The Art of Gold Digging

Ch.27- Ez.

9:17 PM. Amy followed Crow down the corridor of the Academy's main building toward the administrative section where the headmistress's office was situated. The others had split up, taking different routes to avoid drawing attention, with plans to reconvene near the headmistress's office.

Their first objective was to open the service passage on the third floor for Zayd and Ash to escape once they set up the distraction. Then, once that was done, they had to go toward the headmistress's office and wait for the guard to investigate the explosion.

She walked, trying to muster confidence she did not feel, all while trying as much as she could to avoid looking suspicious. It wasn't like it was hard since it wasn't that weird to see students in the Academy's building even during the weekend—some studying, others coming from club activities; even if the corridor was mostly desolate, no one would immediately suspect anything from them.

There was no way anyone would think someone as pretty, fashionably dressed, beautiful, intelligent, and charismatic as I was about to commit a felony... right?

Despite telling herself this, Amy still felt hyper-aware of her own movements. Every passing student felt like a potential witness, every glance in their direction like a threat.

[Your posture is too stiff,] Libris commented from her satchel. [You look like you're impersonating a wooden plank. Relax your shoulders.]

"Shut up," she whispered through gritted teeth. "I'm trying."

[Try harder.]

Crow shot her a look, then glanced toward her satchel. A small thoughtful expression appeared on his face. But eventually, he just turned around without comment.

I should really find some alternative way of talking to this rude book, Amy thought as she glanced at Crow.

Once she and the others entered the Eastern wing, they were going to be together for a while. Crow was fine since he already knew Libris was sentient, but the others would definitely think of her as a weirdo...

Another thing on my to-do list... ugh...

Amy and Crow continued walking down the corridor. As they approached their destination, Crow slowed his pace and held up his hand, signaling for Amy to stop. Ahead lay the administrative section, a part of the Academy that gave off an entirely different atmosphere from the rest of the building; the warm, honey-colored stone replaced by sleek, dark marble.

"From now on, the fewer people see us, the better," Crow whispered, pausing at the corner. He peered around it cautiously before pulling back. "And if someone notices you, just act natural."

Amy nodded at Crow's instruction while trying to hide her nervousness.

They waited for a few more seconds before Crow gestured for them to move forward. "Follow my lead."

They moved quickly but quietly, hugging the shadows along the wall. Amy stayed close behind Crow, trying to mimic his movements—the way he seemed to blend with the shadows, the careful placement of each step to minimize noise. She felt like a clown in comparison.

[You're doing fine,] Libris assured her, apparently sensing her distress. [Just keep your breathing steady.]

"Wait," Crow whispered, pausing at the corner. He peered around it cautiously before pulling back. "Two teachers on our left."

Amy's heart hammered in her chest.

Why was she so nervous? Hadn't she just come from literal hell like two or three weeks ago?

Fucking brain, can't you be logical for once…?

"What now?" she whispered, managing somehow to keep her voice composed.

Should she use her ability? But the strain was so annoying to deal with...

Just as she was considering the option, Crow stopped her with his hand, and then reached into his jacket and pulled out a pen. "When I signal, be ready to move quickly," he whispered.

"A... pen...?"

Amy looked at him with a confused expression. Then, understanding dawned on her...

No way he was going to do that video game thing—throw something to distract the guards, then slip by unnoticed. There was no way... right?

Well, there was yes way, because Crow waited until both teachers were momentarily looking in the same direction, then flicked his wrist, sending the pen skittering across the floor to the opposite side of the hallway. It made a surprisingly loud clattering noise as it bounced against the stone.

One of the teachers frowned. "Did you hear that?"

"Is anybody there?" the other asked as they both turned to investigate the noise.

"Now," Crow breathed, grabbing Amy's wrist and pulling her forward.

They moved silently along the edge of the corridor, keeping to the shadows as the teachers focused on the source of the noise. Amy couldn't believe it—they were just walking past, like it was nothing.

