The Over-Break System

"Previously, I thought you were being ridiculous…but now…it seems to align perfectly. If Claire were a member of Sancaster, I don't doubt she would be the one to let the spies into VSFA during your first year or act to leak information about MyrkLys. Still, I ask you, Cynrik, what do you plan on doing with Melody now that you know her origin?"

Geralt's words hung in the air while Cynrik and Selene made eye contact momentarily before turning to look at the Headmaster.

"Whether or not we act now or at a later date will solve nothing in the short term. I have long since treated Melody as if she is a spy looking to gather any potential information possible." Cynrik stated matter of factly.

"Although there is some info that she is privy to, most of my operations have been kept secret from everyone except my Wife and Brother. Things such as my projects are relative data that I don't necessarily mind being leaked due to their oddity and incongruity."

"However, my alter ego…that is something only the three of us and our powerful helper know. Anything that can come back to bite us in the butt has been kept from the other members of my Faction, except for my Wife." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik stood up, indicating to Selene that it was time to leave.

"I trust you will be able to handle things with the Bralley family?" Stopped a few meters from the office door, Cynrik looked over his shoulder at the Headmaster.

"Sigh, yeah, but there is only so much I can do, Cynrik. The family knows their group was coming here, and since they are part of Sancaster, it won't be long before word reaches them as well."

"All the eyes hiding in the shadows will be directed at VSFA and us now." Massaging his temples, Geralt pulled up all the data logs, CCTV footage, and entry logs for the Bralley Family Patriarch and his bodyguards before quadruple checking they had already been erased.

"When aren't they? From the moment I took center stage during the exams, eyes were on me…no, probably even earlier than that; regardless, let them watch; I will be sure to give a hell of a performance, as usual." Waving his hand over his shoulder at the Headmaster, Cynrik left before opening a portal to the Shadow Realm and standing under the tower housing the Headmaster's office.

Floating mid-air, Cynrik observed every nook and cranny in the building with [Mana Sight] before swiftly locating and destroying thousands of monitoring devices as easily as scratching his nose.

"There's an awful lot of those things this year…" Selene grumbled while adjusting her two sleeping children into comfortable positions for her to hold.

"It's to be expected; this was all the first large-scale trap laid by Sancaster to see how we would react, and now that we have triggered it, trouble will soon follow," Cynrik grumbled while pulling all the fragmented machinery into his realm and storing it away for later use.

"True, trouble does seem to follow you like stink on shit, heh, such a rascal of a husband I've acquired for myself." Giggling while leaning over to peck Cynrik's cheek, Selene stated, utterly unbothered by their situation since she had total trust and faith in her man.

"Oi, you act like I actively seek it out! It's not my fault the arrogant old fogeys are set in their ways and have turned Amestria Moor into a dictatorship." Shrugging his shoulders, Cynrik took hold of Selene and flew toward the dorms, but when they drew near to their targeted location, the view changed drastically compared to the rest of the Shadow Realm.

Since the start of year Two, Cynrik had been working on a large-scale project that only Selene and Brance were privy to.

What started as an attempt at cleaning the ruins under their dorm eventually became a large-scale project, turning into a massive plot of land being wiped clean of debris, leveled, and built upon.

Where once sat a small village's ruins was now a massive fortress-style compound rivaling the size of the Valor City Governor Mansion. Consisting of a 12-room Mansion, two large warehouses, a ship hanger, and several smaller buildings, Cynrik had practically created his own high-tech, Gothic town.

And this was where he, Selene, Vii, and Sie called home. Sure, they would regularly appear in the dorms; however, more than 85% of their daily lives occurred in what Cynrik dubbed Hárauður-Virki or the Crimson Fortress.

Flying past all the defensive measures, such as gun towers and minefields, Cynrik and Selene flew toward the front door of their home and walked inside, completely comfortable and relaxed.

The home Cynrik and Selene had built would otherwise be considered creepy to anyone other than them, as the Gothic-style architecture was reminiscent of a vampire's lair; however, to them, it was cozy.

Adding the aesthetics of the Hárauður-Virki to the ambiance of the Shadow Realm's natural properties, you had a place only a Dark Affinity user would love.

The same could be said for Vii and Sie, who woke up and began chattering gleefully when they were carried past the front door threshold.

Not even the two young ravens were left out when it came time to construct their new home, as Cynrik had put them both to work, carrying lumber and other objects to give them a sense of belonging.

However, to Sie and Vii, it was all a big game since they were mentally too young to understand the gravity of their actions.

'Home, home, home!' Vii chirped as he leaped from Selene's arms and flew around the parlor. With knowledge and precision, he swooped around the massive chandelier, then up and down the large staircase before leaving and traversing the mansion.

All the while, his wings nor the gusts of wind they generated ever so much as moved a spec of imaginary dust. Similar to how an Owl can silently fly, both Vii and Sie had a similar flight ability, and thus, they were able to leave their surroundings untouched, no matter how fast or frantically they flew around.

Like a shadowy bullet, he flitted around the parlor and nearby rooms without getting the least bit tired while continuously chirping the word "Home."

"Yes, my baby boy, we are home," Selene stated with an endearing expression and tone. Her love for the two Nátt Hrafn was second only to her love with Cynrik.

"What about you, baby girl? Are you going to play with your brother or stay here with Mama and Papa?" Walking up beside his Wife, Cynrik reached over and gently tickled under Sie's chin.

'Mmm, Mama warm, too comfy.' Nestling into Selene's embrace and snuggling her head between the glorious mounds of her Mama's breast, the lazy Sie couldn't be bothered to keep up with her high-strung brother and opted to stay napping in her Mama's embrace.

"Heh, as you wish, my beloved daughter," Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, Cynrik didn't bother hiding or masking the lingering smile on his lips as he shared a gentle kiss with his Wife before heading toward his workshop, the place all his best toys in the last few years had been created.