The shattered fountain still dripped water across the city square.
Broken stone littered the ground.
Cracks spread through marble pathways.
Several merchants continued lamenting the loss of their stalls.
Children pointed curiously.
Adults whispered nervously.
At the center of all the chaos stood Evelyne.
The former monster.
The former dark mage.
The former tragedy.
And currently—
According to official records.
A woman with absolutely no memories.
The irony wasn't lost on her.
Not at all.
Around her.
City guards formed a complete perimeter.
Not because she looked dangerous.
Quite the opposite.
The woman looked beautiful.
Graceful.
Elegant.
Confused.
Very confused.
The problem was not her appearance.
The problem was the crater behind her.
And the fountain she had accidentally destroyed.
The captain of the city guard stared at the damage.
Then at Evelyne.
Then at the damage again.
The cycle repeated several times.
Eventually he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Miss."
Evelyne looked up.
"Yes?"
The captain pointed toward the destroyed fountain.
"Did you do this?"
The woman followed his finger.
Then blinked.
Then looked genuinely horrified.
"I think so."
Silence.
The guards stared.
One nearly dropped his spear.
The captain frowned.
"You think so?"
Evelyne nodded slowly.
"I don't remember doing it intentionally."
The captain immediately wrote something down.
Dangerous.
Potentially insane.
Possibly honest.
The three worst combinations.
Several guards exchanged glances.
One whispered.
"She's either innocent or terrifying."
Another whispered back.
"Those aren't mutually exclusive."
The first guard immediately agreed.
The captain continued.
"Name?"
Silence.
Evelyne lowered her gaze.
"I don't know."
The captain paused.
Then looked up.
"What?"
"I don't remember."
The captain stared.
Then stared harder.
The woman remained sincere.
Painfully sincere.
The captain tried again.
"Family?"
"I don't know."
"Homeland?"
"I don't know."
"Occupation?"
"I don't know."
"How did you arrive on the island?"
Evelyne hesitated.
Then remembered Kel's story.
"I was floating."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
One guard coughed.
Another looked away.
The captain slowly lowered his notebook.
"Floating."
"Yes."
"On what?"
The woman genuinely thought.
Then answered.
"Wood."
The captain closed his eyes.
Because somehow.
The answer made everything worse.
An hour later.
The situation had escalated.
Because normal guards could no longer handle it.
The magical evaluations had begun.
And every result made less sense than the previous one.
Eventually.
Aetherial Institute became involved.
Several professors arrived.
Long robes fluttered behind them.
Powerful magical pressure spread across the square.
The crowd immediately moved aside.
Professor Aldric.
Professor Valen.
Professor Isolde.
Professor Gareth.
Some of the academy's most respected instructors.
And every single one became interested the moment they saw the reports.
The professors entered a temporary interrogation chamber.
Evelyne sat quietly across from them.
The room felt strangely familiar.
Not because she remembered it.
Because noble courts once used similar rooms.
Places where truth mattered.
Or at least pretended to.
Professor Aldric spoke first.
An elderly man.
Sharp eyes.
Grey beard.
"Miss."
The woman looked up.
"We are not city guards."
Evelyne nodded.
"I guessed."
The old mage smiled faintly.
"Good."
He folded his hands.
"Let's start with something simple."
A magical crystal appeared.
A mana evaluation device.
One of the academy's finest.
Professor Aldric pushed it forward.
"Touch it."
Evelyne obeyed.
The moment her fingers made contact—
CRACK.
The crystal exploded.
Silence.
Everyone stared.
Professor Valen blinked.
Professor Gareth blinked.
Professor Isolde blinked.
Even Evelyne blinked.
The old professor slowly looked at the shattered crystal.
Then toward her.
Then back at the crystal.
"Interesting."
The understatement of the century.
A second crystal appeared.
A stronger one.
Evelyne touched it.
This time it survived.
Barely.
Golden numbers appeared.
Then continued increasing.
