**Confronting the Consequences**

The dean's eyes locked onto Ray's, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. Ray could feel his heart racing, and his mind was filled with thoughts of how Kai would react to seeing him in such a state. The security guard, seemingly oblivious to the tension, cleared his throat and began to explain the situation. "Dean Kai, we have a bit of a situation here. Ray, Tota's roommate, was involved in a physical altercation with Tylil and another student in the cafeteria." Kai's gaze never wavered from Ray's face as he listened to the guard's report. His expression changed from shock to concern, and he took a step forward, his long dreads swaying with the movement. "Ray, what happened? You're... you're hurt," he said, his voice laced with worry. Ray felt a flush rise to his cheeks as he looked down, trying to avoid Kai's intense gaze. "I-I don't know, Dean Kai. It just happened. Tylil and that guy, they just started attacking me," he stuttered, his voice barely above a whisper. Kai's eyes narrowed, and he turned to the security guard. "I want to know what happened leading up to this. Who was involved, and what was said?" The guard launched into a detailed account of the events, from the argument in the community space to the confrontation in the cafeteria. As the guard spoke, Ray couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over him. He knew that he was in trouble, and he wasn't sure how Kai would handle the situation. Would he be expelled? Would he face disciplinary action? Kai listened intently, his expression growing more serious with each passing moment. When the guard finished, Kai turned to Ray and asked, "Can you tell me what happened from your perspective?" Ray took a deep breath and began to explain, trying to leave out as few details as possible. He told Kai about the argument in the community space, about Tylil taking sides with the random guy, and about the confrontation in the cafeteria. As Ray spoke, he could sense Kai's anger growing. His eyes flashed with concern, and his jaw clenched in frustration. When Ray finished, Kai turned to the security guard and said, "I want you to escort Tylil and the other student to my office. I need to speak with them." The guard nodded and left, returning a few moments later with Tylil and the random guy in tow. Kai's eyes locked onto Tylil, and his voice was firm as he said, "Tylil, I need to know what happened. Why did you and this... this person attack Ray?" Tylil sneered, "He's a troublemaker, Dean Kai. He's always causing problems. I was just defending myself." Kai's expression turned cold, and he leaned forward, his voice low and menacing. "I don't think so, Tylil. I think there's more to this story than you're letting on. And I'm going to get to the bottom of it." The air in the room seemed to grow thick with tension as Kai's words hung in the air. Ray could sense that this was far from over, and he wasn't sure what the consequences would be. But one thing was certain: his life was about to get a lot more complicated.