Jeremy’s alive.
Ryan was relieved. Jeremy must have been with the brothers. If he’s fine, they are fine.
He started toward Jeremy.
A voice cut through the courtyard. Loud and full of vigour.
"THE END TIS ARE UPON US! THE ONS HAVE SPOKEN!"
Ryan stopped.
Marcus stood on a small mound that elevated him above everyone in the grounds, his arms were raised to the sky. A small crowd had gathered around him—maybe a dozen people. So standing and so kneeling.
Ryan’s face drooped.
They’re listening to him.
"THE BLOOD MOON! THE EARTHQUAKES! THE FIRE THAT CONSUD THE CITY!" Marcus’s voice rang out. "ALL OF IT WAS PROPHESIED! ALL OF IT FORETOLD!"
A woman in the crowd nodded. Murmured sothing Ryan couldn’t hear.
"AND THE ARTIFACT!" Marcus shouted. "THE CURSED BRACELET! I TRIED TO DESTROY IT! I TRIED TO SAVE YOU ALL! BUT IT CALLS TO THE DARKNESS! IT FEEDS ON DEATH!"
Ryan’s blood went cold.
He pushed through the crowd. Eleanor followed.
"THE GODS HAVE ABANDONED US!" Marcus continued, wild-eyed. "ONLY THROUGH REPENTANCE CAN WE—"
"Marcus!" Ryan’s voice cut through the rambling.
Marcus stopped mid-sentence and looked down at the non-believer.
His expression shifted from ravenous passion, to pity.
"You," Marcus whispered. "The bearer. You survived."
"Where is it?" Ryan demanded.
"Where is what, my friend?"
"You know exactly what." Ryan’s hands clenched into fists. "My bracelet. You stole it. Where is it?"
Marcus’s followers turned to look at Ryan. One of them, a young man with wide eyes,
stepped between them.
"Brother Marcus is a holy man," the young man said. "He doesn’t steal. He saves."
"He broke into my room and took sothing that wasn’t his," Ryan said through gritted teeth. "That’s theft."
"The artifact chose to reveal itself," Marcus said calmly. "I rely answered its call."
"Bullshit." Ryan stepped forward. The young man moved to block him. "Give it back. Now."
Marcus spread his hands. Empty.
"I don’t have it."
Ryan’s jaw tightened. "Where is it?"
"Safe," Marcus said. "Where it can do no more harm. Where the darkness cannot use it to—"
"I don’t care about your insane prophecies!" Ryan’s voice rose. The crowd murmured. "You stole from ! That bracelet is mine!"
Two more of Marcus’s followers stepped forward. A woman in mage robes and an older man with a walking stick.
"Brother Marcus speaks the truth," the woman said quietly. "The artifact is cursed. We all saw what happened today. The fires. The death... The Gods are displeased."
"The Gods didn’t burn the city," Ryan shot back. "Elves did. Not so bracelet."
"The bracelet called to them!" Marcus’s voice cracked. "Don’t you see? It’s all connected! The ons, the artifact, the fire—"
"Give. It. Back."
Marcus stared at Ryan for a long, uncomfortable mont.
Then he smiled, yet his eyes showed only pity.
"No."
Ryan lunged forward.
The followers closed in. They quickly restrained the feral man.
"Brother Marcus is trying to help you!" the young man said. "Can’t you see that?"
"Get off —"
Eleanor grabbed Ryan’s arm. Pulled him back.
"Ryan. Stop."
"He stole from ."
"I know." Eleanor’s voice was low. "We’ll just tell Helena."
Ryan looked at the crowd. At Marcus who was standing there with his arms spread like so prophet. At the people kneeling around him, believing every word.
This isn’t worth my ti.
He shook his head.
I’ll just get it back when he doesn’t have any cronies around.
Eleanor pulled him away. "Co on."
They stepped back. The crowd closed around Marcus again like a do.
Marcus called after them. "The darkness will co for you, Ryan! The bracelet has marked you! Repent before it’s too late!"
Ryan just slowly shook his head.
Jeremy ca trotting over, "Ryan, Eleanor! What was that scuffle about?"
"Marcus, he’s a—"
"Oh I know Marcus, it’s hard not to." Jas said.
"Yeah," Ryan gritted his teeth, "Well he stole my property, and now he’s got a whole group of followers protecting him."
Jeremy blinked. "He has followers now?"
"They think that he predicted the attack." Eleanor said.
"Everyone’s gone completely mad." Jeremy grumbled.
"Where’s Jas and Jared?" Ryan said, pushing the bracelet from his mind.
Jeremy hesitated. "Jas... he’s in the main tower," he pointed over, "With the principal. He and Navius got into a fight, right here in the courtyard. Jas drew a knife."
Ryan blinked for a long second. "What."
"He saw Navius, just walking about. He carried an uncaring expression, as if the crowds of wounded didn’t matter." Jeremy’s voice was tight. "Jas lost it. He went for him. But an instructor broke them up before it got serious."
"And Jared?" Eleanor asked.
