The academy declared it an "isolated mana accident."
No mention of suppression fields.
No mention of void constructs.
No mention of assassination.
But the damage was impossible to ignore.
Three dormitory floors sealed.
Emergency barriers reinforced.
Faculty patrols doubled.
And one new order announced before noon.
All first-years would participate in an unscheduled dungeon trial.
Effective immediately.
Council Chamber — Private Session
Seraphine stood alone when Kael entered.
No council members.
No witnesses.
Just her.
"You knew they would move," she said without turning.
"Yes."
"You knew it wouldn't be a demon."
"Yes."
Silence.
She faced him.
"Then tell me why."
Kael held her gaze.
Because this is where timelines split.
"In the future," he said carefully, "a gate opens above this academy."
Her expression did not change.
But her mana did.
It sharpened.
"And?"
"It doesn't open this early."
The air grew heavier.
"You're implying causation," she said quietly.
"I'm stating it."
Seraphine walked slowly toward the window overlooking the courtyard.
"If I report what you're suggesting, you'll be detained for psychological evaluation."
"I know."
"And if you're lying, you're manipulating the highest authority inside the academy."
"I know."
She turned back to him.
"Then why tell me?"
Kael answered simply.
"Because you survive the longest."
That—
Made her pause.
In his previous life, Seraphine did not die in the first invasion.
She held the southern wall.
She organized evacuations.
She bought time.
And then—
She disappeared.
Never confirmed dead.
Never found.
Seraphine stepped closer.
"You speak like someone who has seen this."
"I have."
Silence stretched between them.
Then she made a decision.
"Fine."
One word.
Final.
"I will not report you."
Kael did not react outwardly.
But something inside him shifted.
"However," she continued, "you will not move alone again."
She extended her hand.
"Temporary alliance."
Kael looked at it.
In his previous life—
They never spoke like this.
He took her hand.
"Agreed."
The moment their mana brushed—
A faint resonance sparked.
Subtle.
But real.
Seraphine's eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
Emergency Announcement
By afternoon, the academy gathered at the central courtyard.
Faculty stood on elevated platforms.
Professor Helbrecht's voice boomed across the grounds.
"Due to recent irregularities, the academy will conduct an early dungeon stabilization trial."
Murmurs spread instantly.
"That's a second-year event!"
"We're not prepared!"
Helbrecht ignored them.
"The trial will take place in the lower sealed catacombs."
That made Kael's blood run cold.
The catacombs.
In the original timeline—
The first minor gate formed there.
Two years later.
Not now.
Seraphine stood beside him in the crowd.
Quietly.
"You expected this," she said under her breath.
"Yes."
"Then this dungeon is not random."
"No."
The Ranking Board projection flickered above them.
Teams would be assigned by mana compatibility.
Names began pairing automatically.
Kael's name glitched once—
Twice—
Then stabilized.
Team Assignment:
Seraphine Vale
Kael Ardent
The courtyard erupted.
"Vice Head with an F-Class?!"
"That's rigged."
"That's punishment."
Seraphine didn't react.
She simply stepped forward.
"Looks like we begin now."
Kael glanced upward briefly.
The sky was clear.
But he could feel it.
Pressure.
Watching.
If the gate accelerates inside the dungeon—
Then this becomes the first battlefield.
Helbrecht's voice echoed again.
"You enter at sunset."
Four hours.
Seraphine walked beside Kael as the crowd dispersed.
"Tell me everything you remember," she said calmly.
Kael looked ahead.
"In the original flow… the first corruption node forms at the third underground layer."
She didn't question the phrasing.
She simply memorized it.
"And if we destroy it early?"
"The acceleration slows."
"Slows," she repeated. "Not stops."
"No."
They reached the edge of the courtyard.
She stopped walking.
"If what you say is true, then this dungeon isn't a test."
"It's a trigger."
Her silver eyes sharpened.
"Good."
She turned toward the descending staircase that led to the catacombs.
"Then we'll break it before it finishes forming."
For the first time since regression—
Kael allowed himself the smallest hint of confidence.
Not because he was stronger.
But because this time—
He wasn't alone.
Far below the academy—
Deep within the sealed catacombs—
Something pulsed.
Dark.
Unstable.
Earlier than it should exist.
A whisper echoed through the forming gate.
"Acceleration confirmed."
And this time—
It wasn't sending an assassin.
It was preparing an army.