The next week passed swiftly. She didn't come across Steinforth again and the classes and courses were the same; tough, draining and impossible. However, the professors became a bit lenient with her.
Even though Professor Winguard was still as grumpy as he could be, he didn't force her near the stage of burning out and let her maintain her own steady pace.
She could tell that she was improving, considering that in yesterday's class, she managed to summon and touch the thread of void. And in today's class, she even created a couple of dark clouds.
The professor wasn't too impressed, but she couldn't care less. He didn't know that she hadn't manifested her stone before barely a month ago. And considering all the new circumstances she was in, she was proud that she managed to create something from her magic for the first time ever.
Thorndyke was always being Thorndyke with his constant cockiness, naggings and banters. However, after what happened in the corridor a week ago, he had been trying to maintain his distance. Gwen couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed and almost considered getting into trouble again just so she could see his reaction.
But she wasn't that petty.
Hopefully.
She sat down with Sibby and Rose in the cafeteria for dinner. She grew quite close to both of the girls in the past two weeks. Even though Sibby was a bit... complicated, she still enjoyed her company a lot and considered her a great friend as well.
Currently, they were talking about some recent gossip that she loved to take part in.
As they sat there, gossiping and chatting, Sibby leaned in suddenly, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "You'll never believe what I heard."
Rose, who was eating a slice of bread, looked up, intrigued. "What? Spill."
Gwen also leaned in, her interest piqued. In a place like the Academy, gossip was a delicious form of entertainment. It broke the monotony and often provided some much-needed amusement.
Sibby grinned, "Okay, so you know Professor Edwigg, right? The guy who teaches dragon-riding class?"
Rose raised her eyebrows, a smirk on her lips, "The one who has a perpetually pinched expression and seems like he despises every living thing in the universe?"
"That's the one," Sibby agreed, snickering. "But get this, rumor has it that he secretly has a crush on Professor Hartlorn. You know, the pretty blonde from Krugor House?"
Rose's eyes widened in mock surprise. "What? Professor Grumpypants? In love? With Professor Pinky-pie? That cannot be true!"
Gwen couldn't help but laugh at the absurd image. The thought of the perpetually grumpy Professor Edwigg having a crush on the cheerful literature Professor Hartlorn was hard to picture, but it was certainly an amusing rumor.
"That's a pretty big claim," Gwen said, grinning. "Anyone have any proof? Did they see him making googly eyes at her or something?"
Sibby's eyes sparkled with mischief as she leaned in even closer. "Oh, there's more. Rumor has it they've been spotted having secret meetings after classes. They claim they're just discussing lesson plans, but come on, it's not exactly discreet, is it?"
Rose chuckled, clearly enjoying the juicy gossip, "And that's not all. People have been saying they've seen him leaving Professor Hartlorn's office late at night. What do you think they could possibly be doing in there all alone, huh?"
"Sounds more like the start to a scandalous affair, don't you ladies think?" a masculine voice chimed in, making the three turn their heads. It was a blonde guy from Rose's House who she claimed made the best jokes. He leaned against the table, his forearms against the surface, and looked to the three of them as he grinned.
Sibby rolled her eyes, "Obviously, silly! They wouldn't be playing with dolls alone in the midnight."
Rose nodded, raising her eyebrows, "It has to be an affair, Lance. Otherwise, what would they be doing alone in Hartlorn's office that late?"
He chuckled before crossing his arms and shaking his head, "Perhaps they're just sharing a late night cup of tea, or discussing the merits of the English language. You know, academic pursuits," he teased.
Gwen let out a snort of laughter, unable to hold it in. "Yeah, because sharing a cup of tea and discussing literature are definitely the only things adults do together all alone late at night."
The blond guy, Lance, chuckled, "Or maybe Professor Edwigg is simply tutoring Professor Hartlorn on proper brooding techniques. You know, how to perfect the scowl."
The group erupted into laughter, picturing Professor Edwigg giving brooding lessons to the cheerful Professor Hartlorn.
"Can you imagine it? Professor Grumpypants trying to get Professor Pinky-pie to look angry all the time?" Sibby snickered, wiping away tears from laughing so hard.
