bayedsolid Chapter 136: Elara’s Suspicions
Chapter 136: Elara’s Suspicions
After finishing lunch, Cael set down his fork and looked at his teammates.
"I have a friend in Arhal city. I am going to meet him. What about you guys?"
Edwin wiped his mouth with a napkin and said,
"I will just look around."
Aria and Brania exchanged a glance. Aria spoke first.
"We decided to tour around a bit more."
Brania nodded.
"There is still a lot of the academy we haven’t seen."
They walked out of the cafeteria together, the afternoon sun warm against their faces. At the entrance of the building, they bid farewell.
Then Cael softly said,
"Let’s meet back at the guest dorm later."
Edwin gave a thumbs-up. Aria waved. Brania was already walking toward the eastern pathway.
Cael watched them go for a moment, then turned and walked in the opposite direction.
...
The afternoon sun hung high above the academy, casting sharp shadows across the designed stone pathways.
Elara Grace had a grim expression on her face as she searched the academy grounds.
A gentle breeze carried the scent of freshly cut grass and distant flowers. Somewhere behind them, a group of students laughed loudly, their voices echoing off the walls before fading into the warmth of the day.
Elara had been looking for Junior since the morning.
The instructors had questions. Even the city protector, her father, had asked her about the blind boy who had been following her yesterday.
She finally found him walking alone on a path near the western garden.
She stepped into his path and stopped him.
Junior tilted his head, his blind eyes turning toward her direction, then he asked,
"Who is it?"
Elara crossed her arms.
"It’s me."
Junior’s expression shifted slightly, as if recognizing the voice.
"Elara?"
Elara nodded, even though she knew he could not see it.
"Yes."
She led him to a bench under the shadow of a large tree. They sat down, a small distance between them.
The tree’s branches spread wide like protective arms, blocking the harsh sunlight. Patches of light danced on the ground where leaves did not cover.
The shade was cool against their skin. A few birds chirped somewhere above, hidden among the thick foliage, undisturbed by the conversation below.
Junior turned his head toward her and enquired,
"Did something happen?"
Elara did not answer immediately. She studied his face for a moment, looking for any sign of deception. Then she spoke.
"Where were you yesterday?"
Junior’s hands rested on his knees. He said nothing.
"You came with me to the sparring stadium."
Elara said as she continued,
"But you vanished without any trace. One moment, you were in the spectator stands. The next moment, you were gone."
She leaned forward slightly.
"And not to mention, it was said that something strange happened in your dorm room. A Mana disruption. The kind that does not happen naturally."
Junior stayed silent.
Elara pressed on, saying
"Strangely, the boy who sparred with me also vanished after the match. No one has seen him since."
She let the words hang in the air.
"Now tell me... where were you yesterday? What exactly happened?"
Junior was quiet for a few seconds. His blind eyes stared at nothing. His breathing was steady, controlled.
Then he spoke with a soft tone,
"I was kidnapped by someone. But it seems he mistook me for someone else."
Elara’s eyes widened.
"Then how did you escape?"
Junior slowly said,
"We made a Mana contract. That person said sorry and let me go. But for me to stay alive, we had to make a contract. In return, I cannot tell anyone about that person."
He faked a sigh, letting his shoulders slump, then he said,
"Even if I wanted to tell you, ignoring the mana contract, I cannot. I cannot see his face. As for his voice, there were multiple people, but all of them had the same voice."
Elara frowned.
"Then what about the mana disruption in your room?"
Junior turned his head toward her, his expression blank.
"When did that happen?"
Elara paused.
She thought back. The mana disruption had occurred while she was sparring with the Frostflame user.
Junior had been present in the stadium at that time.
If the timing was correct, Junior’s kidnapping and the mana disruption had happened at the same time.
’Was it truly a coincidence?’
Before she could finish her thought, Junior spoke again.
"But that Frostflame user was related to my kidnapping and that mana disruption."
Elara nodded slowly.
"One thing is certain. They were clearly one group behind your kidnapping and the mana disruption."
She studied his face again.
"Do you feel any hostility toward them?"
Junior shook his head.
"They were not wraiths. Neither were they vampires."
Elara’s eyes narrowed.
"Then are you saying it was humans?"
Junior shrugged.
"The fact that they let me go alive is proof. If it were wraiths or vampires, I would be dead."
Elara considered his words. They made sense. Flawed sense, but sense nonetheless.
She stood up from the bench.
"Anyway, you are still under suspicion. You are not allowed to leave the academy until further notice."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away.
Junior watched her departing back with his blind eyes. Or rather, he listened to the sound of her footsteps fading into the distance.
When she was far enough, he muttered,
"She is a smart one, isn’t she?"
A voice answered from beside him.
"Indeed. She did not trust you at all."
Junior turned his head. Where Elara had been sitting moments ago, now there was a new figure.
Silver hair. Purple eyes. A calm, knowing smile.
Cael had a grin on his face as he leaned back against the bench.
The bench creaked slightly under their weight. Around them, the academy continued its slow afternoon rhythm.
Students walked past in the distance, too far to hear. The shadows of the tree grew longer as the sun began its slow descent toward the horizon.
Then Cael softly said,
"We have a lot to discuss, don’t we?"
Junior chuckled.
"Yes. Indeed, we do."