CHAPTER 76— Morality(1)
Rowan lay sprawled across his bed, his eyes wide open, staring blankly at the ceiling.
The voice of Master Orven Draegor echoed endlessly inside his skull.
"I'm talking about Ashwin Skyris. He brought me a raw, extracted mana core from a dark mage itself."
Rowan closed his eyes, desperately trying to force himself to sleep. But the moment his eyelids shut, the nightmare returned unbidden: Ashwin standing atop Seris's lifeless body, coldly ripping the glowing mana core straight out of the dead boy's chest.
A wave of intense, visceral disturbance crawled up his spine. Rowan bolted upright, clenching his teeth so hard his jaw ached.
"Tch..."
---
Huff... Huff... Hufff...
A young boy crouched low behind a thick stone pillar, frantically trying to compress his breathing.
It was Ritvik. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, soaking his bangs and plastering his uniform to his back.
He dared to tilt his head, peeking out past the edge of the pillar.
A few dozen yards away prowled the absolute source of his terror.
Seraphine was frantically wiping her head left and right, Scanning the corridor.
Tiny, incandescent sparks of crimson flame danced menacingly in her eyes.
For the past half-hour, Ritvik's afternoon had devolved into a grueling, high-stakes game of cat and mouse.
First, he had tried hiding beneath a study table; she had blasted the table into charcoal and flushed him out. He had fled.
Then, he had ducked behind a decorative chair; a second later, the chair was engulfed in roaring flames, forcing him to scramble away.
Next, he had attempted to blend in behind a manicured line of massive flower pots—only for the foliage to instantly incinerate into a cloud of grey ash, leaving him completely exposed.
For thirty uninterrupted minutes, Seraphine had methodically burned down half the campus decor just to find him.
"Where are you hiding, you cowardly, perverted piece of trash? Come out and face me!" she roared, her voice echoing down the hall.
And finally, Ritvik is now hiding behind a large stone piller. Luckily Seraphine hasn't been able to caught him here.
'Ah... Just go out of here already.' Ritvik screamed mentally, holding the piller like a lifeline.
"Tch... Where did he went? Is he not here?"
'Yes I'm not here, now please go.'
"Tch.."
Seraphine spun around, the crimson flames wrapping around her hands dying down to a smolder. "if he thinks he can avoid me forever, he's out of his mind. Next time he won't escape my sight."
With a huff of pure fury, she turned on her heel and began marching away.
Ritvik slowly, agonizingly, poked his head out just a fraction of an inch further.
Her back was turned. She was actually leaving.
"Phew..."
Ritvik let out a long, shuddering breath of relief, sliding his back down the pillar until he hit the floor and wiping his face with his sleeve. 'Gosh... I genuinely thought I was going to die today.'
He closed his eyes, pressing a trembling hand over his thumping heart to slow his breathing.
Shhh-hiss... shhh-hiss...
After a few steadying breaths, he opened his eyes again—and froze.
Down the corridor, a familiar, solitary figure caught his eye.
'Rowan?'
Rowan was walking purposefully toward a specific sector of the campus. His fists were clenched tightly by his sides, and his expression carried a dark, grim resolve that looked entirely unlike the usual sullen exhaustion that was occupying his face for the past few days.
Ritvik swallowed hard, an immediate sense of impending dread washing over him then usual.
---
"Wow... Your wand is Incredible, Sarina."
A few corridors away, a group of female classmates clustered around Sarina, their eyes sparkling as they admired the sleek, beautifully balanced piece resting in her hand.
"Yeah... I know. It turned out even better than I expected," Sarina smiled faintly, carefully slotting the wand into the belt at her waist.
"With a wand like that, you're definitely going to sweep the top ranks in the first semester exams," one of the girls cheered.
Sarina chuckled softly, waving a hand dismissively. "A wand is just a tool; it doesn't do the fighting for you. Besides, we still have no idea what kind of practical trials the instructors are cooking up."
