"No one is allowed to leave! That's the Grandmaster's order!"
The booming voice echoed through the courtyard, shaking the very air around them. The man standing before the towering, ethereal gates was a giant—both in stature and in sheer presence. His long white robe billowed slightly despite the absence of wind, and his straight, midnight-black hair cascaded down his back like a waterfall of ink. His sharp, hawk-like eyes bore into Silvermist with an intensity that could freeze even the bravest apprentice in place.
But it wasn't his terrifying presence that had her breaking into a cold sweat.
No.
It was Amethyst's grin earlier. That smug, knowing smirk she had flashed before disappearing into the crowd. That alone was enough to make Silvermist's stomach churn.
"Oh, come on, sir! I-I didn't sign up for this!" Silvermist groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "I came here with the impression of being just an apprentice—just that! No one told me I'd be thrown into a battle before the actual war even begins!"
She paced frantically in front of the gatekeeper, the ground beneath her feet marked by her restless steps. Her entire being buzzed with frustration and unease. It was one thing to endure the grueling trials of apprenticeship—it was another to be thrust into this.
A skill showdown? Now?
She wasn't ready.
And more importantly—Amethyst knew it.
The gatekeeper remained silent, his face unmoving as though carved from stone. The only sign that he even acknowledged her was the way his sharp gaze followed her every movement, scrutinizing her like she was the stupidest thing he had ever laid eyes on.
Silvermist felt her irritation spike. He's totally judging me right now.
A long, drawn-out sigh came from behind her.
"Geez, you're embarrassing us, Sil," Adeline muttered, crossing her arms.
Silvermist shot her a glare. "No," she countered, pointing a finger accusingly. "That woman set this up. She knows something—"
"Like what?" Mila interjected, her tone light, but there was something sharp underneath.
Silvermist froze. She had been speaking without thinking, and now all eyes were on her.
Before she could answer, Adeline sighed dramatically and spoke in her place, "Something like our dear friend here has mastered the fine art of controlling... absolutely nothing."
Mila blinked. "Oh, no biggie. If you fail, the entire class will just have to cover for your miserable score."
Her voice was far too casual for Silvermist's liking.
"You don't understand," Silvermist snapped. "Amethyst must have been—"
"Silvermist, Silvermist, Silvermist..."
The mocking voice cut through the conversation like a dagger through silk.
The three of them turned, and there she was.
Gail.
She walked toward them with an infuriating ease, arms crossed over her chest, lips curled into a smirk that dripped with condescension. She stopped mere inches from Silvermist, her presence looming.
Gail was taller, her frame more imposing, but Silvermist had never once let her presence shake her. Not then. Not now.
Still, Mila shivered slightly at the venom in Gail's voice.
Gail had always seemed respectable. Polished. Controlled. A woman of grace and poise.
But now?
Now, she sneered like she was enjoying this.
"Looks like even in a whole different realm, you'd still be a loser," Gail chuckled.
The words slithered through the air like poison.
Mila's brows furrowed, eyes flicking between the two. Since when was Gail like this?
Silvermist exhaled through her nose, unimpressed. "I have no time for you."
She turned away.
But she only made it half a step before—
"What's there to be so afraid of, Sil?"
Silvermist stilled.
"Are you scared because you'll be competing with Amethyst and humiliating yourself in comparison?" Gail continued, voice lilting with mock concern. "Or…"
She trailed off.
And then—a gasp.
A slow, dramatic one, as if she had stumbled upon the most delicious realization.
"Or maybe…"
Silvermist already knew what was coming, but the moment Gail spoke the next words, her jaw clenched.
"Maybe you're afraid you might get caught?"
Silence.
Adeline and Mila tensed.
Silvermist turned to look at Gail, her expression unreadable.
Caught?
She knew exactly what Gail was referring to. Cullen.
That damned bowl-cut bastard had mentioned she might be Frost's apprentice. And where had Gail been the entire time? Right beside him.
Had Cullen confirmed it to her?
There was no way Gail was smart enough to figure it out herself.
Silvermist schooled her features into something unreadable before slowly turning back to Gail.
And then she smiled.
A sharp, knowing smile. A predator's smile.
"Tell me, Gail…" she mused, tilting her head slightly. "Have you ever seen me get embarrassed before we came here?" She said, sliding the topic as smooth as butter.
Gail's smirk faltered for just a second.
But then she recovered, her eyes flashing with something wicked. "Oh? You mean besides the time your boyfriend left you for me?"
Mila sucked in a breath. She couldn't believe what she's hearing so does Adeline.
The words hung heavy in the air, laced with cruelty.
Gail's smirk widened, expecting to see Silvermist flinch. Waver. Break.
But instead, Silvermist laughed. Not a forced chuckle. Not a bitter scoff. A genuine, amused laugh.
She shook her head, "Of all the things you could've said…" Her voice dripped with disbelief. "That's what you're going with?"
She took a step forward, voice dropping into something icy.
"Let me make something very clear to you, Gail."
The smirk on Gail's face wavered.
"You didn't steal my man," the words came slow, deliberate. "You stole my problem."
Silence.
A tense, deafening silence.
Mila's lips parted slightly. Adeline blinked. Even the gatekeeper raised a brow.
Gail's face twisted. "What did you just say?"
Silvermist's smile widened, tilting her head as if talking to a particularly slow child. "I said, enjoy your trash, darling."
For the first time since the conversation began—Gail had nothing to say.
And Silvermist?
She turned away without another glance. She had bigger problems than an insecure little girl still fighting over the leftovers of her past.
