09: Who is dead?

SORAYA

It's been two weeks since I arrived at Fenrir, and I had nothing to show for it. I had learnt nothing about the Prince, perhaps except his infuriating smirk and intoxicating scent.

When I woke up this morning, I was met with a distraught and it distracted me. First, I had woken up so late that I had to rush my bath in five minutes. Then I stumbled into my first class only to realize I still had a shower cap on.

"I am assuming you forgot that, it was on your head, Soraya Karter?" The class burst into a fit of laughter when the teacher said that.

"What?" I reached for the cap on my head with a frown as I made my way to my seat only to realize that Daryl and his sister were sitting on both sides of my seat while Dolly, Axel, and Adele sat just behind them. I groaned inwardly, wishing the ground would swallow me whole.

"Good morning, Soraya," Ilana beamed at me. I gave her a curt nod.

"Did you drink? You look like you could use a hangover soup, Karter."

I frowned at the Prince whose smirk was back on and there was not a hint of the fiery look he had on the day before. "Mind your damn business, Your Highness!" I spat back a retort as I reached for my notepad in my backpack. The Prince scoffed and focused on the teacher. The class went on for the next forty minutes.

"You all are expected to turn in your research papers next week."

I was barely listening, my ear only picking fragments of Sir Sinclair's words, my mind was far away from the history class until my name was called. I stood instantly, hissing as my knees hit the locker.

"You and Daryl Ender will oversee the submission of the research papers.

I blanched. "Sir?"

"I'm quite sure you heard me. I won't repeat myself."

"Blood heck," Daryl hissed. Bloody heck indeed.

"Now you both come with me to get the class list." Sir Sinclair left the class.

"Finally the prince gets to do something, no?" Ethan burst into laughter which earned him a glare from Daryl. It probably took all his willpower not to throw Ethan a punch at the moment.

"Let's go, Karter!" The Prince stood up after saying that and marched out of the class, leaving me trailing behind him in a rush

"At least, let me know you are leaving before standing abruptly like that," I snapped at Daryl when I caught up with him.

"If I stayed another moment around Farrow, I would be forced to do something rash hence my abrupt departure."

"I still do not understand why you both don't like each other," I deadpanned.

Daryl came to an abrupt halt and turned around. "Is there a reason why you do not like me?"

I blinked. There was a reason, and that reason was because Quinn sent me. Was there anything else? "People dislike you because of your status."

"Is that your reason?"

I bit down on my lower lip. "You flatter yourself if you think I will waste my energy on hating you over such a trivial matter."

A smirk appeared on the Prince's lips. "Then tell me about your reasons."

I huffed. "I hope you never find out," I said and began to walk away, leaving the Prince to dwell on my vague answer.

"But what if I do?" He called out after me, hot on my heels.

I blew out an exasperated breath. Why the heck was he being insufferable about this?

"What if I do?" He asked again, sliding to my line of eyesight. "What would happen if I found out why?"

I scoffed and started to walk away again. But as I turned to leave, I saw it, like a ball of fire, spiralling from the sky.

Instinct. That’s all it was. Instinct made me shove the Prince out of the way. Instinct drew my sword. Instinct made me take the hit, fire bursting against my chest.

It was all instinct, I swore, right before the agony tore through me and the world went dark.

---

DARYL

“It was just an accident,” the Principal had said. “A first-year witch’s mistake.” But I knew better.

A ball of fire directed at me was not a crude mistake from a clueless witch, it was an intentional attack, one that I had to find out about, and an attack that Soraya had taken the hit for.

I allowed my gaze to slide back to the unconscious girl sprawled on the bed. She had taken the hit for me, an attitude in contrast to what I thought she was — an enemy.

I shook my head, ridding my thoughts of her as I stepped out of the room.

"Daryl, where have you been?" Ilana said when I appeared in the cafeteria. I could see the worry lining my sister's face as well and I heard the whispers from students around.

News sure did spread fast.

"Are you okay?" Dolly inquired when I slid into my seat while Ilana sat beside me.

"I'm fine," I answered, but Soraya wasn't.

“The Principal said a witch made a mistake while practising for this semester’s first-year Gala Night performance.” Axel said.

“The Gala Night?” Ilana asked.

Dolly nodded. “It’s an annual event where students from every year perform in groups to entertain guests and the academy’s elders. Fenrir Academy uses it to showcase the students’ progress, not just in academics, but in how well they’ve mastered their abilities.”

Axel added, “Each year's level prepares a performance."

“And failing means embarrassment,” I muttered darkly.

Ilana frowned. “Embarrassment?”

“Imagine losing control in front of the elders or the Alpha,” Axel said, grimacing. “It’s supposed to be a celebration, but it’s also a test of composure.”

Dolly leaned closer. “They call it the Gala to make it sound like a simple night of festivities, but everyone knows it’s about showing who truly belongs here.”

I leaned back, my jaw tense. “Call it what you want — it’s survival of the fittest, even under candlelight and music.”

"That's interesting."

We all turned at the sound of Soraya's voice, eyes wide as she stood behind us like nothing had happened to her.

"Soraya?" I stood instantly. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"Lower your voice, your highness," she scolded.

"You shouldn't be out here, you are supposed to be recuperating. You just got it hit by a witch's sacrum!"

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "If I didn't know you well, Your Highness, I would think you cared about me."

"Do not get your hopes up, Soraya Karter!" I snapped. "I do not give a shit about you. I only need you to be okay, after all, you are supposed to be my assignment partner, have you forgotten?"

Saying that, I stormed out of the cafeteria.

---

SORAYA

I clasped my hands behind me as I went towards the dorm wing of first year students. I blamed my cursed curiosity for leading me here to the witch who’d nearly killed the Prince.

I had found out the girl's room number from the clinic attendant, and so I stopped at Room 7, raising my hand to knock. But before I could, there was a large scream from inside, that caused me to push the door open instantly, and there I was met with the shock of my life.

She was dead, no blood in sight but her body was dried up, and beside her, a sigil burned.

Someone had murdered my only lead.