The door opened.

The room remained silent. No one said a word.

Olwen looked toward the entrance.

For the first time since entering the meeting room, surprise appeared on his face.

Apollo.

Apollo walked inside using his crutch, his expression as calm as ever.

He stopped before the table.

"My apologies for interrupting."

Professor Wakefield regarded him evenly.

"What brings you here, Mr. Viremont?"

Apollo didn’t waste time.

"I was informed that there had been an intrusion in the library." His eyes briefly shifted toward Olwen. "And that my brother was involved."

The room remained attentive.

Apollo continued.

"I wanted to know what the academy intends to do about the intruder."

The Head Librarian immediately scoffed.

"That’s assuming there was an intruder."

Apollo looked at him.

The old man folded his arms.

"The scene was thoroughly investigated. There is no evidence suggesting the presence of another individual."

He glanced toward Olwen.

"Based on the facts available, responsibility for the damage falls on him."

Apollo nodded slightly. "What about surveillance?"

A strange silence followed.

The Head Librarian’s expression tightened. Then he gestured toward the Chief Security Officer.

"Tell him."

The officer cleared his throat.

"The surveillance cameras were destroyed during the incident."

Apollo’s expression didn’t change. "What destroyed them?"

The officer hesitated. "We don’t know."

"Ability damage?"

"We can’t confirm that."

"Physical destruction?"

"We can’t confirm that either."

Apollo nodded once, reflective. "So the cameras were destroyed."

"Yes."

"And no trace was found."

"Yes."

Apollo was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke.

"Olwen’s techniques rely on water and ice."

Several people leaned in, eager to hear what he was going to say next.

"If he had destroyed the surveillance equipment himself, there would be traces of water interference."

Nobody immediately responded.

Professor Wakefield nodded slightly.

"Air is among the most difficult elemental abilities to track."

The Head Librarian frowned. "I personally scanned the scene with my psyche." His voice hardened. "There was no one present besides Olwen."

Mr Wallace leaned back in his chair.

"Or perhaps you’re getting old."

The room turned toward him. Mr Wallace smiled.

"Things get easier to miss."

The Head Librarian’s face immediately turned red.

"I most certainly am not—"

Apollo spoke before the argument could continue.

"I understand the need to resolve the issue quickly."

The room quieted again.

"But punishing the wrong person won’t solve the problem."

His gaze moved across the table.

"If the attacker exists, he may simply return."

Nobody objected.

Professor Wakefield studied him for several seconds.

"What do you suggest?" He asked eventually.

Apollo answered in an instant.

"A thorough investigation."

A brief pause.

"Conducted privately."

The room remained still.

Apollo continued. "In the event that the attacker was not actually an intruder."

That statement lingered heavily in the air. Several expressions changed.

Professor Wakefield’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Mr Wallace stopped smiling.

Even the Chief Security Officer looked uncomfortable.

Apollo adjusted his grip on the crutch.

"I would like to personally take responsibility for the investigation."

A long silence followed.

Then, one by one, eyes drifted downward.

To the crutch.

To the injured leg.

To the son of the High Regent standing calmly in the center of the room.

Nobody commented on it.

Nobody dared.

***

Olwen and Apollo were walking along the quiet hallway.

"How did you find out about the incident so soon? Not to mention showing up almost immediately."

"Elsie told me."

Olwen stopped dead in his tracks, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Elsie?"

Apollo had stopped walking too.

"Yes. She showed up at my door in the middle of the night."

Olwen sighed and continued walking. Apollo followed.

"And I’m guessing you’ve already visited the scene." Olwen said.

"It’s clean, I’ll admit. But anything is possible. I think I can get him."

Olwen chuckled. "With that piece of stick? I don’t think so."

The teasing was deliberate. And the response was as expected.

Apollo grinned.

"Hey," he said. "This thing is worth thousands, the metal could split a head. Do not offend the crutch."

He raised his left hand, using the crutch to hit Olwen’s shoulder lightly.

The reaction that followed was anything but light.

Olwen groaned in pain, grabbing his shoulder.

He swayed to the side.

Apollo reached out automatically.

His fingers brushed Olwen’s shoulder.

Then he froze.

Olwen leaned against a pillar, trying desperately to steady his breathing.

Apollo stared at him for a moment.

"You’re injured."

***

The nurse worked quietly.

Olwen sat on the edge of his bed while she examined the damage.

The bruise, already turning purple, stretched from his upper back to his shoulders.

Several cuts crossed the skin where broken glass had scraped him during the fall.

A few small shards still remained.

But more prominent than the wounds were two jagged scars running from his shoulder to his ribs.

The nurse clicked her tongue. "You should have called sooner."

"I was busy."

"Naturally."

She raised her hand. Tiny fragments of glass lifted from the wounds one by one.

They hovered briefly before dropping into a metal tray.

Olwen flinched once.

The nurse noticed. "That one hurt?"

"A little."

"Good."

After removing the last fragment, she cleaned the cuts thoroughly and applied medication.

Several minutes later, she nodded in satisfaction.

"Nothing serious." She picked up a warm towel. "I’ll apply a compress before I leave."

Olwen shook his head.

"That’s fine. I’ll handle it."

The nurse looked at him for a moment before sighing.

"Of course you will."

She placed the warm towel on the bedside table beside several neatly folded bandages.

"Don’t forget."

Olwen nodded. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome." The nurse gathered her equipment and headed for the door.

Moments later, the room fell silent.

"Why didn’t you say something about your wounds?"

Apollo’s calm voice ended the silence. He had been standing at the corner, watching as the nurse worked.

Olwen took his time before speaking.

"It wouldn’t have mattered."

Apollo walked over to him. "It’s evidence."

Olwen paused like he was thinking about it.

"So was the hole in the ceiling. And the damaged cameras." He said slowly, as if trying to explain something.

Something no one said aloud.

Apollo took the warm towel the nurse had left and pressed it against Olwen’s back.

"You didn’t come home last weekend." Apollo stated. "Got lost in the library again?"

Olwen smiled.

"You don’t have to investigate the case, Apollo." He said. "I can do it."

Apollo pressed the towel hard against Olwen’s back.

Olwen winced slightly.

"And miss out on all the fun?" Apollo asked. "Not a chance. Besides, you’re too weak to take on an Apex."

Olwen chuckled. "True enough. I’ll help you out instead."

"Fine. But I won’t be able to look after you if anything happens."

Olwen burst into laughter.

"Then I’ll try not to slow you down."