Renard sat in his room, pretending to practice breathing exercises from his ceremony prep materials. Anyone watching would think he was meditating. Really, he was planning the most detailed mission of his life.

Three days left until he killed Elder Thomas. Three days to get everything ready and make sure nothing went wrong during the ninety minutes that would decide if he succeeded or failed completely.

The plan was simple but brutal - kill Thomas quickly and quietly, then get rid of all the evidence. But he had to do everything perfectly with exact timing. No mistakes allowed.

Renard had divided his plan into six steps.

Step One was Getting In

Renard would leave his room at 4:45 AM, fifteen minutes before Thomas usually woke up. The darkness would hide him, and the early hour meant fewer people in the halls.

He'd mapped out the route during Boa's spying missions. From his room on the bottom floor, he'd use the maintenance hallway that went straight to the upper level where the teachers lived. Not many people used that passage, especially early in the morning.

The maintenance hallway had magical security checks, but Boa had figured out how they worked. The sensors looked for big magical disturbances or groups of people moving together. Renard with his enhanced essence control could get through without setting off alarms.

Step Two was Getting Close

Elder Thomas's room was in the northeast part of the upper level. The hallway there was quiet during early morning hours. The door had standard teacher protections - magical locks that opened for authorized people but kept others out.

But Renard had watched Thomas's evening routine through Boa's spying. The gap under the door was enough for Boa to slip inside and unlock the door from within.

Once inside the outer room, Renard could get to Thomas's private bathroom. The bathroom door was just wood with no magical protection - privacy was enough security inside already-protected rooms.

Step Three - The Kill

The murder had to be fast, quiet, and leave little physical evidence. Thomas would be doing his morning washing routine, standing with his back to the door while using the washbasin. He'd be focused on routine tasks, not watching for threats.

Renard would approach from behind using techniques from his military training. One strike to the base of the skull would knock Thomas out instantly, preventing any noise or struggle. The small space would prevent escape, and the early hour meant no chance of interruption.

But knocking him out wasn't enough - Thomas had to die quickly and quietly to prevent any chance of recovery or magical self-defense. A follow-up strike to crush the neck bones would kill him immediately while avoiding too much bleeding that could complicate disposal.

Step Four was using Devour

With Thomas dead, Renard would immediately use his Devour ability to absorb the elder's magical knowledge and abilities. This was the most uncertain part of the plan, since he'd never used Devour to extract knowledge or experience.

The absorption process needed physical contact.

Renard guessed the Devour process would take thirty to forty minutes to complete fully. During this time, he'd be vulnerable to discovery and possibly disoriented by the influx of foreign magical knowledge. Boa would keep watch while he underwent the absorption, warning him of any approaching threats.

Step Five was Getting Rid of the Body

The most complex part involved completely eliminating all evidence of Thomas's death. The body had to disappear entirely, leaving no trace that could be found by magical or normal investigation methods.

Step Six was Cleaning Up and Getting Out The bathroom would need thorough cleaning to remove any blood, tissue, or other evidence of violence. Renard had prepared a cleaning solution using materials from his ceremony preparation kit - substances that would break down organic matter while leaving no magical traces.

The cleaning process would take about twenty minutes, making sure no physical or magical evidence remained behind. Any tools used during the operation would be disposed of through the same waste system that handled the body.

The return trip to his room would follow the same route used for getting in, but with extra precautions due to his possibly altered state after using Devour. Boa would scout ahead to ensure clear passages while Renard focused on maintaining normal movement and essence signature.

Renard would return to his room by 6:15 AM, well before Thomas's absence would be noticed at the 7:00 AM breakfast. He would immediately resume his ceremony preparation routine, establishing a clear pattern of normal behavior for any investigators who might later question his activities.

Thomas's absence would likely be discovered when he failed to appear for breakfast. The initial assumption would be illness or personal emergency rather than murder. By the time serious investigation began, all physical evidence would be gone and Renard would have an unshakeable alibi.

The plan accounted for many potential problems and failure points. If Thomas woke early, Renard would abort and wait for another opportunity. If unexpected visitors arrived during the operation, Boa would provide warning while Renard retreated through predetermined escape routes.

If the Devour process took longer than expected, Renard was prepared to speed up disposal using more aggressive methods. If the waste system proved inadequate for body disposal, he had identified alternative hiding places that could conceal remains until more permanent elimination could be arranged.

But the core plan remained simple and direct: get in, kill, absorb, dispose, escape. Each step built on the previous one, creating a sequence that would either succeed completely or fail catastrophically with little middle ground.

As Renard reviewed the final details one more time, he felt the cold certainty that had carried him through countless dangerous operations in his previous life. The plan was as solid as careful preparation could make it. The timeline was realistic but aggressive. The risks were significant but manageable.

In three days, he would discover whether his careful planning was enough to overcome the challenges of committing perfect murder within one of the most heavily defended magical facilities on the continent.

Elder Thomas had no idea that his regular morning routine was about to become the instrument of his death.

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