Ariana stood by the balcony, her thoughts tangled in the news Augustus, her spirit sparrow, had just delivered.
The cold night air did little to soothe the unsettling feeling building in her chest.
Noah had been attacked.
She ran her fingers through her blonde hair, letting the cold wind whip through it as she mulled over the implications.
"Augustus," she finally said, breaking the silence between them, her voice steady but laced with concern.
"Keep watch around the academy. Report any happenings, especially anything tied to the attack on Noah. If possible, try to find out who was responsible."
The orange sparrow chirped softly in acknowledgnt before darting into the night sky, its wings a blur of orange light fading into the darkness.
Ariana watched it disappear, the weight of her decision pressing down on her.
There was too much happening in Ravenwood Academy, and if soone was targeting Noah, the stakes were far higher than she'd realized.
---
[Noah's POV]
After the incident, when I got attacked, the academy scrambled to restore order.
Ironwood Hall, where I stayed, had always been slightly less secure compared to Silvercrest Hall, where students from nobler families resided.
But after what happened to , the school decided to upgrade security across the board.
Now, Ironwood Hall was as fortified as Silvercrest.
Mana-infused barriers were installed, and there were patrols of professors and magic knights more frequently than ever.
Not that any of it really mattered—the damage had already been done.
And then there was Livia.
Her body was found on the top floor of Ironwood Hall not long after I was attacked.
Dead. Just like that.
Another tragedy, another blow to the academy's already faltering reputation.
The news spread like wildfire, and soon, commoner families began pulling their children from Ravenwood.
The academy, once a prestigious institution known for producing the finest magic users, was now becoming infamous for sothing far darker: death.
The country's papers ran the story for days, and it didn't take long for Ravenwood's once sterling image to tarnish.
Despite having so of the most experienced staff, this year had seen more casualties than any previous year on record.
It was unnerving.
A place that had once been my ticket to survival and success was now a shadow of its forr self.
Other incidents followed, adding fuel to the fire.
A first-year student was found in the dungeons, lost after a forbidden duel that resulted in a devastating accident.
No one knew what had triggered the duel, but whispers hinted at a feud gone wrong.
Then there was a disappearance of a faculty mber—Professor Behring, a seasoned magic instructor, vanished without a trace during his routine inspection of the magic labs.
To make matters worse, a dark mana rift was discovered in the west wing, slowly growing unchecked.
Today was Sunday, and I had been requested to give a report to the Vice Master.
He wanted details, probably regarding the attack and the aftermath.
My room had already been inspected, though they hadn't found anything unusual, or so they told .
I was cleaning up, trying to get my head straight, when there was a knock at the door.
My body tensed involuntarily, a flash of the attack replaying in my mind
I shook it off, swallowing the lump in my throat, and opened the door cautiously.
Before I could react, a figure leapt at .
I instinctively braced myself, managing to retain my balance just before we went tumbling down.
I blinked, looking down to see a familiar face—Ariana.
She looked up at , worry etched across her delicate features.
"I heard what happened," she said quickly, still holding on to .
"They wouldn't let into the infirmary to see you!"
I rembered back to a day in the infirmary, just before I was discharged.
There had been so kind of commotion in the hallway.
I had been half-awake, still groggy from the recovery process, but I distinctly recalled hearing a crash.
When I turned to look, a dical assistant was lying crumpled against the wall, groaning in pain.
My door had been left open, and through it, I saw a student—a girl—storming off in rage, her aura practically crackling with fury.
A nurse had rushed into my room, visibly shaken.
When I asked what was going on, she told that a student had caused a disturbance, demanding to see .
I didn't ask any more questions, but now it all made sense.
That girl… was Ariana.
Back in the present, I looked down at her again, watching as her cheeks flushed slightly.
'So that was her…' I thought to myself.
"I was really worried," Ariana continued, her voice softer now, almost shy.
"I-I thought sothing terrible had happened."
I smiled, feeling sothing warm in my chest despite myself.
"I'm okay now. Really."
Ariana fidgeted nervously, glancing away for a mont before turning back to , her eyes shimring with unshed tears.
"Just... be more careful, okay? I don't want anything bad happening to you."
Her voice trembled as she spoke, her hands clutching the fabric of my shirt as if she feared letting go.
"I will," I said, my voice calm as I reached up to ruffle her hair.
"You don't need to worry."
She flashed a small smile, wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye before nodding.
"Good."
With one last look, she turned and hurried off, leaving alone in my room once more.
I glanced around.
Maya and a maid had already helped clean up most of the bloodstains and broken glass from that day.
The place felt empty now, but at least it was peaceful.
As I continued organizing things, a piece of paper fluttered from the desk, sliding under the cabinet.
Bending down to pick it up, my hand brushed against sothing cold.
My breath hitched as I pulled out the object—a sleek, black deagle.
I stared at it for a mont, the mories of being shot flashing through my mind.
The pain, the confusion, and then... nothing.
"Did the cleaning maid not see this?"
I muttered under my breath, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead.
Even if they had found it, they probably wouldn't have known what it was or what to do with it.
They'd likely have handed it over to the professors in the magic engineering departnt.
I held it in my hands, feeling the weight of it, the faint glow along its surface giving chills.
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