Chapter 10: Dagger to Throat: Great Way to End the Day

•National Science Academy, 1st Ward•

Ambrose

'9:37 P.M.' the time blinked in his watch

"Are you sure about this?" Before Ambrose could comprehend the absurdity that he was about to do, he follwed Ana as she climbed up Valerian's balcony.

Tresspassing twice in 2 days. That was quite the record for Ambrose, he didn't know if he should feel proud or alarmed.

Perhaps Valerian really was the killer. Although he was young, he was known to be a genius even as a child. And he hated his father-the prime minister- with a burning passion. That would be enough motive for him to commit those crimes to jeopaedize the peace in the Sanctuary and ruin his father's image."Talk about daddy issues" He muttered to himself.

He didn't know what to expect. Perhaps he would find Valerian reclining on giant piles of money, or perhaps sharpening his knives while looking for his next victim, maybe he was working on his master plan right this minute.

He shook off the thought and slipped inside the room. Ambrose saw Valerian seated at his desk, his back against them as he types away on the halogramic screen in front of him.

Ambrose looked at Ana beside him. "I'm not really an expert, but is this what a renowed serial killer should look like after killing his victim?" He whispered

"Don't let him fool you" She retorted in a hushed voice.

"I saw you earlier...by the clocktower" Ana said. Valerian didn't seem surlrised. He simply swiveled his chair to face them. The top button of his white pajamas is undone, his sleeves rolled up to reveal the lean muscles in his arms.

"I saw you kill him" Ana said, her calm facade had broken down when she saw his arrogant expression.

"And what if I did?" Valerian mocked, a slow smirk creeping in from the sides of his mouth.

In an instant, Ana charged at him with a dagger in hand. 'Did she have that all along?!' Ambrose thought surprised.

Ana pushed her body against valerian and pinned him to the chair with her dagger to his throat, the tip pressing sublty against his neck, enough to draw a few drops of blood. "Don't joke around with me" She growled.

"Or what?" Valerian growled in return. His voice was deep and comanding-it sent shivers down Ambrose's spine.

This was bad. "Maybe we should approach this more diplomatically? have a talk? maybe some cookies..." He said to lighten the situation but, "Shut up!" The both shouted simultabeously. Amnrose put his hands up in surrender, 'Scary' he thought as he remained in his corner watching the two. 'I'll just leaved the interrogation to her. Yup, it was much safer here' he decided as he turned on a recording device.

"Why did you kill him?" Ana barked, pushing the dagger deeper into his neck.

Valerian scoffed and leaned closer, their faces only inches apart. "He deserved it." He said icily. Ambrose could see the corners of Valerian's lips curving into a smirk.

"You can't just kill people!"

Valerian smirked arrogantly, "I just did"

"You monster." She seethed.

"Watch your mouth" Valerian threatened.

"Don't try me." Ana hissed as he rested her knee on Valerian's chair and pushed the knife harder against his throat. "Or I'll kill you." She finished.

Ambrose saw Valerian wrap his hand against Ana's wrist that was holding the dagger as he leaned closer to her - the dagger the only thing keeping them inches away from each other. Ambrose covered his eyes with his hand as he saw more blood flow from Valerian's throat.

"You won't." At Valerian's words Ambrose's curiosity forced him to peek through his fingers. Just in tim to see a condescending smile form on Valerian's face. "You can't" he added.

As of that was the winning debate argument, Ana finally stepped back. "I hate people like you" She said with contempt laced in her voice.

"The feeling's mutual" He replied with mathcing animosity.

"You're going to jail" She deadpanned.

"You have no evidence." Ana furrowed her brows and glared at him. "Ambrose, look in the closet, the laundry basket, turn this room upside down if you have to. Find his bloody uniform" She told him.

Without wasting a second, Ambrose shuffled his feet at headed for the closets. He couldn't risk getting on her bad side. He opened the closet and found 3 pairs of uniforms inside. Ambrose looked aeound but found no trace of blood.

"This is illegal-"

RIIIIP

Valerian was cut off when the sound of ripping fabric echoed in the air. Ambrose turned around and saw Ana rip open Valerian's top. GASP! -

"What the fuck?!" Valerian yelled as Ana tried to take his shirt off. Anbrose quickly turned around. "This is notnsuitable for young audiences." He muttered in regret as he continued to look for Valerian's bloody uniform.

"Your wounds....their...gone...." Ana mumbled in defeat. Ambrose looked back as Valerian fixed his shirt. 'Gone? How do wounds just vanish?'

"You have no evidence" Valerian repeated, with a hint of victory in his expression.

"Ambrose!" Ana called.

"H-here!" he replied as he saw the bloody uniform on the laundry basket.

"See? Evidence." Ana told Valerian

Valerian crossed his legs and shrugged. "Circumstantial evidence. I'll say I got wounded on the fight at the cafeteria earlier."

