{Third Person}
~**^**~
The young waiter was escorted in. His eyes were wide, and his face pale as his hands trembled.
Then, his gaze darted nervously from the Vice-Chancellor to Kaelis... until it landed on Regina and stayed there.
The Vice Chancellor noticed at once. "You recognize soone here," she said calmly.
The waiter swallowed hard. "Yes," he whispered.
Regina’s breath stuttered.
Kaelis’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Point to them."
The waiter hesitated, his face contorted by fear, guilt, and panic. Then, slowly, his hand lifted and pointed directly at Regina.
Almost imdiately, a collective gasp rippled through the room.
"That’s her," he said, voice shaking now. "She was the one who approached . She told which drink to serve. She said the guest was important."
Regina recoiled as if struck. "You are lying!" she snapped. "I’ve never spoken to you in my life!"
The waiter flinched but shook his head. "I’m not lying. You gave every instruction, and I carried them out. And you even said no one would trace it back to ."
Silence slamd down.
Regina’s composure fractured. "This is absurd," she said sharply, turning to the Vice Chancellor. "You’re taking the word of a servant over mine?"
Soraya stepped forward. "A servant with nothing to gain."
Nyra’s eyes narrowed. "And everything to lose by lying."
Regina’s fists clenched. "I hate Elira. I admit that. But I did not poison her."
The Vice Chancellor regarded her for a long mont, then spoke. "There is a way to end this."
Then, she turned to the guard. "Bring the Veritas Seal."
A low murmur rippled through the room. Regina stiffened. "That won’t be necessary—"
"It is," the Vice Chancellor said firmly.
The seal was brought and placed between them, glowing faintly as ancient magic stirred.
The Vice Chancellor’s voice was calm, unforgiving. "Regina Shaw. Under oath and truth-binding magic, did you orchestrate the poisoning of Elira Shaw?"
Regina opened her mouth, but nothing ca out. Her lips trembled lightly as her entire face drained of colour.
Then the seal flared bright, and imdiately, Regina scread.
"I DIDN’T AN FOR HER TO DIE!" she sobbed suddenly, the words tearing out of her. "I just wanted to ruin her, humiliate her, and take everything from her like she took everything from !"
Instantly, the room erupted. Kaelis stepped back in disgust.
The Vice Chancellor closed her eyes once, grim. "That is sufficient."
---
By nightfall, the King was inford.
He listened in silence as the Vice Chancellor presented every finding—the waiter’s testimony, the truth-binding seal, and Regina’s confession.
When she finished, the King stood. His voice carried finality.
"Regina Shaw abused her authority, endangered a student’s life, and brought disgrace upon ESA and the Crown. She will be punished heavily for her cris."
Then he turned to the Vice-Chancellor, "
***
The next morning, ESA gathered beneath grey skies.
The courtyard was packed. Every tier, every stairway, every open arch of ESA was crowded with students, professors, parents, and visiting dignitaries.
A restless murmur filled the air—unease mixed with anticipation—until the Vice Chancellor raised her hand.
Silence fell like a blade.
"Students of ESA," she said, her voice carrying effortlessly across the open grounds, "what you are about to witness is not rely punishnt. It is accountability."
A ripple of tension moved through the crowd. Then Regina Shaw was brought onto the raised platform.
Gone was the flawless posture. Gone was the sharp confidence that once made first-years bow their heads when she passed.
Regina’s hair was dishevelled, her eyes swollen and red, and her hands trembling at her sides.
For a heartbeat, no one spoke, then the whispers began.
"That’s her..."
"She poisoned Elira."
"She tried to kill her."
"Her own cousin..."
The Vice Chancellor spoke again, each word deliberate, rcilessly clear.
"Regina Shaw, forr mber of the Student Council, has been found guilty of orchestrating the poisoning of Elira Shaw during the Founders Day banquet."
Instantly, the courtyard erupted. Shouts burst from the crowd—rage, disbelief, fury all colliding at once.
"She deserves worse!"
"How could she do that?"
"She’s a monster!"
Several students surged forward instinctively, anger boiling over. A group of first-years lunged toward the stage, fists clenched, faces twisted with raw emotion.
"She almost killed her!"
"Let us at her!"
Guards moved instantly, forming a solid barrier as the Vice Chancellor’s voice cracked like thunder.
"Enough!" A suppressing magic flared subtly through the air.
"Stand down," she ordered. "Justice will not be replaced with chaos."
The students froze, breathing hard, their eyes blazing with hatred as they were forced back.
Regina stood in the centre of it all, feeling small and exposed. She was shaking. Tears stread freely down her face now.
"I didn’t an for it to go that far," she sobbed, voice breaking as it echoed helplessly across the courtyard. "I just—I just wanted her to fall. I wanted her to stop shining."
Her confession only stoked the fury.
Boos rang out. Soone spat on the ground in disgust.
Then the King rose from the royal pavilion, and imdiately, instant silence resud.
His presence was overwhelming, his gaze cold and final as it settled on Regina.
"Regina Shaw," he said, "you have disgraced this academy, your bloodline, and the Crown itself."
Regina’s knees buckled.
"You are expelled from the Elite Supernatural Academy—effective imdiately."
A collective gasp swept the courtyard.
"All records bearing your na will be erased. Your honours revoked. Your legacy nullified."
Regina let out a broken sound, a half-scream, and a half-sob.
"And by royal decree," the King continued, his voice unyielding, "you are hereby banned indefinitely from attending any supernatural academy within this kingdom."
This was the mont Regina shattered. She collapsed to her knees, crying openly now, her carefully constructed world reduced to dust in front of everyone she once ruled over.
From the pavilion, Lady Maren staggered to her feet.
"No..." she whispered, her face draining of colour. The next second, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed next to her husband, Beta Marc.
Guards rushed to her as gasps rippled through the dignitaries. But her husband remained unmoved.
On the other hand, Luna Gwenith remained seated, her lips pressed thin, eyes hard with disappointnt instead of sympathy.
Then, Alpha Cyprus leaned toward her, voice low but unmistakably sharp. "Do you still want our son to wed that girl?"
Luna Gwenith said nothing. Instead, she simply turned her face away.
Below, among the students, Nari trembled with rage. "She really tried to kill her..."
Juniper’s fists were clenched white. "Imagine if Elira wasn’t rescued imdiately."
Tamryn swallowed hard, her eyes shining. "Elira survived. That’s what matters."
Cambria wiped her tears, her voice steady despite them. "And this bitch will never touch her again."
On the stage, Regina was pulled to her feet by the guards. She looked once, out over the sea of faces.
There was no admiration, fear or power left in them—only contempt and judgnt.
As she was dragged away, the bells of ESA began to slowly toll again in mourning for a na that would never be spoken with respect again.
Reviews
All reviews (0)