Chapter 399: Threads of Conspiracies |
Chapter 399 - Threads of Conspiracies
“Keep order!” A man with a receding hairline and stern features thundered, the same Head Examiner from Winter Intake. “Present circumstances don’t excuse you from upholding decorum fitting for Raelion’s aspirants!”
His aura bore down on the brewing murmurs as the academy’s personnel poured into the hall. “Remain where you are and follow the instructions. Healers have already been dispatched to the affected halls. Carry yourself properly, and we’ll smoothly solve this inconvenience! We're already investigating the cause of this minor malfunction, and the arrays have been restored to full functionality!”
My ears didn’t miss the guy…
Kai sat on the marble floor with one knee up, his back against the wall panels, silently observing the hall. His friends’ presences pulsed with warmth in his close perception. Orbs of ephemeral Light floated below the charred vault ceiling. All around, students shuffled as the instructors in the academy’s livery drew order among the chaos.
He wasn’t sure how he’d moved there, his mind lost in wonderings, catching murmurs and soft comments. Within seconds of the professors’ arrival, the liquid fire extinguished everywhere, and the discordant ripples in the runic fabric faded.
Unless they waited to have the situation handled on their end before intervening here…
A soft breeze blew between his fingers as the arrays cleansed the smoke from the air. Teams of personnel in gray attire were already clearing the burnt tables, while pristine healers tended to the injured. The worst cases had already been transported to the Medical Ward. A dozen students had received burns requiring immediate care, mostly in the initial blast, and triple that number were trampled in the panic. No confirmed deaths. Yet.
Despite the grumbles at their ruined night, the general mood was strangely upbeat. The alcohol and potions still buzzing probably helped. From over four hundred students at the party, the majority only got a little smoked and a dramatic story to tell.
If not for the charred marks and lingering burnt smell, Kai might wonder if he hadn’t dreamed parts of it. Even Alden stood with a smoothly cool demeanor, talking with Rob. The dark-haired patrician looked almost bored; no one would guess he’d just survived an attempted assassination. Without apparent words, all his friends formed a loose circle around him.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Valela gathered her gown to lower herself beside him, her face drawn in worry. “It’d be normal to feel shaken after that…”
What?” Kai blinked before his brain caught up with the question. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you. Just… thinking.”
Barely ten minutes ago, he’d been telling her about his past life. Events followed almost in a blur: rushing through the burning halls, searching for their friends, alerting Alden to an assassin, and him narrowly surviving a column of blue fire. Then, with his mind churning to process half-formed suspicions, one shout banished the mayhem and raging flames.
It should be fine for now. Hallowed Intuition is quiet…
Sensing Valela’s furrowed gaze on him, Kai broke his brooding silence and attempted a smile. “I’m really fine. Not a scratch on me.” He lifted his arms to show.
“It’s just… that last fire…” Her mouth opened and closed: she cleared her throat, finding her voice. “You almost died. It’s normal not to be alright.”
“Well, it wasn’t that close. I have a couple tricks. And your ice spell shielded me. Thanks again, by the way,” he said. It wasn’t the near immolation that threw him off—the whole flaming debacle and fizzling arrays simply reeked of strange coincidences and conspiracy. “Truly, I’m good. Those flames didn’t even make it to my top ten closest brushes with death. I’d take fire over being devoured by a beast. Depends on the species, I guess. But, really, don’t worry about it. I’m used to it.”
“Mat.” Instead of relief, her expression scrunched up and fell. “Almost dying is not something you should get used to.”
“I… uh…” Kai sheepishly rubbed his neck. “That— it’s not as bad as it sounds.” Before he could dig his hole deeper, he shuffled to his feet and offered her a hand. “But how are you holding up? Sorry, I should have asked sooner. Are Lys, Rena and the others alright? They were here in the blue hall where the flames started, weren’t they?”
I should have checked on them already.
Valela puffed a breath at his clumsy misdirection, still accepting his hand to stand. “Yes, Lys and Rena were raiding the refreshment tables here when the crystal wisps ignited. Aside from some ash smears and ruined fabric, they are unscathed.” She threw back a look of amused exasperation. “Lys is bubbling to get ahead of the gossip. Nothing better than ‘drinks and a little excitement’ to loosen tongues. Also helps to keep them distracted and lift the mood.”
She bit her lip. “Rena helped divert the flame wave. Others were less fortunate. Several students in the blue and green halls got injured in the initial blast. It would have been much worse if the Verelune girl hadn’t used a family heirloom to shield the initial blast. We got lucky that the healers reached the worst injured in time. Just a little longer, and…” She grimaced. “It won’t be pleasant, but they’ll recover.”
Hmm, there was nothing Lucky about this.
Too many coincidences piled on for an accident; even before counting the shrouded figure who tried to stab Alden. No one had commented about it after. The assassin struck and vanished within a heartbeat. Was the fire simply a distraction for the assassination? Who had caused the accident? How had they managed to tamper with Raelion’s arrays? Were there other targets? Was he another target?