The other girls chimed in with agreement. As Sarina smiled, her sharp eyes suddenly flickered past their shoulders, catching sight of movement down the hall.
'What are they doing?'
She watched as Rowan marched steadily down the walkway, followed closely by a stealthy, highly suspicious Ritvik, who was awkwardly hugging the walls and darting behind pillars every time Rowan looked back.
Sarina frowned, watching the two boys vanish around the corner.
---
Rowan halted in front of a heavy, iron-reinforced set of double doors bearing the insignia of the Sanctum Club— the exclusive gathering place reserved for academy students who hailed from mage sanctums.
He had spent the last twenty minutes tracking down its location by asking older students along the way.
He swallowed the dry lump in his throat, his eyes hardening with an icy, stubborn fire. He raised his hand and struck the wood.
Knock... Knock...
A few agonizing moments passed before the heavy latch clicked. The door swung open, and a tall, sharp-featured student looked down at him.
"Yes?"
It took sometime but Rowan recognised the guy.
Zorian Voltis—the same fierce combatant who had clashed with Lyren in the final entrance exam arena battle.
Zorian narrowed his eyes, taking in Rowan's rigid posture.
Rowan clenched his jaw. "I'm here to see Ashwin Skyris."
"Did he summon you?"
"Um... just tell him I wants to have a word with him."
Zorian studied Rowan for a long, heavy beat before stepping aside. "Wait here."
He disappeared back into the interior. A minute later, Zorian returned, gesturing inward. "Come in."
Rowan stepped past the threshold and entered the room following Zorian.
The interior of the Sanctum clubroom was breathtakingly vast, resembling a private indoor colosseum.
Several magical barrier arenas were set up across the floor, students were already engaged in high-intensity sparring matches, the air crackling with the violent discharge of various high-tier spells.
Through the haze of mana and dust, Rowan finally spotted his target.
Sitting casually in a high elevated stair like plateform, yet still practically radiated authority was Ashwin.
Thin films of sweat clung to his brow and collar, indicating he had just finished an intense training session of his own.
Standing nearby, leaning against a pillar, was Kaizen, casually tossing a small spell-orb between his fingers as they conversed.
Rowan strode across the polished stone floor, stopping directly at the base of Ashwin's platform.
Kaizen tilted his head, noticing the visitor first. Ashwin slowly leaned back, resting his arm over the side of the chair, his gaze drifting down with casual, unimpressed amusement.
"Oh. It's you," Ashwin drawled, his voice carrying effortlessly over the ambient noise of the room. "Been a while since I last saw you."
Rowan stared up at him. The mental image of Ashwin ripping the life-force and mana core out of Seris's chest flashed viciously behind his eyes.
"Are you here to join us?" Kaizen offered with a mild, welcoming smile, trying to ease the tension. "Because if you're looking to join the club—"
"I didn't come here to join," Rowan interrupted, his voice sharp, vibrating with suppressed fury as he locked eyes with Ashwin. "I came here because I wanted to talk to you about something."
Ashwin raised his hand signalling him. "Speak then."
"I heard about what you did at the Smithy unit," Rowan spat out, his fists tightening until his knuckles popped. "You submitted mana core of that guy we fought on Rune Island."
Ashwin didn't flinch. He didn't look defensive. He simply stared down at Rowan like a professor looking at an exceptionally slow child.
"Yeah. So?"
"Isn't that... Wrong."
Rowan's voice cracked, rising in volume at the last word.
Bzzzt.
The entire atmosphere inside the massive clubroom suddenly inverted.
The roaring crackle of the sparring spells in the distance cut out instantly. The ambient chatter vanished. A suffocating, crushing wave of mana pressure flooded the space, dropping the ambient temperature by ten degrees.
A cold shiver raced down Rowan's spine. He instinctively whipped his head around, only to realize that every single person in the hall had stopped what they were doing. Dozens of pairs of eyes were locked directly onto him.
