The Phantom's Gambit-Chapter 51: The Confrontation

Miss Wilmort departed after no one came forward to confess their allegiance to the dark forces. The students filed out of the classroom, heading to their dorms, but Erick slipped away, sneaking out of the building and making his way to the main building.

Instead of heading directly to the reserved dormitory for students from the main building, he navigated to the exclusive private building, where students were assigned individual rooms and Thorne resided.

As he approached the entrance, the guards barred his path, their faces stern. "Halt! Thief!" they accused, their hands grasping for him.

Erick struggled to explain, "I’m not a thief! I came to see Thorne," but the guards were already attempting to confiscate his hands.

In a desperate bid to escape, Erick butted one of the guards on the head, creating an opening to make a run for the building. However, before he could slip inside, additional guards from the Academy emerged from nowhere, with their swords at the ready to strike him down.

Just as all hope seemed lost, and Erick closed his eyes, expecting the swords to hit him, a voice rang out, commanding the guards to halt.

"Stand down,"

Erick’s eyes snapped open as Thorne’s voice cut through the tension, and he felt a wave of relief wash over him. The timely intervention had saved him from what could have been a disastrous end.

Erick jerked his arm free from the guard’s firm grasp and strode towards Thorne, his eyes locking onto his friend’s calm demeanor.

"I wasn’t expecting you," Thorne said, his voice smooth as he turned to the guards. "They weren’t expecting you either, hence the... enthusiasm. You know how on edge everyone’s been lately." Thorne’s gaze swept over the guards before returning to Erick. "So, what brings you here that couldn’t wait until tomorrow?"

Erick’s gaze flicked briefly to the guards, who still lingered, before refocusing on Thorne.

"I’ve come to share something with you," Erick tried to whisper but he failed to.

"Specifically about the ’Purification de Fuego’ —cleansing rites happening tomorrow."

Thorne’s relaxed demeanor shifted, his eyes widening slightly as he processed Erick’s words. He turned to the guards, and with a subtle wave of his hand, they departed, leaving the two friends alone.

Thorne’s gaze returned to Erick. "Follow me," he said, turning to lead Erick into the opulent private dorm. The lush furnishings and lavish decorations seemed to envelop them, a stark contrast to the tension that had preceded their entrance.

They didn’t walk far, as Thorne took a sharp turn, leading Erick to a secluded corner with two plush seats and a small, intricately carved table. Thorne gestured to the seat, inviting Erick to sit, while he made his way to the wine cupboard. He retrieved a bottle and two delicate glass cups, then returned to where Erick was seated.

"This is where you live? Wow, this place looks like a castle," Erick exclaimed, as his eyes scanned the opulent decor.

Thorne chuckled, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Don’t undermine the castle by comparing it to a mere student dorm."

"Mere student dorm?" Erick scoffed out a question. "I live in one too, but it looks nothing like this."

Thorne remained silent, his focus on serving the drinks. He poured a rich, crimson liquid into each cup, the wine’s aroma wafting through the air as he handed one to Erick.

Thorne’s expression turned sympathetic as he spoke, "It’s unfortunate that things didn’t work out as planned, and you ended up in the Architect faction. I’m truly sorry about the incident that hindered your admission."

Erick attempted to shrug off Thorne’s words, but the weight of his grief and resentment made it difficult. His eyes clouded over as he began to open up. "Being in the least favored faction is hard enough, but what really hurts is that the people I considered friends abandoned me after the attack. Even here, within the Academy grounds, they still shun me. They treat me like a stranger, an outcast."

Erick’s voice cracked slightly as he tightened his grasp on the glass cup. Thorne placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, offering a gesture of solidarity.

"You have me on your side, don’t let the others get to you," Thorne said with conviction.

He lifted his hand from Erick’s shoulder to grab his own cup, taking a generous sip before turning back to him. "Besides, you’re doing exceptionally well for yourself. No student from the previous sets before you guys in the Architect faction, has achieved the ranking you have."

Everyone is talking about you all," Thorne continued. " and if you play your cards right, I’m confident you will excel. If you perform well in the upcoming tournaments, I’m certain you’ll be upgraded to a private dorm, just like this one."

Erick’s eyes widened as he imagined the possibilities. He could almost picture himself living in such luxury. With a newfound sense of determination, he raised his glass and downed the contents in one swift motion.

