Chapter 4: After the Storm
1204 Words
The thunder rolled across the sky again, louder than before, and whatever order remained inside the Grand Hall disappeared completely. Students who had remained seated throughout the ceremony were now standing openly, craning their necks to get a better view of the crystal while professors hurried toward the platform with none of the calm dignity they had displayed earlier.
The silver light continued to spread through the crystal.
No one seemed willing to touch it.
I couldn't blame them.
A few minutes ago, the most exciting thing that had happened was a girl awakening an advanced Fire affinity. Now an entire hall full of students was staring at a crystal that appeared to have developed a personal grudge against the laws of magic.
The Headmaster reached the platform first.
"Miss Valmont, step away from the crystal."
I obeyed immediately.
This was not the moment to test the patience of an elderly man who looked one inconvenience away from retirement.
The moment I stepped back, several professors surrounded the crystal. Some examined it from a distance while others began arguing among themselves in voices that were supposed to be quiet but weren't.
"That's impossible."
"The records mention no such affinity."
"The records are over eight hundred years old."
"And yet they mention nothing."
The silver light pulsed again.
Every professor immediately stopped talking.
That was somehow worse.
The Headmaster's expression remained unreadable as he studied the crystal for several moments before turning toward the crowd.
"The Affinity Test is suspended until further notice. First-year students are to return to their dormitories immediately."
The announcement was met with a wave of complaints.
Several students protested at once while others looked disappointed that their turn had been interrupted. Unfortunately for them, none of the professors appeared interested in continuing the ceremony.
Faculty members quickly began directing students toward the exits, but very few people left without glancing back at either the crystal or me.
I had a feeling my peaceful academy life was already over.
Rose reached me before the crowd could fully disperse.
"Are you alright?"
The question should have been expected, but I still found myself smiling slightly.
"I'm standing, aren't I?"
Rose folded her arms.
"That wasn't my question."
"It was a very convenient answer."
"It was a terrible answer."
I was about to defend myself when movement near the platform caught my attention.
Several students stepped aside to make way for two young men approaching through the crowd.
I recognized them immediately.
That was unfortunate.
Theodore Aurelius, Crown Prince of the kingdom, looked exactly as he had in the game. Golden hair framed sharp features that somehow managed to appear approachable and intimidating at the same time. His silver-trimmed third-year uniform was immaculate, and the students around him instinctively moved aside long before he reached them.
Beside him walked Lorcan Wintercrest.
The heir to the Northern Dukedom carried himself with the same quiet confidence I remembered from the game. His pale hair and composed expression made him look completely unaffected by the chaos around him, though his eyes missed very little.
Both of them stopped a short distance away.
"Rose," Theodore greeted.
Rose inclined her head politely.
"Your Highness."
The exchange was casual enough to suggest they had spoken many times before. That made sense. Rose was one of the most well-known students in the academy, and Theodore was the Crown Prince. Their paths would have crossed long before today.
Theodore's gaze shifted toward me.
For a brief moment, I found myself remembering every route I had played involving him and immediately wished my memory would cooperate less.
"Lady Geraldine," he said. "How are you feeling?"
I blinked.
Of all the questions I expected from the Crown Prince, that was not one of them.
"Confused."
A faint smile touched his expression.
"That is understandable."
"It would be more understandable if someone explained what just happened."
To my surprise, it was Lorcan who answered.
"I don't think anyone here can."
The statement was delivered so calmly that it took a second to register what he had actually said.
Around us, professors were still examining the crystal without getting any closer to solving the problem.
That wasn't encouraging.
"The crystal has never reacted like that before?" I asked.
Lorcan's gaze moved briefly toward the platform.
"Not in any record I've read."
That answer immediately raised more questions than it solved.
Before I could ask another, a group of professors approached the Headmaster and began speaking urgently. Their conversation was too quiet to make out clearly, but I caught a few words.
"...the palace..."
"...must be informed..."
"...impossible affinity..."
Theodore's expression tightened almost imperceptibly.
Rose noticed it too.
That was when I realized she looked more concerned than anyone else in the hall.
Not curious.
Not surprised.
Concerned.
As though she understood the significance of what had happened far better than I did.
The realization lingered in my mind longer than it should have.
I made a mental note to ask her about it later.
Unfortunately, later was becoming increasingly difficult to reach.
The floor seemed strangely unsteady beneath my feet.
At first I assumed I had imagined it, but the sensation returned when I shifted my weight. The movement was subtle enough that nobody else appeared to notice, and I straightened immediately before anyone could mistake it for weakness.
The attempt lasted all of three seconds.
Rose's eyes narrowed.
"Geri."
"I'm fine."
"You just stumbled."
"I adjusted my footing."
"You stumbled."
I looked toward Rowan in search of support.
He had appeared beside us at some point during the conversation, though no one seemed entirely sure when.
To my disappointment, he sided with Rose immediately.
"You stumbled."
Traitor.
The discussion might have continued if another pulse of silver light hadn't erupted from the crystal.
This time the reaction was strong enough to draw everyone's attention back toward the platform. Conversations stopped. Professors turned. Even the students who had nearly reached the exits paused to look back.
The crystal glowed brighter than before.
A low murmur spread through the hall.
Then the thunder returned.
The sound shook the windows.
Several students jumped.
One professor swore.
The Headmaster ignored all of them and continued staring at the crystal.
my vision had begun to blur.
The edges of the hall seemed slightly out of focus, and concentrating on any one thing required more effort than it should have. When I blinked, the silver light from the crystal lingered in my vision for a fraction of a second longer than normal.
Rose moved closer.
This time she didn't ask whether I was alright.
"Call a healer."
"Move back and give her space."
The voices blended together.
I wasn't entirely sure who was speaking anymore.
The floor tilted again, and this time there was no recovering from it. Rose caught me before I could hit the ground, but even that felt distant somehow, as though it were happening to someone else.
The last thing I saw before darkness swallowed my vision was the crystal on the platform.
Its silver light continued to pulse steadily while the thunder echoed overhead, and for a brief moment I had the strange impression that the crystal was waiting for something.
Then everything went black.
- Writer