He spun back and looked at Zorian who was standing by some distance, and even Kaizen standing beside Ashwin—all of them were staring at him.
'Why are they all looking at me like that?'
Rowan thought, a sudden knot twisting in his gut. There was no murderous intent in their gazes, no malice or rage. Instead, their eyes were filled with an unsettling, profound mixture of worry and grave concern.
It made Rowan wonder, why all of these strangers are looking at him with the eyes full of concern but the answer to that question soon became terrifyingly clear.
"So..." Ashwin whispered, stepping down from the raised dais, his voice dropping an octave as a dark, razor-sharp edge entered his tone. "...you think what I did was wrong?"
Ashwin took one step at a time.
"And came here to lecture me for that."
"I was just—" Rowan started, taking a nervous half-step back.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Ashwin cut him off, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "Some kind of self-righteous little saint wandering down from the mountains to lecture us on ethics and morality?"
"Hey, I didn't mean it like—"
"Let me enlighten you, you arrogant little asshole," Ashwin snapped, closing the distance between them with terrifying speed.
Rowan reflexively retreated, but Ashwin matched every step, backing him into a corner.
"I've seen enough blood, war, and corpses outside these cushioned academy walls to know what's right and what's wrong."
"..."
"I know what my actions are and I damn well don't need a naive kid lecturing me on it."
Ashwin closed the remaining gap and shoved Rowan hard in the chest with one hand, sending him stumbling backward.
"So tell me," Ashwin sneered, stepping right into his face. "Are you going to stand there and keep lecturing me about morality?"
'What the hell?! Why is he acting like that?' Rowan thought.
"What is your problem?!" He barked back, frustration finally breaking through his fear as he tried to push past him.
"I was just—"
"WILL YOU LECTURE ME?!"
Ashwin shoved him again, this time with enough force to send Rowan careening backward off balance. Rowan collided hard with someone standing right behind him, tumbling into their arms.
Rowan spun around, bracing for impact, only to find Ritvik staring back at him in sheer terror.
'Ritvik?! How did he even get in here?!'
Ritvik offered a weak, pathetic grimace, biting his lower lip until it bled.
Rowan looked back up, finding Ashwin standing right over them, entirely unbothered by the sudden appearance of a second intruder.
"Oh? Look at that, you brought a cheerleader," Ashwin mocked, a cold smirk playing on his lips. "Hm? Come on! is there anything else you wanna lecture me about."
When Rowan clamped his mouth shut and lowered his head, not giving any answers, Ashwin's expression soured as he stepped forward.
"Then listen asshole, that dark mage was there to kill us. And died in the battle. If you have so much sympathy towards him. Then rather then staying in Aetherion you should go pack your bags and head towards Umbrae."
Rowan stared at him, his chest heaving. For all of Ashwin's cold detachment, there was a strange, biting heat in his words—as if Rowan's words had genuinely hit some kind of nerve.
Ashwin took a slow step back, cracking his neck. "If you still think you have a point to prove... then draw your wand. Let's settle it right here with a spell showdown."
Ritvik's breath hitched violently. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.
Ashwin towered over them like an apex predator eyeing two trapped mice. He raised his hand, Tempest beginning to arc across his fingertips.
Whoosh—!
Suddenly, a compressed, razor-sharp vortex of swirling wind tore through the air, brushing so close to Ashwin's cheek that it parted a strand of his hair.
Ashwin didn't flinch. He didn't drop his stance. He merely tilted his head sideways, his eyes shifting toward the source of the interruption.
Standing a few yards away, perfectly composed and radiating an aura of absolute ice, was Sarina.
Her new custom wand was extended firmly in her hand, the rune crystal at its tip glowing with a fierce, concentrated light. She had bypassed everyone entirely and marched right into the center of the Sanctum clubroom.
Slowly, she walked forward, stepping directly between Ashwin and the two trembling boys behind her.
