Natasha's wrist twisted sharply. A bolt of golden lightning snapped into
the marble beside Darius's ear, scorching the wall. "Come on! Show me what you
nobles are really made of!"
The corridor froze. Not a whisper, not a breath—the onlookers' awe and
fear locked their throats. Then came the sound. Heavy footsteps. Slow,
deliberate. Each one cutting through the silence like a drumbeat.
"ENOUGH!"
The command cracked like thunder. Every head turned. Edward Hamilton
stood at the corridor's entrance, his sleeveless vest straining over a frame
built for battle, his black hair barely stirred by the breeze. His presence
pressed on the disciples like a weight, demanding silence without effort.
Beside him hurried Lily Frost, her pink hanfu rippling as she clutched
her white haori close. Her brown eyes darted from Shaun's split lip to the
nobles' bruises, her expression pinched with worry.
"Oh my! Shaun! Natasha!" she gasped, her hand reaching for Shaun before
hesitating inches from his shoulder.
Edward's gaze swept the corridor—over Rufus's bloodied sneer, Natasha's
crackling aura, Shaun's defiant stance. When he spoke, his tone was calm, but
the iron beneath it made even the nobles flinch.
"All of you. My office. Now. Shaun. Natasha. That includes you."
"But, T-Teacher Hamilton! They started it! The commoner—he struck us
first!" Caelus's voice cracked as he scrambled upright, trying to twist the
truth.
Edward's eyes locked onto him, his voice dropping like stone. "Was I
unclear?"
The very air seemed to groan, as if the academy itself warned Caelus to
shut his mouth.
Edward turned to the crowd of disciples, whose wide eyes still lingered
on the scene. "And the rest of you—what are you doing here? Is this
entertainment? Back to your classrooms. Now."
The command scattered them instantly—robes whispering as they fled like
startled birds. Edward pivoted without another word, his vest rippling with the
motion. Lily hurried after him, ice magic flickering anxiously at her
fingertips.
The nobles, bruised but cowed, dared not resist. Shaun wiped blood from
his lip, catching Natasha's grey-eyed glare of defiance. Her hand brushed
his—brief, grounding. Together, they followed Edward into whatever storm
awaited them next.
**********
The oak doors shut with a heavy thud, sealing the chamber in oppressive
silence. Dark shelves sagged with scrolls along the walls, while a lone lantern
burned at the centre, its flame casting sharp shadows across the scarred desk.
The air itself seemed to demand discipline, thick and heavy. The wooden floor
groaned under eight restless pairs of feet.
Behind the desk sat Edward Hamilton, arms folded, eyes dark with
disappointment. He let the silence stretch until it pressed like a weight on
every chest, sweat beading along the necks of both Nobles and Commoners alike.
Finally, his voice cut through, calm but sharp as steel.
"Explain yourselves. You turned the first-floor corridor into a
battlefield. Do you think this academy is your personal duelling ground?"
Shaun lowered his gaze but kept his back straight. Natasha stood beside
him, fists clenched, shoulders rigid. Across from them, the four nobles
exchanged glances before Rufus stepped forward, clutching his ribs but puffing
his chest in false confidence.
"Master Edward," he began, his tone thick with indignation. "It was they
who started it. This commoner boy insulted us all by claiming he would surpass
the Supreme Mages. When we tried to correct his arrogance, he and that fallen
aristocrat attacked us like rabid dogs!"
Lorien's voice cut in, sharp and cold. "They disrespected us—and the
order of this academy."
Darius and Caelus added their agreement, voices overlapping, weaving
their lies together. Caelus adjusted his gold-trimmed sleeve, his lips curling
as he stepped forward, polished boots clicking against stone.
"Master Hamilton, these two ambushed us. Unprovoked violence against
nobles? That's a hanging offense in civilized circles," He flicked his hand
toward Shaun and Natasha as if brushing away dirt.
"And that girl," Darius added smoothly, adjusting his cuffs with
deliberate calm. "She dared to summon thunder in the hallways. She could have
killed someone."
Natasha's black eyes flicked briefly to Shaun before locking back onto
the nobles, a storm brewing. Her voice cracked through the air.
"Oh, please. If I wanted you dead, you'd be ash already." She stepped
forward, sleeves of her hanfu flaring like banners.
Caelus pointed quickly, playing up his fear. "Master Edward, you heard
her! If she dares to speak like this in front of you, imagine her recklessness
in the halls!"
Edward's gaze shifted to Shaun. "And you two? What do you say?"
"Master Edward, Teacher Lily—we didn't start this. We didn't insult
anyone. They ambushed us in the corridor, mocked us, demanded we kneel. We
fought because we had no choice," Shaun stepped forward, fists clenched, a fire
burning in his eyes.
