DiamondQuill

  Morning arrived in streams of sunlight that slipped through the thin curtains veiling Olivia’s room. When I turned to face her, she was still fast asleep. Sitting by the bed, I combed my hair and straightened my ruffled clothes. My pn had been to wait for Olivia to wake, but after about twenty minutes, I left her room and headed back to my dorm.

  The guard stationed there looked at me suspiciously, though he didn’t dare voice his thoughts. I bathed and changed into my uniform. As I selected an accessory for the day, letters written in glittering gold materialized before me, announcing the completion of the fermentation process.

  Fermentation Complete!

  Smoke Bomb PotionA small alchemical vial designed to release a dense, obscuring smoke upon impact.

  Medium Brew Effect: This potion will cover 5% more area than the original and its effect will st 10 seconds longer.

  I wasn’t sure how significant that 5% increase in area-of-effect was, but I trusted it would be more effective than the other bomb we had.

  By eight in the morning, I left my room and headed toward the Assembly, joining the crowd of students who walked both zily and happily along the cobbled path. Little did they know, they were about to witness something that could break the monotony of their lives.

  Nervousness crept in as we reached the Radiant Hall. My hands were cmmy, sweat trickling down my palms.

  Originally, the Radiant Hall had been built to accommodate the administrative workings of the University. Now, it housed special libraries, faculty offices, and cssrooms for advanced studies.

  But today, all of us were allowed entry. Every first week of the month, the Chancellor would hold an Assembly that required all students' attendance. The event included updates on upcoming events, policy changes, and the rankings for the monthly examination. Something everyone eagerly awaited.

  Inside the Radiant Hall, usherettes guided us to the Great Hall, a room as rge as a banquet hall or perhaps even rger, given it could accommodate all the students of the University.

  The doors groaned as the guards opened them. The Great Hall looked every bit like a proper banquet hall. After all, this was where the grand parties during festivals were held. The ceiling soared high, dotted with ten giant chandeliers. Above us, frescoes were painted depicting what was believed to be Lumen’s ascension to Eldarhood. A few meters from the main door, a mosaic on the floor showed a group of students listening to a professor, a hill and a half-finished building behind them. Brown tapestries hung from the walls, bearing the colors of the Bresdan Royal University.

  I walked toward the center of the hall. Olivia and I had decided I would take this position, while she would stay in the western part of the room, near the stage.

  I had a role to py before we could execute our pn. And the best pce to do that was somewhere everyone could see and hear me.

  As we waited for the Assembly to begin, students gradually filled the chairs prepared in the Radiant Hall. Soon, the door creaked closed behind us. The sound of it made my heart skip a beat, and then it raced, thumping rapidly in my chest.

  The University’s leaders revealed themselves on the stage. They wore long brown robes and bck caps with white tassels. The st to emerge was the Chancellor himself, wearing the same uniform, but with a white and purple sash draped over him—a symbol of his highest authority among the faculty.

  “Greetings, my dear students!” he began, delivering a brief summary of a successful month. He moved on to discuss upcoming events and festival celebrations.

  “The student council and the school are preparing for the Harvest Fme Festival, which will take pce next month.”

  The Harvest Fme Festival was one of the most celebrated events in the Lumenreich Empire. And no matter where it was held, it was always a grand affair.

  After the Chancellor’s speech, the part of the Assembly I’d been anticipating yet dreading began. Students were allowed to raise questions or suggestions, and the faculty members would respond to the best of their ability.

  From the crowd, I searched for Olivia. Her face was pale, contorted with worry. I exhaled slowly, trying to steady my pounding heart.

  If not now, then when? This is the right time.

  When no one else seemed interested in asking a question, I stood up.

  The low murmurs around the hall fell silent as I rose.

  The Chancellor turned to me. “Pray, tell me, what troubles you?”

  I gnced at Madam Wyldesage and smiled triumphantly. I had won.

  “I recently submitted a request to transfer to a different area of study, but unfortunately, my request was not approved.”

