Echoes of the Lost Elf-Chapter 32 - 31 : Aftermath

"...Well, This is Awkward."

The rescue squad arrived seconds after the battle ended.

It was supposed to be a dramatic entrance. Magic portals flaring open, elite professors stepping out, expressions fierce, ready to save their dear students from whatever peril they faced.

Instead—

They stepped into a very different scene.

The battlefield was eerily quiet.

The students stood in a semi-circle around something.

No one spoke.

The professors frowned.

Then—they saw it.

Berne Caelum's severed head.

...

A long, long silence followed.

One of the younger professors dropped their staff.

"HUH?!"

Another blinked rapidly, squinting as if their eyes were playing tricks on them."Wait. Wait, hold on. That's... isn't that Berne?"

"No," someone else whispered in disbelief. "It can't be. He was—he was just on our comms earlier."

"Then why is his head right there?"

They all stared at the severed head.

Then, at the students.

Then, back at the head.

Leon, still half-conscious from earlier, managed to wave weakly. "Hi."

One of the professors cleared their throat."Uh. So. Would anyone like to explain why one of our combat instructors is dead?"

A pause.

Then—

Zephyr casually pointed at Historias."His fault."

Historias raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

Kael added, "Yeah, he kind of just—" He made a slashing motion across his neck.

Adriana sighed, rubbing her temples. "You're making it sound like he just casually decapitated a professor like it's a normal Tuesday."

Leon, still on the ground: "...Is it not?"

Zephyr snorted. "For him? Probably."

Historias, looking very unbothered, simply crossed his arms.

"I didn't kill him casually. I killed him efficiently. There's a difference."

Silence.

A younger professor whispered, "...He sounded so confident just now."

Vice Principal Evelyn Voss Arrives

Just then—a stronger portal flared open.

Out stepped Vice Principal Evelyn Voss.

Dark elf. Silent authority. The last person you wanted to explain things to when things went horribly, horribly wrong.

She took one glance at the battlefield.

Then, her violet eyes landed on Berne's severed head.

Her expression remained stone cold.

The students watched her carefully.

Would she be angry? Would she demand an explanation? Would she—

Evelyn exhaled.

"Hah."

...Wait.

Was that a laugh?

Leon nearly died again. "Vice Principal...?"

She ignored him and turned to the professors. "Well. This saves us time."

Just then—everyone's communication devices lit up.

A distorted voice came through:

"Emergency update. Professor Berne Caelum is a confirmed traitor. If encountered, capture on sight—"

Silence.

Every professor turned to look at the head.

Then, at Historias.

Historias simply smiled.

"Ah," he said, unfazed. "You might need a new capture plan."

One of the professors, a healer, pinched the bridge of their nose.

"Oh, for the love of the gods—"

Leon, still half-dead on the ground: "Does this mean we still get graded for this?"

.......

They returned to the academy in the most awkward silence ever.

The professors were still mentally processing what happened.

Vice Principal Evelyn, surprisingly chill, walked ahead, only pausing to check her paperwork like nothing major happened.

Historias?

Completely unbothered.

Leon was carried to the infirmary muttering about karma and lightning.

Kael, Zephyr, and Adriana sat together in the aftermath.

Finally, Kael leaned in."...Are we in trouble?"

Zephyr shrugged. "I mean. They told us to capture Berne. Not behead him."

Adriana sighed. "I'm sure Evelyn will smooth things over."

Just then, Historias approached, looking perfectly at peace.

Kael eyed him.

"...Dude. You just assassinated a professor."

Historias smiled slightly."I prefer 'eliminated a threat.'"

Leon, from the infirmary bed: "Just say you murdered him."

Zephyr chuckled. "So, what happens now?"

Historias gave a small, mischievous smirk.

"Well," he mused, "I believe I'm owed a thank-you. After all, we've saved the academy a great deal of paperwork."

Silence.

Kael, deadpan: "You're insane."

Historias, still smiling: "Yes, but efficiently so."

.......

Historias, Adriana, Kael, Zephyr, and Leon barely had time to breathe before the gates of the academy burst open.

A wave of noble carriages, teleportation runes, and flying mounts descended upon the school grounds.

The guardians had arrived.

Each student watched in horror as their respective families stormed the academy like an invading army.

Kael paled. "Oh no."

Zephyr groaned. "Oh no."

Adriana crossed her arms and braced herself.

Leon, still bandaged up, muttered, "I'm too injured for this."

Historias. "He's not coming, right?"

.......

The first to step forward was General Sylas Viremont, Kael's father—a high-ranking elven general.

His aura alone sent a wave of pressure over the area as he strode forward, his regal elven attire immaculate despite the situation.

Kael swallowed hard.

His father's gaze landed on him immediately.

"Kael Viremont." His voice was calm—too calm. "Do you have any idea what I went through upon hearing you were trapped in a battlefield?"

Kael, shifting uncomfortably: "Uh... intense concern?"

His father narrowed his eyes. "I lost ten years of my lifespan."

