ShadowBound: The Need For Power-Chapter 644: The Graduation Ceremony (1)

The morning of the ceremony arrived beneath a clear, open sky, the kind of calm weather that made the academy grounds look ceremonial even before the event itself had begun. Sunlight spilled gently over the stone towers and training fields, bathing the sprawling campus in warm golden light. Long beams stretched across the courtyards and pathways as students steadily began making their way toward the center of the academy.

The Beacon Hall.

The massive structure stood at the very heart of the academy grounds like a monument carved from history itself. Its towering stone pillars rose high into the air, each one engraved with the crests of graduates who had gone on to shape the kingdoms of Amthar.

Banners hung between the columns, their fabric shifting gently with the morning breeze. The colors of the academy rippled proudly above the open plaza, adding a sense of quiet grandeur to the already impressive structure.

Inside, the hall had been decorated far more elaborately than usual.

Rows of seating had been carefully arranged and divided so that each year of students would sit within their own designated section. Normally, Beacon Hall served as the place where announcements and academy gatherings were held, but today it looked far larger and more spacious than it usually did.

The stage at the front of the hall—where the academy’s authoritative figures normally stood to address the students—had been expanded significantly for the occasion. The platform rose higher than usual, draped in ceremonial cloth bearing the crest of the academy.

Even the lighting had been adjusted so that the stage stood out prominently against the rest of the hall.

Far toward one corner of the hall, several long tables had been prepared with refreshments that would be made available after the ceremony concluded. Covered trays and ornate pitchers were neatly arranged there, waiting for the moment when the formalities would end and the students would finally be allowed to celebrate.

For now, however, the atmosphere remained composed.

Students had already begun filling the seats well before noon approached. One by one they settled into their sections, dressed in the pristine formal uniforms of the academy. The deep colors of their attire contrasted beautifully against the polished stone interior of the hall.

As the minutes passed and the seats filled, the low murmur of conversation gradually grew.

The section reserved for the first-years was unusually quiet compared to their normal reputation. Most of them sat with wide eyes as they took in the scale of the ceremony unfolding around them. For many of them, this was the first time they had witnessed something of this magnitude inside the academy.

They watched the decorations, the banners, the stage, and the gathering of upperclassmen with open curiosity. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The second-years, however, were far less restrained.

Their section buzzed with constant murmuring as groups of students spoke among themselves, openly speculating about what their updated rankings would look like once the ceremony concluded. Some sounded excited. Others sounded nervous. A few were already debating which of their classmates would likely rise or fall in the rankings after the year’s final evaluations.

But the ones who drew the most attention were the third-years.

They sat in the section closest to the stage, positioned directly in front of the rest of the audience. Their posture was noticeably different from the other students.

Some of them carried themselves with calm confidence, their expressions relaxed as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

Others, however, looked far more tense.

For them, the reality of what today represented had begun to settle in.

After this ceremony, they would no longer be students of the academy.

They would be graduates.

They would step into the wider world of Amthar and begin whatever paths awaited them beyond the academy walls.

"Damn," Dylan muttered quietly as he looked around the hall, his eyes wandering freely across the towering interior as he took in the scene before him. "If someone had told me Beacon Hall would ever look this marvelous, I probably wouldn’t have believed them."

"Yeah," Max added as he glanced around as well. "It actually looks bigger than usual, doesn’t it?"

"It definitely does, Maxie," Dylan replied with a grin. "But you know what catches my eye the most?"

His grin slowly widened into something far more mischievous.

Maxwell turned his head toward Dylan for a moment before letting out a tired sigh.

"You only have your mind on the refreshments, don’t you?" he asked flatly.

"Whoa, Maxie," Dylan said, placing a hand dramatically over his chest in mock surprise. "I never took you for a mind reader."

He shook his head slowly.

"Color me impressed."

Maxwell simply rolled his eyes before shifting his attention away from Dylan entirely. He returned to quietly observing the decorations of the hall, choosing not to entertain Dylan’s antics any further.

"I think he’s still mad about yesterday," Dylan whispered as he turned slightly toward Charlotte, who was seated behind him.

Though his voice was supposedly a whisper, it was still loud enough for several nearby students—including Maxwell—to hear clearly.

Charlotte rested her chin lightly against her hand as she looked toward Maxwell with mild amusement.

"Honestly," she said smoothly, "I would be annoyed too if someone tricked me into touching bird droppings and then told me to sniff it."

Her tone carried a subtle hint of teasing.

Maxwell rolled his eyes again, refusing to acknowledge either of them as he continued looking forward.

Dylan, however, burst into quiet laughter, struggling to contain himself as the memory resurfaced in his mind.

He shifted in his seat repeatedly, clearly trying—and failing—to suppress his amusement.

Their little adventure across the rooftops the previous day had been unforgettable.

At least for Dylan.

For Maxwell, however...

The memory was significantly less enjoyable.

As those three continued their little exchange, the rest of their group was scattered nearby, mixed into the larger crowd of first-year students. The seating arrangement inside Beacon Hall had made it impossible for them to gather together the way they usually did. Instead, each of them ended up occupying whatever seats had been available when the hall began filling.