This can't actually be working. I refuse to believe this is real. No way this works in real life.

But it was working. They slipped past the distracted guards and into a recessed alcove just beyond the service passage.

Amy pressed herself against the wall, heart pounding in her ears. "That was unreasonably easy," she whispered once they were safely hidden.

Crow's lips quirked in what might have been the ghost of a smile, but he didn't respond to her comment. Instead, he just continued moving.

Not long after, they finally reached their objective: a nondescript door tucked away in a corner. It looked like any other storage closet, unmarked and easily overlooked.

Crow produced a small tool from his pocket—something that resembled a cross between a phone and a fork (yes, a phone and a fork)—and inserted it into the keyhole.

"What is that?" Amy whispered, curiosity momentarily overriding her anxiety.

"An old friend," Crow replied without elaboration. The lock gave way with a soft click, and the door swung open to reveal a narrow stairwell, dimly lit and obviously barely used.

After a few minutes of waiting, right on schedule, Zayd and Ash appeared from the other side.

"No complications?" Ash whispered, with uncharacteristic seriousness.

Crow nodded. "All good for now. Remember, fifteen minutes. Not a second more or less."

"We know the plan," Ash assured him as he held up the illusion artifact—the small blue stone Crow had given him earlier. "I just wish I were there to see the spectacle."

"Just don't screw it up," Crow said as he closed the door.

As Zayd and Ash disappeared into the narrow stairwell, Amy couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever see them again. This whole thing reminded her of this one horror movie she had seen as a child and had been traumatized by for life...

"Let's go. No time to waste," Crow said, turning around and gesturing with his hand for her to follow.

They continued toward the hall that would lead them to the Headmistress's office. Each step brought them closer to their destination, and Amy kept waiting for something to go wrong—for alarms to sound, for guards to spot them, for some magical security system to detect their presence.

But nothing happened. The whole corridor was deadly quiet, unnervingly devoid of life. She really hoped this was just because it was Sunday and that most of the security was outside and not inside, because honestly, it was starting to get scary how well this was going.

It wasn't long before they reached their objective, pausing at a corner of the corridor. The corridor was wider, lined with portraits of previous Headmasters and Headmistresses, their painted eyes seeming to focus on both Amy and Crow.

Jesus Christ, who made those things so damn creepy?

"Ready?" Crow asked, his dark eyes meeting hers.

Amy nodded, trying to project her usual fake confidence. "Yeah."

In the middle of the hallway stood a pair of massive double doors, ornately carved with the Academy's seal. Two guards stood at attention on either side, their posture rigid and alert.

Amy peered around the corner and saw one figure concealed behind a wall that blocked one side of the stairs, visible only from her position. Lain's silver eyes caught hers briefly, and the other girl gave an almost imperceptible nod.

She couldn't see the others, so she tried to convince herself they were there.

Now, the only thing left is to wait... I need to prepare my—

The thunderous sound of the explosion hit before she could finish her thought—an incredibly loud sound accompanied by a brilliant burst of light that illuminated the corridor through the distant windows, as if someone had set off a magical flare in the courtyard below.

Amy jumped at the giant boom that echoed through the building. Meanwhile, the two guards at the Headmistress's door exchanged alarmed glances. The only one who didn't flinch was Crow.

"What the fuck was that!?" one of them exclaimed.

A second later, cries of fear erupted from somewhere below them.

"Shit. Are we under attack!?" the other guard screamed.

Both men looked at each other with bewildered expressions, clearly torn between remaining at their posts and investigating the disturbance.

Their hesitation did not last long, as soon, unexpectedly, a second explosion rocked the building, louder than the first, followed by more screams and shouts from below.

Wait, two? That wasn't part of the—

A third explosion—smaller but distinct—echoed through the hallway. This one was more bright than loud, but still fucking loud. Even the paintings on the walls rattled, and Amy swore she saw one of the former Headmasters' portraits actually wince.