  The Chancellor maintained his smile as he listened. The room fell into complete silence, my voice ringing throughout the Great Hall. “Lord Chancellor, you often remind us that the goal of this University is to provide the best education for its students. But how can this be true when we’re being forced to remain in fields of study we don’t even enjoy? Doesn’t that contradict the very mantra you’ve been promoting?”

  The faculty members behind the Chancellor shifted uncomfortably in their chairs. They turned to one another, murmuring in low voices. The students' gazes turned toward me, curiosity and wonder etched on their faces.

  For some reason, as I finished speaking, I heard a crumbling sound. The sound of something toppling, as though an earthquake had shattered its foundation.

  The Chancellor’s brows furrowed. He turned to the faculty, questioning them about the situation. I was right. It seemed my request hadn’t even made it to his desk.

  Madam Wyldesage stood and gnced in my direction, her anger palpable. But the Chancellor’s fury overshadowed hers. How could it not? He must have felt like a fool in front of everyone. Wyldesage pointed at the podium, as if volunteering to answer my question, but when the Chancellor looked at her, horror fshed across his face. He rejected her.

  Honestly, it was amusing to watch them panic.

  “We live by our promise to give our students the best education, especially to those who will one day lead our Mothernd, the Lumenreich Empire. Lady Goldhain, may I ask you to visit my office after this meeting to discuss the request you made?”

  The weight of the gazes fixed on me intensified. I nodded. “May I ask if my request will be granted?”

  “Lady Goldhain, please refrain from discussing this matter further during this session. I will make time for you after the rankings are posted. We will find a middle ground for your request.”

  His words irked me. I sighed, my frustration building.

  “I’m afraid, Lord Chancellor, that we will never find common ground on this issue. You can either reject my request for a transfer or accept it, but after hearing your words just now, I know you’ve already made up your mind to reject it.”

  His gaze locked with mine, unwavering.

  “You’ve left me no choice but to take matters into my own hands. What happens next is on you.”

  I reached into my bag, pulling out the potion. I raised it for everyone to see before tossing it toward the stage. Time seemed to slow. The gss bottle rolled across the floor, and for a moment, I thought it might not explode. But then, bck smoke erupted. The explosion was silent, but the panic that followed was deafening.

  I stepped back, covering my face with a handkerchief. The crowd surged around me, pushing me forward, and I joined the frantic throng. People shouted, and I even heard someone sobbing in the corner. A pang of guilt twisted inside me, but I reminded myself that this was necessary to achieve my goal.

  I moved swiftly, stepping away from the smoke’s reach. In the western part of the stage, another cloud of bck smoke began to form. As I walked against the tide of panicking students, a few of them bumped into me. I reached the eastern side of the hall and threw the second potion just as the first cloud started to dissipate.

  This one had the effect of the Medium Brew. The cloud of smoke expanded, growing rger and rger, reaching toward the ceiling. I compared it to the one in the western part of the room, and it was unmistakably rger.

  I pulled the final bottle from my bag and—

  “Morgana Goldhain!”

  I turned toward the voice. Wyldesage stood there, her face flushed with fury, her gre burning through me.

  A smile tugged at my lips as I threw the st smoke bomb in her direction.

  The Academica Advisor took a step back, but as soon as the gss shattered, smoke engulfed her. I dusted my hands off on the skirt of my uniform and turned toward the exit, leaving the Great Hall in my wake.

  Two hours ter, I received a knock on my door. I had been waiting for this moment, as I enjoyed the view of the sprawling city of Bresdan outside the window.

  “My dy, we’ve been instructed to take you to the Academy Tribunal to answer for your actions during the Assembly. Please come with us peacefully.” The knight’s voice wavered. I could tell from his hesitation that this was his first time delivering such a message.

  “I understand. I’ll answer all of their questions.”

  I followed them quietly. After leaving the Great Hall, I had retreated to my room to calm my nerves, warming my cold hands that had been chilled since morning. I had no intention of hiding or denying anything. My goal had always been expulsion from the University. But I hadn’t expected the Academy Tribunal to be involved. The severity of what we’d done at the Assembly should have warranted an immediate expulsion, not a trial.

