The conference room had too much glass—enough that Elara could see the panel reflected back at themselves like a row of judges in a mirror. The air was cold, sterile. Principal Vance (no relation, a fact she was acutely aware of) sat at the center, flanked by two faculty members, including a stern-faced Ms. Gable, and Kaelan Thorne, who occupied the student representative seat with an unnerving stillness.
[Ding!]
Event: Council Hearing Commenced
Status:
- Attention: 21/100
- Survival Probability: 40%
- Council Timer: 00:25:00
Sub-Objectives:
A) Enter Refute Pack into record (+5%)
B) Obtain AV aide confirmation (+3%)
"Ms. Vance," the Principal began, her voice echoing slightly in the quiet room. "You stand accused of bullying, harassment, and physical aggression against a fellow student. The evidence presented to this council appears compelling. You may now address the charges."
Elara set a slim folder on the polished table and activated her tablet, projecting the screen onto the wall-mounted display. It showed a split image: on one side, the paused viral clip, the hallway clock's numerals clearly reversed. On the other, the timestamped CCTV still from Nora, showing the correct clock orientation and the Aethelstan crest on the blazer pocket—an eagle facing left.
"The primary evidence against me is a digital forgery," she stated, her voice clear and devoid of panic. "The viral clip is mirrored. The crest orientation and the wall clock are geometrically impossible in the real hallway. This is confirmed by the preserved CCTV footage. I have here the formal data-hold order, co-signed by President Thorne, verifying the chain of preservation. I request this 'Refute Pack' be entered into the official minutes."
[Ding!]
Event: Male Lead Interaction (On Site)
Status:
- Attention: 21/100 → 24/100 (Δ +3)
- Survival Probability: 40% → 39% (Δ −1%)
Note: High-stakes observation increases risk.
Kaelan's pen, poised over a notepad, clicked once. "Explain the significance of the crest orientation," he said, his tone forensic, not confrontational.
"The school crest is asymmetrical; the eagle always faces left," Elara explained, zooming in. "In the viral clip, it faces right. This is a simple horizontal flip, a common but careless editing error. It also reverses the apparent direction of the shove, potentially exaggerating its aggression. Furthermore, the anonymous confession board posts use British English spellings—'rumour', 'behaviour'—which do not match my documented writing history. They also contain a unique typo, 'neckalace,' which is linked to an external social media account that is not mine." She brought up the side-by-side comparison of the typo. "The voice in the longer clip is distorted, but the linguistic and digital fingerprints are not mine."
Ms. Gable leaned forward, her expression skeptical. "This is a lot of technical talk, Elara. How do we know you haven't… manipulated this 'Refute Pack' yourself? This could be an elaborate tampering."
"The data-hold was initiated and co-signed before I performed the analysis," Elara countered smoothly. "The timestamp on the hold order precedes my access to the raw footage. This isn't tampering; it's verification. The manipulation occurred before the clip was ever posted."
The council members exchanged glances. The Principal checked the clock. "While this raises questions, the court of public opinion is not so patient. The 'full clip,' as they call it, is already causing significant disruption. The council must consider interim measures to calm the situation." She looked at her colleagues. "I will entertain a motion for a public statement of apology, pending the outcome of a full technical investigation."
[Thrum…]
Side Flag: Avoid Forced Public Apology
Timer: 00:05:00
Penalty on Failure: Survival −8%
A public apology would be an admission of guilt in the eyes of everyone. It would be a survival death sentence.
Elara's tablet vibrated with a new message, visible only to her.
Nora_H_AV: I have a 5-second staff-view snippet from the B-Hall camera at the key time. It's not the full context, but it shows the altercation from a distance. The system will release it for council review if any member authorizes with a staff code. Thorne or the Chair can do it.
This was it. The final piece. Not conclusive proof of innocence, but enough to shatter the certainty of guilt.
"Before any motion is voted on," Elara said, her voice cutting through the murmurs. "There is additional evidence. The AV desk can release a short, unedited snippet from the primary hallway camera for immediate council review. It requires a staff authorization code."
All eyes turned to Kaelan and the Principal. Kaelan's gaze locked with Elara's. His pen hovered over his notepad. He had seen the logic of the mirrored footage. He knew the apology would be a miscarriage of justice. But authorizing the release would be taking a side—her side.
The Principal's gavel was in her hand, ready to call for a vote on the apology motion. Kaelan's finger rested on the screen of his own tablet, over the authorization prompt. The decision hung in the balance, a silent battle between procedure and truth.