The dungeon gate closed behind them with a faint shudder, sealing off the echo of the subterranean floors.For the first time in what felt like days, Arios could hear something ordinary: the hum of the academy's ventilation systems, the distant chatter of other students exiting their assigned instances, and the faint scrape of armored boots on stone corridors.

They had returned.

The group emerged into one of the academy's lower testing stations — a wide, circular chamber lined with crystalline monitors. Technicians in gray uniforms moved between consoles, their expressions unreadable and professional.No one clapped. No one congratulated them.It was just another return.

Liza was the first to speak, her tone flat but slightly amused."Well, that was anticlimactic."

Lucy glanced around. "I don't see the overseer. Shouldn't someone be taking attendance?"

"They will," Pokner replied, tapping her scanner to sync the record logs. "The dungeon's recalibration likely delayed the report queues."

Arios said nothing. He stood a few paces ahead of the others, watching the system monitors as the runic symbols shifted and recompiled.The logs from the previous night's interference hadn't been erased. That was strange — any reset should've cleared temporary records. Yet here they were, still displaying partial trace readings in the upper-right corner of the display.

He narrowed his eyes. "Pokner."

She walked beside him. "What?"

He pointed subtly to the flickering corner panel. "That display shouldn't be active."

She followed his gaze, and her expression sharpened. "You're right."

"Someone forced persistence mode," Arios said quietly. "That's not standard."

Liza approached, half-curious. "Meaning what?"

"Meaning," Pokner said, "someone wants those records to stay visible — at least until the next cycle purge."

Lucy frowned. "Could that be good? Like proof?"

"Or bait," Arios said simply.

Before they could continue, a voice cut across the chamber.

"Team D-Seven."

The group turned.

An instructor approached, his uniform immaculate and trimmed in silver — the kind of rank that indicated he was part of the administrative liaison between the Student Council and the Dungeon Department.He held a slate in one hand, his posture upright and sharp.

"Your time record shows a delay of eight hours past the expected completion. Explain."

Pokner stepped forward first, tone calm. "An interference occurred in the lower floors. We were separated for a period before regaining signal stability."

The instructor's gaze flicked between them, assessing. "Interference?"

"Yes," she said. "Unauthorized energy patterns. Possibly from an external relay."

He jotted a brief note on his slate. "Understood. Any casualties?"

"None," Arios answered.

The instructor looked up. "You're Arios Pureheart."

Arios gave a small nod. "Yes."

"You were listed as the primary control operator for the lower-floor clearance sequence. That interference — it occurred under your direct circuit?"

"That's correct."

The instructor paused for a fraction longer than normal. "Noted."

Then, as if deciding it wasn't worth questioning further, he turned back toward his console. "You may proceed to medical inspection and debriefing. The Council will review the dungeon data this evening."

"Understood," Pokner said.

He left without another glance.

The four of them made their way through the narrow corridor connecting the testing stations to the surface complex. The ceiling panels hummed softly as they walked — polished white with embedded mana lines glowing faint blue.

It was oddly quiet. Most students who had already finished were scattered across other hallways, and the lingering smell of sterilized mana fluid hung in the air.

Lucy stretched her arms above her head. "Feels weird being back."

"Feels quieter than usual," Liza muttered. "Almost too quiet."

Pokner adjusted her scanner bag. "The recalibration still isn't complete. That's probably why."

Arios didn't respond. His mind was still half in the dungeon. The pulse he'd detected — that masked signal — wouldn't stop replaying in his thoughts. He could almost hear it beneath the hum of the hallways.

As they reached the main check station, an academy clerk stopped them. "Identification cards."

They handed them over in sequence. The clerk scanned each one through a hovering rune terminal, eyes flicking over the projected results.

When he reached Arios's, he hesitated for a moment. The terminal flickered, displaying a secondary notice.

[Flagged: Pending Data Review – Source Conflict Detected]

The clerk frowned slightly. "Hm. That's… odd."

"What?" Arios asked evenly.

"It's nothing," the clerk said too quickly. "Probably just a log mismatch from the interference. I'll file it manually."

Pokner's gaze sharpened. "May I see that message?"

The clerk hesitated. "I'm afraid only administrative staff can—"

"It's fine," Arios interrupted quietly. "Let him handle it."

Pokner looked at him but didn't push. The clerk nodded gratefully and handed back their IDs. "You're clear. Proceed to the second chamber."

They moved on.

Liza glanced sideways. "You let that go fast."

"Because pushing it now would alert whoever set the flag," Arios said.

"Meaning?"

"Someone's already tampering with my record."

Lucy stopped mid-step. "Wait, your record? As in—"

"Yes," he said. "Probably a planted conflict line from the same interference we found."

Liza whistled softly. "They're moving fast."

Pokner's tone was quiet but steady. "Then we'll need to move faster."

The second chamber was lined with diagnostic pillars — standard mana synchronization checkpoints. Each student was to stand in the center while their vitals, circuit integrity, and accumulated resonance were scanned for anomalies.

Lucy went first, stepping into the circle. The pillar emitted a soft pulse.

[Scan Complete – Minor Fatigue Detected][Mana Output Stable]

She stepped out. "All clear."

Liza went next.

[Scan Complete – Physical Strain Detected]

She rolled her shoulders. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

Pokner followed.

