ELIAS CROWE POV
I knew campus politics ran deep, but I had never quite grasped how venomous ambition could be, until I saw it bloom in Celene Greyfang's eyes.
It started that afternoon in Advanced Rune Theory, a lecture hall cavernous enough to echo a dragon's roar. Aria and I sat together in the third row, hunched over scrolls of ancient script, the morning's bruise on her shoulder peeking from beneath her sleeve, reminding me of yesterday's skirmish. She'd applied the binding cloth carefully, and though the pain still haunted her expression, she'd refused to let it slow her.
We were translating a passage about "Celestial Bonds," an exercise of symbology and intuition. Each rune represented an elemental force, the sun, the sea, the wolf, the moon. Aria traced a silver symbol with her fingertip, brow furrowed, I leaned closer.
"That's Luna's seal," I whispered. "It signifies renewal."
She nodded, lips pressed together. "Renewal or retribution."
I offered her a small smile. "Let's go with renewal."
Before she could respond, I caught movement in the corner of my eye. Celene was standing at the back of the hall, flanked by two Elder-sponsored students. Her posture was regal, shoulders squared, and her platinum hair gleamed like polished steel, she wore a tailored uniform that accentuated her perfection, every crease calculated.
She lifted a hand in a patronizing wave. "Mind if I join you?" Her voice was honeyed, but the undertone cut like glass.
Aria glanced at me, uncertainty flickering across her features, I tightened my grip on my quill. "Professor," Celene called, slipping into the empty seat beside Aria. "May I sit here?"
Professor Blackthorn paused mid-sentence, eyebrows arching. "If space permits."
Celene's lips curved into a victorious smirk as she seated herself. Aria's shoulders stiffened, I slid slightly closer to her, instinctively protective.
The lecture resumed, but I felt Celene's gaze like a blade against my back, I focused on the scroll, but her presence was a shadow over the page. Finally, she leaned toward Aria, voice low but loud enough for me to hear.
"Funny," Celene whispered, "I thought they said the notorious Moonblood would be too dangerous for advanced classes."
Aria's hand stilled on the parchment, her voice was quiet but unwavering. "I'm not here to be judged by rumors."
Celene's smirk widened. "Rumors are often based on truth."
I bristled but held my tongue, the professor droned on about rune congruencies, but I couldn't concentrate. I watched Aria's pulse thump at her throat, and saw the tension in her knuckles, I longed to snap my fingers and banish Celene to the far reaches of the campus, but politics dictated subtlety.
When the lecture ended, scrolls were rolled closed, and students filed out. Celene lingered, turning to Aria as though savoring a final blow.
"Perhaps you should stick to basic classes," she said softly. "We wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself again."
Aria's gaze remained leveled, a calm ocean hiding a storm. "I'll take my chances."
Celene rose gracefully. "I'll see you at the council meeting later, Aria, I'll be… watching."
She swept away, leaving a trail of perfumed arrogance, I exhaled a slow breath and stood beside Aria.
"Don't let her get under your skin," I murmured.
Aria closed her eyes briefly, then opened them with a resolute gleam. "She's testing me."
I slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Then we'll show her you're unbreakable."
Evening came with a violet dusk painting the academy's spires. The council chambers, a circular hall beneath the Old Moonstone, were already half-full when Aria and I arrived. Alphas, Betas, and Elders gathered in segmented benches around a central dais, where Lady Morwenna, High Elder of Lycanridge, presided.
I guided Aria to our usual seats in the Beta section. She pressed my hand gratefully, and I squeezed gently before letting go, as Lady Morwenna called the assembly to order, I scanned the crowd for Celene, she sat two rows ahead, smiling at the dais as if already victorious.
The council's agenda was standard: enrollment updates, dorm security, ritual scheduling, until Lady Morwenna cleared her throat and said, "We have an urgent matter regarding the recent emergence of the Moonblood lineage."
A hush fell. I felt Aria's pulse slam against my arm.
Celene leaned forward, eyes bright. Lady Morwenna continued, "Reports have reached us of… extraordinary events. Advanced displays of power during combat drills, unexplained rune reactions." She paused, gaze sweeping the assembly. "It is imperative we address this resurgence with caution."
At her signal, a messenger brought forth a slate inscribed with the words "Moonblood Protocol, Immediate Review." Gasps echoed.
Aria's jaw clenched. I reached for her hand, but she flinched away, she didn't want this battle in public, yet Celene stood at the front now, stepping up to the dais, she tapped the slate.
"I propose," Celene announced, "that Aria Valen be placed under probationary oversight for the next six months, to ensure the safety of fellow students."
A murmur of agreement rose from some Elders and cautious Betas. Aria's face went pale.
"You can't," I whispered fiercely. "This is"
"Necessary," Celene cut in, voice folded in silk. "Power unchecked is power abused."
Lady Morwenna inclined her head. "Motion seconded."
Aria rose from her seat, robes swishing dramatically. "You're making a mistake." Her voice echoed through the chamber. "I have done nothing to harm anyone."
Celene's smirk bloomed again, the cruelest I'd ever seen. "Extraordinary power demands extraordinary oversight."
I stood too, fury coiling in my gut. "This is harassment."
Heads turned, Aria shot me a warning glance, but I couldn't stop.
Lady Morwenna held up a hand. "Silence," she commanded, then, with deliberate neutrality, "The vote is unanimous, probationary oversight enacted."
Aria sank back into her seat, hands shaking. I stared at Celene, eyes blazing, she met my gaze without flinching, victory carved into her porcelain features.
Later, we found refuge in the alcove, safe from prying eyes and the council's weight. Aria pressed her forehead against the cold stone, breath ragged, I sat beside her, arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"They think they can control me," she whispered. "Like I'm some… experiment."
I pressed a kiss to her temple. "They're afraid."
She lifted her head, tears glinting. "I don't want to fight them all."
I swallowed the fury rising in me. "You won't be alone."
Her hand found mine. "Thank you."
I traced a rune on her palm, the ward of protection we'd practiced, It shimmered briefly. "This is our promise," I said softly. "We face them together."
She leaned into me, and for a moment, the world outside fell away, no council votes, no elite intrigues, no Celene's smirk. Only us, bound by a shared covenant of trust.
But I knew this was just the beginning. The real battle lay ahead, where power, politics, and personal vendettas would collide and I vowed I would protect Aria, not as a pawn in council games, but as the person I chose to stand by, no matter the cost.
As the torchlight flickered in the alcove, I whispered into the hush, "They'll regret underestimating you".