Chapter 25
The sound of loud protesting voices and heavy banging woke the next morning.
At first, I thought it was just the usual chaos of students fighting over food or causing trouble and trying hard to piss eachother off. But as the noise grew louder, sharper and more unified, I realized it wasn’t coming from inside.
It was coming from outside the academy walls.
I got up and stepped out of the dorm, curious to know what exactly was going on. Had I woken up late for the second exam or what? The hallway was already crowded with students, so whispering nervously, others rushing toward the field. By the ti I joined them, the shouting was clearer, furious parents, angry demands, the kind of sound that made your chest tighten even if it wasn’t aid at you. Seems like the news of yesterday’s exam already spread.
When I reached the field, the huge gates at the front were shaking hard from the constant pounding. Hundreds of fists, weapons, and powers slamd against them. Teachers had rushed out already, trying to hold order, but their faces made it obvious they weren’t in control. Students were clustered in groups, wide-eyed, whispering among themselves. The dia was there too, caras lifted high, recording everything without sha.
Then the inevitable happened. The gates broke apart with a deafening crack. I kinda expected that would happen. Reinforcing the gates and walls should have been the managents first move as soon as the chaos started. Security was poor here, that much was obvious.
The crowd stord in imdiately, a flood of rage and violence. So held placards with bold words scribbled across them, others carried weapons, their faces twisted with fury.
"Since when did Voldrak turn Into a slaughterhouse?" One angry parent yelled, rage and pain evident in his voice.
"Give back my son!"
"You all will pay the price for killing innocent teenagers."
Yeah innocent my ass, they were all equally desperate to pass and would have killed without hesitation if they could.
Before they could get far, the silver-haired guy, the sa one I had fought in the exam’s dinsion stepped forward. His expression was hard as he lifted his hand. Ice spiraled into existence instantly, shooting into the air and slamming down with force. A massive ice wall burst up, cutting the intruders off with a ground-shaking crash. Cold mist rolled across the field, sharp enough that I could feel it sting against my skin.
For a mont, it seed like he had stopped them.
But then ca the sound. Rattling heavy tal chains clinking endlessly.
From within the crowd, a man with sharp eyes and a wicked grin raised his arm. Thick, black chains shot forward like serpents. They wrapped around the wall of ice tightly, choking it like prey. With one brutal tug, the ice wall shattered into pieces, exploding across the ground in tiny bricks.
The mist cleared, and from behind it, a man stepped forward, and the entire field fell silent.
He had short black hair. A scar carved jagged down his left cheek. Tattoos crawling across his arms like poison. His presence alone felt heavier than the hundreds of people standing behind him. It was like the air bent around him, forced to acknowledge his existence. Everyone fell silent, including the angry crowd raging just monts ago.
He didn’t scream, he didn’t wave his weapon around. He just looked over the field with burning rage in his eyes before taking another step.
"Where’s my brother?" he demanded, voice low but carrying a hint of cold blood lust.
The students around gasped instantly. A whisper shot through the crowd, spreading quick, sharpened with fear.
"It’s Dante’s brother..."
"I didn’t expect Dante wouldn’t survive this exam, are we in trouble?"
"I wonder who was strong enough to kill him?"
"It should be the top ranking student for sure."
The whispers were low but I could hear them clearly. The corner of my lips curved into a smirk. Too bad there was nothing left to show him. Maybe I should’ve kept a finger as proof, just to watch his reaction.
The pressure in the air grew thick and suffocating. Teachers stood frozen, students held their breath, and no one dared to speak. Then the crowd parted, and Logan walked forward.
He didn’t rush. His steps were calm. His face was cold, unreadable.
"Your brother failed the exam," Logan said flatly, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "Is that our problem?"
The man’s jaw tightened, rage flickering in his eyes. "Yes, it’s your problem. He ca here to grow stronger, not to be slaughtered like trash. This academy was supposed to train him. Do you have any damn idea who my brother is? Do you even know who you’re talking to right now with such cocky confidence? One word from and this whole place shuts down."
The crowd buzzed, murmurs breaking out everywhere, people glancing nervously between him and Logan. The threat carried weight, because everybody in this city knew who he was. His father was among the council mbers headed by the twelve monarchs working directly under the ultimate ruler of this world.
But Logan didn’t flinch from his treath. His lips curved slightly, almost a smirk. "Go on then. Try."
That stopped for a second. If Logan wasn’t shaken even a little, then whoever was backing Voldrak now had to be powerful, powerful enough to ignore threats like this without hesitation. Maybe one of the monarchs even.
The man’s fists curled tight. His aura burst outward, pressure shaking the air. "You think this is a ga? You think you can disrespect and walk away unscathed? You think you wouldn’t pay the price for my brother’s death? I’ll burn this academy to the ground before I let you—"
He stopped.
His gaze swept across the crowd of students, slow and sharp. Then his eyes locked directly on .
For the first ti since he walked in, I felt his stare dig into like knives.
And I knew, sohow, he could feel it.
That his brother’s killer was standing right here amongst these students. I’m glad he wasn’t wrong.
Reviews
All reviews (0)