"I—I don’t know. We were separated in the stampede." His voice cracked. "I tried to look for him in the crowds, I swear. But I couldn’t see him."
Ryan put a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder. "He’ll be fine."
Jeremy nodded, but he didn’t look convinced.
"Stay here," Ryan said. "When Jared shows up, tell him to co find us at the main building. We need to back up Jas."
"You think they’ll let you in?" Jeremy asked.
"They will," Ryan said. "We saw Navius talking to that elf too. We have information."
Jeremy nodded slowly. "Alright. I’ll wait."
Ryan and Eleanor left Jeremy behind as they crossed the Academy grounds.
The grounds were packed with people, from the gates to the very center, students and citizens alike.
Ryan and Eleanor budged past others into the main building and soon reached the stairwell to go up the tower, two guards blocked their way.
Ryan approached. "We need to see Principal Helena."
"She’s occupied," one guard said flatly.
"It’s about a student, ’Navius’," Ryan said. "We have information about the attack, involving him."
The guards exchanged glances.
"Co with ." The first guard said. He disappeared inside.
They followed him through the entrance, down a corridor Ryan had never been allowed past. Stone floors. Tall windows. Portraits of past headmasters lining the walls.
As they climbed the stairs to the upper floors, voices echoed from above.
"—LYING!" Jas’s voice, raw with rage.
"You dare accuse —" Navius, cold and venomous.
"BOTH OF YOU, ENOUGH!" A woman’s voice erupted.
The guard led them to a heavy oak door. Knocked twice.
The voices inside went silent.
"Enter," Helena said.
The guard opened the door and leaned in. "Principal. Two more students. They claim to have information about the Rellick matter."
A pause.
"Send them in."
The guard stepped aside. Gestured for Ryan and Eleanor to enter.
Ryan stepped through the doorway.
The room was tidier than it was last ti
Behind a desk sat Principal Helena in her classically... tasteful clothes.
To one side stood Jas. Face flushed. Jaw tight. Bandaged hand clenched.
On the opposite side was Navius with his arms crossed and a perfectly calm expression.
Between them stood an instructor that Ryan didn’t recognise. He must be the one who’d broken up the fight.
Principal Helena’s eyes locked onto Ryan and Eleanor.
"Ryan and Eleanor." She sighed. "Of course... So, you say you have information."
"Yes, Principal," Ryan said.
"Then speak."
Ryan took a breath. "This a couple days ago, right before the first lee, we saw Navius Rellick talking to an elf. The sa elf who later threw bombs into the crowd. They were standing close in the street. Talking like they knew each other."
Navius’s calm expression cracked. Just slightly.
"We overheard part of their conversation," Eleanor added. Her voice was steady. Clear. "Fire. Death. ’All of them.’ Those exact words."
"And that’s not all. Him and this sa Elf were together a couple days ago at the beginning of the first lee." Ryan said.
Principal Helena’s gaze shifted to Navius. "Do you deny this?"
Navius’s eyes scanned the room. For a mont, he said nothing.
Then he turned to Jas.
"This is because you lost, isn’t it?" His voice was ice. "You can’t accept that a commoner like you will never asure up to . So you invent stories. Drag your little friends into it."
"I didn’t lose!" Jas exclaid. "You cheated."
"I won," Navius said. "You just can’t handle it."
"You used fire magic in a sword spar!" Jas’s voice rose. "That’s cheating!"
"That’s strategy." Navius’s lip curled. "Sothing you’d understand if you had any actual training. But no. You’re just a commoner playing at being a knight."
Jas lunged forward.
The professor caught him and held him in place.
"Let go—"
"Enough!" Principal Helena’s voice cut through the room like a blade.
Navius turned his cold gaze to Ryan.
"And you," he said. "The charity case. Two weeks at this academy and you think you can accuse ?" He gestured dismissively. "You’re nothing. A rat pretending to be a knight. Playing hero because soone felt sorry for you."
Every muscle in his body scread to hit him. To release a bit of the anger.
But he didn’t move.
"I know what I saw," Ryan said quietly.
"Do you?" Navius stepped closer. "Or did you see what your friend wanted you to see? He hates because I beat him. So he tells you a story. And you—desperate to belong, desperate to matter—you believe him."
"We all heard you," Eleanor said. Her voice cut through. "All three of us. Fire. Death. All of them. You were planning this."
"I was having a conversation!" Navius’s voice rose for the first ti. "In a crowded street! With soone I barely knew! You’re inventing a conspiracy because you want punished!"
"Hundreds of people died in flas," Ryan said. His voice was low. Tight. "And you were discussing death and fire with the bomber hours before it happened."
"So arrest then!" Navius spun toward Principal Helena. "If you’re so certain I’m a traitor, drag to the city guard! Throw in chains!"
Principal Helena studied Navius for a long mont.
Then she looked to Ryan, Eleanor and Jas.
"Three witnesses," she said quietly. "All claiming the sa thing."
Navius’s face went red.
"You would believe them? Over ? Over House Rellick?"
"I would believe credible testimony," Helena said. "Regardless of who gives it."
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