Kael: "You'll live."

"Your sister is going to coddle you to death when you're back home."

Kael: "NOOOOO!!"

.....

A sudden gust of wind tore through the area.

A man with silver hair, an intricate longsword at his side, and a dangerous aura stepped forward.

Zephyr immediately tensed.

His master—the Sword Saint of Caelondis.

"Zephyr." His voice was calm—too calm.

Zephyr, shifting nervously: "Uh. Hey, Master. So. Funny story—"

His master smacked the back of his head.

Zephyr: "OW?!"

His master, shaking his head: "What part of 'don't be reckless' did you not understand?"

Zephyr, rubbing his head: "I understood the words, just not the application."

His master sighed. "We're sparring later."

Zephyr groaned. "That's worse than getting grounded."

His master smirked. "I know."

.......

A man draped in dark noble robes, a cane in hand, stepped forward.

Duke Elias Nightvale.

Leon groaned. "Ugh. Great."

The Duke raised a brow.

"You are still alive," he remarked.

Leon: "Aww, you sound so disappointed."

The Duke sighed dramatically. "I simply thought I'd have one less child to manage."

Leon, deadpan: "You are an awful parent."

The Duke smiled slightly. "And yet, here you are. Alive. Thanks to someone else, I assume?"

Leon opened his mouth to protest—then glanced at Historias.

...Yeah, he couldn't even deny it.

Leon, begrudgingly: "Fine. Yes. Whatever."

The Duke inclined his head towards Historias. "Then I suppose I owe you thanks."

Historias, smirking, bowed slightly. "Oh, no need. Watching Leon suffer is thanks enough."

Leon: "EXCUSE ME?!"

.......

Instead of the Emperor himself, a towering knight clad in silver-and-gold armor approached.

Sir Cedric, one of the Imperial Order's strongest knights and Adriana's personal guardian.

His cape billowed behind him as he stopped in front of her, his sharp blue eyes scanning her from head to toe.

"...Lady Adriana."

Adriana crossed her arms. "I know that tone."

Cedric's brow twitched. "Do you? Because it's the tone of a man who nearly had a heart attack when he heard you were fighting void creatures."

Adriana: "To be fair, I wasn't fighting them alone."

Cedric: "That doesn't make it better."

Zephyr grinned. "She stabbed one in the face, by the way."

Cedric turned to Adriana slowly.

"...You what?"

Adriana, deadpan: "It worked."

Cedric took a deep breath, muttering something about "why did I get assigned to her?"

........

The Meeting of the Guardians

For the first time in centuries, some of the most powerful figures in Eldara stood in one place.

General Sylas Viremont of the Elven MilitaryDuke Elias Nightvale of the Human EmpireSir Cedric of the Imperial OrderThe Sword Saint of CaelondisA few other prominent nobles and warriors

Despite their differences in rank, faction, and race, the situation demanded unity.

Sylas glanced at Cedric. "It has been a while, Sir Cedric."

Cedric gave a short nod. "Indeed, General."

The Sword Saint crossed his arms. "I see you all still surround yourselves with troublesome students."

The Duke of Nightvale smirked. "You say that as if yours isn't the worst of them."

The Sword Saint sighed. "...Fair."

The professors, Vice Principal Evelyn included, watched as these high-profile figures exchanged words.

....

A portal rippled open.

A new presence stepped through.

Aldren Vaelthorn.

The moment his blonde hair and commanding presence emerged, all conversations halted.

The guardians and professors froze.

Even Vice Principal Evelyn's expression flickered for a fraction of a second.

The Sword Saint narrowed his eyes. "Vaelthorn?"

Cedric furrowed his brows. "Why is he here?"

Sylas's expression darkened. "Did something happen?"

The students, having no idea why their guardians were so tense, just looked between them in confusion.

Historias, as always, remained calmly amused.

Aldren ignored the wary looks and walked forward, his green eyes locking onto one person.

Historias.

The tension was palpable.

Then—

Aldren sighed. "I should've known you'd be in the middle of this."

Historias smirked. "And yet, you still seem surprised."

The other guardians and professors exchanged glances.

Sylas, narrowing his eyes: "Wait. You two... know each other?"

Aldren gave him a side glance before casually turning back to Historias.

Ignoring everyone else, he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You good?"

Historias chuckled. "I always am."

Aldren didn't seem convinced, but he let it slide.

The other guardians were visibly confused.

Zephyr, whispering: "Is it just me, or do they seem a little too familiar?"

Leon, whispering back: "Yeah, why is Aldren acting like an older brother?"

Adriana, whispering: "...Well he is his guardian."

Vice Principal Evelyn cleared her throat. "As interesting as this reunion is, there are still formalities to handle."

Aldren simply gave a small nod. "Of course."

The guardians, though still wary of Aldren's unexpected presence, gradually returned their attention to their wards.

Visit ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.

A few more words were exchanged—mostly confirming safety, issuing vague warnings about future training, and ensuring there were no major injuries.

And then, one by one—

They left.