The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character-Chapter 108: Ethan’s Study Class [6]

Keira took a step.

Just one.

It barely made a sound, but to her, it echoed like a crack of thunder.

Her legs felt like lead, her breathing shallow. Her throat was so dry it hurt just to swallow. The millipede loomed ahead, waiting, twitching, as if it understood what she was about to do.

She took another step.

Everything in her screamed to run. Her body shook, her hands were ice-cold, and her heart pounded so violently it felt like it might shatter her ribs.

But she kept walking.

Because if she didn’t... he would kill them all.

And that thought... it made her sick.

Why me?

Why am I doing this?

She remembered Rin Evans again. His voice. His silence. The day Keira pushed him too far. The guilt she’d buried beneath pride and excuses.

’I deserve this, don’t I?’

’Is this... my punishment?’

A tear slipped down her cheek, but she didn’t stop.

Every step forward stripped something from her. Her pride. Her fear. Her denial. Her false sense of control.

She wanted someone to stop her.

She wanted someone to scream, "Wait! No, there’s another way!"

But no one did.

They just watched.

Some couldn’t meet her eyes. Some wept quietly. Some clenched their fists, helpless.

And Ethan?

He watched her like a proud teacher. Hands folded neatly behind his back. That sick, delighted smile still painted on his face.

"Very good," he murmured, as if she were a child reciting a lesson.

Keira’s knees buckled, but she caught herself before she fell.

She was just a few feet from the millipede creature now.

It lowered its head, legs scraping against the floor in an awful skittering sound, its mandibles twitching in anticipation.

She stared into its eyes—those small, cold, alien eyes—and saw nothing.

No recognition.

No malice.

Just hunger.

She was a meal. Nothing more.

Her legs refused to move now.

She dropped to her knees.

Her lips trembled as she stared at the floor.

And still, she whispered to herself, This is the right thing to do. This is the right thing to do. This is the right thing to—

But the moment she closed her eyes...

...all she could see was herself.

A little girl.

Laughing with friends.

Living a normal life.

She didn’t want to die.

Not like this.

Not in front of everyone.

Not without at least... trying to live.

But it was too late.

The centipede leaned forward.

Keira squeezed her eyes shut.

And then—

A noise.

A sharp bang.

Like something slamming into a wall.

Gasps rang out behind her.

Keira opened her eyes—

—and saw the millipede creature reeling backward.

What...?.

"Enough," a voice cut through the heavy air—calm, steady, and familiar.

Ethan’s smile faltered for the first time

Ethan slowly turned his head. "Ah... I see. An uninvited guest."

A quiet chuckle followed. "Tch. I almost missed it. Everything else changed, but this part stayed the same. Seriously..."

Keira blinked through the tears clinging to her lashes. For a moment, she thought she was hallucinating. Maybe it was the stress, the fear. Her mind playing tricks on her.

But then she saw him.

That back.

Slender. Almost unimpressive. Not the kind you’d expect to stand between a monster and death. But somehow... when she saw him there, something inside her settled.

Like a thread pulling tight.

Like she could breathe again.

"Loser...!" she whispered without thinking—an old habit slipping out before she could stop it.

He stiffened slightly and turned his head just enough to glance at her over his shoulder. His face was a mix of disbelief and exasperation.

"You really—" he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Damn it. We’ll talk later."

She let out a shaky laugh, more breath than sound.

And for the first time since class began, the silence wasn’t terrifying—it was hopeful.

Ethan’s face darkened.

Rin Evans slowly stepped forward, never breaking eye contact with the monster, or with Ethan.

"You brought that thing here for your little lesson?" he asked casually. "You really don’t know when to quit, do you?"

"You’re interfering," Ethan said coldly.

"I’ve been interfering since day one." Rin cracked his neck, as if warming up. "Guess I’m just not very good at listening to psychos in suits."

The millipede let out a low hiss, reacting to the shift in the room.

Keira, still on her knees, stared up at him.

He’d always seemed like a background character—quiet, awkward, forgettable.

But right now... he looked like something else entirely.

Not a hero.

Not a savior.

But someone who had nothing left to lose.

Someone who had already seen this all before.

----

Seriously, everything about this situation was just so fucking unfair.

I mean, that was the main reason I ran through the halls like some lunatic in the middle of the night the second I saw the notification that the quest had started earlier than scheduled.