  I couldn’t help but link this situation to my family’s rank. After all, I was the daughter of a duke.

  Anticipating an instant expulsion, I had chosen my finest gown—a maroon and gold dress with a yered skirt. I even picked a neckce with a yellow sapphire, a perfect match for my blonde hair and the dress.

  As we made our way toward the Tribunal, students’ eyes followed me. They murmured, but whatever they said, I couldn’t hear. They were too far away, and even if I did hear them, I would have given them no attention.

  When we arrived at the Tribunal building, I took in its grandeur. The rge square structure was crowned with a massive dome at the center. I climbed a long flight of stairs, passing marble statues of famous philosophers. A stone archway marked the entrance.

  Inside, the building was somber and dark. Silence filled the high-ceilinged hallways. The knights led me to the west wing, where a giant wooden door stood before me. It was twice my height.

  Above the door, a silver pque bore the inscription: “In judgment, fairness. In inquiry, wisdom.”

  The guard pushed the door open, and a herald standing by the entrance announced my arrival.

  “Lady Morgana Eleonore von Goldhain has arrived.”

  The knights guided me to the center of the room, where a desk and chair awaited me. The room resembled an amphitheater, with seats surrounding me from all sides. The stern faces of the esteemed faculty members greeted me with silent judgment.

  Soon, Olivia arrived. The trial in my previous life had been a scandal, but my involvement had made it even more so. I was willing to bet my entire fortune that, as I sat in this room, the entire High Society was busy organizing tea parties to gossip about what had happened to me.

  The first trial of the day ended with no progress. We were ushered into a room reserved for guests because we were not allowed to leave the Tribunal building until the trial concluded.

  After three days of repeating the same procedures, nothing had changed. It was as though they were expecting something from me, but whatever it was, I wasn’t inclined to give it to them.

  On the fourth day, Count Eldric Valen von Hugel arrived at the Tribunal. The current head of House Hugel, he was the only one with the authority to intervene directly in the affairs of Bresdan Royal University. His unexpected attendance suggested that my father, the Duke, had begun leveraging his influence.

  As we sat in the center of the room, I spared Olivia a gnce. The st time we spoke was the evening we finalized our pn. The Tribunal had banned us from communicating with each other. Count Hugel’s stern, heavy brown eyes surveyed the room throughout the trial. I couldn’t guess what he was thinking, but the unease in his gaze unsettled me.

  That evening, a visitor arrived. It was Count Hugel, dressed in a bck coat and gray vest.

  “Greetings, Count Hugel,” I said, offering a polite smile. “I didn’t expect to be visited by the family behind the University’s success. I would offer you refreshments, but as, I possess no means of doing so. I hope my presence alone brings you some joy.”

  He returned the greeting with a small bow. “You need not worry about such matters, Lady Goldhain. To be blunt, I didn’t expect our meeting to occur this way. I’ve heard nothing but great things about you.”

  I fixed my gaze on him. “Something must happen. May I ask the reason behind your sudden visit? I’ve been told I’m only allowed visitors from my family or a representative of House Goldhain.”

  “I’m here to inform you of what’s happening outside the Tribunal. I’ve received several requests asking me to grant you a less severe punishment.”

  I kept my mouth shut, letting the silence hang. “I assume this request came from my father, Duke Goldhain?”

  “Yes, he made the request two days ago. He’s in a precarious position. What you’ve done has shaken High Society to its core. It could become the talk of the empire for months. Unfortunately, I fear there’s little I can do to salvage your family’s reputation. The Imperial Family has remained silent since the scandal broke. I expected them to intervene.”

  I sighed internally. The Imperial Family’s refusal to associate with my name, at least, was a small comfort. Had they intervened, Count Hugel would have been forced to change the direction of the case in my favor.

  But since he made this visit, I could only assume he was considering defying my father’s request. Changing the course of this case would tarnish his own name, after all.

  “You seem satisfied, Lady Goldhain… as though everything’s unfolding according to your pn.” Count Hugel eyed me with suspicion.

  I gave him a small smile.

  “Let’s say, I want something that can be achieved through this trial,” I replied.