Before Silvermist could whip around and argue with the gatekeeper again, Sebastian Silverthorn suddenly materialized beside her.
The sheer unexpectedness of his appearance startled everyone—even Adeline, Mila, and Gail.
"SON OF A BIT—"
Silvermist barely got the words out before a gloved finger pressed against her lips, cutting off her impending curse.
Her entire body stiffened. What the—?!
Sebastian's mismatched eyes gleamed with amusement. He remained utterly unfazed, as if silencing her mid-outburst was the most natural thing in the world.
Silvermist's reaction, however, was less than composed.
With a dramatic flick of her wrist, she slapped his hand away and immediately began spitting into the air, as if she had just been poisoned. "Ugh! I tasted your finger, you royal prick!"
Adeline slapped a hand over her face. Mila choked back a laugh. Even Gail looked momentarily stunned.
Sebastian, of course, remained as pristine as ever—his regal, untouchable aura entirely unshaken.
"What do you want?!" Silvermist groaned, glaring up at him.
Sebastian didn't answer right away. He merely let his gaze sweep over Adeline, Mila, and Gail before settling back on her with that same unreadable expression.
Then, in a voice calm and absolute, he stated, "You can't escape this place. The gatekeeper will only open the gates once the competition is over."
Silvermist exhaled sharply. "Oh, you mean after I die?" she hissed in a whisper, gripping the hem of Sebastian's uniform as if to physically drag him into her misery. "You do realize Amethyst set me up, right?"
Sebastian said nothing.
And that silence?
It told Silvermist everything.
Her stomach dropped. "I knew it!" she whispered harshly.
Sebastian exhaled, his lips barely moving as he murmured, "She suspected the moment she saw the full list of apprentices."
His grip on her wrist tightened slightly, and he pulled her a few steps away from the others, lowering his voice further. "Two of the Four Seasons apprentices were still unknown… but earlier, she confirmed the third. That left only you."
Silvermist's throat went dry.
So Amethyst knew.
And if she knew—then she had planned this.
Silvermist swallowed hard, her mind racing. "So what, she's hoping I mess up and expose myself?"
Sebastian's expression remained unreadable. "Or worse."
A cold shiver ran down Silvermist's spine.
She clenched her jaw. That damn snake.
Amethyst wasn't just after humiliating her. She wanted proof. She wanted confirmation that Silvermist was Frost's apprentice.
And now, with the entire academy watching—she had the perfect stage to force her hand.
Silvermist exhaled sharply, her fingers twitching at her sides. "What am I supposed to do now?" she groaned, dragging a hand down her face.
Before Sebastian could answer, Mila stepped forward hesitantly. "Uhh—I think the competition's about to start..." she murmured, her gaze flickering to Silvermist.
There was something different in her eyes now. A quiet understanding. A realization.
She knows.
Silvermist could tell Mila was putting the pieces together. The slow unraveling of the truth was written all over her face.
Mila barely forced a smile before turning on her heel. "We better head back." She left first, her posture tense.
Gail rolled her eyes, scoffing as she followed, leaving only Adeline behind.
The young apprentice sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "She must have already figured it out too..." Adeline muttered.
Then, with absolutely no hesitation, she looked Silvermist dead in the eyes and stated, "Just get yourself ready, Sil. Maybe after this, you won't just get bullied for your lack of abilities—maybe you'll get scorned when everyone finds out the truth."
Silvermist stilled.
Adeline, being young, never bothered to filter her words. Kids will always be kids. Even if she was ten years older on the inside, tact wasn't exactly her strongest suit.
And yet, the second the words left her mouth, she knew she had pressed a dangerous button.
Silvermist visibly paled.
A thick, suffocating silence filled the air.
She slowly turned to Sebastian, her voice flat. "So, tell me. Did you come all the way here just to confirm my worst fears, or do you actually have a way out for me?"
Sebastian met her gaze without flinching.
"Neither," he said smoothly. "I just wanted to see your reaction to this—ugh—!"
His sentence cut off abruptly as Silvermist jabbed her elbow directly into his ribs, hard.
The impact was so sharp Sebastian doubled over, clutching his side as he struggled to catch his breath. "T-That was a joke," he wheezed. "Relax."
Silvermist narrowed her eyes. "You're lucky I didn't go for your pretty face."
Sebastian finally straightened, exhaling sharply before composing himself again.
"I came to warn you," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "East tried to reason with Amethyst after seeing the match-ups. He argued that your abilities are too different—too mismatched. But Amethyst is smart. She justified it by saying the spell she used earlier needs time to recharge before she can use it again."
Silvermist frowned. "Meaning?"
Sebastian's expression darkened. "Meaning she's stalling. She already planned this, and she knew exactly how to cover her tracks."
A muscle ticked in Silvermist's jaw.
"And Ezekiel?" she asked.
Sebastian let out a slow breath. "He could have matched her ability… but he burned through most of his energy training with Blaze. He won't be able to help you now."
Silvermist's fingers curled into fists and let out a dry chuckle. Really, what did she expect? She had spent her whole life feeling alone—why would things suddenly change now?
Ezekiel had confidently told her to call him if she needed help. Where was he now? Frost, too, had given her that grand speech about how she'd never be alone because he'd always be there for her. And yet… she was currently struggling alone, like always.
She sighed dramatically. Men and their empty promises.
"All men do is lie…" she groaned, flopping onto the nearest surface like a tragic heroine.
Sebastian, who had been minding his own business, slowly turned to her with a look of deep, horrified offense. "Excuse me?"