"Yes, Master Edward. Shaun speaks truth. These four provoked us. Shaun
and I were just walking, discussing today's lecture on fundamentals, when Rufus
tripped him on purpose and laughed. When I called them out, they called us
vermin and said we didn't belong here," Natasha's voice rang firm beside him,
steady but burning.
"Then they demanded Shaun rub his nose against the ground in apology. I
won't let them talk to him like that. We defended ourselves. Nothing more," Her fists clenched tighter.
**********
The room bristled with tension, accusations clashing like blades. Then
the doors creaked open and slammed against the wall. Silence fell.
A chill seemed to slither in with Lord Garrick Veynor. His embroidered
robes whispered across the floor, each step steeped in authority. The noble
disciples straightened instantly, their grins twisting smug with sudden
triumph. Garrick's gaze swept the chamber before fixing on Shaun and Natasha,
eyes narrowing with venom as if they were stains on fine silk.
"Master Edward," he said coldly, "what is the meaning of this? Commoners
brawling in the halls? Raising fists against noble blood? What disgrace has
this academy chosen to harbour?"
Darius stepped forward, chin tilted, voice thick with false concern.
"Master Veynor, these peasants assaulted us without provocation! Rufus nearly
had his nose broken!"
"They've no respect for their betters," Lorien added, crossing his arms
with a smirk. "It's treasonous arrogance."
"How dare you," Garrick hissed at Shaun and Natasha. His voice grated
like steel dragged over stone.
"This is not mere misconduct—it is treason. These two have not only
disrupted the academy's peace but dared to raise hands against those above
them. I demand their expulsion at once. Lady Grandmaster Maya herself should
decide their fate."
Natasha's fingers twitched, sparks of thunder crawling across her palms.
Shaun took a step forward, forcing himself to stay calm, and bowed his
head slightly. "We didn't start this, Master Garrick. They—"
"Silence!" Garrick's roar cracked like a whip, cutting him short. His
glare locked onto Shaun, sharp and merciless.
"Ah. So you are the stench." He stepped closer, boots clicking like
hammer blows on stone. He loomed mere inches away, forcing Shaun to tilt his
head up to meet his eyes. "You think this academy is your playground? That you
have the right to soil these sacred halls with your filth? Answer me, boy!"
Then his gaze slid to Natasha. Lightning hissed across her fingertips,
her sleeves snapping like banners in the storm, but Garrick's contempt only
deepened.
"And you… a traitor to your bloodline. You'd forsake your family's
name—for this? Both of you are a disgrace. You have no place in this academy."
Shaun's fists trembled, his pulse roaring in his ears, but he did not
break eye contact. Natasha's glare was sharp enough to cut glass, her aura
sparking brighter with every breath.
Behind them, Rufus and his allies straightened, smug grins spreading
across their bruised faces, emboldened by Garrick's decree.
"Master Garrick. Let's not leap to judgment."
Edward's hand lifted, palm out—a quiet command. His voice was low,
measured, yet edged with iron.
"Judgment?" Garrick's voice cracked like a whip. "The evidence is plain!
That boy's knuckles are split. The girl's magic still crackles in the air. And
you call this an investigation? No—this is your weakness laid bare. Your heart
is too soft, tainted by sympathy for vermin." His gaze burned. "You'd shield
these worms while they disgrace our academy?"
**********
Rufus and his allies smirked, emboldened. Shaun's fists tightened,
Natasha's aura flared dangerously—but this time it was Edward's own knuckles
that whitened. His jaw flexed, his glare like a blade about to be unsheathed.
Before the storm could break, Lily stepped forward. Her hanfu brushed
the stone like falling petals, her presence quiet but unshakable. Brown eyes
glinted with steel as her voice, soft yet cutting, filled the chamber.
"That is not the truth, Master Veynor. I have spoken with the witnesses.
Many confirmed it—Rufus, Lorien, Darius, and Caelus were the ones who provoked
the fight. They cornered Shaun and Natasha, mocked them, demanded they kneel.
The two had no choice but to defend themselves."
The chamber shifted. The smug grins on the nobles faltered, unease
creeping in at the edges. Garrick's icy stare sharpened, lips curling as if the
words themselves offended him.
Edward leaned back slightly, his lips twitching—not quite a smile, but
close. He clapped his hands together, the sharp crack echoing like thunder.
"Well then," he said, his gaze locking onto Garrick. "It seems this
matter isn't as clear as you claimed. Care to revisit your judgment, Master
Garrick? Or…"
Edward's tone sharpened into a smirk, "…shall I do as you yourself
suggested and take this straight to Lady Grandmaster Maya? If you insist, we
can start by submitting your four disciples to questioning. After all, you did
say her wisdom was required."
Nobles froze, their faces draining of triumph. Garrick's composure
wavered—his authority twisted against him, his own words turned into a noose.
**********