for a moment, steadied his breathing, then knocked three measured times. From inside, a voice invited him to enter.

As he opened the door, the room felt dense with a heavy atmosphere. The campus director sat at his desk, accompanied by two senior lecturers who had been involved in the earlier meetings about his case. Their eyes turned to Alaric in unison.

Alaric gave a short nod, then sat down. But he didn't speak right away. He reached into his bag and pulled out two thick folders, their corners worn from handling. The wooden table gave a soft thud as he set them down. Two sets of documents, placed side by side.

"These are the proofs that show which one is original and which one was forged. With these, the accusation that I plagiarized someone else's design clearly doesn't hold."

The lecturers exchanged glances. The campus director furrowed his brow, then pulled the folders closer to him. They began flipping through the pages, scanning the contents quickly.

Alaric added, "I also discovered that a senior manager was involved in this matter. He was the one who pushed the distribution of the forged documents."

The director looked up immediately. "Are you certain of this accusation?"

A sharp gaze bore into Alaric, as if trying to pierce through to the deepest layer of his expression. But Alaric simply leaned back slightly in his chair, his face calm, even though frustration was beginning to burn in his chest.

"I'm not wrong. This evidence is more than enough."

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