Lance shrugged nonchalantly, his gaze unwavering, "You're a terrible actress, you know that right? Your smile was as believable as a dog barking at the moon."
She seemed guarded, almost... scared. It was as if the rumor had struck a nerve or triggered a memory she'd rather not relive.
Rose, ever observant, seemed to catch on too. "Sibby..." she began, her voice gentle, "Is there something you know that we don't? You can tell us, you know."
Sibby's fingers continued to fidget with her sleeve, her eyes darting around the room as if seeking an escape. After a beat, heavy sigh escaped her lips. "I knew some of them," she admitted reluctantly, "the ones who disappeared."
Sibby's gaze fell to the tabletop, her fingers tracing random patterns on it, avoiding their eyes, "We were the first years of Krugor house and Eric was the deputy of our House Captain. He was one of the most skilled cadets of our time and wielded the Storm ability. His girlfriend, Lara, was a talented Siren as well. They both were quite close to me in our first year before they slowly distanced themselves. From me, from others, from each other."
She frowned, continuing, "I never understood what was wrong with them until one day Lara wasn't found in her dorm room. Her roommate said that she slept just fine the night before, but she didn't have a clue how she disappeared in her sleep. Her roommate was even examined by a Truthteller to know if she was lying, but it was the truth. Even Lara's Wyvern had no idea where her bonded one went. It was as if she suddenly disappeared from the world. Eric started becoming quieter and quieter as days passed until one day, he disappeared in the same way as well. Months passed and more cadets started to vanish until the last few months of the year."
Gwen listened in horror, her mind trying to process this horrifying tale. One student disappearing was unnerving, but multiple? That sounded like the plot of a nightmare. And the fact that they were all skilled cadets only made it more alarming.
Rose, who had been unusually quiet during the conversation, spoke up then, her voice soft. "Do you think... they all ran away?"
It was Lance who shook his head in a deep thought, "There is no chance of someone escaping from this Academy alive. Half of this place is surrounded by the Great Dale and the half is surrounded by the sea and the Mountain range including Mount Percival. They couldn't have ran away without their firebreathers. And like Sibby said, even the firebreathers had no idea where they went."
His words hit them like a ton of bricks. Lance was right; there was no way those cadets could have escaped this place, not with the way the Academy was built. It made the whole ordeal even more terrifying, knowing that they most likely were forcefully taken.
Worry filled Gwen's heart as she thought about the possible fate of the missing cadets. "But... who could have taken them? And for what purpose?"
Sibby remained silent for a moment, her expression dark and unreadable. When she spoke again, her voice was nearly a whisper, "I don't know who or for what, but..." she paused, looking up at the other three with a sudden intensity in her eyes. "But I have a theory."
Gwen, Rose and Lance all leaned in a little closer, their curiosity piqued.
"A theory?" Lance queried, his voice laced with skepticism.
Sibby shifted uncomfortably in her seat, almost as if the weight of her theory was a physical burden on her shoulders. "I think..." she began, her voice cracking a little, "I think someone or something in this Academy is taking the cadets."
Rose's eyes widened in disbelief, "Something? You me like an animal or a spirit or-"
"No," Sibby interrupted, her tone firm despite the shaking of her hands. "I mean something... else."
Lance scoffed, leaning back in his chair with a skeptical look on his face. "You mean like... monsters?" he asked, his voice dripping with skepticism.
Sibby shot him an annoyed glare. "No, not monsters," she replied, a hint of irritation in her voice. "I mean... something more human."
There was a pause in the conversation, the silence so thick you could cut it with a knife. Gwen was the one who broke it. Her voice trembled as she spoke, "You think it's... someone in the Academy?" she asked, the idea making her nauseous.
Sibby nodded, her eyes darting around the group. "Yes," she confirmed, biting her lip worriedly. "I think it's someone within the Academy walls who is taking the cadets. Someone who has either a power we don't know about or...some kind of insider help."
Lance looked unconvinced, still skeptical of Sibby's theory. "You're saying that there's an actual person inside the Academy abducting cadets, and nobody's noticed? Not even the professors?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"That's the thing!" she exclaimed, "When Lara disappeared, there was a ruckus all over the Academy. Everyone was shocked and overwhelmed by the thought that someone just disappeared in the thin air. However, during Eric's time, the Professors turned a blind eye to everything. They refused to acknowledge the rumors and they all claimed that Eric fell from the back of his Ireflame while practicing his flight test. The red Ireflame refused to answer any questions about his bonded one when he was still mourning, so no one could really confirm the news."
