Burden of Proof (Volume 1)

"!"

"Headmaster!" The frantic two shouted in unison.

"Ohoho, am I, perhaps, intruding upon a rather delicate and intimate moment?"

Kaito and Natasha exchanged panicked glances. Realising their close proximity, they quickly pulled themselves away, their faces flushing red as they turned to opposite sides, avoiding eye contact.

The Headmaster, stroking his long grey beard, stood draped in a dark coat and leaned lightly on a gold-plated can. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he chuckled. "Hoho, now now. There is no need to be embarrassed. It's fine, breaking a rule or two is part of the school experience, is it not?"

"Should a Headmaster really be saying that to a student?" Kaito questioned with a playful scoff.

"Now now, young man. There is nothing wrong with taking a breather once in a while, is there?" The Headmaster replied, waving off the comment with a dismissive chuckle.

"But, there is one piece of advice I'd like to offer the two of you..."

Both students gulped nervously, feeling the weight of his weight.

"Perhaps, you two should learn to conduct yourself with a bit more discretion?" He smiled knowingly. "I could hear all the hither and thither all the way down in my office. While I do understand you're at the peak of youthful exuberance, but..."

"You must also strive to be responsible adolescents!"

"It's... It's not like that!" Natasha stammered, her face reddened in a fluster at the Headmaster's misunderstanding.

"Now, now, my dear," the Headmaster said, shaking his head with a teasing grin. "There is no need to deny it so bluntly. That, unfortunately, will not be enough to bat an old man like me. But fear not, I understand completely."

He straightened his posture, a glint of nostalgia in his eyes. "When I was a young man in my prime, I too would dash towards the rooftop during lunch, while holding the delicate hand of a fair maiden. Together, unburdened by the thoughts and concerns of the world, we would proceed to go raw da-"

"I don't wanna hear it, old man!" Kaito halted the Headmaster sharply, his voice rising in exasperation.

"Ra.... Ra...Rrrraw!!" Natasha fumbled her words, her mind spinning wildly as she imagined an entirely inappropriate scenario.

"And that delicate maiden," the Headmaster continued without missing a beat, "soon became the love of my life! Hoho!" He laughed heartily, clearly amused by their reactions.

Kaito let out a sigh in resignation, rubbing his forehead as he struggled to keep up with the Headmaster's humour. Natasha, meanwhile, buried her face in her hands, hoping the group would somehow swallow her whole.

"..."

"Right then, enough with the chit-chat," the Headmaster said, his tone shifting. "I trust I have provided you with a grand reception, Mr Lionheart. And you, Miss Wilford, I offer my heartfelt apologies for subjecting you to the ramblings of a feeble old man cracking some dirty old jokes."

"!"

The Headmaster's expression suddenly hardened. He narrowed his left eye closed, and with a sharp motion, pointed his gold-plated cane toward the massive figure lying dormant behind them. "So then, care to explain this, Miss Wilford?"

The once joyful atmosphere grew sombre. A menacing presence emanated from the Headmaster, sending chills down the spines of both students. The sheer depravity of the situation could not be hidden, it lay there, plain as day.

Natasha fell silent, unable to find the words to respond. Seeing this, Kaito nervously stepped in. "Na-Natasha did nothing wrong!"

"Oh my, feisty aren't we, Mr Lionheart?" The Headmaster's gaze shifted to Kaito. "But I don't recall addressing you. Interrupting are we? That's no good, Mr Lionheart. Please refrain from doing so in the future. But just for today, I'll overlook this insolence."

Turning his attention back to Natasha, he spoke with a passive-aggressive tone, laced with hostility. "I'm still waiting, Natasha dear. What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

"But!"

"It's okay, Kaito," Natasha interjected, raising her hand to silence him. She forced a small, reassuring smile. "Let me handle this. I've already involved you in my affairs far too much. Don't give me that look, I'll be fine, I promise."

Taking a deep breath, Natasha faced the Headmaster. "Yes, Headmaster. It is exactly how you have envisioned the situation. That creature lying there is indeed the fault of my family's dealing."

