Adrian leaned against the bannister, his expression unreadable. He told her everything: the Gala, the way Bianca and her friends had cornered Clara in the dark room, and how they had violently pulled a clump of her hair during the struggle."What?!" Sophia’s eyes flashed with fire. She turned to Clara, her voice trembling with protective rage. "That’s it. Clara, you are redrawing from that school immediately! I won't have these low-class snakes touching a single hair on your head. We will hire the best tutors in the world to come here."Clara shook her head, her jaw set firm. "No, Sophia. I love it there. I have amazing friends now, and I’m not running away. The Lancaster family is not cowards. If I leave now, they win."Adrian watched his sister, a proud smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "See? I told you she had spirit." He turned to Sophia, placing a calming hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, they won't be bothering her anymore. I already taught the father a little lesson.

Suddenly, her hostile expression shifted into a terrifying grin. If she couldn't strike Adrian directly yet, she would gladly start by shattering his heart. And his heart was definitely his sister."Wait here," Myria commanded, her voice now eager and sharp.She stood up and disappeared into a dark back room. The girls could hear the clinking of glass and the grinding of a mortar and pestle. A few minutes later, she returned holding a small, crystal vial filled with a shimmering, cloudy liquid."This is the Essence of the Silent Petal," Myria said, handing it to Bianca with a steady hand. "All you need is a single drop. Put it in whatever she is eating or drinking. Within minutes, her vocal cords will wither. She will try to speak, but she will feel like she is swallowing broken glass. By the time she steps on that stage, she will be as silent as a grave."Bianca gripped the vial, her heart racing with a sick kind of joy. The Lancasters had made so many enemies that the world was prac

He tried to scream, but no sound came out, only a sickening, wet wheezing noise. His throat wasvisiblye swelling before their very eyes, the skin stretching tight as the poison took hold."Leo! Leo, breathe!" Maya screamed, grabbing his shoulders.Clara jumped up, her heart hammering against her ribs. She grabbed a fresh bottle of water and tried to force him to drink, but Leo couldn't even swallow. He collapsed onto the floor, his body twitching as he gasped for air that wouldn't come.A few tables away, Bianca sat frozen. Her face was as white as a sheet. Beside her, Jada and Chloe were trembling. This wasn't the plan. The poison was meant for Clara’s delicate voice, not for Leo’s entire system. They watched in a horrified silence as the teachers rushed in, shouting for an ambulance.The school was thrown into chaos as Leo was rushed to the medical ward on a stretcher, his chest heaving in a desperate, silent battle for life.In the school clinic, the atmosphere was frantic. The sc

"We would give anything to train under a man with such knowledge."Clara wiped the mud from her hands and gave a small, distant smile. "My brother is a very busy person. He doesn't take students. But I’ll tell him you helped."As the three friends walked back toward the classroom later that afternoon, Leo felt stronger with every step. But as they turned the corner, they bumped straight into Bianca, Jada, and Chloe.The three girls stopped dead in their tracks. Bianca’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Her eyes darted to Leo’s throat, looking for the scars or the swelling that should have ended his life. Instead, he looked perfectly fine."You!" Clara shouted, stepping in front of Leo like a shield. "I know it was you!""I don't know what you're talking about, Lancaster," Bianca said, quickly regaining her cool. She pulled a piece of chewing gum from her pocket and popped it into her mouth, chewing loudly and blowing a bubble.Jada and Chloe followed suit, leaning against the lockers and

"For a second there, I thought he was going to out our plan to the entire school and ruin us. You saved everything."Chloe leaned back in the leather seat, a self-satisfied smirk on her face as she watched the streetlights pass by. "I have my ways, Bianca," she said simply. "In this world, everyone has a secret. You just have to know where to look."Bianca turned back to the road, a dark smile forming on her face. Everything was back on track. Clara Lancaster was going to walk onto that stage, and the only thing the world would hear was the sound of her own failure.The day of the selection arrived like a heavy storm cloud. The Grand Hall of the academy was packed to the brim, and every corner was humming with anticipation.Students sat in tight rows, some holding colorful placards for their favorite candidates.The Principal, Mrs. Warren, stepped onto the stage and reached the podium. "Settle down, everyone," she announced, her voice echoing through the massive hall. "Today, we witne