All because of my interference.

Damn it.

I originally planned to come here with Ryen, but that idiot had some last-minute shopping to do and wasn’t even on campus.

And if I’d been even five seconds late, Keira’s head would’ve already been rolling on the floor.

But I wasn’t.

I made it.

So, I’ll consider that a win.

"Cadet Rin Evans," Ethan said, voice calm but curious.

"What? You bastard."

"You were usually such a polite student. Is this your true self coming out?" He tilted his head, a smirk playing on his lips. "No, I suppose the situation is... a bit unusual."

He chuckled, clearly amused by my profanity.

Smug bastard.

"I have so many questions," he went on, still smiling. "First, how did you know about this secret room—one not even the Chairman knows about? And second, how did you know this incident would happen today? But more than anything..." He paused, eyes gleaming with interest. "What exactly are you using to repel the monsters I summoned?"

"You don’t know this?"

I held up the small, unimpressive-looking object in my hand—a cheap "Pest Repellent" powered by a low-grade green magic stone. I could almost hear the infomercial voice in my head.

Ethan blinked, then let out a laugh. "Of course I know what that is. But I’m asking how you’re keeping my monsters at bay with something designed to keep mosquitoes away. It doesn’t make sense."

"Maybe the monsters you summoned are as weak as mosquitoes," I shot back, "if they’re scared of a bug repellent like this."

That made him laugh harder.

But I wasn’t joking.

Okay, maybe a little.

Of course, the monsters weren’t actually weak.

They were terrifying, abominations from some eldritch pocket realm that could rip a student apart in seconds.

The truth was, I tinkered with the device before coming here. Swapped out the default spell in the repellent for a barrier-type enchantment—nothing too strong, just enough to trick the monsters’ primitive instincts. They couldn’t recognize what it really was, only that it radiated something... unnatural to them. Something that said, "Stay away."

It wouldn’t last long.

But I only needed a few minutes.

Just enough to get Keira out.

Just enough to stare this psycho in the face and say:

"You’ve had your fun, Ethan. But class is over."

Ethan’s laughter finally died down, and he stared at me with a tilted head, like I was some fascinating new puzzle he couldn’t wait to tear apart.

"Class is over, is it?" he said, the smile still on his face, but his eyes... they were dead. "Rin Evans... I don’t recall inviting you to my lesson."

"I wasn’t asking for an invite."

For a moment, the air between us felt razor-thin—like it might shatter at any second.

Then he clapped slowly.

"Well said. Bravo." His voice dropped an octave, something venomous seeping in. "You know, I was really hoping Keira would make the noble choice and offer herself up. She was close... so close. I could see it in her eyes—regret, guilt, that perfect cocktail of broken pride and desperation."

I glanced at Keira.

She was curled near the wall, trembling, her hands clutched tightly in her lap. Her lips were moving slightly—whispering something I couldn’t hear. Maybe a prayer. Maybe her own name. She looked smaller than I remembered her. Deflated.

Pathetic, a part of me thought.

Another part whispered, She didn’t deserve this.

Not like this.

Yeah, she was a piece of shit to me. She laughed when I was humiliated. Spread rumors. But now... seeing her like this, shaking, nearly fed to some grotesque monster for a "lesson"?

I wasn’t sure whether I hated her or pitied her.

Maybe both.

The rest of the class wasn’t any better. They’d all gone still. Like puppets with their strings cut. No one spoke. No one moved. Some avoided my eyes like they were guilty. Others just looked... empty.

Not even one tried to stand up for her.

Not one.

Not until I showed up.

"I wonder," Ethan said, taking a step closer, "what drives someone like you to risk their life for people like them? Are you playing the hero? Looking for attention? Or maybe..." He smiled wider. "Maybe you just enjoy throwing yourself into the fire. Masochistic tendencies, perhaps?"

"You talk too much," I muttered.

He chuckled again. "You’ll make a delightful addition to my next class."

My grip tightened on the repellent device in my hand. The enchantment was starting to waver—I could feel it. The air shifted slightly as the centipede-creature twitched its antennae, sensing weakness.

I didn’t have much time.

Come on, Rin. Focus.

I looked at Keira again. She was looking back now—her eyes glossy, red-rimmed. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Just a shaky breath.

I didn’t come here for her. I didn’t come here for any of them.

But I was here.

And I was going to finish this.