Too many damn questions.
As the Chief Shouter checked the other halls, chatter and petty arguments between the students and the rescuing personnel rose again.
Kai was tempted to ask Valela’s opinion, but held his tongue. He knew her too well to fall for her poised front. The slight stiffness in her shoulders, her hand gripping her other arm—the events had shaken her too. Her eyes kept flitting between her friends, jolting at people’s abrupt movements.
Better discuss it another time.
“You should go check on them.” Kai gestured to where Lys held court out over a huddle of students, her golden curls shining.
He wasn’t the only one who went through a crazy night. Valela could use a distraction, better than he could provide. How did people know the right words to comfort others? It always made him feel clumsy. The things he wished to say couldn't be discussed in the open. And with talk of his past life still hanging between them, she would reasonably need some space to process.
“Hmm, no. I don’t mind…” Her gaze returned to him. Meeting his eyes, she bit her lip. “Are you sure you’ll be fine?”
“Positive.” He gave an encouraging nod. “We can catch up later.”
Her body half-turned, then dithered, making up her mind. “Okay. But if you need to talk. Or just the company, I’m here.”
“I know.” Kai smiled and watched her go. Massaging his eyes to stave off the slight throbbing, he sensed two presences approaching and anticipated them. “Yes, I’m alright. What about you? I’m sorry that your party ended up like this.”
“Eh, it’s okay.” Flynn gave a one-shoulder shrug. “We had a couple hours of good fun. And it’s sure gonna be unforgettable.”
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Behind him, Rain stood as if guarding his back in his pristine ivory suit and blue acorns, looking oddly pensive. Somehow, both their outfits had survived the fire unscathed, though Flynn’s darker clothes didn’t stand out as much.
“I’m also sorry I disappeared at your party,” Kai said. “I needed to tell Valela about past events. I didn't realize we stayed away for two hours. We were about to return when… stuff happened.”
Flynn narrowed his eyes. “So… after years begging you to come to a party, you sneak off to be alone with a girl at the first chance you get, huh?”
“Well, I…”
The tall boy threw a hand over his shoulders and squeezed him. “Mat… I couldn’t be more proud! To think I’d live to see this day…” He gave a dramatic sniffle in his shirt. “I had almost given up hope. But you—”
With an eye roll, Kai shoved him with a laugh. “Idiot.”
“What? I’m truly proud of you!” Flynn grinned. “What else are parties for?”
“Dodging deadly jets of fire? I wish I could’ve been here to help.”
Flynn dragged a hand over his face, “Just as I thought you weren’t completely hopeless…” His tone turned slightly more serious. “I’m just glad you two were safely away when the ceiling caught fire. We did fine. It wasn’t that bad in our hall.”
Rain gave an absent nod, pale brows furrowed.
Kai leaned in. “Do you have any clue what happened?” The more pieces he gathered, the easier to weave his suspicion into a coherent picture. First-person accounts would be invaluable.
Flynn shared a look with Rain and spoke. “They’re still investigating.” A privacy bubble subtly activated around them. “Though I might have overheard a few tidbits. Some instructors should really learn to speak more quietly. Which is… understandable. With that shouting geezer’s average volume, half of them must be already deaf.
“From what I gathered, some drunken student launched a fire cantrip at the ceiling. It’s not clear who. Regardless, the idiot lost control and ignited the alchemical reagents that colored the crystal wisps, sparking a chain reaction. The arrays should have snuffed it out. But a mana instability delayed them just enough for the fire to get out of control. So, the local wards linked to the nearby halls for assistance, which only spread the flames throughout the halls. Don’t ask me how, I didn’t understand that part.”
Kai slowly blinked. “That sounds…”
“A little far-fetched and coincidental?” Flynn asked, smiling for any onlookers. “Yeah, I agree. I admit I didn’t understand half of the magical mumbo jumbo, so it could be possible. From what I gathered, each event on its own is technically possible. Altogether…”
“Ludicrously unlikely?” He offered with a scoff. “If we needed more clues, it confirms this was no accident. Even without Alden almost getting stabbed.”
“About that.” Flynn looked in Alden and Rob’s direction. “Your roommate asked us not to mention it. Few students clearly saw what happened. Hmm, it’s also possible the assassin was unrelated, and took advantage of chaos to take his shot.”
Kai gave him a skeptical look.
“Hey, I’m just throwing out every possibility.” Flynn raised his hands. “But no, I agree with you. Something here smells very fishy.” He threw a side eye to Rain, earning an elbow to the ribs. “Ouch! I didn’t mean it in a bad way. Like the freshest fish— Oww!”
Kai sighed as they wrestled with their arms. “Got any other clue?”