However, his excitement was short-lived, as a sudden recollection from what Thorne had mentioned sparked a question.

"What happened to the previous students who lived in the dorm I now live in?"

Thorne shrugged with a nonchalant expression , as he took a sip from his drink. "They weren’t skilled enough and met their demise during one of the raidings." His tone was matter-of-fact, but Erick detected a hint of underlying complexity. Thorne’s gaze locked onto his, refocusing the conversation. "Anyway, you didn’t come here to discuss the past. What was it you wanted to tell me?"

"Indeed," Erick said, setting the glass cup on the table as he collected his thoughts. "One of our lecturers posed a rather... delicate question to us. They inquired if anyone amongst us was in clandestine league with the dark forces, urging them to come forward before the forthcoming cleansing rites tomorrow."

Thorne’s eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing as he studied Erick’s expression. Erick, sensing the unspoken inquiry, hastened to clarify. "I assure you, Thorne, my intentions are not to confess or implicate myself in any manner."

Thorne’s countenance relaxed, and he chuckled softly. "I wasn’t entertaining that notion, Erick. My curiosity was piqued by the lecturer’s precipitous announcement. Considering the declaration was made mere hours ago, I find it intriguing that your teacher would broach such a sensitive topic. It’s strictly forbidden for mages to disclose information of this nature."

Erick suppressed the urge to inquire about Thorne’s own sources—how he had come to know about the cleansing, instead he opted to proceed with his revelation.

"I’ve come to share a concern with you, Thorne. I suspect there may be someone in my class who maintains ties with the dark forces."

Thorne’s interest was piqued. "And who might this individual be?"

"The highest-ranked student in the previous tournaments," Erick replied. "Her name is Nadia."

"What leads you to suspect the girl of harboring such allegiance?"

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"She’s shrouded in an aura of mystery, Thorne. I’ve observed her staring into space, muttering incoherent words— a language that is not known to our kind— multiple occasions."

Thorne remained silent for a moment, lost in thought, before he bent forward to refill their glasses. "Tell me more about what’s been transpiring within your faction,"

*****

Meanwhile, Emery paced within his office in the Academy, awaiting Miss Wilmort’s return. The sound of knocking at the door broke the silence, and he promptly called out, "Enter!" Expecting it to be Miss Wilmort, he was taken aback when Thorne walked in instead.

Emery’s expression betrayed his surprise, wondering what had brought Thorne to his office at such a late hour.

"You shouldn’t be out at this time, young man, especially not knocking on my door," he chastened with a stern tone.

However, Thorne seemed unfazed by Emery’s reprimand. He let himself further into the office, taking a seat without permission.

"I could ask you the same thing, Seeing how expectant you are, were you anticipating someone else’s arrival?"

Emery’s frown deepened, his expression growing increasingly displeased. "Who I’m expecting is none of your concern, child. Return to your dorm this instant before this gets back to your father."

Thorne’s laughter filled the room, his eyes glinting with mirth. "We should probably head there together, I also have something to discuss with him about you. Shall we be on our way?"

Emery’s expression faltered, worry lines etching his forehead. He remained seated, his body language tense. "What do you mean?"

Thorne’s grin was mischievous as he played with a paper on Emery’s desk. "Oh, nothing much. Except that you disclosed confidential information that wasn’t meant to be shared. And, if I’m not mistaken, you’ve been sneaking out of the Academy at odd hours. I’m sure, given the current climate in Wysteria and your already precarious career, that information would be... enlightening to certain individuals."

Emery’s eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing. "I take it that, since that information hasn’t reached your father’s table, you want something in return for your silence."

Thorne’s chuckle was low and smooth. "Indeed, I do. I want you to call off the marriage arrangements. And, in return, I’ll graciously overlook your... indiscretions. Do we have a deal?"

This time Emery chuckled, while Thorne tried to keep his smile on his lips. When Emery eventually stopped chuckling, his features twisted in disdain as he said, "Let yourself out of my office this instant, child,"

However, before Emery could continue, Thorne interrupted him, by pushing himself off the chair with his hands now on his desk.

"Did I forget to mention that I would tell my father that… Your former student’s deaths weren’t accidental? But they died by your very own… vile hands?"