CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR _ THE FOUNDERS BALL
1285 Words
The grand doors of the Royal Ballroom slowly opened.
A melody of violins drifted through the academy as crystal chandeliers bathed the ballroom in warm golden light. Elegant white roses, silver ribbons, and glittering decorations transformed the hall into something out of a fairy tale.
Tonight, the academy forgot about training, rivalries, and examinations.
Tonight...
They celebrated.
One by one, students arrived with their dates, dressed in breathtaking gowns and tailored suits.
Laughter filled the room as cameras flashed and classmates admired one another.
Liam entered the ballroom beside Becca, offering her his arm like a true gentleman.
"You clean up nicely," Liam teased.
Becca laughed, smoothing her sapphire-blue gown.
"So do you."
To everyone else, they looked like another happy couple enjoying the evening.
Only Becca knew she was secretly searching the crowd for Omar.
Meanwhile...
Deep inside the academy library, Owen sat alone beneath the glow of an ancient lamp.
Books were piled around him as he quietly turned another page.
From somewhere in the distance, the faint sound of music echoed through the silent halls.
He didn't even look up.
"The Founder's Ball can wait," he murmured to himself.
"This can't."
Back in the ballroom...
The lights dimmed.
The orchestra fell silent.
The principal stepped onto the stage with a warm smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
"It is my honor to welcome the reigning Founder's Ball royalty..."
"Our Prom King..."
"...Asher Blackwood."
"And our Prom Queen..."
"...Mia Ashford."
The grand doors swung open once more.
Asher stepped inside in a perfectly tailored midnight-blue tuxedo, every bit the academy's golden boy.
Beside him, Mia looked absolutely radiant.
She wore a dazzling silver gown that shimmered beneath the chandeliers like fresh snow beneath moonlight. A delicate crystal tiara rested upon her head, completing the image of a queen.
Together, they looked effortless.
Elegant.
Untouchable.
The ballroom erupted into applause.
"They're stunning..."
"No wonder they're king and queen."
"They look perfect together."
Mia smiled proudly, soaking in every admiring glance.
Asher smiled as well...
But only with his lips.
His eyes quietly searched the room...
Looking for someone who wasn't there.
And the night had only just begun.
The ballroom was alive.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead as the orchestra filled the room with elegant music. Laughter echoed from every corner while couples glided effortlessly across the polished marble floor.
For one perfect evening...
The academy had forgotten about rivalries.
Forgotten about powers.
Forgotten about war.
Students laughed, danced, and admired one another.
Mia basked in the attention of being the academy's reigning queen.
Becca smiled politely beside Liam, though her eyes constantly wandered toward the entrance.
She was waiting.
Waiting for Omar.
Surely...
He would come looking for her.
Across the ballroom, Asher forced a smile whenever someone congratulated him, but inside, his thoughts never left Olivia.
Liam laughed along with Becca, hiding the disappointment of knowing Olivia hadn't arrived.
Maybe...
She wasn't coming.
Wyatt leaned against a marble pillar, silently watching the room with the patience of a hunter.
Then...
The ballroom doors opened.
No one noticed.
Not immediately.
A few students turned.
Their conversations stopped.
Then another group noticed.
Within seconds...
The laughter faded.
The whispers died.
Even the dancers slowed.
The orchestra continued playing...
Yet somehow...
The room had become deafeningly silent.
Standing beneath the doorway was Omar.
Every inch of him looked like royalty.
His black ceremonial suit, embroidered with gold, caught the light as he stepped inside.
Then...
A second figure appeared beside him.
Olivia.
She wore an emerald-green gown that shimmered like living flame beneath the chandeliers. Her hair framed her face elegantly, and for the first time since arriving at the academy...
She looked like she belonged there.
Together...
They looked breathtaking.
The entire ballroom stared.
Someone dropped a champagne glass.
It shattered against the marble floor.
No one looked away.
"...Is that Olivia?"
"She's with Omar..."
"The Crown Prince brought her?"
"No way..."
The whispers spread like wildfire.
Becca's smile disappeared.
Her heart stopped.
She couldn't breathe.
She stared at Omar...
Then at Olivia.
Then back again.
Her fingers slowly tightened around Liam's arm until her knuckles turned white.
No...
No...
He promised me.
He had told her their relationship had to remain a secret.
He had told her it was for her safety.
She believed him.
She had accepted the loneliness.
She had accepted watching him from afar.
She had accepted pretending they were strangers.
But this...
This wasn't pretending.
This was public.
This was deliberate.
He had chosen another girl.
Right in front of the entire academy.
She felt something inside her c***k.
Then her eyes found Olivia.
The girl she had welcomed.
The girl she had defended.
The girl she had comforted.
Her own roommate.
Her own best friend.
A sharp pain twisted into something darker.
How could you...?
For the first time...
Becca didn't see Olivia as her best friend.
She saw her as the girl who had stolen everything she loved.
Across the ballroom...
Asher froze.
His smile vanished instantly.
His eyes remained fixed on Omar and Olivia.
His breathing became uneven.
You knew.
You knew how I felt.
He had trusted Omar with everything.
He had confessed his feelings.
His fears.
His hopes.
His best friend had listened.
And now...
His best friend was walking into the ballroom with the very girl he loved.
Something inside Asher broke.
Not because Olivia had chosen Omar...
But because Omar had chosen Olivia.
His best friend.
The one person he never believed would betray him.
The applause.
The music.
The laughter.
It all became distant.
He couldn't hear any of it anymore.
Only one thought echoed in his mind.
You betrayed me.
Liam's world collapsed.
His heart pounded violently against his chest.
He had spent days convincing himself he still had a chance.
Even if Olivia had laughed when he suggested the ball...
He had never imagined this.
Not Omar.
Anyone...
But not Omar.
His fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms.
A burning anger surged through him.
You took everything.
His best friend.
His confidence.
His hope.
He couldn't stop staring at Omar.
For the first time...
He didn't see the Crown Prince.
He saw the man who had unknowingly destroyed his dream.
Only one person smiled.
Wyatt.
A slow...
Satisfied...
Dangerous smile.
He watched the room fracture without lifting a finger.
Friendships.
Trust.
Love.
Jealousy.
Everything was falling apart.
Exactly as he wanted.
He quietly whispered to himself,
"Sometimes..."
"...all it takes to start a war..."
"...is one entrance."
And the Founder's Ball had only just begun.
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