CHAPTER 51: TROUBLE.

The Emberfruit grove was about a thirty-minute walk from the stream.

We kept a steady pace, sticking to the trees and avoiding open spaces. No one wanted to get caught out in the open, especially with Class B lurking around.

Julien took the lead, Mira right behind him. Felix and Leo were in the middle, grumbling as usual, while Wallace and I kept watch from the back.

After about twenty minutes, we started noticing the trees changing. The bark had a reddish hue, and the leaves were tinged with orange. The air smelled faintly sweet, like burnt sugar.

Wallace exhaled. "We’re close."

Julien peered ahead. "Think Class B made it first?"

I shook my head. "We’ll find out soon enough."

We slowed down, moving carefully now. If Victor’s group was already here, we didn’t want to walk straight into them.

Mira crouched low and pointed ahead. "There."

Through the trees, we saw it—the Emberfruit grove.

Dark, twisted trees with thick branches stretched toward the sky, their bark cracked like cooled lava. Hanging from those branches were round, glowing fruits, pulsing with a faint red-orange light.

Emberfruit.

It wasn’t hard to see why they were valuable. The fruit contained condensed fire mana, useful for alchemy, medicine, and combat. They were rare, and worse, they were dangerous to pick.

Mira tilted her head. "So... who wants to get burned first?"

Felix groaned. "Why is that even a question?"

Julien smirked. "Don’t look at me. I’ll catch, but I’m not climbing."

Leo sighed. "Of course."

I ignored them, scanning the area. No movement. No signs of Class B.

"Looks clear," I muttered. "For now."

Wallace adjusted his gloves. "I’ll climb."

Felix gave him a horrified look. "You want to get roasted?"

Wallace rolled his eyes. "I’ll be fine. I’ve got insulation."

Mira shrugged. "Your funeral."

Wallace grabbed onto the nearest tree, testing the bark. It was solid. Good enough for climbing. He pulled himself up, moving steadily.

The closer he got to the fruit, the more the air shimmered. The heat was real.

Wallace hissed through his teeth. "Okay. Definitely warm."

Julien grinned. "Now imagine standing next to Mira when she’s mad."

Mira kicked his shin.

Wallace reached the lowest branch with fruit and carefully broke one off. Sparks flickered where the stem snapped. He tossed it down.

Julien caught it easily. "One."

Wallace grabbed another. Tossed it down.

We worked fast. Four, five, six—

Then—

A rustle.

A sound too heavy to be the wind.

I snapped my head toward the trees.

Footsteps. More than one.

Mira tensed. "We’re not alone."

Wallace cursed under his breath. "Do I keep going?"

I shook my head. "Get down. Now."

He moved fast, sliding down the trunk. Julien and Mira grabbed the Emberfruit, stuffing them into our packs.

Leo swallowed. "Do we run?"

"No," I said. "Get ready."

The footsteps got closer.

Then—

Victor stepped into view.

Behind him, three others from Class B.

His gaze swept over us, then landed on the Emberfruit in Julien’s hands. His expression darkened.

"So," Victor said slowly, "you got here first."

Julien smirked. "Yeah. Tough luck."

Victor didn’t react. His eyes flicked to me.

I met his gaze.

A slow silence stretched between us.

Then Victor sighed. "Hand them over."

Mira laughed. "Wow. That’s cute."

Victor didn’t look amused. "I wasn’t asking."

I exhaled. "Did you forgot how bad we beat you and your little noble gangs ass yesterday during the capture the flag?"

Victor’s jaw tightened. His friends shifted behind him, clearly remembering how that match went.

One of them, a tall guy with a shaved head, scowled. "That was different."

Julien snorted. "Yeah? How? Your so called leader victor even used an enchanted sword to kill us."

Victor’s expression didn’t change, but I saw the flicker of irritation in his eyes. He knew Julien was baiting him, but it still got under his skin.

The shaved-head guy, Darian, stepped forward. "That was a sanctioned match. You knew the risks."

Mira smirked. "Uh-huh. And now we know you’re the type to rely on enchanted gear to win. Real impressive."

Victor exhaled through his nose. "Enough. This isn’t a game. Hand over the Emberfruit, and we’ll leave."

Julien grinned. "Or?"

Victor’s fingers twitched. "Or we take them."

I glanced at my group. Wallace was back on the ground, rubbing his hands together like he was shaking off the heat. Leo looked nervous but stayed put. Felix had that "why me?" expression. Mira and Julien? They were practically begging for a fight.

I rolled my shoulders. "Yeah, see... that’s not happening."

Victor’s eyes narrowed.

Darian cracked his knuckles. The other two behind Victor—Tess and Nolan—shifted slightly, positioning themselves.

Tension thickened.

Julien casually flipped an Emberfruit in his hand. "So, are we doing this the fun way or the fast way?"

Victor let out a slow breath. "Fine. We will leave for now but remember that we will surely return the favor."

Julien smirked, tossing the Emberfruit once before catching it again. "Yeah, yeah. Put it on my tab."

Victor didn’t rise to the bait this time. He just gave me a long look, one that promised this wasn’t over. Then, with a sharp motion, he turned on his heel and walked away. His group followed, though Darian shot us one last glare before disappearing into the trees.

Only when their footsteps faded did Felix let out a dramatic sigh. "Thank the gods. I really didn’t want to get punched today."

Mira crossed her arms. "Shame. I was looking forward to rearranging Victor’s face."

Wallace dusted off his gloves. "We should go before they change their minds."

I nodded. "Agreed. Move."

We wasted no time, slinging our packs over our shoulders and heading back toward the stream. The Emberfruit’s faint glow pulsed through the fabric, warm against my back.

Julien grinned as he walked beside me. "Not bad, Professor. That went smoother than expected."

I glanced at him. "Don’t jinx it."

Because I had a feeling that the professor Kellan would soon come to exact his revenge on us, but before that we need to get the remaining items from the Scavenger hunt.