  Count Hugel fell silent, his gaze unwavering. “I assume I’m not permitted to know your reasons?”

  “Correct,” I answered. “But I have a favor to ask. I want you, Count Hugel, to remain silent during the trial. I implore you to allow it to proceed in accordance with the University’s Royal Manual.”

  Count Hugel leaned back, a sly smile pying on his lips. “I do not like favors, my dy. I make deals. Your father offered a great sum of money. What can you offer me?”

  I should have expected this. I had nothing to offer him that could please the count. But his visit told me something important: he didn’t want money. He wanted something that would satisfy him.

  Though I didn’t have Gildenburg’s riches at my disposal, I still held one card—knowledge of the future.

  “Do you know about the epidemic in the north?” I asked.

  Count Hugel furrowed his brows, but his curiosity was evident. “News has reached me that three towns are under strict quarantine. But that alone doesn’t warrant calling it an epidemic.”

  “But don’t you find it odd, my lord? Why would three towns be under strict quarantine unless something much worse is happening?” I allowed myself a smile. “I’m going to tell you something. The situation is far worse than what Norhenn is letting on. As the center of education in the Empire, I trust you’ll take action on this information.”

  “You speak as though you’re a Seer, my dy. How can I trust your words?” he replied, skeptical.

  I remained silent. “You’ll have your answer when the epidemic reaches Bresdan’s doorstep. And then you’ll know I speak the truth.”

  Count Hugel said nothing, his gaze fixed on me. A knock came at my door, and he made no further movement. With a final, wordless departure, he left.

  I had cast my first stone. My gamble to shape the future in my favor had begun. A year from now, the epidemic would reach the Lumenreich Empire, killing more than a million citizens, including my family.

  The fifth day of the trial was postponed until the next day, along with the verdict. I took this as a sign that Count Hugel had considered my words. I felt a sense of relief knowing that this was nearing its end.

  The following day, I wore a simple white dress, as dictated by the Academy Tribunal. A group of knights in uniform escorted me to the trial room, where solemn professors and Academica Advisors awaited me.

  The trial proceeded with heavy emphasis on the charges against us.

  “As such, the Academy Tribunal has made its decision to punish the wrongdoers. They will be expelled from the Royal University and barred from entering its premises for the next five years. The Council will also deny any requests for retrial or readmission.” The professor gnced at the defendants. “Do you have anything to say?”

  I shook my head, but Olivia raised her hand.

  “I have prepared a compendium of letters. I hope the council will read through them and take action.”

  The Council promised to consider it, but Count Hugel spoke up—the first time he had since attending the trial.

  “Let me personally review what Lady Ignarion has prepared for us.”

  A ripple of agitation passed over the faculty members. It was clear as day that they didn’t like the idea of Count Hugel exerting his influence.

  After the verdict, I returned to my room to pack. Tomorrow, I would leave the University. I was not allowed to leave or receive visitors for my remaining stay here. By afternoon the next day, I finally talk with Olivia for the first time since we were confined to the Tribunal building.

  She looked lighter than I remembered, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her.

  Olivia embraced me as soon as we saw each other. “Lady Morgana, I don’t know how to express my gratitude.”

  I patted her back. “Lady Olivia, I hope you find peace and joy. If things ever become too hard to bear, don’t be afraid to walk away. You’ve done so today, and you can do it again. One day, when I’ve set everything right, I hope we can meet again. I’ll be waiting for the day we can drink tea together.”

  Olivia nodded against my shoulder. “I promise you that.”

  Her embrace tightened before she let go. I scanned the courtyard of the Royal University, where a crowd had gathered to watch us leave. Among them was Prince Griffin, his expression somber. I couldn’t tell what was on his mind.

  I climbed into the carriage. It would be a long journey, but knowing I had taken the first step was comforting. The wind whipped at my face, pulling the blue ribbon from my neck. I reached for it but missed it.

  I stared at my empty hand, watching the ribbon fall to the ground, drifting away like the city behind me.

  I settled back, letting out a breath. Maybe it's time to let those ribbons go.