Jake and Alicia found Karen in the back of the Scientia building. The girl was helping remove the rubbles. She scowled when she saw the two approach.

" Alicia," asked she." Why are you here with a summoner? Have you forget what they did?"

" I just... The blame is not on them, Karen." said Alicia as she avoided Karen's eyes." They were being controlled."

" Whatever, they did hurt, and kill a lot of us." Karen bit her lips.

Jake stepped forward, and without hesitation he bowed to Karen

" What you said is true, and I can never apologize enough for what my friends and my principal have done." said he." But please know I am doing my best to seek the truth, the truth that will do each of us here and each of those in the beyond justice, but to achieve that I need your help."

Jake's words partially soothed Karen's anger as her scowl slowly melted. She sighed then asked him what he needed to know.

" Wander, what kind of hunter is he exactly?"asked Jake.

" That creep?" Karen clenched her fist." Is he behind this?"

" We don't know yet. But for now it's certain he's involved with the mastermind."

" Darn it, I know this day will come. He's been shady from day one!"

" Shady?"

" I am boredom-prone, so you can say that I...snoop around a lot." Karen cleared her throat." I usually saw Wander sneaking in and out of the forest a lot. God knows what he did in there! Urg, and that creepy smile of him when he enter Mirilad. "

" What about at school?"

" He talked to Hiatus and Aria." said Karen."He talked to the teachers. He read books. That's all he did at school. Can you believe it? He didn't even bother trying to talk to us, people who had never bullied him before his battle with Jonathan. "

" You really hold it in for a long while, don't you?"

" You bet. That guy is manipulative, I tell you. Wallowing in self-pity, and using that to cling to Hiatus and Aria. I'm surprised someone as sharp as Aria failed to see through him. "

" Did he have any violent tendency?"

"Well, no. Sometimes he glared at the bullies, but that's all."

" I see. Anything else worth mentioning?"

"Not really. I never want to know too much about him. You should ask Jonathan for more. Man, his history with Wander will amuse you."

" Thanks for the suggestion. Any idea where we can find him?"

" Try Marsianos, first floor, Mr. Aidan's office."

______________________________________________________________________________

Jonathan was talking to Aidan when Alicia and Jake walked into the office, a room with weapons and trophy hung on the walls. Contrary to Jake's expectations, the two did not show any sign of disgust or anger when he appeared. He asked to talk to Jonathan in private, and Aidan agreed to leave after noticing Jonathan's nod.

"You are surprised, aren't you? Jonathan smirked." The jerks can act nice, what a surprise!"

" Yeah, you read my mind." Jake smiled."But I'm not here to make witty remark. I just want to ask you some questions."

" About Wander, I suppose?" Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"Yes."

"What about him you want to know?"

" The real Wander."

"Never thought a stranger would be the first to ask about his real face." said Jonathan."I thought Aria and Hiatus would ask me first. They are more blind than I think."

" Someone said you had a history with Wander."

" Yeah, say thanks to Karen for me." Jonathan smiled." Well, she's not wrong. I have a history with all three of them. I used to be their friend."

" Friend? Like friend friend? Not class friend or school friend?" Jake frowned.

" Yes, friend friend. Hanging out, talking stupid, mocking each other."

Jake and Alicia stared at Jonathan. They glanced at each other, then at him.

" I can never imagine."

" Yeah, me too." Alicia shook her head.

" You idiots can either believe it or not, I don't give a darn." Jonathan raised his voice.

" Okay then, what happened?" Jake raised his hands.

" Wander happened." Jonathan clenched his fists." He wanted to monopolize Hiatus and Aria."

" Monopolize?" Jake raised his eyebrows.

" That guy had an unhealthy obsession with those two. He clung to them, he wanted to keep them for himself." Jonathan leaned back," That's why he framed me for the wound on his head. He bang his head against a rock then told the two I hit him."

Both Alicia and Jake stared at Jonathan with eyes wide open. Both tried to swallow something stuck in their throats.

