The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character

Rin Evans…

The name echoed in my mind, and a shiver ran down my spine.

I knew who Rin Evans was. He wasn't important—just another throwaway character meant to die in the prologue. His death was barely even acknowledged, a mere statistic in the grand scheme of the story.

But what really sent a chill down my spine wasn't his fate—it was the fact that he was me.

From his name to his appearance, even down to minor details like the way he carried himself—it was all based on me.

That bastard author.

Whenever he struggled with names, he just stole from people around him. If he was feeling particularly lazy, he didn't stop at the name—he copied their quirks, their habits, their damn personalities.

And now, thanks to his half-assed worldbuilding, I was stuck inside his novel. As Rin Evans.

Which meant… I was doomed.

—Rin Evans. The first cadet to die in the prologue, caught in the explosion. Physically weak. Has a high-grade talent, but with severe penalties, making it practically useless.

That asshole.

Why even bother giving a character a high-grade talent if you're just going to make it unusable? What was the point?

I knew the answer, though.

It was a joke.

I was a joke.

"No answer, prospective cadet? If you need to use the restroom, hold it in. The auditorium doors won't open until the ceremony is over."

The professor's voice cut through my thoughts, grounding me back in reality.

Right. I was supposed to come up with an excuse. I needed to get out of here before the explosion.

But it was already too late.

His grip on my arm was firm—not painful, but strong enough to make it clear that struggling was pointless. His tone was calm, but I could sense the authority behind it. He wasn't going to let me leave that easily.

I heard quiet snickers from some of the students around me. They probably thought I was just another nervous cadet trying to escape.

The professor's expression darkened.

"If you understand, return to your place. You should be grateful you're not officially a cadet yet, so no points will be deducted from you."

- 2 minutes, 30 seconds until the main quest begins. -

A surge of frustration bubbled up inside me.

Nothing was going according to plan.

I was supposed to move away before the explosion. Instead, I was stuck here, locked in place with no way out.

Is this it? Is this how I die?

No. Hell no.

But what could I do?

I wasn't strong enough to fight the professor. And even if, by some miracle, I managed to break free, I'd be caught by the other staff members before I could escape.

I clenched my jaw.

I couldn't die here.

And then, a reckless thought crossed my mind.

I couldn't escape. I couldn't fight. But there was one thing I could do.

Tell the truth.

I took a deep breath.

"There's going to be a terrorist attack soon."

For a brief moment, there was silence.

The professor's grip didn't loosen, but I could feel the slight hesitation in his posture. His gaze sharpened.

"What?"

"A terrorist attack," I repeated. "Targeting the new students. There will be a huge explosion on the left outer wall, and monsters will invade through the collapsed area. The professors will be trapped by a pre-set trap—both by a traitor and a terrorist's ability."

The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could second-guess myself.

I expected immediate disbelief, maybe even ridicule.

Instead, the professor just stared at me.

His fingers twitched slightly against his tablet, as if debating whether to report this as a joke or take it seriously.

For a few moments, dense silence hung between us. The professor just stared at me, his expression unreadable.

Then, slowly, his brows furrowed, and his gaze shifted—like he was looking at some lunatic who had completely lost it.

"I know there are always a few students who like to stand out," he said, his voice laced with dry amusement. "But it's been a while since I've seen one cause such a commotion at the entrance ceremony. I'll remember your name, so do me a favor—just graduate quietly."

Great. Fantastic.

Now I was officially on a professor's watchlist.

But honestly? I couldn't blame him.

What I just said was hard to believe.

The academy had spent decades boasting about its 'ironclad' security. With their long, spotless record, no one even questioned their claims anymore.

The idea that a terrorist attack could happen right under their noses?

Unthinkable.

An attention-seeking freshman making a scene?

Now that was believable.

But that didn't mean I was about to just stand here and let myself die.

"Let go," I said, my voice tight with frustration.

The professor sighed, shaking his head. "Ha, now you're talking back to an instructor. Just—"

"Shut up."

The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

The air around us seemed to shift.

A sharp silence followed.

And then, the professor's grip tightened ever so slightly.

I barely had time to regret my words before I opened my mouth again.

...And this time I was angry, very angry.

Why? Because....

—1 minutes, 2 seconds until the main quest begins.

....Of this.

I don't have time!

"Can you take responsibility?"

My voice rang through the auditorium, sharper than I intended.

"Everyone can still live, but they're all going to die because of your stupid stubbornness. That's on you."

The amusement in the crowd wavered. Some students, who had been watching with smirks, now frowned.

Good. Maybe they were starting to realize this wasn't a joke.

"Of course," I continued, my gaze locked on the professor, "you can act like it wasn't your fault. You can tell yourself they would've died anyway. That you had no way of knowing. That it was beyond your control."

The professor's glare hardened, but I wasn't done.

"It's your freedom to regret it for the rest of your life. To lie awake at night, wondering what would've happened if you had just listened to that one student."

Tension thickened the air.

Some people shifted uncomfortably. Others whispered among themselves. The few who still thought I was crazy weren't laughing anymore.

I had their attention now.

The professor's jaw clenched.

I could see it in his eyes—he thought I was being impertinent. That I was challenging his authority.

But I wasn't here to argue.

I was here to survive.

"But whether you get caught up in this or not?" I shrugged. "That's none of my business."

A heavy silence fell over the auditorium.

I let out a short breath. "So, if you're not going to help, just shut up and stay put."

The words left my mouth before I could filter them, but I didn't regret saying them.

Because at that moment, the freshman representative's speech had come to an abrupt halt.

The entire room had gone still.

And the professor's face was a mask of barely contained fury.

But none of that mattered.

Because I had just wasted too much time.

And the explosion was about to happen.