An Eye For An Eye: The Rise Of Cassius Lucas

A Trickle Of Blood

Lucas Ross stood frozen, his mind racing as he stared at the crumpled sheet of paper in the invigilator’s hand, looking in disbelief.

“How did that get inside my jacket?” he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. His eyes flickered between the invigilator and the curious gazes of the students around him. Then, raising his voice , he added, “Why would I cheat in my final exam? I can confidently defend myself.”

The invigilator laughed mockingly.

“Defend yourself?” he asked, shaking his head. “What exactly do you want to defend? The fact that you were caught?”

He turned away from Lucas and faced the students l, raising the crumpled paper again for everyone to see.

“Lucas Ross has been one of the most celebrated students of this great university,” he said. “He has earned numerous awards and secured different scholarships. But now, this—” he raised the paper a little, —suggests that all of it may have been built on deceit.”

Students started whispering among themselves inside the hall.

“I really thought he was intelligent,” one student muttered to her neighbor, shaking her head. “I can’t believe he had the nerve to cheat in his final exam. Well, I guess he got what he deserved.”

“Hmmm… I’ve had my doubts about him for a while now,” the neighbor replied. “Whoever exposed him did the right thing. Imagine earning a first-class degree in Law through examination malpractice.”

The invigilator took a step forward, standing beside the table where other invigilators were sitting.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, facing the students. “we are in an examination hall, and I urge everyone to remain silence. The Faculty of Law stands for justice, ensuring that those who deserve it receive it. What Lucas Ross has just been caught with here is shocking—not only to you but to me as well.”

He paused, looking around the room before continuing.

“I assure you that a thorough investigation will be conducted, and the results will be shared through the appropriate channels. Everyone, please remain silent and concentrate on your final paper.”

With that, he turned and moved toward Lucas Ross, his shoes echoing in the hall.

The invigilator pointed at the spot where Lucas Ross was seated. Then, he signaled to a nearby student.

“Bring me his question booklet,” he ordered.

The student quickly picked up Lucas’s booklet, handed it over, and returned to his seat without a word.

The invigilator carefully examined both the booklet and the crumpled sheet of paper. .

“I promise you, you won’t get out of this,” he said, gazing at Lucas as a gentle, mocking smile escaped his lips. “The contents of this crumpled paper match exactly with the questions you chose to answer. Do you still call that a coincidence? Do you really think you can defend yourself with all this evidence against you?”

“Security, your attention is needed here,” he called out. “Can you please escort this gentleman to the faculty disciplinary committee? He's caught engaging in examination malpractices”.

Turning to the other students, he addressed the hall again.

"The university's disciplinary committee will conduct a thorough investigation into this alleged examination malpractice, following academic regulations and legal provisions.”

Moments later, two security officers entered the hall. Each wore a dark uniform, a baton strapped to their belt, with a pair of handcuffs hanging beside it. One officer put his hand near his holster, where a stun gun was , while the other adjusted the radio on his chest.

One of the security officers stepped forward, gazing at the invigilator.

“If I’m not mistaken, I heard you mention something about examination malpractice. Is that correct?” he asked.

Yes… yes,” the invigilator replied, nodding repeatedly. “Lucas Ross was caught with a crumpled sheet of paper containing answers to the exam questions. How on earth did he gain access to them even before the commencement of the examination? There is no doubt—he must face the faculty’s disciplinary committee.”

The invigilator stepped closer to the security officers, holding both the crumpled sheet of paper and Lucas’s answer booklet.

“He chose to answer the exact questions written on this sheet,” the invigilator said, flipping through the pages. He pointed at the circled questions in Lucas’s booklet, matching them with the contents of the crumpled paper.

One of the security officers took a closer look. After some moment, he turned to Lucas, nodding his head.

“This is a clear case of examination malpractice,” he said. “Respect yourself and cooperate to avoid unnecessary embarrassment.”

One of the security officers pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "It would be best if you cooperate with us without resistance," he said. "You'll have the chance to say everything you need to before the disciplinary committee officer.”

As he took a step toward Lucas, Lucas moved back, looking around the hall as if searching for an escape.

"I'm innocent, officer! Why would I ever cheat on my final exam?" Lucas protested, his voice shaking ."I've been in this school for over five years, and I'm always at the top of my class. I know all the evidence is against me, but I have no idea how that sheet of paper ended up in my jacket."

The officer took another step forward. . "I urge you to cooperate, Lucas," he said .

As the officer prepared to take another step forward, Lucas suddenly took off, as he started running toward the nearest exit.

"Stop!" the officer shouted, pulling out a small stun gun from his pocket . The officer ran after Lucas. He leaped forward, hooking his arm around Lucas’s legs and twisting them together.

Unable to maintain his balance, Lucas lost control. His head hit the rough brick wall and a trickle of blood started running down his forehead, staining the ground beneath him.