"I'm sorry. What?"

" He bang his head against a rock, then blamed it on me. Aria and Hiatus severed all ties with me after that."

" They believed him?"

" Oh please, you yourself find it hard to believe me. Do you really think they would choose to trust me and not him? Yeah right, trust the cruel bully instead of the tragic, weak boy. Even Hiatus. He befriended me before he befriended Wander, and he trusted that guy."

Jake felt like Jonathan could cry any moment. The supposed bully averted his eyes from Jake's. He thought of what Aria said in Mirilad, what she almost said.

" He did that? Someone like him?" asked Jake.

" Someone like him? Nice? Cowardly? He was none of those. He ran from a fight, he ran from conflict, but because he deemed them unimportant, not because he was afraid. When he was convinced that he wanted something, he would go to any length to achieve it, even if he must resort to the most repellant, most immoral act. Back then, he didn't have to raise his fist, and he made me crap my pant. I still remember, Hiatus and Aria defended him and snapped at me, while Wander stood behind their backs, do you know what he did?"

Alicia and Jake shook their head.

" He smiled. He freaking smiled. That psychopath smiled while blood was flowing down his face, into his mouth. And his eyes, I have never, even now, seen such menacing eyes. He was telling me to get lost." Jonathan trembled.

Both Alicia and Jake shuddered at Jonathan's words. They felt goose bumps all over their bodies.

"I ran to my house after that, crying. I told my brother, and my parents. Only the former believed me. He trained me to make me stronger, make me more confident in myself. But I agree, both he and I hold too long a grudge, torturing Wander like that."

" Wait, your brother is ..."

" Yes, Aidan Miller is my brother. And he targeted Wander because of what he did to me many years ago".

"Darn! Your school is one heck of a drama! Sorry, that was rude. Anyways, he changed, right? Wander changed. You bullied him, Aidan ridiculed him, but he didn't retaliate. He could, but he didn't."

" Have you been listening?" Jonathan slammed his fist down the table." He hasn't changed. He deemed the whole school, my brother and me unworthy of his attention. That's why he didn't fight back, because he did not freaking mind. Sure, he's angry sometimes, but that's it! I've been trying to humiliate him as much as possible, in the false hope that he would react. But, he just glared, he just shudder, then nothing."

Jonathan trembled with rage. He grimaced, then let out a sigh.

" To hell with this, after all these years, he still scares me. Now he doesn't even need to smile, his poker face is more than enough." Jonathan lowered his head.

Alicia and Jake opened their mouths, but then quickly closed them. They couldn't find an appropriate reply. They just stared at Jonathan the bully, this time in a different light.

" You said he would resort to any repellent, immoral act to achieve what he wanted." said Jake.

" Yes."

" Like turning himself into a demon?"

Jonathan headed up, staring at Jake.

" This isn't good at all," Jonathan shook his head." Last time, just to monopolize his friends, he hurt himself real bad. This time, he demonizes himself. What does he seek then?

The three felt a chill sent down their spines.

______________________________________________________________________________

Jake and Alicia left the office in a frightened state. Their hands sweated profusely, and their mouths went dry. They saw Aidan and nodded at him. He smiled at them in sympathy, then returned to the office to join his brother.

Alicia and Jake walked out of the building like soulless people, still processing what they had heard. After a while, Jake turned to Alicia.

"We must see his parents." said he.

" I'm not sure I'm ready for another revelation."

" Alicia." Jake looked into the girl's eyes." We need the truth, I feel like we are close. If we delay it any longer, the consequences may be even worse than last time. I need you to guide me there."

Alicia looked down, biting her lips. After a few seconds, she nodded, and together with Jake she headed for Wander's home.

______________________________________________________________________________

Principal Xixin was brooding in his office when Hannah entered. Both of them were exhausted.

" What's now?" asked Xixin.

" Sir Hamilton, he had regained his consciousness. And he is asking to see you, immediately."