She lowered her wand just an inch, her sharp, uncompromising gaze locking straight onto Ashwin's face.
"If you're looking for a spell showdown..." Sarina's voice rang out, clear, steady, and utterly fearless, "...why don't you have it with me?"
Ashwin stared down at her. His expression remained completely flat, devoid of surprise, anger, or intimidation.
"You want to fight me?" Ashwin asked quietly.
"I would much prefer it if this situation were resolved peacefully,"
Sarina replied, crossing her arms over her chest while tilting her head with cool defiance.
"But if you're so eager to throw your weight around against these two, you're more than welcome to try it against someone who can actually fight back."
The two of them locked eyes in a heavy, suffocating standoff. Neither blinked. Neither backed down. The sheer density of their colliding presence left the surrounding students holding their breath.
Then, slowly, the corners of Ashwin's lips curled upward into a strange, unreadable smile.
He let out a low breath, turning his back on them with a casual wave of his hand. "Take your little stray dogs and get out of my clubroom."
He didn't look back as he started walking toward the inner lounge. "And tell them not to come back here whining about things they're too naive to understand."
Sarina didn't drop her guard until Ashwin was completely out of sight. She then spun around on her heel, marching straight up to Rowan and Ritvik. Her eyes flashed with obvious, simmering irritation, clearly demanding an immediate explanation for whatever reckless stunt they had just pulled.
But as she looked at the pale, shaken expressions on both of their faces, she stopped, realizing this was hardly the place for an interrogation.
"Let's go," she muttered under her breath, grabbing Rowan's sleeve and turning toward the exit.
Ritvik scrambled up off the floor, practically sprinting to keep pace as they hurried out of the Sanctum clubroom.
Back near the inner lounge, Ashwin leaned against a structural pillar, watching the trio walking towards exit doors. His gaze remained locked on them intensely, especially on one person in particular.
Sarina.
Beside him, Kaizen was exhaling a massive sigh of relief, wiping visible sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. "Gosh... I was genuinely worried out there."
Ashwin glanced sideways at him with questioning eyes.
"I was worried about those guys..." Kaizen hissed, rubbing his temples. "Thought you are gonna kill them."
"Is that what you think of me?"
"I mean, no, but—you looked pissed!"
Kaizen groaned. Then, squinting suspiciously, he leaned closer.
"Why did you just let them walk away like that? You never back down from a challenge."
Ashwin turned his head back toward the retreating figure of the three.
"Because of that girl."
Kaizen blinked, seeing Sarina walking between Rowan and Ritvik. "The girl? Wait, why?"
"I saw her eyes."
Kaizen's jaw dropped slightly in shock. He followed Ashwin's line of sight, the way he was looking at the retreating figure of Sarina.
Kaizen's brows twitched.
'Don't tell me... is he checking her out?!'
Kaizen's imagination immediately kicked into overdrive, conjuring up scenes from cheesy romance novels where a cold, unfeeling male lead falls head-over-heels in love at first sight.
"I like your eyes."
'That's what the male leads of those books usually say.' . Kaizen thought, mimicking the typical tropes of those books.
'And the male leads always stare at the girl's back with a strange longing.
Slowly, Kaizen drew his own terrifying realization.
'Don't tell me the great Skybreaker Ashwin has fallen in—'
Kaizen's eyes widened as his mind raced through various overly dramatic romantic scenarios, his face dropping at the sheer absurdity of it.
"I like your eyes," Kaizen muttered aloud in a mock-dreamy voice, before snapping back to reality and panicking. "Wait! Ashwin, you can't—!"
"Eyes that wouldn't hesitate to kill you,"
Ashwin continued calmly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "There are very few people in this entire academy who carry a gaze like that."
Kaizen's face went utterly blank. He instantly regretted every single thought that had just passed through his head.
"Oh... so that's what it was."
Ashwin looked at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Hmm? What were you thinking then?"
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CHAPTER ENDS