The fallen ID tag winked from the shadows under the kiosk like a silver scale.
[Thrum…]
Side Flag: Identify Physical Operator (Kiosk-2)
Timer: 00:26:00
Penalty on Failure: Survival −5%
Elara dropped to one knee and retrieved the plastic rectangle. A. R. — AV Aide. Not a full name, but an initial and a role. It was a start. A concrete lead.
She turned to the librarian, who was watching the scene with wide eyes. "I need official authorization to pull the session log from this terminal," Elara said, her tone level and procedural. "This is part of the ongoing Disciplinary Council audit into the fabricated video posts."
A moment later, a digital signature appeared on the request form on the librarian's screen. Kaelan had authorized it without a word, his expression unreadable but his action swift.
[Ding!]
Event: Evidence Capture — Kiosk Session Log
Status:
- Survival Probability: 57% → 59% (Δ +2%)
Note: Left-hand mouse profile confirmed; USB mass storage device mounted; staff token origin authenticated from Faculty Lounge Terminal 4.
The log scrolled, a damning timeline. Session start at 15:08. USB device connected. File cleaner_clip_v2.mp4 accessed. The authentication token was clear: Gable/[Redacted]. The aide hadn't stolen anything; they'd simply used a privileged session left open on an unattended terminal. A borrowed key.
"They'll be heading for the AV closet or the east exit," Elara said, more to herself than to Kaelan. They moved quickly into the corridor, and within a minute, they spotted a figure in a hoodie trying to look casual while speed-walking toward the media lab. The black AV CREW lanyard was missing, but the silver wristband was still there.
Elara stepped into their path. "Evidence preservation," she stated, blocking the way. "The USB drive. Now."
The figure—a girl with pale, panicked eyes visible under the hood—flinched. "I didn't— I was just told to—" her voice cracked. "They said the story was already true, it just needed… cleaning up. For the board."
Kaelan moved to stand beside Elara, his presence amplifying the pressure. His gaze was like ice. "Misuse of staff credentials and attempting to submit falsified evidence to a council investigation constitutes perjury and carries severe disciplinary sanctions, including potential expulsion. Choose your next words very carefully."
A trembling hand emerged from the hoodie pocket and produced a silver USB drive.
[Ding!]
Event: Evidence Capture — USB Device
Status:
- Survival Probability: 59% → 61% (Δ +2%)
[Ding!]
Event: Male Lead Interaction (On Site)
Status:
- Attention: 34/100 → 38/100 (Δ +4)
- Survival Probability: 61% → 60% (Δ −1%)
Note: Prolonged focus increases risk.
"The Council will take this," Elara said, accepting the drive. "And your formal statement. The identity of the person who gave you this and told you to post it is not optional."
[Thrum…]
Side Flag: Identify Physical Operator — COMPLETED
Progress: 70% → 100%
Reward: Survival +3%
Status:
- Survival Probability: 60% → 63% (Δ +3%)
The subsequent Council session was brief and final. Elara submitted the Refute Addendum: the identified operator, the misused staff token, the USB drive, and the kiosk log that definitively proved the viral clip was a mirrored fabrication. The evidence was irrefutable.
Principal Vance's gavel fell with a note of finality. "The charges against Elara Vance are dismissed. The record is cleared. A separate inquiry will investigate the misuse of faculty credentials and the moderation of the confession board."
[Ding!]
Event: Main Mission — Avoid Expulsion & Apology Trap — COMPLETED
Status:
- Survival Probability: 63% → 68% (Δ +5%)
Note: Record cleared; inquiry opened on credential misuse.
As Elara left the council room, the final bell of the day rang, sharp and clear. But the sound seemed to stretch, warping into something else. The smell of chalk dust and floor wax vanished, replaced by a wave of opulent scent—old books, polished wood, and expensive cologne. The fluorescent lights of the hallway bled into the warm, dim glow of crystal chandeliers. For a moment, she heard the distinct, sharp tap of an auction gavel in the distance.
[Ding!]
Note: Attention Anchor Reinforced (Kaelan Variant)
Status:
- Attention Mark: 18/100 (persistent across worlds)
Note: Anchor stabilized. Narrative resonance logged.
[Ding!]
Event: World Exit Pending…
Status:
- Survival Probability: 68%
Note: Transfer initializing.
She didn't fight the pull. The campus corridor dissolved around her, the echoes of student gossip fading into a anticipatory silence, thick as velvet.
End of World 2 — Campus.