"For the Goddess!" one guard screamed, unsheathing his sword at his hip. "I'll check what that was. You stay here."

"The Headmistress said no one's to—"

"Get your head straight, cadet! We are under attack!"

"But, sir. Protocol says we both respond to potential security threats."

"Then you come with me!"

"But the Headmistress's office—"

"Is warded with enough magic to stop an army. Come on!"

With obvious reluctance, the other guard unsheathed his sword and hurried in the direction opposite to Amy and Crow, fear and determination on their faces.

Fucking hell, I can't even blame them for falling for it; that shit sounded real as fuck. Almost shit myself.

"Now, this is our chance," Crow whispered, emerging from their hiding spot and darting toward the ornate doors, all while pulling Amy with him.

They rushed to the double doors, meeting the others who emerged from their hiding places.

"We have maybe five minutes," Iris whispered urgently. "Those wards better come down fast."

Crow nodded, taking out of his pocket the same strange device from before. "Keep watch," he reminded the others before turning to Amy. "Ready?"

Amy took a deep breath and nodded.

Crow inserted the thing into the lock—a process that seemed to take much longer than it should have.

It took a few seconds for the soft click to finally arrive.

"The physical lock is open," he murmured, "but the magical wards remain."

Amy could see them now—intricate patterns of energy that glowed faintly across the door's surface, forming complex sigils that she did not understand.

Crow placed his hands on the door, his eyes narrowing in concentration. "There are six layers," he said quietly. "Each needs to be dismantled in a specific sequence. I need you to tell me which one to start with."

Amy did not waste a single second and activated her ability.

As soon as Amy activated her ability, an overwhelming pressure crushed down on her consciousness. Her eyes widened in shock and pain as invisible forces pressed against her mind from all directions.

What the actual—!?

The sensation was nothing like the blood ritual she'd broken during the Nightmare. That had been difficult, yes, almost impossible, but still manageable—like lifting a heavier weight than you should. This was different. This was like having an entire mountain suddenly dropped onto her shoulders.

"Amy?" Crow's voice sounded distant, muffled through the roaring in her ears.

She gritted her teeth, fighting to maintain her focus as threads of futures swirled before her eyes. The complexity was staggering—an intricate web woven together so chaotically that even identifying where one ended and another began felt impossible.

The hell is this shit!?

If it hadn't been for all the training she had been doing this past week and the variable of the overpowered protagonist at her side, this would have been straight up impossible.

No wonder in the original story they just went with the main entrance! Shit!

She felt her knees threaten to buckle, but she locked them in place through sheer stubbornness. Warmth trickled down her upper lip—blood from her nose, dripping onto the floor. She ignored it, even as she felt more droplets follow the first.

"Amy, we don't have much time," Crow urged, his hands still pressed against the door, dark eyes flicking between her, the blood, and the corridor behind them. "Which layer first?"

The pressure intensified, as if the wards had sensed her intent and were now actively fighting back. Black spots danced at the edges of her vision. This was bad…

"The... third sigil," she managed to gasp out, pointing to a faintly glowing symbol near the center of the door. "It's connected to... the others. Like a keystone."

Crow nodded, immediately focusing his attention on the indicated spot. She could feel his ability working alongside hers, his magical knowledge complementing her perception. Even with both of them working together, the strain was almost unbearable.

"Then the fifth," she continued, blood now freely flowing from her nose, staining her uniform. "Counterclockwise."

"Hold on a little longer; we are almost there," Crow said with a resolute expression, not taking his eyes off the door.

Amy sagged against the wall, wiping at her bloody nose with the back of her hand, the action useless; it just kept coming faster and faster. Her head was pounding like someone had taken a jackhammer to her skull. At this rate—

"Someone's coming," Iris hissed suddenly from her position at the corner.

Amy's heart dropped.

