The corridors of the Magic Tower University stretched out like endless tunnels, their towering walls adorned with shimring arcane inscriptions that pulsed faintly in the dim light. Normally, Amberine Poli would have found comfort in their familiarity, but today, the intricate designs only seed to close in around her. Her footsteps echoed too loudly, each step reverberating in her ears like the tolling of a distant bell. She kept her gaze forward, her shoulders hunched slightly, as though shielding herself from the unseen eyes that followed her.
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She could hear them, the whispers and half-spoken conversations that danced just out of reach. Words carried by soft voices that were sohow louder than the hum of magical conduits lining the walls. Her chest tightened as she passed a group of students clustered near a glowing noticeboard.
"Did you hear? Draven killed Sharon of Blackthorn because she served Sophie von Icevern, his ex-fiancé," one of them said, the excitent in their voice like nails on a chalkboard.
"They say he let the Devil Coffin infiltrate Aetherion just to spite Sophie," another added, their tone dripping with judgnt.
Amberine's pace quickened, but the voices seed to follow her, their cruel edges slicing through her thoughts.
"Typical Draven. Cold, calculating, and heartless."
"I heard he's always been jealous of the Blackthorn family."
She gritted her teeth, her hands curling into fists at her sides. The air around her seed heavier, pressing down with each step. She turned a corner, hoping to escape the noise, but more voices drifted toward her.
"Do you think he'll be executed?"
"He's too dangerous to keep alive, that's for sure."
"This is what happens when you let soone like him roam unchecked."
Her stomach churned. She wanted to scream at them, to tell them they were wrong, but her voice felt trapped in her throat. Instead, she forced herself to keep walking, her pace brisk, her head down.
"Maybe he's been working with the Devil Coffin all along," soone said, their voice tinged with mock conspiracy.
"No wonder Aetherion fell under attack—it was probably his plan," another replied with a laugh.
"How could the council even let him go? They should have kept him chained."
Her fists clenched tighter, her nails biting into her palms. The whispers blurred together, a cacophony of accusations and disdain that drowned out her thoughts. Each word was a stone, piling onto the weight already pressing on her chest.
Wasn't this what she had wanted? She had hated Draven—hated the way his cold, detached deanor made her feel small, insignificant. She had despised how he seed to manipulate everything and everyone around him, always several steps ahead, as though life itself were just a ga to him. Shouldn't she feel vindicated, knowing he was finally facing consequences? Shouldn't there be a sense of satisfaction, of justice, seeing the mighty Draven brought low? Yet, instead of triumph, all she could feel was an uncomfortable hollowness, like a sour taste left behind after an indulgence she had thought she craved.
"This isn't right," she thought. "He isn't responsible for Sharon's death. And the Devil Coffin ca because of … because I was their target."
The guilt compounded with every step, every whisper that reached her ears. She felt like she was being suffocated by the weight of unspoken truths and the lies that had taken root in their place.
Amberine's thoughts spiraled as she reached the entrance to the library wing. She paused, her breath shallow, her heart pounding. The whispers seed to fade as she stood there, the silence almost deafening in its suddenness. Her hands relaxed slightly, but the tension in her chest remained.
____
The lab was quiet, the faint hum of magical equipnt filling the air as Amberine sat at the long table. Across from her, Professor Astrid's sharp eyes bore into her, filled with both curiosity and concern. Elara and Maris flanked her, their expressions a mix of worry and anticipation.
"What happened to Professor Draven?" Astrid's voice was calm but insistent, cutting through the stillness like a blade.
Amberine hesitated, her fingers curling around the edge of the table. The rumors she had heard replayed in her mind, each one more damning than the last.
"They're saying he killed Lady Sharon of Blackthorn," she began, her voice unsteady. "And that he let the Devil Coffin into Aetherion."
The words tasted bitter as she spoke them, each one a lie she wanted to dispel but didn't know how.
"No!" The word burst from her lips, loud and forceful. She slamd her hands on the table, the sound echoing through the room. "He's not the one! He saved !"
Her voice cracked, the weight of her emotions breaking through her usual composure. Elara and Maris reached for her hands, their touches grounding her as her breathing quickened.
"Calm down," Elara said, her tone steady but firm.
Maris squeezed her hand gently. "It's okay, Amberine. Just breathe."
