The heavy iron doors of the holding complex slammed shut, echoing down the stone corridor like a funeral bell.Two armed campus marshals held Juliana by her arms, marching her toward a high-security holding cell at the end of the hall. Her emerald silk suit was torn and stained with soot from the alchemy lab, but she kept her chin held high, refusing to let her sister see her cry."Move it, Smith," one of the marshals grunted, pushing her forward."Hands off her!" a sharp voice barked from the main entryway.Baron marched down the corridor, flanked by Samuel and Mike. Behind them, Dr. Collins, Rose Smith, Kate, and Leo Vance walked in with smug, victorious expressions."Baron!" Juliana cried out, her eyes shining with sudden hope. "They're framing me! You know I didn't pour that catalyst!""I know, Jules," Baron said softly, stepping directly between the marshals and Juliana. "And you're not going into that cell."Dr. Collins let out a loud, mocking laugh. "Mr. Colgate, your arrogance

The morning sun over Tuntadel University was cold and bleak, cutting through the dense smog left behind by the alchemy lab explosion.Kate and Donald walked through the grand archway of the central courtyard, both wearing identical, smug grins. They moved with an arrogant posture, ignoring the whispers of terrified students around them."Did you double-check with Mr. Francies?" Donald whispered, leaning closer to Kate as they passed a group of nervous freshmen. "Is the alchemical residue locked down?""Of course it is," Kate sneered, her eyes scanning the crowd for Baron. "Francies made sure Dr. Isabela’s report will show zero traces of dark magic. By tomorrow morning, Juliana Smith is officially expelled. And Baron Colgate will have nowhere left to run."Donald laughed, a wet, rasping sound. "We don't even have to wait for tomorrow. We just need to provoke the provincial dog today. I'm going to follow him into the training courtyard. The second I mention Juliana spending the night in

The room fell silent once more. The Judge looked at the documents on his desk, then looked up at Juliana with a cold, disappointed expression."The tribunal has reviewed the statements," the Judge said slowly, raising his pen to sign the official decree. "Without secondary physical evidence proving third-party interference, the testimony of candidate Margret, combined with the verified chemical residue, stands. Juliana Smith, for gross academic negligence and endangerment of fellow students—"Baron’s heart hit the floor like lead. He looked frantically around the grand hall.Where was Professor Lashley?!The plan was for Lashley to be standing in the court before the trial even started! Baron stared at the empty side doors, terror gripping his chest. If Lashley didn't step in right now, Juliana was done. The Judge was lowering the pen to the paper!"I hereby rule that Juliana Smith is permanently—"BOOM!The massive, reinforced double doors of the courtroom were violently kicked open!

The Vice-Chancellor’s office was suffocatingly tense. The heavy mahogany doors had barely slammed shut behind Lashley, Baron, and Juliana before Dr. Collins came barging in, flanked by Mr. Francies and four armed senior marshals."You have crossed the line for the last time, Lashley!" Collins screamed, his face flushed a violent, blotchy red as he pointed a trembling finger across the room. "Unleashing forbidden, unregistered spatial magic right in the middle of a formal tribunal?! You humiliated the board! You overturned a judicial proceeding!"Lashley slowly walked behind his desk, pouring himself a quiet cup of hot tea. He didn't even glance at the marshals’ raised weapons. "I exposed a dark Qi parasite, Collins. If saving an innocent girl from having her soul devoured humiliates your board, then your board deserves to be humiliated.""That was the Neutral Gene!" Mr. Francies interjected sharply, his pristine facade completely dropping as his cold eyes narrowed into slits. "We all

High above the silent, rain-soaked campus, Dean Collins stood inside his private office, holding a glowing, encrypted satellite phone to his ear. Outside his floor-to-ceiling windows, lightning ripped through the black clouds, casting eerie white flashes across his tight, greedy smile."Everything is set, Windgate," Collins whispered into the receiver, his voice dripping with smooth, treacherous satisfaction. "The Vice-Chancellor is officially stripped of his authority. I’ve placed him under strict house arrest in his quarters with senior marshals at his door."A low, raspy chuckle echoed through the phone speaker, sounding like dry leaves blowing over grave dirt. "And the Colgate boy?" Mr. Windgate asked, his dark voice heavy with lethal intent."He's completely isolated," Collins sneered, pacing slowly across his carpet. "His little friend group is scattered across the lower wings trying to handle the student panic. He has no shield left. No board, no Blue Bird guards, and no Vice-C