004. Storm Over the Academy

Blake’s POV:

The walk to the Principal’s office felt longer than the entire academy grounds. Vega did not speak a single word on the way. His steps were sharp. His shoulders were stiff. If anger had a shape, it would look like him right now.

Alex walked on my left. His lip still bled a little, but he carried himself like he won some grand battle. Maya followed behind him with small steps. Liam stayed behind me, ready to grab me again if Alex tried something. The other students stayed far back, watching like it was a show.

When we reached the east tower, Vega pushed open a large door and gestured inside. “Move.”

The Principal’s office smelled like old paper and pine oil. Tall shelves covered the walls. A large window overlooked the entire arena. The Principal, Madam Hargrove, sat behind her desk. Her hair was streaked with silver. Her eyes were sharp enough to cut metal. She looked up as we entered.

“Coach Vega,” she said. “I expected you alone.”

“Situation changed,” he replied. “The Dean is in a council meeting. So only you will judge this case.”

Her gaze shifted to me, then to Alex, then to Maya. I felt like she could see right through our skin.

Vega cleared his throat. “We had a serious fight break out during morning training. They almost shifted.”

Her chair scraped back as she stood. “Shifted? Inside the academy grounds? Are you both out of your minds?”

Alex spoke before I could. “Principal, I can explain. Silver tried to hit on my girl. He was on top of her, so I did what any sane mate would do.”

My head snapped toward him. “Hit on her? Are you blind? I was saving her life.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Sure. That must be what you Silvers call saving.”

The Principal raised a hand, but he kept going.

“You fell on top of her and I saw it. I reacted. That is all.”

My temper jumped. “Why would I hit on your girl? I am not even interested in her. And for your information, it would have been better if I had not saved her. You would be picking up her skull pieces and crying on the ground.”

Maya gasped. Vega pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. Alex growled low in his throat.

The Principal slammed her palm on the table. “Enough.”

The room went silent at once.

“Coach Vega,” she said. “Bring Maya in front.”

Maya stepped beside me, nervous but steady.

The Principal softened her tone. “Tell me what really happened.”

Maya swallowed. “The beam broke under my foot. I fell. Blake caught me before I hit the stone. He saved me. If he did not grab me, I would have been badly hurt.”

Alex stared at her like she had betrayed him. “Maya…”

She cut him off quietly. “Do not twist things, Alex. You did not even check if I was breathing. You only dragged him away.”

The Principal faced Alex. “You acted without thinking. Again. You should confirm facts before you attack someone.”

Alex’s jaw locked. He did not argue, but I saw the pride burning in his eyes.

Then she turned to me. “And you. Do not get into fights inside the academy. I will not allow personal grudges to poison this place. You both come from prestigious clans, but if you continue this behavior, I will forget that and punish you like any other student.”

Her stare was heavy. I held it without looking away.

Vega rested his hands on his belt. “Do you have any other questions for them, Principal?”

“No. Take them out. They will not be expelled. Not today. But they are on thin ice.”

Relief hit me so fast that my knees almost weakened. Alex stood rigid, annoyed that he did not win this round.

We stepped outside. The hallway felt colder.

Vega rubbed the back of his neck. “You two will return to your dorms. In the afternoon, you restart fresh. Students should behave as students here. No personal war. No clan grudges.”

Neither Alex nor I replied.

We walked down the corridor. Maya walked beside Alex, but she kept glancing back at me. Liam stayed by my side, watching my posture like I might collapse or explode. The sky outside the tall windows had turned darker. Thick clouds rolled in, even though the morning was supposed to be sunny. A stormy mood for a stormy day.

When we reached the courtyard, Alex turned toward the opposite path that led to his dorm. He did not say anything to Maya. She sighed and followed him. Liam tapped my shoulder. “Come on, Blake. You look like you got hit by a carriage.”

“To be fair,” I said, “I got hit by a Thorne. Same thing.”

He snorted. “Accurate.”

We walked to my dorm. The sky kept getting darker. The air felt heavy. A strange wind pushed against the trees, like the whole academy sensed the tension between the two of us.

Inside my room, I sat on the edge of my bed. Liam shut the door behind him and walked over with a small first aid kit. He put it on my lap.

“Take your shirt off,” he said.

“That sounded suspicious,” I muttered.

“Blake, you are covered in bruises. I am not trying to seduce you. Just take it off.”

I laughed even though it hurt. I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it aside. My ribs ached. My cheek burned. My knuckles were cracked. Liam clicked his tongue.

“You look worse than usual.”

“Thanks,” I said. “That helps.”

He sat on the floor in front of me and cleaned the cut near my eyebrow. His touch was careful. Softer than I expected. Liam always acted like nothing bothered him, but he had this protective side that came out when I was stupid enough to get beaten up.

“You could avoid this, you know,” he said. “You could walk away from him. It is harmful for you to hold on to this hatred.”

I bit back a groan as he pressed a bandage over a split spot on my skin. “No. I cannot avoid it.”

“You can,” he insisted. “You can ignore him. Let the past die. Let the future be normal for once.”

I stood up, ignoring the pain in my ribs. “No, Liam.”

He looked up at me, eyes wide with worry. “Blake…”

“Thornes murdered my father.”

The room went still. Even the wind outside seemed to stop.

“My mother cries every night. Alone. Broken. She still waits for justice. And I will not let that go. I will avenge what they did. I will avenge the Silvers. And Alex Thorne is one of them.”

Liam stood up too. His eyes were soft, sad, almost pleading. “Blake, revenge will eat you alive.”

“It is already inside me,” I said. “And I will destroy Alex’s pride myself.”

My hands curled into fists. Anger rose again, sharp and hot.

Liam sighed and placed a hand lightly on my shoulder. “Just be careful. I cannot lose you, too.”

I gave him a small tired smile. “You worry too much.”

“I worry the right amount,” he shot back.

I sat again, staring at the storm clouds through the window. The sky had turned almost black.

Something inside me whispered that this was only the beginning.

And as I clenched my fists, only one thought burned in my chest.

I will destroy his pride myself.