The next morning, the academy buzzed with rumor.
Even though the instructors had tried to suppress talk of the "exam incident," word spread faster than mana through a conduit.
Whispers in the corridors.
Speculation in the dining halls.
Some said a monster had broken through the boundary.
Others claimed it was a secret test by the Headmistress herself.
Only Merlin and his group knew how close the truth had come to killing them.
As they sat in the cafeteria, Nathan leaned across the table, whispering low. "You think the Headmistress'll tell us what really happened?"
Merlin stirred his drink absently. "No."
Ethan frowned. "Then what do we do? Just act like it didn't happen?"
"Pretty much," Merlin said dryly. "That's what the academy wants."
Liliana sighed. "I hate that he's probably right."
Across the table, Elara watched Merlin quietly, her expression unreadable.
Finally, she said, "If they won't tell us, we find out ourselves."
