CHAPTER 90: SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE

Chapter 90: Spread like Wildfire

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

The academy day passed slower than usual. After the announcement of Class 1-D’s point crisis, most students were restless. The whispers in the halls, already noisy, had turned heavier in tone. The same subject was traveling from ear to ear at an even faster pace, carrying shadows behind it, just like a wildfire.

At the heart of it was Amelia.

****

In the faculty offices, Professor Garron sat behind his desk, quill scratching over parchment. He was a man with thinning hair tied back into a rough tail, his features sharp and his eyes narrow. His reputation among students was not stellar—many found his lectures boring and his "casual humor" and stares uncomfortable—but among staff, he was known for ambition.

He had just finished writing a report to the student council. The title at the top was simple but suggestive:

"Observation Report: Suspicious Irregularities – Mage Amelia."

He didn’t accuse her outright. Instead, he filled the parchment with vague phrasing.

"...has displayed concerning favoritism toward certain students..."

"...her private activities remain unexplained..."

"...recent confrontation with Regulus Torvin raises questions..."

There were no details to prove any of it, but the tone was heavy. To anyone reading, it would plant doubt. It was the kind of report written not to inform, but to suggest, to make suspicion grow like mold in the corners of the academy.

When he signed his name at the bottom, Garron leaned back in his chair, smirking faintly. He rolled up the parchment, tied it with string, and dropped it into the tray marked Student Council Submissions. By tomorrow, it would land on the desk of the council members.

Elsewhere, Chase Weaverake walked calmly down the corridor, hands tucked into his pockets. Students turned their heads as he passed— his presence had that effect. He was Class 1-B’s notorious prodigy, someone who excelled despite his scandals. His sharp grin gave away too much, yet no one dared confront him directly.

He paused outside a stairwell where a cluster of Class 1-C students loitered, among them Regulus Torvin. Regulus looked smaller now—more restrained, shoulders tense, expression subdued. He had once carried himself like a lion. Now, he was Chase’s shadow.

"Rumors are like fire," Chase said casually, leaning against the wall. "All they need is a little spark, and the rest burns on its own. Amelia now has enemies, so let’s keep the flame alive."

One of the boys frowned. "Won’t people ask for proof?"

"They won’t need it," Chase replied smoothly. "People see what they want to see. Amelia’s cold, isn’t she? Distant, harsh. It’s easy for others to believe she crossed a line with Regulus. We just keep talking, and soon everyone else will too."

Regulus said nothing, only tightening his jaw. Chase clapped him on the shoulder like a master patting his dog.

"Don’t worry. Play your role, keep quiet, and leave the rest to me."

The group laughed quietly among themselves as they drifted apart. The seed was planted, and Chase knew it would grow.

****

The next day, whispers followed Amelia into her alchemy class. She stood at the front as always, her partial armor glinting faintly in the morning light. She didn’t flinch, didn’t frown, but she felt the eyes on her.

Students whispered behind hands. Some avoided her gaze entirely. A few glanced at each other when they thought no one was looking. He didn’t meet their stares.

"Today we will continue practicing stabilization of healing salves," Amelia announced. Her voice was calm, the same as every other lesson. "Prepare your tools. Remembe— No shortcuts."

The students obeyed, though the usual focus was broken. Arios noticed it immediately. He sat at his desk, his notebook ready, but his attention flicked between Amelia and the muttering students. The tension was different this time. It wasn’t the usual competition or class rivalry. It was suspicion, thinly veiled.

Lucy leaned closer to Arios and whispered. "Why are people staring at her like that? Did something happen?"

Arios didn’t answer right away. He was reading the mood carefully. Liza, seated at his other side, simply rested her chin in her hand and muttered, "Rumors. They’re just Useless noise."

Amelia continued the lesson, demonstrating precise handwork with the herbs, but Arios could tell she was aware of the stares. Her movements were flawless, but her eyes were sharper than usual, cutting across the class like blades.

When the lesson ended, she dismissed them curtly. Elisa Ravencroft lingered a moment longer at the door, her expression unreadable as always, she was obviously analyzing Amelia’s subtle behavior, as if she was trying to discern the truth, but then without a word she just left.

Lucy tugged Arios’s sleeve as they walked out. "Something’s wrong with the atmosphere. Amelia’s not smiling at all."

"She doesn’t usually smile in class," Liza said bluntly.

"Not like this!" Lucy shot back. "She looked... tense. Like she was going to break something."

Arios had already noticed more than either of them, after the time he had spent with Amelia, he feels he has understood her fully.

That evening, Arios, Lucy, and Liza returned to the dorms after a long study session. The air outside was cool, the lamps glowing faintly along the academy walkways. Lucy’s stomach growled loudly, making her groan.

"I’m starving," she said. "I can’t live on cafeteria soup anymore. It’s killing me."

Liza raised an eyebrow. "You could save your points for something better instead of complaining."

"I don’t even have points to save!" Lucy shouted back, throwing her arms up. "I’m dying here!"

Arios sighed quietly. "I’ll cook something. Come on."

They went to his dorm room and sat on his bed. Arios quickly lit his gas, set water to boil, and pulled out packets of noodles. The smell of broth filled the room quickly.

Lucy flopped down onto the floor, throwing her bag aside. "You’re a lifesaver, Arios. If I had to eat another piece of stale bread from the free section, I’d run away."

The noodles cooked quickly. Arios divided them into bowls, placing one in front of each of them. The steam rose in soft curls, carrying the scent of soy and garlic. It wasn’t luxurious, but compared to cafeteria scraps, it was a feast.

Lucy clasped her hands dramatically. "Bless you, Arios. This is the best thing I’ve ever seen." She started eating immediately, slurping loudly.

Liza took her first bite calmly, then glanced at Arios. "Not bad. You’ve practiced this."

"It’s food," Arios said simply, taking his own bite.

For a while, the only sound was the clinking of spoons and Lucy’s noisy slurping. Then she spoke between bites. "Hey... do you think Amelia’s really in trouble?"

The room went quiet. Liza set her bowl down slowly, eyes narrowing. "Where did that come from?"

"People are talking about her," Lucy said, frowning. "I don’t like it, but she’s not... bad. Right?"

Arios didn’t look up from his food. "Rumors are easy, but proof is hard. Right now, it’s nothing but noise."

"But what if it’s true?" Lucy asked softly, almost guilty for saying it. "Wouldn’t that be... scary?"

Liza snorted. "Use your head. Amelia doesn’t even look at people twice, let alone Regulus. It’s ridiculous."

Lucy hesitated. "Then why are so many people saying it?"

"Because people believe what’s convenient," Arios said finally, setting his bowl down. His tone was flat, calm, but heavy. "If you don’t know who to trust, you trust what you’ve seen with your own eyes."

Lucy stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "...Right. I trust what I’ve seen. And Amelia saved me in alchemy class more than once, so I’m not going to believe the rumors."

"That’s better," Liza said, though her voice was softer than usual. "We trust what we know, not what cowards whisper in hallways."

Arios leaned back slightly, closing his eyes for a moment. Trust. That was the foundation. Without it, Amelia would drown in suspicion. With it, maybe she could survive what was coming.

Lucy finished her noodles with renewed energy, pounding her chest. "Okay! I’ll defend her if anyone talks bad about her!"

"You’ll probably just cry," Liza said, smirking faintly.

"I won’t!" Lucy shouted back.

Their bickering filled the room again, but Arios didn’t join, his mind already turning toward the storm building around them. Amelia was being targeted. The whispers weren’t random. And when the truth finally becomes shadowed, he would have to decide how far he was willing to go to protect her.