CHAPTER 258: CHAPTER 258

Before we knew it, we were already in front of the building. It looked like an abandoned school, its windows boarded up, the paint peeling like old skin, vines creeping up the walls.

"Isn’t this just simply a haunted house?" he said, eyeing the place with a mix of skepticism and unease.

"Why? You scared Zeke?" I lightly jabbed him, my elbow nudging his side playfully.

"As if," he said, grabbing my hand to enter the school together, like he was proving a point.

"Miss Remillia," Jane said, and when I looked back, they stopped just by the entrance, the Rogues forming a loose perimeter. "We’ll only accompany you here but be careful since Langston won’t give up pursuing you pretty boy," she winked at Ezekiel, who only frowned in disgust, his face twisting like he’d bitten into something sour.

I gave her a nod, acknowledging the warning.

"Oh and, I’ll stay in the area and stop his subordinates if we see them," she continued before finally leaving, her crew dispersing into the shadows like ghosts.

Soon after Jane and her crew left, a sound rumbled out from a nearby bush, leaves rustling violently.

Ezekiel and I glared in that direction and unsheathed our weapons, my dagger flashing out, his sword gleaming in the fractured light. However, the person that soon popped out of the bush was someone Ezekiel and I were familiar with.

"Remi!" Cypher shouted my name and ran up to me, his face a mix of relief and panic. Then he started examining my body, his hands hovering like he was checking for injuries. "Are you okay? You’re not hurt are you? You suddenly disappeared—" his gaze landed on Ezekiel, then to our hands holding each other. He quickly pulled me away from him, his grip protective. "Why are you with him?"

"That’s not important. We still have something to do so follow me," I said, leading them inside, the door creaking open to reveal the dusty interior, shadows dancing on the walls.

Once inside, I looked at the evacuation map hanging on the wall, its faded colors and arrows pointing the way like a relic from a bygone era. The broadcasting room was located on the highest floor, probably the old principal’s office or something similar.

We climbed the stairs, the building creaking under our feet, dust motes dancing in the shafts of light filtering through cracked windows. When we got there, I kicked the door open with a solid thud, the wood splintering slightly, and quickly fumbled with the microphone, testing the sound with a quick tap that echoed through the room. Using this, I had to gather the students and instructors to this building.

"Will everyone hear us if we speak into it?" Ezekiel said, peering at the setup with curiosity.

"Yeah, probably," I said calmly s I adjusted the controls, hoping the old system still worked in this warped reality.

All I know is that not all of the students and instructors were trapped inside the Kaleidoscope Effect. One must need to have enough mana and Aura to resonate with the magic, the effect pulling in those with strong magic signatures while leaving the weaker ones outside, blissfully unaware.

I turned the microphone on and spoke into it. "Mic test. Mic test. One two three," As expected, the speaker was working properly, the sound echoing through the building and hopefully beyond, cutting through the warped space like a beacon.

"This is an emergency announcement to everyone. I repeat, this is an emergency announcement to everyone. Remain calm and listen to what I’m about to say," After pausing to make sure I grabbed everyone’s attention, I cut straight to the chase. "The space has been distorted due to the Kaleidoscope Effect. Quickly head to the building you see in the center of the space. Even if you get lost, continue heading towards the building. I repeat, even if you get lost, continue heading towards the building." After repeating the same thing a few times, I put the microphone down, the room falling silent as the broadcast faded.

About thirty minutes after my announcement, people began to arrive at the central building, trickling in at first, then in waves, their faces a mix of relief and exhaustion.

Angela, Edge, Christian, and several other students all came at the same time, their group bursting through the doors like a storm. Next was our instructor from last year, Jude Moonhamn, who quickly ran over, his stern face scanning the crowd for threats. After an hour, first-year students began to arrive, some limping, others wide-eyed and shaken. Unfortunately, they all weren’t in good shape.

"Instructor! Some strange people wearing robes kidnapped Sheila!" one student cried out, panic in their voice.

"What?!" Jude said, his eyes narrowing as he turned to the group, the weight of the situation sinking in.

This incident was no ordinary attack. The Rogues’ true goal was clear: kidnapping students with the potential to become incarnated as Demons, along with their subordinates. This wasn’t confined to their academy alone—it was part of a coordinated, large-scale invasion threatening multiple Hero Academies across the world. The scale of this assault marked it as the most ambitious and dangerous Rogue operation they had planned in a long time.

Cypher paced back and forth, his hands gesturing wildly as he fidgeted, the weight of the crisis making him visibly restless.

I met his gaze, sensing his hesitation. Maybe this was the moment for the main characters to step up. "You should go and save them, Cypher," I said calmly and encouragingly, stepping back to give him space to take the lead.

He looked at me, concern flickering across his face. "But what if I also get lost?"

I handed him the GPS Mirror. "Take this, and you should also go with Sir Jude."

"Mirror what?" Instructor Jude, who had been listening in on our conversation, cut in, his brow furrowing.

"GPS Mirror. If you have it, you won’t get lost," I explained calmly, my gaze drifting to Edge, who was leaning slightly beside me. "Edge, do you want to go too?"

He straightened up, then moved away from me. "W-What are you talking about? Of course no—"

"Edge, you should come with us," Cypher interrupted him.

Edge glared at both of us unhappily. "I guess Rex and Whitney aren’t here yet." He was grumbling, but he eventually relented and joined in.

"I’ll help too," Ezekiel volunteered confidently.

"Ah, then I wanna join in too," Christian chimed in, raising his hand eagerly.

Cypher looked at me. "You’re not coming with us?"

I shook my head. "I’ll stay here and protect the other students," I said, confident that they could rescue all the students.

"What about you?" Edge turned to look at Angela.

"I’ll also stay. Besides, it’ll be a waste of resources if I go too," she replied calmly.

I turned to look at her in shock. Whenever Cypher went on a mission, she was always with him.

Thankfully, besides me and Angela, there were other high-ranking students left to protect the place—Kaelan Vossaryn, Aurora Knight, and Pierre Guerera.

"Don’t worry about us," I reassured them.

"Yeah, be safe!" Angela waved goodbye as they prepared to leave.

Edge sighed as he walked forward, Cypher following after him. "Hey, wait! You have to stay close to the GPS Mirror!"

"Everyone, make sure you stay in this building!" Instructor Jude called out as they headed out.

Once they were gone, I turned to the others. "Pierre and Kaelan, guard the door and alert us if a stranger gets in. Angela, Aurora, and I will head to the rooftop."

"Got it," they replied simultaneously, standing guard at the door.

"Who has healing abilities?" I asked, scanning the group of students huddled together. "Step up and start tending to the wounded. Anyone who can fight and is physically fit, be on standby in case the guards at the door can’t handle any intruders. The rest of you can rest while we wait for the rescue team to return with the others."

With that, I glanced at Aurora and Angela. "Let’s go to the rooftop."

When we reached the rooftop, Aurora turned to me with a playful grin. "I didn’t know you could act as a leader," she said, her voice light but curious.

Do I? All I know is that I just tell them what to do—that’s it. Is that what being a leader means?

"Aurora," I greeted her. "It’s been so long since we last met after the—"

She cut me off, waving a hand dismissively. "Yeah, that. I don’t want to remember it again. Anyway, you look so different now, even your vibe has changed."

"I’ve been getting that a lot," I replied, but my mind drifted back to my life in the real world. Back then, I used to just sit still and stay quiet, blending into the background. And here I am now, barking orders like it’s second nature.

"Alright, leader," she chuckled, stepping away to claim her spot. "I’ll take that position."