It's over... It's all fucking—

"It's okay," Iris added after a tense moment, her posture relaxing slightly. "It's Ash and Zayd."

Sure enough, the familiar figures of Ash and Zayd appeared, moving quickly down the corridor toward them. Ash's face was flushed with fatigue, yet a wild grin split his features as he held Zayd on his back.

Zayd slipped down from Ash's back with an expression of utter calmness. He immediately began dusting off his clothes.

"Apologies for the delay," Zayd muttered as he began stretching. "We had to set off two illusions to lose them. The Academy staff is more competent than we anticipated; we even had to take a detour."

"Did you make the dick as big as planned?" Iris whispered.

Ash grinned at her, then nodded with a satisfied expression.

Meanwhile, Zayd just looked at her, confused, before continuing to stretch for a little longer until coming to a stop as he spotted Amy leaning against the wall, blood still trickling from her nose. And he wasn't the only one; soon Ash's eyes were also on her.

"What happened—"

"Her ability," Crow cut him off, his hands still pressed against the door, concentration etched into his features. "The wards are stronger than I anticipated. It's my fault…"

"Shit…" Ash cursed, glancing nervously over his shoulder. "They're not going to stay distracted for long."

Amy swayed on her feet; the combined effort of maintaining her ability while the blood loss weakened her was taking its toll. But something in her refused to yield—God, why was she so stubborn?

The third and fourth wards collapsed in quick succession under Crow's skilled manipulation and Amy's commands.

"Someone's coming," Lyra hissed suddenly from her position near the stairwell. "Multiple footsteps—sounds like the guards are returning."

"Crow!" Iris whispered urgently.

"Almost there," Crow muttered as the fifth ward dissolved. His fingers moved faster, guided by Amy's whispered instructions.

The footsteps grew louder, accompanied by the metallic sound of armor against the ground.

The sixth ward shimmered and fell.

"Done," he announced as the final ward dissolved with a soft sigh of magical energy. The massive doors swung inward silently, revealing the dark Headmistress's office beyond.

"Everybody—Lain!—Inside, now!" Crow hissed, trying to speak as quietly as possible.

Lain rapidly turned from the stairs and joined them.

Amy stumbled, her strength finally giving out as her ability deactivated. Luckily, Crow swept her up and hoisted her onto his shoulder, darting through the doorway just as the guards rounded the corner.

Iris pulled the doors shut behind them with barely a second to spare.

With a silent thud, the door closed.

They all stood frozen, breathing hard in the darkness while staring at the door of the hopefully soundproof office.

Crow gently lowered Amy onto the ground, her head spinning from overexertion. The others—Ash and Lyra—gathered around, catching their breath.

"We... actually did it," Ash whispered, disbelief evident in his voice.

Amy slumped against a wall, still dizzy from overexertion, wiping absently at the blood under her nose.

"I can't believe that worked," Iris added, her back pressed against the door as she listened for any sound of pursuit.

Zayd was already moving cautiously through the darkness. "Does anyone know where the lights are?"

"They turn on with magic," Crow replied, "At least that's how the headmistress did it," he said, before turning to Amy. "Are you okay?"

Amy looked at him with her eyes semi-closed. She opened her mouth, but before she could answer, a smooth, amused voice cut through the darkness. "You did indeed do it. Congratulations."

Amy's heart stopped.

The lights flared to life, illuminating the spacious office. And there, seated calmly behind her massive desk, was Headmistress Elyndra. Her silver hair was perfectly styled, her hands folded neatly before her, and a smile played at the corners of her lips.

"What a fascinating group of students you are," she remarked, her eyes traveling from one frozen face to another. "Breaking through six layers of my half-assed magical wards, creating a rather spectacular distraction—was that a giant manhood that I glimpsed from my window? And that simulation of a bombardment attack—all to break into my office?" Her smile widened. "Bold, but impressive, I must admit."

"..."

Fuck...