Damon tried to resist, but the person pinning him to the wall was just too strong. He hadn’t even sensed the attack coming—she had teleported straight to him. "Lilith, what do you think you’re doing? Let go," he growled. She only pressed him harder against the wall, her grip unyielding. "Why did you do it, you psychopath?" she spat, her voice cold. Damon gritted his teeth and tried to push her off, but she was stronger. He had no idea what she was on about. "Since when did you give a damn about Sylvia?" he shot back. Lilith suddenly pulled him away from the wall, only to let him fall. Before he could react, she straddled him, her expression unreadable. "I thought we agreed you wouldn’t do anything reckless," she said, her tone sharp. Damon narrowed his eyes as her weight pinned him down. "I have no idea what you’re talking about." Lilith’s emerald eyes flickered as she studied him. "You’re not lying to me, are you?" Damon shook his head. "I can’t lie about something I don’t even know about." She sighed, then suddenly buried her fist into his gut. The impact knocked the wind out of him. "Cough—cough—Ahh, what was that for?!" he gasped, struggling to breathe. Lilith shook her head, her expression indifferent. "Nothing. That was just for calling an old hag prettier than me." She leaned back slightly, folding her arms. "Now that we’ve addressed that, we have a problem." Damon sat up, still catching his breath. "You did that just because you were holding a grudge, didn’t you?" She bit her lip slightly. "A little, yes. But this isn’t a joke." Damon frowned, glancing toward the stairs. He couldn’t follow Sylvia now. "Hmph. I’ll deal with that later," he muttered before turning back to Lilith. "What’s the problem now?" Experience exclusive tales on freewebnovel Lilith’s expression darkened. She turned on her heel and started walking. "It’s better if I show you." Damon followed without another word. Despite the late hour, they made their way past the dorms, moving past the fountain and between a few detached buildings. Eventually, they reached an elevator. Lilith stepped inside, and he followed. "Where are you taking me?" he asked as the elevator descended. She didn’t answer immediately. When the doors opened, she led him into what looked like an abandoned courtyard. Finally, she stopped near a bench and gestured at the ground. "We’re here," she said, her voice serious. Damon followed her gaze. "The scene of the crime." Damon looked at the courtyard, barely illuminated by the moonlight. The grass and flowers were well-trimmed, carefully maintained—exactly what one would expect from the academy. But something felt off. The air carried the scent of leaves, and beneath it, a faint trace of burning smoke lingered. His gaze swept further, landing behind a partially melted bench. That was when he saw it—a charred, badly burned person. His eyes widened. "What… happened here?" Lilith’s expression remained cold. "Self-conflagration… or so it appears." He turned to her sharply. "What are you talking about?" She sighed, stepping closer to the burned body. With a casual wave of her hand, she gestured toward the unmoving figure. "An hour ago, I found this person here—half-burned but still alive." Damon narrowed his eyes. "And you thought I did it, didn’t you?" Lilith nodded without hesitation. His gaze shifted back to the victim, who was barely breathing, unconscious, the ground around them melted from extreme heat. "This is the second case," she continued. "The last person didn’t have a single burn mark—only signs of mana depletion and… other things." Damon looked up. "Other things?" She met his gaze. "He also had spiritual exhaustion." Damon glanced at the burned student again, watching their shallow breaths. "So?" Lilith sighed, rubbing her temples. "I didn’t suspect you because I was certain," she admitted. "I suspected you because you have a motive. The academy is already investigating this, and with the nobles invited here, security is tight. One wrong move and they’ll come for your head." She crouched beside the burned student, carefully brushing away some of the ash. Behind the blackened skin, Damon finally recognized the victim—Matawan, a freshman. A fairy. Damon scoffed. "I take it you have a good reason for dragging me into this. Otherwise, this would just be a waste of time." Ignoring him, Lilith pulled out a small vial and tilted it to Matawan’s lips. As the liquid seeped in, his burns began healing—slowly, but noticeably. Damon wasn’t done. "If it were me, he’d be dead. And devoured," he said bluntly. "Besides, I’m not desperate enough to attack an unsuspecting victim… but something tells me that’s not why I’m a suspect." Lilith smiled faintly. "Of course not. I already told you not to feed on academy students. This is different." She stood up, dusting off her hands. "Upon investigation, the academy found traces of spirit magic at the scene….of the last victim" Damon shrugged. "What does that have to do with me? I have no affinity for spirits." She nodded. "Spirit summoning doesn’t necessarily require an affinity. Affinity is only needed to channel a summoned spirit’s power. But the act of summoning itself?" She gave him a pointed look. "Anyone can attempt it—if they have the right materials." Damon’s eyes narrowed. He was starting to see where this was going. "You think I was trying to summon a spirit? A dark one, no less?" He scoffed. "Do you think I’m insane?" Lilith’s expression didn’t waver. "A madman who would kill his classmates… Isn’t that exactly what you are?" she said, voice calm. "The only difference is—I’m biased. I’d keep you out of trouble." She sighed. "But I did think, for a moment, that you went behind my back and did something reckless. Summoning a dark spirit wouldn’t be that shocking for you." Damon didn’t feel offended, but he still clicked his tongue at her. "You didn’t actually suspect me. And even if you did, you didn’t need to slam me into a wall." His gaze sharpened. "You’re just pissed about Lady Margan, aren’t you?" Lilith’s lips curled into a cold smile. "If you knew I’d be angry, you shouldn’t have said it." Damon sighed. Women were such trouble. Not wanting to deal with Lilith’s glare any longer, he shifted his focus elsewhere—specifically, his shadow. Something was off. His shadow had taken an unusual interest in the unconscious student. Damon frowned. "You can’t eat him." His shadow recoiled, clearly appalled by the accusation. "Don’t give me that reaction. You totally would," Damon muttered. The shadow threw up its hands in exaggerated surrender—then, it pointed at the burned corpse. Damon’s frown deepened. He crouched down, watching as his shadow gestured back and forth. Lilith frowned curious. "What is it saying." His eyes widened. "He… He says my blood was used for this summoning."