All Chapters of The crown system: four kings bound to me: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The moment the Headmaster's office fell silent, the mysterious man slowly withdrew his hand from the black crystal floating before him. The image of Noctis Academy dissolved into countless fragments of light before disappearing completely, leaving only the dim glow of ancient runes carved into the walls of the underground chamber. Behind him, the Void Alpha remained kneeling, its enormous body covered in wounds that had yet to heal. "Should we retrieve her now?" it asked in a rough voice. The man remained quiet for several seconds before shaking his head. "No. The Crown Dormitory is the safest place in the academy. Ironically, it is also where fate will move the fastest." He turned slightly toward the creature, though his face remained hidden beneath the hood. "The Crown has accepted its fifth piece. Let them believe they are protecting her. Every move they make only brings the prophecy closer to awakening." Without another word, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving the Void Alph

While the stew simmered gently over the fire, I turned my attention to the potatoes. After peeling them, I cut each one into evenly sized pieces before tossing them into a wooden bowl with melted butter, freshly minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, cracked black pepper, and a pinch of coarse salt. Using my hands, I mixed everything together until every piece was evenly coated before spreading them across a baking tray. The rich aroma of butter and herbs immediately filled the kitchen as I slid the tray into the stone oven. Beside me, Orion watched with quiet interest, occasionally asking questions about each step, while Kael leaned lazily against the counter, his eyes following every movement—not because he wanted to learn, but because he was impatient to eat. I couldn't help smiling to myself. "You're staring at the food like it might run away," I teased. Kael didn't even bother denying it. "After smelling all this? I honestly think waiting should be considered a form of torture."I

Her and Lyra entered the hall together, the great doors groaning open on hinges older than the kingdom itself. The Hall of Arms did not resemble a training ground. It resembled a temple built for gods who had long since stopped answering prayers. The ceiling rose in tiers of black stone veined with gold, each seam glowing faintly as though blood still moved beneath the surface. Chandeliers hung suspended without chains — spheres of captured starlight, drifting slow and silent above rows of weapon racks that stretched farther than the eye could measure. Golden stripes ran along the walls in patterns too precise to be decoration; they were wards, ancient script layered upon script, humming at a frequency just beneath hearing. Lyra exhaled beside her. "It's bigger than I expected, wow...." Auriel said nothing. Her eyes were already moving around the Outer Hall's neat rows of iron and steel, ordinary blades resting in silence, waiting for hands that would never quite deserve them. Be

The moment I stepped out of the hall, it felt as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from my shoulders. As Lyra and I walked, she suddenly broke the silence."Auriel, I have a feeling you might be a descendant of a royal bloodline."I smiled and shook my head. "Your imagination runs too wild. I'm just a commoner who got lucky enough to be accepted into this school."Lyra paused and put on an overly dramatic, stunned expression. "Did I just experience the 'tell me you're a genius without telling me you're a genius' trick?"We stared at each other for a second without blinking, then burst into laughter."Only God knows what goes on in that head of yours," I replied."Well, you definitely can't blame me for thinking that way. Most of our classmates believe you might be a princess hiding her identity—and that maybe you're here to choose one of the Crown Kings as your fiancé," she defended."What?!" I exclaimed. This had to be one of the oddest assumptions I'd heard in my eighteen y

Lo and behold, as soon as I got to the kitchen, I found the food Lucian was talking about. Talk about a feast—that's exactly what this was. There was a variety of dishes spread across the long dining table—steamed rice, creamy mashed potatoes, grilled wyvern steak, slow-cooked beef stew, roasted vegetables, fresh fish, berry tarts, and warm apple pie. The rich aroma of herbs and butter filled the kitchen, making it feel less like a dormitory and more like a royal banquet hall.The life of royalty sure is different, I thought. I served myself some creamy mashed potatoes, a bowl of steamed rice, and chicken soup, then sat down at the dining table and ate until I was full. Afterward, I checked the time and realized it was almost evening—nearly time for gravity chamber training. I rested for a little while, then got up, went to my room, and changed out of my dress into a combat uniform. I left the house and headed back toward the main building, where the gravity chamber was located. Bef