Uncle Victor strode in, still in traveling clothes, but flanked by twenty armored soldiers bearing the. Ravana crest. Behind them, more soldiers poured in, their aura instantly setting the air on edge as if wings of blades had taken flight.
"Baron Celestius," Uncle Victor’s voice bood. "Interesting way to welco a fellow peer. I don’t recall being invited to this assembly."
"Duke Ravana." The Baron stood. "This is academy business....."
"This is business involving my nephew. Which makes it family business. Which makes it my business." Victor’s eyes were steel. "Now, I believe you were about to arrest Hadeon?"
"The Crown’s authority..."
"Can be appealed and will be. By , directly to the King." Victor pulled out his own scroll. "I took the liberty of filing a formal complaint this morning. His Majesty is aware of this situation. And is... curious... why a Baron is using royal writs to target a Duke’s heir without proper consultation."
The Royal Court representative went pale.
"This is irr...egular," she stamred.
"Yes," Victor agreed with a slight humorless smile. "Very irregular. Almost like soone is abusing their authority for personal vendettas."
The Baron and Victor stared at each other. Two predators, calculating odds. The air between them boiled and the tension was almost physical enough to see.
Finally, the Baron spoke.
"Very well. In the interest of proper procedure, we will postpone the arrests pending formal review." He looked at . "But understand this, Mr. Ravana you’ve won a battle. Not the war. Your faction remains under investigation. Miss Blackthorn remains a person of interest. And you..." he smiled coldly. "You’ve made powerful enemies today."
"I made powerful enemies the day I refused to be a stepping stone for your son. This just makes it official." I shrugged. What enemies are more powerful than the force of the world itself?
The Baron gestured to his guards. They fell back, returning to formation along the walls.
"This assembly is concluded," he announced. "Students, return to your classes. Professors, resu your duties. And everyone rember: the Crown watches and the Church watches. Justice will be served."
He swept from the hall, Adrian following, the Bishop and Royal Court representative hurrying after. The guards filed out in perfect formation.
The mont they were gone, the hall erupted in chaos.
And I couldn’t help the relief that swept through . That had been painfully close.
-------
Uncle Victor found outside, where I’d retreated to breathe.
"You cut that close," he said.
"You weren’t supposed to be here for three hours."
"I lied. Been hiding in the woods since midnight. The Headmaster was gracious." He smiled grimly. "Always good to have your enemy think you’re farther away than you are. And, I want to see how the future of our family would be in your hands. I am not disappointed."
"Thanks for coming and for the backup."
"Family, Hadeon. That’s what we do."
I smiled slightly. Family eh? So this is how family should be? Ah....what a strange thing. ’...you were such a very lucky bastard Hadeon Ravana...’
He looked back at the hall. "But this isn’t over. The Baron won’t let this go. And he has resources you haven’t seen yet."
"I know."
"Do you?" Victor’s expression turned serious. "You embarrassed him twice. In front of the Royal Court, the Church, and half the kingdom’s nobility through their children. n like Celestius don’t forgive that."
"What choice did I have? Let him arrest Ravenna? Disband my faction?"
"No. You did the right thing. But doing the right thing doesn’t an you’re safe." He gripped my shoulder. "Be careful and watch your back. And for the love of gods, don’t do anything to provoke him further."
The gods eh.
"I’ll try." I said. That’s all I could promise for now.
"Trying isn’t enough. He’s going to co at you again. Harder and smarter with better legal cover and more firepower." Victor paused. "And there’s sothing else. Sothing I need to tell you about Urlk Celestius."
"What?"
"My intelligence network picked up so communications after this whole thing happened. He’s been in contact with soone, soone powerful, who’s been feeding him information, resources, leverage." Victor’s voice dropped. "Soone who shouldn’t even know about academy politics. Soone from outside."
My blood chilled. "How far outside?"
The Council? Have we now have confird evidence that he’s their spy? If we can trace that communication.....
