Lumi's world felt like it had tilted on its axis. Professor Aurelian—one of the most trusted and respected figures at Oberon Academy—was working with Erick Noye. As she crouched near the doorway of the old tower, her mind raced with disbelief. Her heart pounded as the conversation between Erick and Aurelian continued, too quiet to catch every word but loud enough to confirm what she feared: Aurelian was helping Erick pursue the legendary artifacts.
"This can't be happening," Lumi whispered, her fingers tightening around the edge of the doorframe. Her heart felt heavy, the weight of the betrayal pressing down on her.
June placed a hand on Lumi's shoulder, her expression serious. "What do we do, Lumi? We can't let them get away with this."
Heath nodded grimly. "We need a plan—and fast."
Lumi's thoughts were jumbled. As much as she wanted to storm in and confront them, she knew that rushing in without a strategy would lead to disaster. Erick and Aurelian were too powerful to face head-on, especially since they had the element of surprise.
Before Lumi could respond, the door to the tower's upper room creaked open, and the sound of footsteps echoed down the staircase. Erick was leaving. They had no time to waste.
"Go, now," Lumi whispered urgently. "We can't let them see us."
The three friends darted back down the spiral staircase, moving as quietly as they could. They slipped through the side door just as Erick emerged from the main entrance of the tower. The night air was cool and sharp, the darkness thick around them as they ducked behind a cluster of trees.
From their hiding spot, they watched as Erick strode across the courtyard, his expression calm but calculating. The sight of him sent a wave of anger through Lumi, but she forced herself to remain still. Confronting him now would only give away their advantage.
"He's heading back to the academy," Heath whispered. "We need to figure out our next move. We have to stop him."
"I know," Lumi muttered, still processing the betrayal. "But we can't go back to Professor Aurelian. We're on our own."
"Not entirely," a soft, melodic voice cut through the darkness, startling all three of them. They turned toward the sound, and Lumi's breath caught in her throat.
Standing just a few feet away, bathed in the soft glow of the academy's lanterns, was a stunning figure. Her long, silvery-blue hair shimmered in the moonlight, cascading down her back like a waterfall of starlight. Her stormy grey eyes held a calm, steady intensity, and her slender, elegant form radiated an aura of quiet strength.
The high elf woman stepped forward, her expression serious but kind. "It seems you've uncovered something dangerous."
June blinked in surprise. "Who are you?"
The elf inclined her head gracefully. "Cyana Delphine. I'm a second-year student here at Oberon Academy. I've been keeping an eye on Erick Noye for some time now."
Lumi blinked, taken aback. Cyana Delphine, a second-year? She had heard of her—after all, it wasn't every day that the daughter of the king and queen of the Iris Kingdom attended the same academy. Known for her mastery of crystal and water magic, Cyana was a student that everyone admired from afar, but few knew personally.
Cyana's gaze shifted to Lumi, and for a brief moment, their eyes met. There was something warm and steady in Cyana's eyes, something that made Lumi's racing heart slow, if only for a moment. "You're Lumi Borealis, right?" she asked with a faint smile. "I've heard about you."
Lumi tried to shake off the sudden warmth spreading through her chest. "Yeah, that's me," she muttered, feeling uncharacteristically awkward under Cyana's gaze.
Cyana took a step closer, her expression softening. "I've seen you around campus, but I didn't expect us to cross paths like this. It seems we're both caught in the middle of something bigger than ourselves."
June jumped in, oblivious to the subtle tension. "Wait, you're a student here? That means you've been watching Erick up close. Can you help us?"
Cyana nodded, her expression turning serious again. "Yes, I've been keeping tabs on him. My family is concerned about his growing influence, but so far, I've been operating quietly to avoid raising suspicions. Now that you've uncovered Aurelian's involvement, things are more dangerous than we thought."
Lumi crossed her arms, regaining some of her composure. "So, what's your plan? We're in deep now, and with Aurelian on his side, Erick has a lot more power than we realized."
Cyana's grey eyes glinted with determination. "We need to be careful. If we rush into anything, we'll risk exposing ourselves. But I've been gathering information, and there's something we can use."
Heath frowned thoughtfully. "What kind of information?"
Cyana glanced around, ensuring no one was listening, before continuing. "Erick's been meeting with several influential families tied to the academy. They've been providing him with resources, and Aurelian has been covering for him. If we can find proof of these meetings and who's involved, we can expose them to the academy council and cut off Erick's support."
June perked up. "So we're looking for evidence? We can do that. We just need to figure out where they're keeping their plans."
Lumi, still processing Cyana's presence, found herself strangely drawn to the high elf. Despite the gravity of their situation, there was something about Cyana's calm, collected demeanor that put her at ease. It didn't hurt that Cyana was stunningly beautiful, either. Lumi quickly shook off the thought, focusing back on the task at hand.
"We can start by watching Aurelian's office," Lumi suggested. "If Erick is meeting with other families, there's a good chance they'll use him as a cover. We can search his records."
Cyana nodded approvingly. "That's a good idea. But we need to move carefully. Aurelian is clever, and Erick is already on edge after tonight's meeting. If we're going to gather evidence, we'll need to act quickly and quietly."
Lumi smirked. "Quick and quiet I can do. I just wanna get this over with so I can go back to lazing around."
Cyana raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a faint smile. "I've heard that about you. But somehow, I think there's more to you than your reputation suggests."
Lumi felt a flutter in her chest, quickly suppressing it. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it. I'm only motivated because Erick's being a pain."
June laughed, breaking the tension. "That's Lumi for you. Always motivated by the promise of a nap."
As they began to strategize, Lumi couldn't help but steal glances at Cyana. There was something undeniably captivating about her presence—calm, confident, and quietly powerful. And while Lumi usually preferred to keep people at arm's length, something about Cyana made her feel… different. Almost like she wanted to stick around, just to see what happened next.
For the first time in what felt like days, Lumi's usual desire to laze around was competing with a growing interest in something—or rather, someone—else. Maybe, just maybe, this mission would turn out to be more than just another responsibility. Maybe it would lead to something warmer, more exciting than she'd expected.