Ariana stood by the balcony, her thoughts tangled in the news Augustus, her spirit sparrow, had just delivered.
The cold night air did little to soothe the unsettling feeling building in her chest.
Noah had been attacked.
She ran her fingers through her blonde hair, letting the cold wind whip through it as she mulled over the implications.
"Augustus," she finally said, breaking the silence between them, her voice steady but laced with concern.
"Keep watch around the academy. Report any happenings, especially anything tied to the attack on Noah. If possible, try to find out who was responsible."
The orange sparrow chirped softly in acknowledgment before darting into the night sky, its wings a blur of orange light fading into the darkness.
Ariana watched it disappear, the weight of her decision pressing down on her.
There was too much happening in Ravenwood Academy, and if someone was targeting Noah, the stakes were far higher than she'd realized.
---
[Noah's POV]
After the incident, when I got attacked, the academy scrambled to restore order.
Ironwood Hall, where I stayed, had always been slightly less secure compared to Silvercrest Hall, where students from nobler families resided.
But after what happened to me, the school decided to upgrade security across the board.
Now, Ironwood Hall was as fortified as Silvercrest.
Mana-infused barriers were installed, and there were patrols of professors and magic knights more frequently than ever.
Not that any of it really mattered—the damage had already been done.
And then there was Livia.
Her body was found on the top floor of Ironwood Hall not long after I was attacked.
Dead. Just like that.
Another tragedy, another blow to the academy's already faltering reputation.
The news spread like wildfire, and soon, commoner families began pulling their children from Ravenwood.
The academy, once a prestigious institution known for producing the finest magic users, was now becoming infamous for something far darker: death.
The country's papers ran the story for days, and it didn't take long for Ravenwood's once sterling image to tarnish.
Despite having some of the most experienced staff, this year had seen more casualties than any previous year on record.
It was unnerving.
Back in the present, I looked down at her again, watching as her cheeks flushed slightly.
'So that was her...' I thought to myself.
"I was really worried," Ariana continued, her voice softer now, almost shy. Content from m-vl|emp,yr
"I-I thought something terrible had happened."
I smiled, feeling something warm in my chest despite myself.
"I'm okay now. Really."
Ariana fidgeted nervously, glancing away for a moment before turning back to me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"Just... be more careful, okay? I don't want anything bad happening to you."
Her voice trembled as she spoke, her hands clutching the fabric of my shirt as if she feared letting go.
"I will," I said, my voice calm as I reached up to ruffle her hair.
"You don't need to worry."
She flashed a small smile, wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye before nodding.
"Good."
With one last look, she turned and hurried off, leaving me alone in my room once more.
I glanced around.
Maya and a maid had already helped clean up most of the bloodstains and broken glass from that day.
The place felt empty now, but at least it was peaceful.
As I continued organizing things, a piece of paper fluttered from the desk, sliding under the cabinet.
Bending down to pick it up, my hand brushed against something cold.
My breath hitched as I pulled out the object—a sleek, black deagle.
I stared at it for a moment, the memories of being shot flashing through my mind.
The pain, the confusion, and then... nothing.
"Did the cleaning maid not see this?"
I muttered under my breath, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead.
Even if they had found it, they probably wouldn't have known what it was or what to do with it.
They'd likely have handed it over to the professors in the magic engineering department.
I held it in my hands, feeling the weight of it, the faint glow along its surface giving me chills.