Then increasing.
Then increasing further.
The professors stopped breathing.
Mana capacity.
Absurd.
Simply absurd.
Professor Gareth immediately stood.
"Impossible."
Professor Isolde adjusted her glasses.
"Perhaps damaged equipment."
A third crystal appeared.
Then a fourth.
Then a fifth.
Every single one produced identical results.
The room became quiet.
Very quiet.
Professor Valen finally spoke.
"How old are you?"
Evelyne hesitated.
"I don't know."
Technically true.
Because her current body certainly wasn't two centuries old.
The professors exchanged glances.
Then continued.
Hours passed.
Test after test.
Evaluation after evaluation.
Magic theory.
Mana control.
Spell structure.
Runic understanding.
Arcane knowledge.
Dark magic.
Especially dark magic.
The deeper they investigated.
The more terrifying the results became.
Professor Isolde placed a forbidden text before Evelyne.
A book so complex most graduates couldn't understand it.
The woman casually opened it.
Read three pages.
Then frowned.
"There is an error."
Silence.
Professor Isolde froze.
"What?"
Evelyne pointed toward a diagram.
"The mana circulation here collapses."
The professor immediately checked.
Then froze.
Because she was correct.
Perfectly correct.
The room became silent again.
Professor Gareth finally whispered.
"Who exactly is she?"
Nobody answered.
Because nobody knew.
Several more hours passed.
Eventually the professors gathered privately.
A separate room.
A long table.
Stacks of reports.
Stacks of evaluations.
Stacks of increasingly absurd results.
Professor Aldric spoke first.
"Thoughts?"
Professor Gareth answered immediately.
"Monster."
Silence.
Professor Isolde frowned.
"Not literally."
"Are we sure?"
Nobody answered.
The possibility wasn't entirely impossible.
Professor Valen sighed.
"She possesses magical knowledge equivalent to senior faculty."
Professor Isolde nodded.
"Possibly superior."
Another silence followed.
The professors reviewed the reports.
Mana control.
Exceptional.
Dark magic.
Exceptional.
Spell theory.
Exceptional.
Combat applications.
Exceptional.
Practical experience.
Unknown.
Identity.
Unknown.
History.
Unknown.
Memory.
Gone.
Professor Gareth leaned back.
"We should recruit her."
Professor Aldric nodded.
"Obviously."
The old mage tapped the table.
"The question is how."
Another silence.
Professor Isolde finally spoke.
"Professor."
Several heads nodded.
Then immediately stopped.
Because another problem appeared.
Professor Valen pointed toward the report.
"She has no documented identity."
A pause.
"No credentials."
Another pause.
"No verified history."
The professors groaned.
Unfortunately.
He was correct.
Academies still required paperwork.
Even for magical prodigies.
Eventually.
A compromise emerged.
Assistant Professor.
Temporary status.
Observation period.
Academic evaluation.
Future promotion possible.
The room gradually reached consensus.
Professor Aldric stood.
Then smiled.
"I believe we've reached a conclusion."
Several hours later.
Evelyne sat alone.
Watching the sunset through a nearby window.
The city glowed golden.
The sea reflected crimson light.
The beauty felt unreal.
Then the professors returned.
Professor Aldric carried a document.
Official.
Stamped.
Signed.
The old mage smiled warmly.
Then placed it before her.
"Congratulations."
Evelyne blinked.
"On what?"
The professors exchanged glances.
Then laughed.
Professor Aldric pointed toward the contract.
"Assistant Professor, Miss."
The woman froze.
Then stared at the document.
Then stared harder.
Because somehow.
Against all logic.
Against all reason.
Against every sensible possibility.
The ridiculous plan of a certain silver-haired student had succeeded again.
And for the hundredth time that day.
The professors found themselves asking a question they didn't even know existed.
What kind of person creates plans like this?
Unfortunately.
The answer was currently sitting in a classroom somewhere.
Probably pretending to pay attention to a lecture.