[Scan Complete – Stable]

When it was Arios's turn, the pillar pulsed twice — once in normal rhythm, and again in delayed response.

[Scan Complete – Interference Residue Detected]

The operator on duty looked up. "That's unusual. Were you exposed to a mana surge?"

"Yes," Arios said.

"You should visit the medical ward after this," the operator advised. "Residual signals can cause headaches if untreated."

He nodded. "Understood."

When they exited the scan room, the group paused near the main hallway. Outside the reinforced glass wall, the academy courtyard stretched out under clear afternoon sunlight. Students in training uniforms crossed the paths between buildings, laughing, talking — a return to routine that felt almost unreal after the silence of the dungeon.

Liza exhaled softly. "I never thought grass could look this good."

Lucy grinned faintly. "Or fresh air."

Pokner, however, was looking up toward the distant towers. "The Council chamber lights are on."

Arios followed her gaze. Indeed, the upper windows of the central administration tower glowed faintly — a sign that the Student Council and its oversight committee were in session.

He said nothing, but a small tension settled in his chest.

Liza noticed. "You think they'll mention us?"

"Maybe," Pokner said. "Or maybe they'll bury it like everything else."

Lucy frowned. "You don't really think they'd cover up interference, do you?"

Pokner's tone was neutral. "It wouldn't be the first time."

Arios adjusted his bag. "Either way, we'll find out soon enough."

They began walking toward the exit.

The academy campus felt oddly muted that day. Students moved in groups, chattering about exam results and floor scores, but the air carried a faint undercurrent of unease. Rumors spread quickly — about teams being separated, about strange energy readings in the dungeon, about floors collapsing mid-trial.

By the time the four of them reached the outer dorm walkway, even Lucy had fallen silent.

Liza finally broke it. "You think Chase already knows we found something?"

"Yes," Arios said without hesitation.

Pokner glanced sideways. "You sound sure."

"He was the first to access the logs after our exit," Arios said. "He's council-level clearance. That means every anomaly we triggered is now on his desk."

Lucy's expression hardened. "Then we're already under watch."

"Probably," he said.

Liza sighed. "Great. I was hoping for at least one peaceful afternoon."

"You'll have one," Pokner said. "But not today."

That earned a short laugh from Liza. "You sound like an instructor."

"I'm just realistic," Pokner replied.

They reached the junction that split toward the dormitories. Arios stopped there.

"I need to check something," he said. "You three go ahead."

Pokner frowned. "Check what?"

"The relay data. There might still be fragments in the system archive."

"You're going to the records lab?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Alone?"

"Yes."

She didn't like it but didn't stop him. "Be careful."

He gave a brief nod and turned down the corridor leading to the east wing.

The records lab was quiet when he entered. Rows of sealed terminals hummed faintly under the glow of suspended mana lamps. Only one attendant was present — a young archivist who barely looked up from his console.

Arios walked to one of the side terminals and placed his ID card on the reader. The screen flickered to life.

[Access Level: Standard Student Clearance][Request Log Entry]

He keyed in a manual override, linking the session to the dungeon's last timestamp.

For several minutes, the system scrolled data logs — harmless, routine entries of mana flow and energy regulation. Then, near the bottom, something appeared that didn't belong.

[Entry: External Signal – Encrypted Layer Detected][Decryption Attempt: Authorized User C.Lexon]

He stared at it. There was no timestamp conflict. No hidden alias.It was a clean log — too clean. Whoever had entered it wanted it seen.

He saved a private copy to his personal drive, encrypted under his own ID, and locked the terminal.

Then he stood there for a moment, staring at his reflection in the dark glass of the console.

He didn't know yet whether Chase's moves were meant to intimidate him or test him. But either way, the game had begun again.

He left the lab quietly.

Evening settled over the campus by the time he returned to the dorms. The others were waiting in the shared lounge — Liza sprawled on the couch, Pokner at the desk sorting through data chips, and Lucy flipping through a borrowed recipe book.

Liza looked up. "You're back late."

"I had to confirm something," he said, setting down his bag.

Pokner studied his face. "You found it."

"Yes."

"Chase?"

"Yes."

Lucy exhaled. "So it's official."

"It's official," he said.

No one spoke for a while. The hum of the air system filled the silence.

Then Liza leaned forward. "So what's next? You planning to go straight to the Council?"

Arios shook his head. "No. Not yet."

Pokner's tone was firm. "Then what?"

"Observation," he said simply. "We wait. Watch how they react to today's data. If Chase moves first, we'll have confirmation of motive."

Lucy frowned. "And if he doesn't?"

"Then he's planning something bigger."

Liza groaned softly. "Fantastic."

Pokner looked down at her scanner, then back at Arios. "You're not going to stop until you expose this, are you?"

"No," he said. "Not anymore."

She nodded once, as if she expected that answer.

Outside, the dorm lights flickered as the mana circuits realigned — the faint tremor of the academy's massive infrastructure adjusting to a new data sync. The city-like hum of the campus at night began to rise again.

Lucy set her book aside. "Well… at least we're all still here."

Liza grinned faintly. "Yeah. For now."

Arios looked out the window at the distant council tower — still lit, still humming with unseen movement.

Whatever was coming next, he could already feel it building in the air.

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