"Hmmm. I see. Then I assume you'll be taking full responsibility for this incident, I presume?" The Headmaster's lips curled into a sly grin.

Kaito clenched his fist, unable to contain his frustration. "It's not her fault! She-"

"Kaito!" Natasha shot a sharp glare to silence him. Recognizing her intent, Kaito lowered his head down in submission like a scolded puppy, submitting without another word.

"My apologies for the interruption, Headmaster," Natasha continued. "To address your question, yes, yes indeed, the Wilford family would have taken the responsibility."

The Headmaster titled his head. "Would...?"

"Yes. I say 'would' because the creature you are witnessing over there, sealed its very own doom."

"Oh? Is that so?" The Headmaster raised an eyebrow. "But you have no evidence, Miss Wilford. How do you intend to substantiate your claim?"

Natasha hesitated, nervously gripping her fists. Her mind raced for answers, but all she found were hypothetical scenarios with no concrete proof. "Uhm... Well..."

"!"

"I got proof!"

"I got proof, recorded on my iWatch!" Kaito suddenly exclaimed.

Both the Headmaster and Natasha turned towards him, surprised by the unlikeliest of sources, a voice that was continuously restrained by the two.

"What do you mean Kaito?" Natasha asked.

"Speak, Mr Lionheart," the Headmaster commanded. "You are permitted to present your explanation."

Kaito sighed in relief. "Finally! If you'd let me talk earlier, then, this whole conversation wouldn't have dragged on. But no worries, let's get straight to the point."

"As I have stated before, I got the proof, and I can show it to you right now." Kaito took a deep breath and turned towards Natasha. "But first, I need to apologise to you, Natasha."

"Apologize? For what?"

"I'm sorry, I really am," Kaito said earnestly. "Sorry that I took my time while you endured such a traumatic event."

He continued, "You see before I lunged myself to save you, I was recording the incident through a little gap in the door. I had a feeling, a feeling that it might be important later on, and it turns out I was right. Looking around, it's clear there's no surveillance here. Without evidence, there is no way to testify what we say, no one would believe us. Worse, they might blame us instead, turning the real victims into culprits. "

Kaito lowered his head in remorse. "That being said, I cannot apologize enough for the pain you went through. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Natasha."

"Please forgive me, if I have caused you any offence."

"..."

Natasha took a deep breath, exhaling as though releasing all the burdens and fears that had weighed on her.

"That... Was a harrowing experience. Something that would have haunted me forever," she admitted, her voice steady but tinged with vulnerability.

"But," she continued, her tone firmer now, "what's the use of brooding over it?"

"You saved me didn't you?" Her lips curved into a soft smile of quiet pride as if to silently convey, I'm glad it was you, who saved me.

"..."

"You're right."

Kaito sighed, his tense shoulders relaxing."You're right," he said, a smile spreading across his face. "You really are a strong person, Natasha. You truly are."

"!"

The sound of the Headmaster's gold-plated cane striking the floor echoed sharply, snapping their moment of calm. His expression darkened, his facial muscles twitched in anger, and his voice booming with authority. "What is this you speak of, Mr Lionheart?"

"Enough with the chatter. Show me right away!"

"Ye-ye-yes Sir!" Kaito stammered, fumbling with his iWatch. His hands trembled as he activated the holographic display from his wrist activating the hologram of his iWatch equipped on his wrist, hurriedly he played the recorded video.

The projection came to life, replaying the horrifying sequence of events to unfold once more. Natasha instinctively stepped back, unwilling to harbour the scene once again. Kaito leaned toward her, whispering gently, "Are you okay?"

Natasha gave him a faint, reassuring smile and a slight nod.

As the recording concluded, silence fell over the scene, heavy with apprehension. The Headmaster's face was a storm of rage, his anger boiling over. With a sharp moment, he raised his knee and snapped the gold-plated cane into two.

Gripping the jagged half of the cane, its splintered wood now resembling a crude spear, he stormed towards the fallen monster.