About two seats to Dylan’s right, Asher sat with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his posture rigid as he stared forward with clear irritation written across his face. The conversation between Dylan, Charlotte, and Maxwell had not escaped his attention.

"How do you even allow yourself to trust that blonde idiot enough to get tricked that badly?" Asher muttered under his breath with a look of pure disgust.

He let out a quiet sigh, clearly unimpressed.

’Tch... let’s just get this over with already so I can actually rest today," he thought to himself, closing his eyes briefly in annoyance.

Meanwhile, a few rows ahead of him, Ariana and Sheila were seated not too far apart from each other.

Ariana appeared noticeably more relaxed than usual, leaning slightly back in her seat with an easy posture as she observed the bustling hall around them. The atmosphere seemed to excite her more than it overwhelmed her, and there was a quiet sense of contentment in her expression.

Sheila, however, looked quite different.

Her posture was noticeably stiff, especially around her shoulders, as though she were holding herself together with careful control. Her head was turned slightly toward the section where the third-year students sat, her gaze scanning across the rows of older students.

She was searching for only one person.

Percy.

After Ariana had come to her room the previous night and helped her navigate the storm of emotions she had been drowning in, Sheila had made a decision.

She would speak with Percy one more time.

Even though part of her still carried lingering pain... and anger... she had come to realize something important. Beneath all of those tangled emotions, there was one desire that outweighed the rest.

She wanted her brother back.

However, despite that decision, fear still lingered in her heart. Even now, sitting in Beacon Hall, Sheila could feel that hesitation creeping into her thoughts. She kept wondering whether she would actually be able to approach Percy after the ceremony.

Or perhaps... if the opportunity somehow presented itself during the ceremony itself.

As she continued searching for Percy among the third-year seats, a gentle touch brushed against the back of her hand.

Sheila flinched slightly from the unexpected contact.

Turning her head, she quickly realized it was Ariana.

"You know," Ariana said softly, her voice gentle, "you don’t have to pressure yourself like this."

She offered Sheila a warm, reassuring smile.

"Just let the moment happen naturally."

Sheila looked at her for a moment.

Then her shoulders relaxed slightly, and she gave Ariana a faint smile in return.

"Sure thing, Ariana," she said quietly.

Ariana’s smile widened just a little, pleased to see Sheila easing up even slightly.

Meanwhile, several rows behind them—past where Asher sat—Liam found himself seated among the other first-year students.

Unlike the others in his group, he was sitting by himself.

He leaned back slightly in his seat as his eyes calmly observed the massive hall before him. The scale of the ceremony, the decorations, the gathered students—all of it painted a clear picture of how seriously the academy treated events like this.

Not that Liam had any personal experience with such ceremonies before.

Still, he quietly took in the scene around him.

But while his gaze occasionally drifted across the hall, it eventually settled on one particular figure seated further ahead.

Sheila.

His eyes lingered there briefly.

’It seems Ariana really did manage to help her after all,’ Liam thought calmly.

From where he sat, it was easy to see the subtle difference in Sheila’s posture compared to the previous day.

’And she’s still helping apparently.’

A faint scoff escaped him under his breath as he realized something.

The chances of his plan working were steadily increasing.

"Can you guys just stop staring already?!"

The sudden outburst snapped Liam out of his thoughts.

He turned his head slightly.

Several students nearby had been directing unfriendly glances toward him—and toward the girl sitting a few seats away from him.

"Since when did you start caring about that damn dark mage, huh, Cherrinton?" one of the boys sitting behind their row sneered.

"Since when is that any of your business, egghead?" Lily Cherrinton shot back immediately.

She was the same chestnut-haired girl Liam had been grouped with during the trial stage of the academy’s evaluation test.

Before that trial, Lily had looked at him the same way most others had—with disgust and distrust. But something about the events during the trial had clearly shifted her perspective.

Now, instead of glaring at him like the others did, she seemed almost irritated on his behalf.

Liam glanced at her briefly.

Then he looked away again.

’I wonder why I had to end up sitting here,’ he thought mildly, clearly uninterested in whatever tension was forming around him.

"Tch... bunch of bastards," Lily muttered under her breath as she leaned back into her seat again.

Beside her, her best friend Linda watched her with a knowing smile.

"You know," Linda said quietly, leaning slightly closer, "the more you act like this..."

Her smile turned teasing.

"I’m starting to think you might actually have feelings for... well..."

She lowered her voice slightly.

"You know who."

"I already told you, Linda, it’s nothing like that!" Lily snapped back, her voice rising a little louder than she intended.

Her cheeks flushed faintly as she stubbornly looked forward, doing her best not to glance toward Liam again.

Unfortunately, she still stole the occasional quick look in his direction.

’Can this ceremony start already...’

Liam’s patience was beginning to wear thin.

The situation around him was becoming increasingly irritating.

And then, as if the world had heard his silent demand—

The large doors behind the stage creaked open.

The sound echoed across the hall, and instantly, every conversation stopped.

Students straightened in their seats, with all heads turned toward the stage.

Because the ceremony... was about to begin.