The air inside the academy felt different after Cassian left.

Not calmer.

Just... waiting.

Seraphina Valois stood still in the courtyard long after the prince had disappeared beyond the gates. The last thing he said still echoed in her mind.

It takes what is attached to it.

She didn’t like that sentence.

Not because it was unclear.

But because it sounded like someone who already knew how the story would end.

Kael stood beside her.

Still quiet.

But not the same quiet as before.

This one had weight.

Seraphina finally broke the silence.

"...Say something."

Kael didn’t respond immediately.

That alone made her more uneasy than she wanted to admit.

Then he said:

"We leave tonight."

Seraphina blinked.

"...Tonight?"

"Yes."

"That’s a bit dramatic."

Kael turned to her slightly.

"It’s late."

"That’s not a reason."

"It is now."

Seraphina studied him.

Kael wasn’t panicking.

He also wasn’t joking.

That combination meant something had already moved beyond her control.

"...You’re serious," she said.

"I am."

She exhaled slowly.

Then nodded once.

"Fine."

That single word changed everything.

Kael paused.

"...You’re not arguing."

"I trust your ’serious’ voice."

"That’s rare."

"I’m intelligent sometimes."

Kael looked at her for a second.

Then, quietly:

"Sometimes, yes."

Seraphina ignored that.

She turned toward the academy dormitory.

"I’ll pack essentials."

"Don’t pack too much," Kael said. "We’re not traveling as nobles."

Seraphina smirked.

"I was never good at acting like one anyway."

Kael didn’t answer.

But he followed her.

Meanwhile — The Academy Notices the Absence

By morning, rumors spread faster than sunlight.

"She’s not in her dorm."

"She didn’t attend classes."

"Her servant said she left at night."

At first, it was excitement.

Then confusion.

Then unease.

Because Seraphina Valois was not someone who simply "missed class."

She was someone who became the reason classes changed schedule.

Evelyne stood in the academy corridor, hearing whispers pass her.

"...Left?"

Her expression didn’t change.

But something sharp flickered in her eyes.

"Where?"

No one answered.

Because no one knew.

The Escape Begins

Night arrived earlier than it should have felt.

Seraphina and Kael stood at the edge of the academy’s outer wall.

Beyond it: forest road, unknown territory, and the beginning of something that could no longer be reversed.

Seraphina adjusted her cloak.

"This feels illegal."

Kael replied calmly:

"It is."

"Comforting."

"You’re still here."

"That’s because I’m curious."

Kael glanced at her.

"...About what?"

Seraphina looked ahead.

"For the first time since reincarnating..."

She paused.

"...something is actually chasing me."

Kael didn’t respond immediately.

Then:

"That’s not curiosity."

"What is it?"

"Trouble."

Seraphina smiled slightly.

"Same thing."

Kael sighed.

Then stepped forward.

"Stay close."

"I always do."

"That’s the problem."

Seraphina blinked.

"...Excuse me?"

But Kael had already moved.

He placed something small into her hand.

A thin metal token.

Marked.

Seraphina frowned.

"What is this?"

"A pass."

"For what?"

"For when things go wrong."

Seraphina stared at it.

"...So things are going to go wrong."

Kael didn’t answer.

That was answer enough.

The First Sign

As they crossed beyond the academy boundary, the wind changed.

Subtle.

But sharp.

Kael stopped walking.

Seraphina noticed immediately.

"...What?"

Kael didn’t look at her.

"...We’re not alone."

Seraphina’s expression shifted instantly.

"That’s impossible. We just left."

"No," Kael said quietly.

"They were already outside."

Silence.

Then—

A faint sound in the distance.

Horse hooves.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Seraphina narrowed her eyes.

"...Already?"

Kael’s gaze stayed forward.

"Yes."

Seraphina exhaled once.

Then smiled.

A real one this time.

Not villainess practice.

Not performance.

Something sharper.

"Good."

Kael glanced at her.

"...Good?"

"I don’t like boring travel."

Before Kael could respond—

The trees ahead shifted.

A figure appeared at the edge of the forest road.

Tall.

Armored.

Unmarked.

No royal insignia.

No academy presence.

Just presence.

Cold and direct.

Seraphina tilted her head.

"...That’s not academy security."

Kael answered immediately.

"No."

"Then what is it?"

Kael’s expression darkened slightly.

"First retrieval unit."

Silence.

Seraphina blinked.

"...Retrieval?"

Kael nodded once.

"For Noctaire."

The figure stepped forward.

Slowly.

Like it already knew where they were going.

Like it had never been chasing them.

Only waiting for them to move first.

Seraphina slowly exhaled.

"...That was fast."

Kael looked at her.

"It’s faster than I expected."

The figure raised its hand slightly.

A voice came from beneath the helmet.

Calm.

Mechanical.

"Designation confirmed."

Seraphina frowned.

"...Designation again."

Kael’s hand moved slightly closer to her wrist.

Not grabbing.

Just ready.

The voice continued.

"Subject Seraphina Valois. Step forward."

Silence.

Seraphina didn’t move.

Instead, she asked:

"And if I don’t?"

The figure tilted its head slightly.

A pause.

Then:

"Then the secondary subject will be collected instead."

Seraphina froze.

Kael’s expression changed.

Just slightly.

But enough.

The figure’s gaze shifted.

Directly to Kael.

Seraphina understood immediately.

"...Oh."

A quiet sound.

Almost amused.

"...So that’s what Cassian meant."

Kael didn’t look at her.

But his voice was low.

"...We should run."

Seraphina smiled again.

But this time, it wasn’t playful.

It was sharp.

"No."

Kael finally turned to her.

"...No?"

Seraphina stepped forward slightly.

"I want to see how serious this is."

Kael stared at her.

"...That’s your priority?"

"Yes."

The forest went silent.

The retrieval unit raised its arm.

And the air shifted again.

Seraphina inhaled slowly.

Then said:

"Kael."

"Yes?"

"If we survive this..."

She smiled faintly.

"...I’m definitely becoming a villainess properly."

Kael sighed once.

"...Focus."

And the forest exploded into motion.