“Nothing concrete,” Flynn said, giving up the fight. “Just speculation. Whoever caused the fire, they went through an awful lot of trouble to make it seem like an accident. Which makes kind of sense. As long as there is the tiniest chance of deniability, the academy won’t admit that someone tried to kill a score of students. It wouldn't be a good look. That’s what makes it strange that they tried to stab Alden and burn you so overtly. Unless they really wanted to get rid of you both.”
“Great,” Kai groaned, failing to find fault in his reasoning. Why couldn’t they just leave him to his quiet academic life?
“Hey, cheer up!” Flynn squeezed his shoulder. “As I said, it's just speculation I could be entirely wrong, or miss some critical piece to understand it all. If it helps, you definitely weren’t the only target. The way the flames burst from the ceiling was too odd for pure chance.”
“You mean you found a pattern?"
“I can’t say for sure, but the students caught in the initial blast didn’t appear random. I’d need to check all the names. I know Elmen Dusk, Evangeline Rondes, and Arabella Graysmith, all got burned pretty badly. Also…” Flynn rattled a dozen more names.
“I feel like I should know them?” Kai wondered aloud.
“Probably. Most of them ranked high in the Trials, or are among the most promising talents.” He raised a palm to ward off his objections. “And yes. I accounted for the party being filled with influential students. It could be a coincidence, but…”
“You think they’re trying to eliminate the highest rankers?”
Flynn shrugged. “I’m just stating the facts. It would also explain why they targeted you and Alden.”
“Many of the top ten weren’t hit, though. I saw that Isadora and Willow were present. Also, no one died. It would make it quite the incompetent attempt."
“We still don’t have all the pieces. As for why no one died. That’s not that strange. Most high rankers are rich patricians, and most rich patricians don’t leave their bedrooms without a trove of protection amulets. Most wear them even when showering and sleeping. You should have seen it. They lit up the hall with the glow from their shields alone. And many still came close to dying. Maybe the academy reacted faster than they thought.”
What a mess.
Kai scrubbed a hand through his hair. They had enough suspicions to drown in, but nothing concrete. How did everything fit together? He threw a hopeful look at Rain; the siren had been unusually silent.
The pale-haired boy pressed his lips. “We weren’t in the blue hall when it started. I sensed something was off, but I didn’t think to pry. Land dwellers always get up to strange stuff at parties. And my knowledge of human enchanting wasn’t deep enough to tell what it was. Sorry, I wish I could do more.”
“Hey, you kept other people safe. That’s plenty,” Kai said.
Flynn clapped their backs. “See! Even Mat can speak some sense.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He scowled with faux indignation.
The conversation turned to easy banter as the instructors continued cleaning the hall and making rounds to take their statements.
Where were you when it happened? What did you do? Did you notice anything unusual before or during the fire? The line of questioning was quite tame, perhaps not to tip their own hand on what they knew.
And people say I’m paranoid. How can I not be?
Kai sighed. The hall gradually emptied as minor injuries were treated and students dismissed. Moving to check on his other roommates, he saw Alden standing alone, while Rob went to give his statement.
When did he arrive?
He hadn’t seen the boy before the accident, nor known that he’d come to the party. Then again, with the number of attendees, it wouldn’t be difficult to fund an invite.
And I did spend quite a while talking with Valela.
Seeing him approach, Alden tilted his head in greeting.
“Hey,” Kai shifted his weight. How did you ask about an attempted assassination? “I meant to come sooner. But… are you alright?”
“I am. Thank you for your concern," Alden shifted toward a quiet corner. Despite his impassive demeanor, there was a slight stiffness to his tone. Perhaps he was not entirely unflappable. “I also appreciated the warning. How did you know?”
“I didn’t. Not until the last moment. It was just an inkling.” He’d shared about Hallowed Intuition during the Trials. The whispers always worked better when he was the target, but he’d also learned to extend it to people he shared a strong connection with.
Alden studied him, though his thin scowl didn’t seem directed at him. “Thank you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to involve you in my House’s affairs.”
“Not like it’s your fault. Don’t apologize because people are trying to kill you.”
“But you still got involved because of me.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. Several students were targeted. Unless you believe they burned down seven halls and targeted two dozen other people just to get to you.”
His gaze drifted away. “It would not be the first time,” he murmured, then still as if realizing he spoke out loud. “I also acknowledge there may have been other motives. Several things didn’t add up tonight. The assassin gave up too quickly. Perhaps… it could be the opposite. My assassination was made to cover for what they tried with the fire,” he mused.
What kind of childhood did he have?
Juggling the implications, Kai was relieved when the instructors called them to vacate the hall. Voices and the scrape of footsteps accompanied the crowd as he took the chance to check on his notification.
*Ding!*
- Hallowed Intuition (lv93>96)
Huh! I must’ve been close to leveling up already. Just four more.
Kai turned to follow the stream of students out, but a flicker of deep violet caught his eye. He paused, glancing back. Near the front, beside the Head Examiner, Dean Astares shifted slightly, his gaze brushing over him in passing.