Wrong

Everything after that passed in a blur.

Seeing as Luna fell to the ground unconscious, I made sure that she was alive before retreating back into the labyrinth.

It took an hour or so before the soldiers outside the dungeon were notified by Lucy that the Demons attacked and the reinforcements to arrive..

Out of forty participants who entered the Mana-rich dungeon, only fifteen made it out alive, including Alaric, Luna and me.

My entire group also perished:

Sophia, Alex and even James died.

Although I hadn't developed any deep connections with them, their deaths still made me feel grim.

It reminded me how easily one can die in this world.

"..."

After all the students and bodies were accounted for, we were subjected to a thorough investigation to determine what actually happened inside the dungeon.

Of course, some questions were quite sharp and accusatory, as they searched for possible spies/demon underlings among the surviving students.

Luckily, I had already prepared a story beforehand so I was allowed to go rather quickly.

The question is how the hell did Alaric pass?

Although not a Demon Contractor he worked with James extensively, which meant that he was at fault.

Well, that guy is no longer a threat - he will probably be expelled because of his 'negligence' and this trip that he organized, which took the lives of many students and even caused a threat to the daughter of the Whitethorn family.

'The plot won't deviate from the original storyline.'

Scratching my cheek, while looking around in the bus, I sighed.

Right after I told my story, I was dismissed and sent back to the bus that took us here in the first place. It was a lot emptier now without the students who didn't make it out of the dungeon alive.

Vrooom...

Soon, the engines of the bus roared to life and the bus started moving, carrying us away from the harrowing events of the dungeon.

During the journey, I simply stared out the window, lost in my thoughts.

Although the casualties were heavy, my plan succeeded. To be completely honest, it went better than I had anticipated.

I feel almost no guilt for leaving my group, leaving them to die and I don't know why. It's obvious that I could've done more to help them, help other students, or even prevent this accident from happening but I simply didn't.

It's quiet concerning how dull my emotions have become.

'Scary…'

As I gazed out the window, the passing scenery blurred together.

…

"We've arrived!"

In the periphery of my vision, I caught sight of a familiar group waiting for the bus's arrival at the Academy. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized Luna's brother, Eldric, among them. 

His presence sent a chill down my spine, his demeanor foreboding and tense.

As Luna emerged from the bus, Eldric's features contorted into a mixture of relief and fury. His pallid complexion betrayed the turmoil within him, the darkness in his expression hinting at a storm brewing beneath the surface. It was as if he were on the brink of unleashing his wrath upon whoever was responsible for the tragedy that had befallen his sister.

'Dangerous...'

I felt another chill run down my spine.

I watched as Eldric approached Luna, his strides way too fast. The air crackled with tension as he drew nearer, his gaze piercing through the veil of sorrow that hung over us all. There was no doubt in my mind that he sought answers.

As the rest of the group closed in around Luna, their expressions mirrored Eldric's mixture of relief and anger. They had been waiting anxiously for her return, their concern etched into every line of their faces.

'I guess it's my time to leave.'

Turning away from the group, I slipped out of the gathering and went straight toward my dorm room.

I was in drastic need of sleep.

***

"Are you okay!?"

The first thing Luna saw when she stepped out of the bus was her brother's visibly shaken face.

She could tell that he was enraged, a bit scary even for her.

"Yes, I'm fine."

Luna tried to smile, however, her voice trembled slightly, which made Eldric's face twist even more with rage.

Fortunately, the rest of her friends immediately surrounded Luna, making Eldric unable to ask more questions.

In the end it took half an hour for Luna to calm down her brother and her friends.

Adela and Lily hugged Luna tightly, while Eldric and Arthur simply stood there, forming some kind of invisible barrier of protection around her.

Somehow, Luna managed to escape from their embrace and went straight to her room.

Click...

Closing the door behind her, she slid down against it, her back pressing against the cool wood.

However, she didn't feel dreadful, sad or any negative emotions.

She was rather curious.

After regaining consciousness, she immediately remembered the vivid glimpse of James she caught before everything went dark.

There was a sword wound on his chest, which she didn't remember inflicting.

After talking with the soldiers that brought back the bodies, it turns out that he also died from that wound and since he was a Demon Contractor, it's plausible that the Demon she fought was Jame's 'master' and suddenly collapsed because somebody killed James.

The question is who killed him?

Luna tried to recall seeing anyone in her peripheral vision during the battle, but the chaos and adrenaline made it nearly impossible to focus on anyone else but her opponent.

"..."

She didn't even feel as she bit her own lip, lost in thought.

Something was wrong.