Rose chuckled, shaking her head, "I'd pay good money to see that."
Lance leaned back against the table and crossed his arms, a smirk growing on his face, "But you know, that isn't really the rumor of the week."
Gwen's interest peaked, a sense of excitement running through her. Rumors were like candy to her, each one more tantalizing than the last. It seemed that the girls felt the same because they all leaned in closer to Lance.
"Oh? Do spill the tea," Sibby encouraged, a smirk playing on her own lips. "What's the real rumor of the week?"
Lance leaned in conspiratorially, his voice dropping to a near whisper as if sharing some closely guarded secret, "Well, ladies, this isn't just any rumor, you see. It has a dark edge to it, so I'm not sure if you lot can handle it."
The trio of girls, despite the initial skepticism, found themselves leaning in closer, their curiosity now fully piqued. Sibby arched an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly, "Oh, come on, blondie boy," she coaxed. "Give us a little bit of credit. We can take it. What's the rumor?" She practically vibrated with excitement, looking like she would jump on the table any minute.
Lance's smirk widened at the girls' eagerness and insistence, "Alright, you lot really want to know, don't you?"
Rose rolled her eyes, her impatience showing, "We wouldn't be on the edge of our seats like this if we didn't. Out with it, already!" Gwen nodded, agreeing with her friends.
"Then here it is. Rumor has it, that cadets are slowly disappearing from the academy. My friend, Marcus's brother is in second year. He told me that when he was in his first year, some of his classmates, despite their remarkable skills and grades, disappeared all of a sudden," he paused, his eyes scanning their faces, watching as their expressions gradually shifted from excitement to concern and even a hint of fear.
He continued with a serious tone, "He said none of the professors ever explained where they went, or if they even knew what happened to them. They just disappeared without a trace, and no one ever heard from them again. My friend thinks it's more sinister than just dropping out because Alarys Military Academy doesn't just let their cadets drop out of the Academy do they?"
Gwen's heart started to hammer in her chest as she listened to Lance's words. Disappearing cadets? That was beyond alarming. It sounded like something straight out of a horror story, not like a rumor in their world.
Rose's face was ashen, her hands clenching into fists. "But...but how can they just disappear?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Cards shrugged, his expression stoic as he continued the story, "No one knows, that's the mystery. They're just... gone. Vanished. But the thing is, it's not just cadets from the second year. Rumors of missing students have circulated for years. Each year, a few just disappear. It's not a huge number, but it's enough to make people wonder what's going on behind the scenes."
A chill ran through Gwen's spine. It sounded sinister, too eerie to be a coincidence. She looked at Sibby and paused. The dark-haired girl was staring into a space, her eyes darkened as if a memory was replaying in her head. That's when it struck Gwen.
Sibby was in second year— so was Gwen, but Sibby had actually completed her first year. She must have known the cadets who disappeared last year.
She reached over and gently shook Sibby's arm, trying to break her out of whatever trance she was in, "Sibby, are you alright?"
Sibby flinched, her eyes refocusing slightly, a haunted look in them that quickly disappeared, replaced by a strained smile.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, her voice a bit too bright, her words a bit too forced. She shifted in her seat, almost as if trying to shake off the memory that had surfaced in her mind.
Rose looked between Gwen and Sibby, worry etched on her face, "You sure you're alright? You look like you've seen a ghost," she probed gently.
Lance remained quiet for a moment, watching the trio intently, before finally speaking to Sibby, "You know something, don't you?"
Sibby's smile became more strained, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her sleeve, "What makes you think that?" she responded, her voice still maintaining its false cheerful tone.
Gwen tensed, glancing at Rose who's brow was furrowed in concern. This wasn't like Sibby at all. She never faked anything. She just spoke whatever came to her mind without thinking without caring what anyone else thought about it. She was weird, quirky, cheerful and a bit questionable but that made Sibby... Sibby.
Unease clawed Gwen's stomach. Something was off with Sibby. And she couldn't shake the feeling that something was related to the cadets who disappeared.