Wicked Reincarnation

Chapter 129: Infiltration 16

After Lia talked and spent some time with everyone, she headed back to the academy. She still had a lot of work to do.

As she arrived at the gates, the first sight that greeted her was a lingering Zero who, the moment he saw her, instantly averted eye contact and fled the scene.

Lia thought his behaviour was strange. Yet she stood at the spot wondering if she should go after him or not. She felt she had to question what made him act like this.

A tall figure approached Lia, "Displeased?"

Startled, Lia looked up to see Timo who yawned.

"Why are you always tired?" Lia's question took Timo aback. He sized her up before answering, "It's exhausting."

"What is?"

"Existing."

Lia kept her mouth shut and just nodded.

Yet Timo still stood next to her, "I've talked to him."

Timo pointed at the spot where Zero just was.

"He's not interested."

"He's not?" Lia thought that having Timo talk to Zero would be a big confidence boost.

"He's not," apart from that Timo didn't say anything.

"I see, I'll talk to him," Lia quickly left Timo's side and headed to the dorms.

What was wrong with Zero? Wouldn't training under Timo be a dream come true for him?

Knocking on Zero's door, there was no activity on his side. Lia waited before trying again and again.

"Zero, can we talk?"

No answer.

"Are you angry because you can't do my work for me?"

The door ripped open.

"So you did just exploit me! You just admitted it! Don't you dare take it back!"

A flushed pale face met Lia, "I won't take it back."

Zero was exasperated, "You should! No teacher should admit that they're abusing a student."

"No one is talking about abusing you."

"But you do!" Zero was fed up with Lia. On the other hand, Lia had no idea how Zero's thinking process was fueled.

"Can I come in? To talk?"

"I've got nothing to talk to you about!" Zero crossed his arms with no intention to move to the side.

"You don't want to?" Lia stepped back and Zero hurriedly moved to the sides, making space in the door. His face showed panic as if he didn't want Lia to leave.

"Then thanks for having me," Lia used the gap to walk into Zero's room while he silently followed behind her. Both of them sat on the sofa without talking.

Zero threw Lia constant glares. Lia wanted to laugh out loud. He was being too obvious. Lia got straight to the subject, "Why aren't you accepting Timo's training?"

This question was the one Zero feared hearing the most, so he only turned his head away from Lia.

Lia sighed, "I want you to stop thinking your power is subpar."

"I don't care."

"What are you thinking in your little brain?"

"Stop making fun of me all the time!" Zero angrily glared at Lia again. But then his frown turned upside down, "Admit."

"What?"

"That you you are sick of me."

"I'm not."

"Then why have you dumped me on the commander?"

Lia's face banked while Zero's was full of injustice.

"Has he said that?"

"It's obvious!"

"Zero, I told you I want you to achieve what you can and your powers are important. So, you shouldn't waste such a good opportunity," Lia felt like she was coaxing a little child.

"You didn't give up on me?" his voice was small but Lia could hear the aggrieved tone in it.

"I would never," with this bold statement, Lia made a commitment akin to a lifetime. If she said those words, she would make sure to keep them.

"Really?"

"Really," Lia answered decisively.

Zero's face brightened before he put his defences up again, "Fine, I'll do the training considering it as me doing you a favour."

Lia raised an eyebrow, "Since when can you exert such power over me?"

But Zero was actually right, him training his power was doing her a favour. Big time.

Lia stood up and waited at the door, "Now hurry up. Go to the commander and tell him to be diligent."

"Don't tell me what to do!'' Zero humped but followed Lia. It was already late but on the training field, they saw students still training with Timo.

"Go to them," Lia sent Zero like a mother seeing her son off at the kindergarten.

Lia thought about watching for a while but then remembered she still had work to do. Frustrated she made her way to the building 1.

But arriving on the first floor, she encountered someone she didn't expect to see. Lia's heart beat wildly and she wanted to leave the place as quickly as possible.

What was Leo doing here? At this hour? Again? She just saw him this morning. Why was he back?

Not wanting to discover him, Lia descended the stairs and remained on the ground floor but her luck wasn't on her side. Soon she heard footsteps coming towards her. Leo also came down.

Lia cursed and walked behind a column, yet Leo was again coming her way. Scouting the surrounding, Lia saw the door leading to a staircase and entered.

The hall of the staircase was dark, and under the sea of stairs was a small space that was stopped by a wall. It was shrouded in complete darkness.

Lia hid in there as she heard the door open. She hurried closer to the corner that couldn't be seen from the door and leaned against the wall.

The door handle rustled before a figure stood in the door frame illuminated by the lights outside.

"Oh, another staircase?" Leo's confused voice travelled to Lia. He was lost. The door closed again and Lia breathed a sigh of relief.

She just didn't want to meet Leo again, much less talk to him. She wouldn't be able to stand it.

Relieved, Lia stood up but stumbled backwards and fell against the wall to her left. She expected the hard impact but instead nothing but air and then the hard ground awaited her.

She fell through the wall and found herself in a dark hallway. There was a hidden place? What could the academy have that needed a secret passage like this? Or could it be just a path leading to the passage?

Curiosity overtook Lia and without thinking, she headed down the hallway. It was endless and had many turns and twists but the upside was, it was only a single hallway.

Suddenly, it stopped at a staircase that led down. Lia didn't hesitate. She took the stairs down and arrived in another hallway.

But in the blink of an eye, it came to an end. It was considerably shorter than the other one. Now, Lia was faced with a heavy iron door that parted to the sides, judging by the crack in the middle of the door.

Next to the door was a keypad. It needed a password to be opened. What loomed behind the door that had to be stored underground beneath the academy?

If it was the palace or the headquarters, Lia could understand but the academy? Could this be another one of Min's plans? Would this involve the students?

Was what was behind the door something that could threaten or do something to the students? Or the academy itself?

Millions of thoughts swirled in Lia's mind, that could only be answered once she had the password. She needed to get it.