The vibration did not stop.
At first it was subtle. A low tremor beneath the tower floor. Something deep below the academy shifting its weight.
Then it came again.
Stronger.
Cadet 317 stared at the glowing map on the desk.
The red circles beneath the academy pulsed slowly like a heartbeat.
That was not comforting.
"Please tell me that is normal," he said.
The headmaster did not answer immediately.
Which was also not comforting.
The male lead stepped closer to the map.
"How long has the seal been weakening?"
The headmaster folded his hands behind his back.
"It should not have weakened at all."
That was worse.
The female lead studied the map carefully.
"There are multiple barriers."
"Yes," the headmaster replied.
"Seven containment layers."
Cadet 317 leaned forward slightly.
"And we just saw something come through the courtyard."
The headmaster nodded.
"Through the first layer."
The room went quiet again.
Cadet 317 raised one finger.
"So just to clarify our situation."
"Yes?"
"Something extremely dangerous is sealed under the academy."
"Correct."
"Someone from the academy already broke part of the seal."
"Yes."
"And now the seal is collapsing in days."
The headmaster gave a calm nod.
"Correct."
Cadet 317 leaned back.
"Fantastic. I was worried this semester might be boring."
The female lead ignored the comment.
"If the first layer is broken, the remaining layers must be reinforced."
The headmaster walked toward the window overlooking the academy.
"That is already happening."
Outside, faint golden lights shimmered across the campus.
Barrier spells.
Hundreds of them.
But the map on the desk continued pulsing red.
Which meant it was not enough.
The male lead turned toward the headmaster.
"The hooded figure."
"Yes."
"He called the male lead by role."
The headmaster looked thoughtful.
"Which means he knows the structure of the story."
Cadet 317 sighed.
"I really hate when villains break the fourth wall."
The female lead frowned.
"What wall?"
"Never mind."
The male lead's gaze shifted toward Cadet 317 again.
"You said the dungeon midterm earlier."
Cadet 317 felt his brain freeze.
Right.
He had accidentally mentioned that.
The female lead also turned toward him.
"You spoke about it before the breach."
The headmaster watched quietly.
Cadet 317 cleared his throat.
"I read the orientation documents."
The male lead did not blink.
"They did not mention a dungeon."
He leaned back slowly.
"Then the academy handbook is very poorly written."
The female lead crossed her arms.
"You are hiding something."
He nodded immediately.
"Yes."
Both of them paused.
That answer was unexpected.
"But," he added calmly, "I am hiding it for a very good reason."
The male lead narrowed his eyes.
"What reason?"
Cadet 317 gestured toward the map.
"Because none of you are going to like the answer."
Silence stretched across the office.
The headmaster finally spoke.
"You may explain."
Cadet 317 looked at the glowing red circles beneath the academy.
Then at the two future legends standing beside him.
Then back at the headmaster.
"Fine," he said.
He pointed at the map.
"In the future, the academy will open a dungeon examination."
The male lead frowned.
"What dungeon?"
"The one beneath us."
The room went still.
Cadet 317 continued carefully.
"The first year students will be sent inside as a midterm test."
The female lead's eyes sharpened.
"You are guessing."
"No."
He shook his head slowly.
"I remember it."
The male lead stared at him.
"You remember the future."
Cadet 317 winced.
That sounded worse when said out loud.
"Something like that."
The headmaster studied him carefully.
"Continue."
He pointed at one of the glowing circles on the map.
"In the original sequence of events, the first layer breaks during the dungeon test."
The female lead spoke quietly.
"And the academy contains it."
Cadet 317 nodded.
"Barely."
The male lead looked toward the red circles again.
"But now the seal is already weakening."
"Yes."
The female lead's voice lowered.
"So the timeline has changed."
Cadet 317 gave a small nod.
"Because I interfered."
The room fell silent again.
The headmaster looked thoughtful.
"So the breach today..."
"Should not have happened yet."
The male lead's voice hardened slightly.
"And the entity that appeared."
Cadet 317 exhaled slowly.
"He is supposed to appear much later."
"Who is he?"
Cadet 317 hesitated.
That answer was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
The system flickered violently.
High risk disclosure warning
He sighed.
"Someone who breaks the story."
The female lead frowned.
"You are speaking in riddles."
"I am speaking in survival strategies."
The male lead leaned forward.
"What is beneath Astraea?"
Cadet 317 looked back at the glowing map.
Then quietly said,
"The final boss."
The lights in the office flickered.
The red circles beneath the academy pulsed again.
Stronger.
This time the entire tower trembled.
Books rattled on the shelves.
The female lead grabbed the edge of the desk.
The male lead steadied himself instantly.
The headmaster remained perfectly calm.
But the map changed.
One of the seven containment circles shattered.
Completely.
Cadet 317 stared at the glowing map.
Then slowly whispered,
"That was not supposed to happen until chapter fifty."
The ground beneath the academy shook again.
Much harder this time.
And far below the tower...
Something laughed.