A cold chill ran down Gwen's spine, "So... if they're trying to keep it under wraps, then it means they're probably protecting someone," she stated, fear lacing her voice.
Rose, who had been silent for a moment, looked sick as she spoke up, "Could it... could it be one of the professors?"
Gwen and Lance were both shocked silent at the implication of Rose's words. One of the professors? The people who were meant to protect them and guide them? It was a horrifying thought.
Sibby, who had also paled at the suggestion, finally spoke up, "I don't think so..." she began, her voice strained with doubt, "I mean...it just doesn't make sense for a professor to abduct cadets. They are already in a position of power. Why would they need to go through all that trouble?"
Lance looked at the girls in disbelief. "Are you serious?" he exclaimed, his hand smacking against the table, causing all of them to jump, "This is exactly why it makes sense for a professor to be behind this! They have power, they have access to restricted areas, and they have authority. No one would suspect a professor, and no one would question their actions."
Gwen shivered at Lance's words. He had a point; no one would suspect a professor, and they had the means and motive to pull something like this off.
Sibby, however, still wasn't convinced. "It might make sense in theory, but it's still a huge leap. Professors are dedicated to training cadets who are needed in the military not abducting them," she argued, her eyes flicking between her friends.
Rose, still looking uneasy, spoke up again. "Maybe it isn't a professor," she suggested, her words met with a sudden silence. "Maybe it's someone else. A teacher? Security? Maybe... maybe even a student?"
Gwen, suddenly feeling paranoid, looked at her friends. Could it be possible that it wasn't a professor or teacher at all, but rather someone in their age group? Someone they could see every day?
The mere thought of a student being involved in such an atrocious act made Gwen's heart skip a beat. She scanned her surroundings, her gaze falling on a few students chatting casually in the distance. They seemed innocent enough, but how could she tell who was trustworthy now?
Lance, apparently thinking along the same lines, looked equally disturbed. He shook his head, "But who in their right mind would want to abduct their own classmate? What could possibly be the motive?"
Sibby's expression grew contemplative. She fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve again, her brow furrowed in thought. "Power, maybe?" she offered. "Control? Maybe this person is obsessed with strength and is taking only the most powerful cadets."
"But as far as I remember, the Moon Stones and their abilities can not be separated from their bearer," Gwen spoke up, thinking about all she studied back in her father's cottage in Grimvell.
Rose nodded in agreement. "You're right. Moon Stones are a part of the cadets who have it. They cannot function without it."
Sibby leaned forward, her eyes darting between the group, "So, what if someone's trying to find a way to separate the Moon Stones from their bearers?" she suggested, a grim look on her face.
A beat passed before they all laughed.
No, that wasn't possible at all. Moon Stones could never be separated from their bearers under any circumstances. They were a part of our body; when we die, our moon stones die with us, so there is no way that someone else could use our powers instead of us.
Lance chuckled dryly, shaking his head with a slight smirk. "Yeah, that sounds like a load of crap to me," he agreed, rolling his eyes.
Rose also looked amused, her tense shoulders finally relaxing a little, "Yeah, how on earth would someone even accomplish that?"
Sibby chuckled, the shine returning to her eyes as she said, "I don't know about anyone but me and Gwen surely will accomplish a detention from Professor 'Pretty' Winguard if we don't go to bed soon."
Gwen's eyes widened in horror at the mention of Professor Winguard, a shiver running down her spine. "Oh no," she said in a panicked voice, "He will not hesitate burn me out in our training tomorrow if he finds me chilling during bed time."
"You can't deny the fact that he's handsome, Gwen," Rose said dramatically.
Sibby sighed dreamily, "Tell me about it."
Gwen rolled her eyes, "Trust me, he's all looks and no mercy."
"At least he is all looks," Sibby chuckled as the group finally stood from their table, dumping their plates in the counter. Afterwards, they all made their ways to their separate wings.
However, throughout the night, Gwen couldn't shake the uneasiness of her discovery. So many cadets just suddenly disappearing into thin air was eerily discomforting.
She could just hope that none of those events would happen this year.