The next morning, when Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan entered the Great Hall, a heavy silence filled the room.
The usual hum of chatter was absent, replaced by an eerie stillness that seed to hang in the air, thick and uncomfortable.
The large stone walls, which normally absorbed the sound of bustling students, now amplified every subtle shift, every quiet footstep.
As the first years made their way to their usual seats, they couldn’t help but notice the sight before them. A few of the third years, usually the most composed group, were seated at their tables, their faces streaked with tears. So were holding their hands over their faces, trying to hide their grief, while others had no such restraint, their sobs echoing throughout the Hall.
The first years exchanged confused looks, their voices hushed in uncertainty. The air was thick with unanswered questions.
What had happened? Why were the third years so upset?
Aiden’s gaze flickered over the sea of students, trying to piece together what was going on. The weight of the silence pressed against his chest as he moved to sit with Adrian and Sevan. Adrian’s face was hard to read, but Aiden could see the faint furrow of his brow, the flicker of curiosity mixed with concern. Sevan, too, looked uneasy, his eyes scanning the room as if trying to understand the cause of the distress.
As they sat down, a soft murmur began to rise from the other students, but the majority of them, especially the first years, remained strangely quiet. They all felt the sa confusion, the sa tension in the air.
Sothing had happened, but no one was speaking openly about it.
Adrian leaned closer to Aiden, his voice barely a whisper. "What do you think happened? Why are they crying?"
Aiden shook his head, unable to answer. His mind raced as he looked around, trying to find any sign of what had caused the sudden sorrow. But the third years weren’t talking. The cries only seed to grow louder, each one like a dagger in the silence of the Hall.
Across the room, Aiden caught a glimpse of Emranne.
She was seated at the table, her face calm, yet her eyes seed distant, locked on sothing far beyond the walls of the Great Hall. For a brief mont, Aiden considered going over to her, asking if she knew what was going on. But then he noticed how stiff her posture was, how the usual calm air around her had shifted. She looked… different.
The Great Hall fell into an unsettling hush as Headmaster Kairos, his owl mask gleaming in the dim light, entered and made his way to the podium.
The whispers died out instantly, and the students watched him closely. There was an aura of authority and solemnity that surrounded the Headmaster, but there was sothing else too- an air of wisdom, like he knew more than he was willing to share.
Kairos paused for a mont at the center of the podium, his presence alone seeming to command the attention of every student in the room. He removed his hands from the sleeves of his robes, his tone warm yet carrying an unmistakable gravity.
"My dear students," he began, his voice deep but gentle, every word asured, "it is with a heavy heart that I must share with you news that will weigh heavily on us all. Our school has lost a mber of its family."
His voice wavered for only a mont, but the steadiness returned imdiately.
"Last night, Savion Ilmari, a third-year student, was found dead in the forest."
He let the words hang in the air for a mont, giving them ti to settle, as if he were hoping the gravity of the situation would sink in. "The cause of his untily passing is still unknown. The teachers are investigating why Savion was out there at such an hour, but I must ask you all to be patient as we work to uncover the truth."
A heavy silence followed, broken only by the faint sobs of so third-years who had known Savion better than the others. Headmaster Kairos’ gaze softened as he looked toward them, his eyes glinting through the owl mask in a way that was almost fatherly.
"I understand this news is troubling," he continued, his voice calm but unwavering, "but we must not allow our fear or grief to cloud our judgnt. It is in tis of great sorrow that we must remind ourselves of the importance of unity." His gaze swept across the students, and his eyes lingered on Aiden for a mont.
"The school will be holding a ceremony later this week to honor Savion’s mory. As we mourn, we must also rember the value of life and the importance of each mont. I encourage you all to reflect on your ti here at Genvah, and the people you hold dear."
There was a pause as he let the weight of his words settle into the minds of the students. "Classes are cancelled for today. Take this ti to process, to reflect, and to gather your thoughts. We will keep you inford, as always."
The Headmaster gave a slight nod to the staff at the table, who all seed to share in the somber atmosphere. His next words were quieter, but still carried the sa profound impact:
"Let us not forget that the mysteries of this world are often best understood when we face them together, with patience and open hearts. We shall find the truth in due ti."
With that, he slowly turned, his robes flowing with his movents as he departed from the podium, his presence leaving a stillness in the room. The air felt thick and heavy with the weight of his words, and the students sat in stunned silence, unsure of what to say or do next.
Aiden, however, felt a shiver run down his spine. He couldn’t help but feel that Kairos’ words, though comforting in their own way, also held a warning.
Sevan glanced over at him, his face serious. "Emranne was out last night as well..."
As the students slowly filed out of the Great Hall, the air heavy with the gravity of the Headmaster’s announcent, Aiden and the others were deep in conversation, their voices low but filled with suspicion.
"Emranne," Sevan muttered, shaking his head. "It’s too much of a coincidence, don’t you think? She was outside last night, right before Savion’s body was found in the forest."
Aiden nodded, his brow furrowed as he walked alongside his friends, the weight of the mystery gnawing at him. "Yeah, we saw her. She walked right past us, out of the dormitory, and then she was gone before we could follow. And now, with Savion… it just doesn’t sit right."
Adrian was quieter than usual, his lips pressed into a thin line as he thought. "We know she’s been around at the wrong ti too many tis. The forest, the arena… and now, the night Savion disappears. She’s connected sohow. But…" His voice trailed off, uncertainty creeping in. "We don’t have proof."
Sevan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know. We need sothing more than just gut feelings and coincidences. We’ve seen her at the wrong tis, but we don’t know what she’s doing out there, and we don’t know why she was sneaking around last night. It’s suspicious, but there’s no solid proof."
Aiden chewed on his lip, his mind racing. They had no evidence, and the more they thought about it, the more they realized how careful Emranne had been.
Even when they saw her, she wasn’t doing anything that could directly link her to the events in the forest. And even if they did manage to follow her, she was always a step ahead, disappearing just as they tried to get close.
"Maybe we could get close to her," Aiden suggested quietly. "You know, ask her so questions. See how she reacts. If we can get her to slip up, maybe we’ll have sothing."
"That’s a start," Sevan agreed. "But we’ve got to be careful. She’s no fool. If she is hiding sothing, she won’t make it easy for us to catch her."
Adrian glanced around, as if checking that no one was listening in. "We need to be smart about this. If she’s involved in sothing bigger, we don’t want to spook her. We need to gather information without her knowing. Then we can confront her, with sothing concrete."
The three of them exchanged a look, understanding the weight of what they were about to do. They couldn’t afford to make a mistake. If Emranne was hiding sothing, it was crucial that they found out what it was, but they had to go about it the right way.
"Let’s keep our eyes on her," Adrian said, his voice low but firm. "We don’t need to do anything drastic. We just need to observe. And when we have the evidence, we’ll deal with it then."
Aiden agreed. They all knew this was their only option. They needed proof before they could do anything about Emranne’s suspicious behavior.
They couldn’t just accuse her without sothing to back it up. The last thing they wanted was to make things worse—or put themselves in a position where they’d end up in trouble.
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