บททั้งหมดของ Black Ridge Academy : บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

The rest of the afternoon passed painfully slowly.After my conversation with Ethan, I could barely focus during lessons. His words kept replaying endlessly inside my head. The statement unsettled me more than I wanted to admit because deep down, I already felt watched.Every hallway suddenly felt heavier. Every passing glance seemed suspicious. Even the silence around Blackridge Academy no longer felt normal.I closed my locker after class and adjusted the strap of my bag over my shoulder while students crowded through the hallway around me. Lisa stood nearby scrolling nervously through her phone.“My mom keeps texting me,” she muttered quietly. “Parents are hearing rumors now.”I frowned slightly. “About the student?”She nodded. “The school apparently told everyone he collapsed from a medical condition.”I almost laughed at how ridiculous that sounded.“A medical condition doesn't throw someone against the ceiling.”“Keep your voice down,” Lisa whispered quickly while glancing arou

The student lowered her phone for a second, then a mocking grin spread across her face."Oh wow," she said loudly, her eyes darting between Adrian and me. "Looks like the school's favorite couple scandal just dropped."Before I could react, she lifted the phone again and waved it in the air. "Guys! You need to see this!" she shouted down the hallway.Heads turned immediately. "I just caught Zara and Adrian together!"Students began drifting closer, curiosity spreading through the corridor like wildfire. Within seconds, whispers erupted from every direction."No way.""Is that really them?""Show us the pictures!"Heat rushed to my face. My stomach dropped."Delete those!" I snapped, hurrying toward her.I reached for the phone, but she jerked it out of my grasp, laughing as she backed away."Relax, Zara. It's just a picture."The crowd grew larger.My heart pounded harder with every pair of eyes fixed on us. Embarrassment crawled up my neck, burning my cheeks. I wanted the floor to op

My jaw clenched as a wave of cold dread washed over me. Vanessa had seen me walk out of the isolated library archives. Worse, she had seen Adrian holding my wrist, his thumb still resting against my hands.Adrian didn't let go immediately. Instead, his grip tightened for a fraction of a second—a silent, protective gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Vanessa. Her eyes dropped to our hands, her smirk sharpening into something ugly."Let go of her, Adrian," Vanessa commanded, her voice dropping the playful tone, replaced by an icy authority. "Unless you want to be dragged down to the Headmaster’s office as an accomplice to break-and-enter."Lisa let out a soft, terrified squeak behind me. I stepped forward, forcing my wrist out of Adrian's grasp, though the loss of his warmth made the chilly corridor feel instantly colder. I felt entirely exposed, a regular student standing in the crosshairs of two people who belonged to a completely different echelon than I did."Adrian has nothing to d

"Right," I managed to say, forcing my eyes to stay on the swirling couples on the dance floor rather than letting Lisa see the sudden panic in them. "The Lunar Gala. Of course.""Everyone’s been practicing their displays for weeks," Lisa continued, oblivious to the existential crisis crashing down on me. She watched the dancers with wide, envious eyes. "But honestly, seeing it out in the open like this... it’s beautiful, isn't it?""Beautiful," I whispered mechanically.Inside, my chest tightened. *Magics are fully brought to life after the Lunar Gala.* If that was true, then the casual displays I was seeing right now were just the prefix. Tomorrow, the students at Black Ridge would be operating on a completely different level. And where did that leave me? Still ordinary. Still powerless. A fragile glass doll in a room full of iron weights.I looked back out at the floor. Adrian and Vanessa were moving flawlessly, a perfect execution of tradition and grace. But up close, it looked lik

"No way," Adrian said. His voice was a low, angry whisper. Blue frost glowed around his hands, making the dark hallway look cold and spooky. He stared at Lisa with sharp, angry eyes.Lisa did not look scared at all. She stood up straight and looked very confident. A faint purple light danced on her fingertips. It reminded me that my sweet, clumsy roommate was a total lie."Adrian, think about this," Lisa said. Her voice was calm. She didn't sound panicked like she usually did. "If the Headmaster and the High Council go back to the ballroom and see that you and Zara are both gone, they will lock down the school. They will know someone was in the office. You have to go back so they think you were there the whole time.""I don't care about that," Adrian snapped. He stepped closer to me and grabbed my shoulder. His hand was strong, but I could feel it shaking a little bit. "I am not leaving her alone and unprotected.""I don't need you to protect me," I said. My voice cracked as I stepped