"But you didn't get wounded during your fight at the cafeteria!" Ambrose retorted, proud he was finally able to join in on the conversation.

"The warden's won't know that. Seems like the perfect alibi." Valerian replied mockingly.

"Tsk" Ana cursed. "The body would have been the most concrete evidence"

"Too bad it vanished" Ambrose replied.

"Vanished?!" Valerian sprung up from his chair in surprise. "What do you mean by vanished?" He growled.

"It vanished. Disappeared. Poof! Gone!"

"Fuck." Valerian cursed. "I should have burned it" he whispered under his breath as he brought his fingers to his chin in thought.

"Not such a good killer are you?" Ana teased.

Valerian approched her until they were only a few inches apart. "Careful, sunshine or you'll be next"

As the two continued to bicker, suddenly, a message pinged on Ambrose's watch. It was a message from the Academy's faculty office. Ambrose had managed to hack into the Academy files a few days ago to ensure he had access to all the recent news the faculty was hiding from the students.

'Rip Thorn. 19 years old. Condition: Fractured pelvis and radius, broken ribs, joint damage, skin, and deep tissue injuries. Vitals are present but currently in a coma.' The announcement read. 'Last known location: Academy Library'

Ambrose almost jumped at the announcement. He turned it off before any of the two could see. So Valerian wasn't the serial killer.

Suddenly, the lights began to turn red and a loud warning alarm reverberated across the room. "Now what?" Ana complained.

"Shit! Emergency security checks." Ambrose answered.

"Attention students, before the allocated curfew of 10:00 P.M., the school will be conducting a school-wide security check. Please remain in your respective dorm rooms as the thermal scan will initiate in 10 minutes" A robotic voice announced

"Once again, Attention students..." The voice drowned out as panic fell on them.

"Get out!" Valerian barked at them but they all knew it was too late. There was no time to return to their rooms.

"They must have found the body..." Ana muttered.

"I can do something." Ambrose offered raising his hand. "I've done it a couple of times. Hack the system I mean" He clarified.

"You need to have an access chip to even access the academy's main frame. Only the higher-ups have it." Valerian said.

"Lucky my sister's part of the Imperial 7 then! I just borrowed it for a little bit...without her consent. But I can use it to access the main frame then-"

"Well? Do it!" Valerian ordered.

"Initiating thermal scan countdown: T minus 7 minutes."

Ambrose smirked at them- a playful smirk. He could see the veins popping from Valerian's head as he furrowed his brows.

"In one condition" Ambrose announced in a singsong voice.

"T minus 4 minutes until the thermal scan." The voice announced in the back ground.

"You have to help me with the case!"

"No thanks. I don't want to get into unnecessary trouble" Ana replied

"Not a chance. " Valerian deadpanned.

"Well, then we'll all just have to be taken in by the wardens as potential suspects then." Ambrose shrugged.

"I mean, when they do further investigation, their gonna see our finger prints at the crime scene..." He added.

"T minus 3 minutes until the thermal scan."

This seemed to catch their attention. Ana visibly gulped at the thought-clearly she didn't want to be expelled. Valerian, on the other hand, looked like he was about to eat him alive. 'Yup, dangerous!" he thought averting his gaze.

"Fine"

"Alright"

"Great!" Ambrose announced, heading to wards Valerian's table.

"T minus 2 minutes until the thermal scan."

Ambrose opened his hologram screen and the hologram screen on Valerian's table. With a few clicks, he managed to hack into the system's main frame. He created a pseudo-heat source from each of their rooms to make them look like people in the thermal scan.

"Thermal scan complete. Enjoy the rest of your evening!" The robotic voice announced as the all breathed a sigh of relief.

"So about the case..." Ambrose started.

"I thought we already solved that? We have the killer right here!" Ana said.

"Sorry to say this, but he's not the serial killer. Although he DID kill someone, he's not the one we're looking for." Ambrose explained.

"You mean YOU'RE looking for. I don't want to be a part of this." Valerian turned his back to them and headed for his table.

"Sorry, me neither" Ana added.

Ambrose stared at them in utter disbelief. "WHAT?! BUT YOU PROMISED!!"

"Rule 1 of negotiating. Make sure you have something to ensure the other party fulfills their end of the deal." Valerian said.

"Like a threat?" Ambrose asked. "Maybe blackmail." He added.

"Don't worry, I have one," Ambrose smirked.

Instantly he played his recording device and a video of the things that transpired earlier played in front of them. "I wonder what would happen to you if the Wardens got a hold of this." Ambrose thought out loud.

Valerian seemed to take the bait and sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll help you"

"Don't think you're free from this, Ana" Ambrose called out to the girl sneakily creeping towards the balcony. "Attempted murder of the prime minister's precious son?! TSK. TSK. TSK. Bad charges to face...bad charges" Ambrose teased shaking his head.

Ana rolled her eyes. "Fine."