Before I could form a respond, a commotion erupted from the side courtyard with students running and shouting.
Lucille appeared, sprinting toward us. "Hadeon! You need to co now!"
"What happened?"
"It’s one of the Baron’s guards. He’s asking for you. Says he has information. But he’s..." she swallowed. "He’s dying."
What the fuck? For a mont I could only stare at her blankly but then I shook my head and ran.
The guard was collapsed in an alley between buildings, hidden from main paths. Soone had dragged him there deliberately. His armor was unmarked, but blood pooled beneath him from the internal wounds.
He was maybe thirty, dark-haired, face twisted in pain. When he saw , sothing like relief crossed his features.
"Ravana..." he gasped.
Why the hell is he asking for ?
I knelt beside him. "Save your strength. We’ll get a healer...."
"No ti." He grabbed my wrist with surprising strength. "Had to... warn you..."
"About what?"
"Baron Celestius... is not the real threat." Blood bubbled at his lips. "He’s being... used. Manipulated, by them...oh...they’re terrible!"
"By who?"
"The Fallen..." He coughed, more blood. "They’re... coming for you and the hero. For anyone who... breaks the script."
My heart stopped and coldness replaced my blood. My surprise was so much that I couldn’t help but blurt out. "What? What....do you know about the script?!"
"I was... one of them....I was just a blade but they’re not staying on a single parth.. ." He pulled back his sleeve with shaking hands.
There, on his wrist was a brand, it was circular with five interlocking symbols.
"The League of Fallen Heroes," I whispered. My blood now ice water.
"Yes." His grip weakened. "I tried to leave. They don’t... let you leave. But I couldn’t... couldn’t watch them destroy just anyone again because of slight change..."
"What are they planning?"
"You....m...make you..." he struggled for air. "Make you despair. But you... you’re different. They said....."
"When?" He didn’t have much to live.
"Soon..." His eyes found mine. "You can’t fight them. Not yet. Too weak. Need to...." a violent cough "....need to get stronger. Much stronger."
"How do I...."
"Find Victoria... She’ll... know. She’s one of us. But different. She helps..." His eyes were glazing. "The Fallen will co. They’ll burn everything. Everyone. Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless you...."
His hand fell away. Body went still.
He was gone.
Lucille closed his eyes gently. "Who was Victoria? And what’s the League of Fallen Heroes?"
I looked at the brand on his wrist. Five interlocking symbols.
Five figures.
"Sothing we’re not ready for," I said quietly. "Not even close."
☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆
That night, back in my room, I examined everything that had happened.
The Baron’s arrival. The attempted arrests. Uncle Victor’s intervention. And now, a dying ssage from a League defector.
The pieces were moving faster. The conspiracy was deeper than I’d thought.
And sowhere out there, five fallen heroes, those that didn’t make it to the rank of being officially declared an ’hero’ but sohow they found out about the Council of Fates and what they did. They did not like the idea of being in a Cycle but instead of choosing a side.....they wanted to destroy everything.
"To think they would appear now? In the books didn’t they only appear when Adrian was strong? Like very strong? Fuck, I really need to get stronger."
```
[MAJOR EVENT SURVIVED]
[THE BARON’S GAMBIT: Thwarted through evidence and political maneuvering]
[REWARDS:]
3,000 Villain Score
Political Power: Significantly increased
Uncle Victor’s Support: Confird and active
New Intelligence: League of Fallen Heroes confird
Hidden Quest Unlocked: "Find Victoria"
[WARNING: You have attracted League attention]
[They know your na now]
[They know what you represent]
[First contact imminent]
[RECOMNDATION: Prepare for war]
[TI UNTIL INTER-ACADEMY TOURNANT: 14 days]
[TI UNTIL LEAGUE ASSAULT: Unknown]
[SURVIVAL ODDS: Calculating...]
[SURVIVAL ODDS: 34%]
```
Thirty-four percent.
Better than zero.
I’d work with that.
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