Either the girls were too afraid to react, or this wasn't the first time they'd seen a man decapitated. They didn't flinch. Their eyes only flickered with a faint ray of hope.“You just killed the son of Emperor Callibus. Do you know what you've done, Symon of BlackWood?” the other man yelled.I should have been frightened by the fact that I'd just taken a man's life, right? I wasn't. I wasn't frightened by the deformed giants that had started to circle me either.Instead, the veins on the back of my right palm gripping the sword stood out.Am I angry? But why?“You dare lay your hands on her,” I said, the words escaping my mouth before I could stop them.Whatever anesthesia the doctors had given me, I was going to ask them never to give me that dose again.“You have no idea what witch you're protecting.” The man pointed his sword at the girl with silver hair. She shuddered and hugged her companion tighter.“Take your comrades and leave while you still can.” My mouth was moving, the v

The High Archmage had granted me a final grace—placing me under curfew, forbidden to leave the castle until vacation arrived. It was met with disapproval from the council and students alike. Whoever Symon was, one thing was crystal clear: he was trouble.I returned to my chambers, promising myself I'd find out why. Once inside, I shut the door and called out to Grey."How may I help you?""What do I need to know about this Symon?"There was a long pause, long enough that I started to wonder what exactly Grey was."Symon is a prodigy at everything he attempts. Born a noble, blessed with rich mana.""So he's arrogant?""Almost.""Who are his friends?"He had to have someone he wasn't a jerk to."None."I looked at the screen."None? Then who's Amelia?""Sir, you specifically instructed me never to speak of her again.""When did I—" I started to yell, then stopped myself.I sighed.A soft knock sounded at the door."Come in."Amelia stepped inside. She'd changed out of her dirtied robe i

A girl hung from the ceiling. Her lifeless body swayed gently in the draft, her feet dangling several feet above the floor. Blood covered the wall behind her. Written across it in large, uneven letters were three words:SYMON WARDRETHThe moment I stepped into the hall, every eye turned toward me. I swallowed.“What have you done?”Lucifero stepped out from the crowd of students.“I didn't do anything,” I replied quickly.“Everyone, back to your classes.”The High Archmage's voice cut through the murmuring crowd. He was drawn to the commotion.“Not you, Mr. Wardreth. And Miss Amelia.”My eyes met Amelia's across the hall. She looked away.Once the students had cleared out, the High Archmage led us to his office. Several academy staff members were already waiting inside.The moment I entered, I knew what they were thinking. They didn't have to say it. They had already decided I was involved.“You better not be involved in this,” the first woman growled.Penel. I recognized her from Sym

By morning, everyone knew.The academy was louder than usual, students clustered in every corridor, whispering about what had happened during the night. Two students were dead, and nobody seemed to know why — but that hadn't stopped them from deciding who was responsible.I kept my head down on the walk to class. It didn't help.People stared. Some went quiet the second I passed. Others didn't even bother."That's him." "Symon Wardreth." "Wasn't he the one accused yesterday?" "He was found near the first body, wasn't he?"I clenched my jaw and kept walking. The second girl had turned up in the cemetery, and I'd been there too — even if nobody else knew it yet. That fact sat in my chest like a stone I couldn't put down.I reached my classroom and found Amelia standing near the entrance with Lucifero. I headed toward them anyway."Amelia."She looked up. Lucifero stepped between us before she could answer."Don't.""I just want to talk to her.""You've done enough.""I didn't kill those

I woke before dawn, but the room felt wrong before I even opened my eyes.No hum. No complaint about how long I'd slept, no warning that I was late for something Symon would've cared about, and I didn't.Just silence.I lay there a while, listening for it anyway.Three days since the cemetery. Three days I'd barely noticed, between the accusations, the vacation notice, Vax crying on the back steps. I'd told myself it was exhaustion — his or mine, whatever exhaustion even meant for something stretched across two bodies.Three days was a long time to call it that.But three days was a long time for exhaustion.I sat up."Grey."The screen flickered into place beside the bed."Yes, Lord Symon.""I haven't heard him in three days.""I'm aware.""You could've said something.""You never asked."I rubbed a hand down my face. Fair enough. I hadn't asked, because some part of me hadn't wanted the answer.I asked now."What's happening to him?"A pause — longer than Grey's usual pauses, which