The rhythmic clatter of hooves echoed across the training ground as they entered at ground zero.
Students turned in unison, their murmurs rising like a wave as two horses appeared at the edge of Ground Zero.
Behind them was Cecelia. On the front atop was Cecelia’s brother, Erainlia.
"Is that... Cecelia’s brother?" a girl talked among themselves and her cheeks turned pink.
"He looks so handso..." another added, clasping her hands together dramatically.
"Handso?" a boy scoffed under his breath. "He looks more like he’s here to show off. Who rides a horse into training grounds?"
"Maybe they wanted everyone to notice them," soone muttered, earning a stifled laugh from a few nearby.
Even the professors reacted. Professor Orwen raised a brow while he was about to say sothing but he chose to stay silent.
Professor Sylvia, on the other hand, stood in a serious mood.
"Cecelia!"Elysia stepped forward from the rows of students and she felt relief.
She waved her hand high above her head, ignoring the startled looks of those around her.
Cecelia’s expression softened imdiately. She reined her horse in, then gracefully dismounted, her boots touching the ground with a light sound. A smile blood on her lips as she spotted her friend.
"Elysia!" she called back warmly.
The two girls moved quickly toward each other, closing the gap in monts.
Cecelia’s brother, Erainlia, stepped down from the horses. A few of the braver girls whispered to one another.
"He is soo tall..."
"And those eyes—don’t they look kind of intimidating?"
Kael had been standing quietly near the back of the crowd, trying not to draw too much attention to himself.
His relief at seeing Cecelia safe had only just begun to settle in when his brother ca alongside.
"Kael, you criminal!" Erainlia shouted.
The crowd gasped.
"Did he just call him a criminal?"
"Wait—what’s going on?"
"Is he serious?"
Kael froze for a mont. His body stiffened instinctively, but before he could respond, Cecelia’s panicked cry rang out.
"No, brother!" Cecelia’s voice carried over the gasps. She grabbed Erainlia’s arm, desperation etched in her face.
"Stop this—please!"
But Erainlia’s expression was carved in stone. His eyes burned with cold fury, and his hand moved swiftly to the sword strapped at his side.
"Thunder Sword!" he roared.
In an instant, the air split open with a blinding flash.
Lightning crackled and twisted around Erainlia’s blade, sparking violently. He swung the weapon downward, releasing a wave of electrical energy in the form of a sword that surged across the ground toward Kael.
The students scread, stumbling backward, shielding their faces from the glare.
Kael’s breath caught in his throat. The sheer force of it was overwhelming—too fast to dodge.
He could already feel the hair on his arms standing from the charge. His legs refused to move.
But just as the wave of lightning was about to strike him, soone stepped in.
"Barrier Formation!"
Veyla appeared like a wall in front of Kael, her palms pressed firmly together.
A translucent shield of light expanded outward, shimring against the crackling current.
The lightning slamd into the barrier with an explosive BOOM, sending shockwaves rippling through the ground.
Dust and sparks filled the air.
For a mont, it felt as though the entire field had been split in half. But the barrier held.
Veyla’s teeth clenched, sweat beading on her forehead as she forced her skill to its limit. Slowly, the lightning faded, dispersing into harmless sparks before vanishing into the air.
The crowd fell silent, staring in disbelief.
Kael blinked, his heart pounding in his ears. He looked at Veyla, her stance unyielding despite the strain.
"...Thank you," kael said.
Veyla didn’t look at him, her eyes still fixed on Erainlia. "Stay behind . Don’t move."
Erainlia’s gaze narrowed, but he didn’t release another strike. The tension in the air was thick, like a storm waiting to break again.
Then, a heavy sound struck the ground.
BAM!
Professor Sylvia’s heel slamd against the ground floor, the impact resonating like a drumbeat.
The air pressed everyone with the heavy air, pressing down on everyone’s shoulders.
Conversations were silenced at once. The students who had been murmuring and panicking seconds ago now stood stiffly, their throats dry.
Sylvia spoke.
"Enough."
Her piercing eyes turned directly toward Erainlia. "What do you want, Erainlia?" she asked coldly.
"Do you intend to duel a student in the middle of class? Or perhaps destroy the academy grounds?"
Erainlia lowered his sword slightly but didn’t sheath it. His jaw was tight, his voice spoke with anger.
"That boy—he cannot be trusted. He—"
"Not here." Sylvia cut him off imdiately, her tone brooking no argunt. "If you want to discuss, we will discuss them properly, in the staff room. Not by reckless shouting, not by endangering students."
For a heartbeat, Erainlia seed ready to argue. Cecelia’s grip on his arm tightened, her eyes pleading.
"Brother... please. Don’t."
Finally, after a long silence, Erainlia exhaled sharply through his nose. With a deliberate motion, he let the lightning fade from his blade and sheathed it once more.
His eyes, however, lingered on Kael with unrelenting suspicion.
Professor Sylvia’s expression softened only slightly. "Good. Then follow , Erainlia. We will settle this where it should be settled—not in front of impressionable students."
Her gaze flickered briefly toward Kael, before she turned away.
The crowd remained hushed, the shock still hanging heavy in the air. Students glanced at Kael, so whispering behind their hands, others keeping a wary distance.
Kael lowered his head, his thoughts churning. Relief, unease, and guilt all weighed on him.
He knew one thing for certain—whatever Erainlia believed about him... this was only the beginning of his move.
The heavy door to the staff room closed with a dull thud.
Professor Sylvia sat at the head of the long table, her arms folded, while a few other professors gathered quietly at the sides.
Kael stood near the corner, stiff and uncertain, his hands clenched at his sides.
Erainlia stepped forward, his expression grim, his voice sharp as he addressed them all.
"Our sealed box has been stolen," he declared, each word laced with anger. His gaze cut directly toward Kael like a blade.
"And the thief... is none other than him."
Whispers rippled among the professors, so frowning, others exchanging uncertain looks.
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