The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character
Chapter 124: Locked In, Breaking Free [1]

Chapter 124: Locked In, Breaking Free [1]

It was chaos.

Absolute chaos.

The academy was in disarray, and honestly, it was inevitable.

You couldn’t expect things to stay calm after something like that happened. Sure, the terrorist attack was technically the work of outsiders and was suppressed without heavy casualties—but the bigger issue was the internal betrayal.

A professor.

Someone within the academy walls.

That wasn’t something they could just sweep under the rug, not this time. It didn’t matter that no one died or that the situation had been resolved quickly. A breach like this, especially involving someone in a position of trust, hit harder than any outside threat.

For a while, I worried they might try to cover it up. Patch the cracks, say a few vague words to the press, and carry on like nothing ever happened.

But surprisingly, the Chairman wasn’t that kind of person.

She didn’t dodge or delay. Instead, she made the bold call to release a public statement before the media could even get wind of it. Full disclosure. No spin.

The Chairman stood before the cameras and apologized.

Not the fake kind either. It wasn’t one of those carefully worded PR apologies. No, she took responsibility with a calm but firm demeanor, and she made it clear that there would be consequences.

As a result, every member of the faculty and staff was subjected to an investigation. Nothing was off-limits. It didn’t matter how long someone had worked here, what connections they had, or how much mana they could wield.

No one was exempt.

Some people probably saw it as a stain on the academy’s image. A scandal. But honestly? I thought it was the best thing they could have done.

Having seen how things played out in the original story, this response was leagues better. Back then, they had tried to hide it. Tried to maintain their image. And it backfired. Badly.

This time, it was different.

And that gave me a little hope.

Because even in a world built on power, politics, and prestige... someone at the top had chosen to act with integrity.

Also, since this incidents wasn’t kept hidden everyone within academy was talking about it.

"They say it was Professor Ethan..."

"Did you hear? He went completely mad."

"I heard someone saw Rin fighting him. Alone."

"Is that even true? He’s just a first-year..."

Yeah. That part didn’t exactly stay a secret.

Apparently, someone had leaked bits and pieces of what happened during the attack. Whether it was intentional or not, it didn’t matter—the rumor mill worked faster than any official announcement. And now my name was floating through conversations like a ghost everyone wanted to touch but no one dared approach.

Some students looked at me with admiration. Others with suspicion. Some even with fear.

It was weird.

I’d been just another face in the crowd not long ago. Average in their eyes. Someone you could push around, ignore, or gossip about without consequence.

Now? Every time I walked into a room, it felt like the air shifted. Conversations paused. Eyes followed me. Some people nodded at me like I was some kind of hero. Others turned away like I carried a curse.

And then there were the ones who didn’t know what to think. They just stared.

Even among those I knew—Leona, Nora, Keira, Ryen—things felt... different. Not in a bad way. Just heavier. Like there was something unspoken hanging in the air whenever we were together.

Keira especially.

She hadn’t said much since the attack. Whenever our eyes met, she looked away with a complicated expression. Guilt, maybe? Regret? I wasn’t sure.

I didn’t know what I was supposed to do.

Part of me just wanted things to go back to how they were before. Before Ethan snapped. Before I ended up hospitalized. Before everyone knew my name.

But deep down, I knew that was wishful thinking.

Things had changed.

So I couldn’t help it—I had to live with the way things were now.

But hey, at least I got something out of it.

Achievement points.

That was right. After all the chaos, danger, and nearly dying, the academy finally acknowledged my efforts. It was time to go shopping and maybe make myself a little stronger—or at least buy something to make the next disaster more survivable.

---

Meanwhile, far from the academy...

A remote island surrounded by jagged rocks and icy waters. The skies were gray, the wind sharp. This place was known simply as Lock—a prison that held the most dangerous criminals on the continent. The kind of people you didn’t write letters to. The kind of people you made sure stayed buried behind walls forever.

It was said that no one ever escaped Lock.

And now, among the newest batch of prisoners, one face stood out.

Ethan.

Heavy chains bound his arms and legs. His mana core was sealed tight by a suppression collar. He looked like a broken man—his shoulders hunched, his eyes dull, no longer glowing with pride or rage. For now, he was just a man stripped of everything. A professor turned criminal.

He sat quietly on a bench by the edge of the pier, waiting for the boat that would take him to Lock.

A nearby prisoner broke the silence.

"So... what’d you do? What type of crime it was?"

Normally, Ethan would ignore that kind of question. He wasn’t exactly in the mood for small talk. But now? There was nothing better to do. No dignity to preserve.

He sighed and answered, voice low.

"Crime? I was just trying to teach my students. I didn’t want them to become twisted, useless adults."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Students? You were a teacher?"

"Something like that," Ethan muttered. "Professor at Velcrest Academy."

"Aha." The prisoner laughed lightly. "So you’re the infamous guy who went off the rails. Heard about that. Didn’t think I’d be riding with a celebrity."

Ethan scoffed. "Celebrity, huh? More like a caged dog."

"Come on. They don’t send regular mutts to Lock. You must’ve done something real special to earn that ticket."

Ethan turned his head, eyeing the man beside him. Something felt...off. The man’s posture. His tone. It wasn’t just a fellow prisoner chatting. There was confidence in the way he sat. Too calm. Too collected.

That’s when Ethan noticed it.