Amberine closed her eyes, forcing herself to take a deep breath. The room seed to tilt around her, her thoughts spinning out of control.
"We don't know for certain about Lady Sharon," Astrid said, her voice asured. "But the one person who could confirm the truth, Chancellor Kyrion, is missing. Possibly abducted by the Devil Coffin."
Amberine's chest tightened. Should she tell them the truth? That the Devil Coffin had targeted her, not Draven? The thought of revealing that made her stomach churn.
Astrid seed to sense her hesitation. She placed a hand on Amberine's shoulder, her touch light but reassuring. "It's fine. You don't have to say anything now. But can we at least conclude that the professor isn't in the wrong?"
Amberine's voice trembled as she replied, "Yes… he saved all of us. He bled and fought for us. He saved …"
Maris pulled her into a tight hug, her arms warm and comforting. "It's okay," she whispered. "You don't have to explain everything now."
Astrid nodded, her expression softening. "You must know, Amberine, that the whole kingdom may lash out at Draven. But don't let the rumors affect you."
Amberine's thoughts drifted as Astrid's words sank in. The professor's calm deanor and unwavering conviction left a mark, but the guilt and unease in her chest refused to dissipate.
____
The cafeteria was bustling, the clatter of plates and the hum of conversations creating a lively backdrop. Amberine sat at a table with Elara and Maris, a tray of food in front of her. The aroma of warm dishes filled the air, but she barely touched her plate.
Elara's sharp gaze flicked to her, her expression as unreadable as ever. "You're not yourself," she said flatly.
Amberine bristled, her fork clattering against her plate. "I'm fine. Seriously, I'm fine."
Elara raised an eyebrow. "The usual Amberine wouldn't settle for the cheapest al in the cafeteria. And she wouldn't just sit there, not saying 'It's good, it's good.'"
Maris giggled, her grin infectious. "Yeah, where's the Amberine who talks nonstop about everything?"
Amberine looked down at her tray, her gaze lingering on the unremarkable assortnt of cheap food she hadn't consciously chosen. It was a habit she thought she'd left behind, a relic of her early days at the university before her sponsorship allowed her to indulge in better als. The realization struck her with a strange sense of nostalgia, tinged with embarrassnt. She let out a small laugh, a sound that started hesitant but grew louder as it broke through the tension in her chest. The laugh felt odd to her, like a sudden crack in a dam she hadn't realized was holding back so much.
"What's so funny?" Maris asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
Amberine shook her head, a faint smile lingering on her lips. "Nothing, it's just… this al. It's the sa thing I used to get when I couldn't afford anything else. I didn't even realize I picked it."
Maris grinned. "Cheap als and all, huh? Guess old habits die hard."
Elara, ever the stoic one, glanced down at her own tray, the faintest hint of a smirk crossing her face. "Seems like even your subconscious knows you're distracted."
"Distracted might be putting it lightly," Amberine admitted, her tone softer now. She gestured at the food in front of her, the sparse portions a stark contrast to the more indulgent als she'd grown accustod to. "I guess… I've been so caught up in everything that I didn't even notice what I was doing."
Maris laughed, the sound light and comforting. "That's okay. Honestly, it's a little endearing seeing you like this. Less… intense, you know?"
Amberine rolled her eyes playfully, the tension in her shoulders easing as the conversation shifted. For a brief mont, surrounded by her friends, she felt a sliver of normalcy return. "Alright, alright, make fun of
all you want. Just don't expect
to share my al."
The three of them laughed together, their voices mingling with the bustling noise of the cafeteria. It wasn't much, but in that fleeting mont, it felt like the heavy weight of recent events had been lifted, if only just a little.
"I guess… I've been distracted," she admitted, her voice softer now.
The three of them laughed together, the sound lightening the atmosphere around them. For a mont, the weight on Amberine's shoulders seed to lift.
As the laughter subsided, Elara leaned in, her gaze sharp and unyielding. "Tell ," she said, her tone cutting through the lingering levity. "What actually happened, Amberine?"
Maris's expression softened, her voice gentle but insistent. "We want to know. What really happened at Aetherion?"
Amberine hesitated, her fingers tightening around her fork. The question hung in the air, heavy with expectation. She took a deep breath, her thoughts swirling as she prepared to answer.
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