Terrorism

|Kathyln|

I recalled a memory from my childhood when my private tutor scolded me for my behaviour during class. I had little recollection of what I had done wrong, but according to my tutor, I had refused to interact with the other noble children in my class. It seemed my mother thought it was necessary for me to socialise and make friends during my studies.

But things didn't go as planned when I threw a tantrum on the first day, insisting that I didn't want to befriend them because they weren't princesses like me. My tutor tried to discipline me with gentle words, but I didn't listen. I stormed into my room and slammed the door shut, determined not to come out.

Later that afternoon, when the other children and my tutor had gone, my mother knocked on my door, even though there was no lock.

As I sat on my bed, feeling the warmth of my mother's touch as she ran her gentle fingers through my hair, her words struck me deeply. I was just six years old at the time, yet the memory of her words has stayed with me ever since.

"I know you feel that you did nothing wrong, my little Kathyln," she said, her voice soft and kind. "But I want you to remember that before anything else, you are a person. It doesn't matter if someone is a king, a servant, a powerful mage, an elf, or a dwarf. We are all people, and we must treat each other with kindness and respect."

My mother was not only sensible and smart, but also compassionate and caring. She believed in treating everyone as equals, regardless of their social status or race. She instilled this same belief in my brother and me, and made sure to discipline us whenever we exhibited any form of discrimination.

The sound of the explosions sent a shockwave through our bodies, and we all bolted up from our seats in a panic. Racing outside, my heart sank at the sight before us: a disastrous scene unfolding with thick smoke billowing from the area near the campus center.

Frustration and disappointment tightened my fists as I took in the devastation. The recently-constructed Tri-Union Hall, a symbol of the alliance between the three races, was in ruins. Half of the building was engulfed in flames, while the other half was collapsing under its own weight. Students were evacuating as staff members and professors rushed inside to search for those stranded or trapped.

Beside me, Claire cursed under her breath, her frustration palpable. Theodore stomped his foot in anger. "I should've known they would target this building," he muttered, his jaw clenched.

As we hurried towards the site, memories of my mother flooded my mind. She had argued passionately for the construction of Tri-Union Hall, and had been overjoyed when it was finally built. It was meant to be a monument to the three races' alliance, a place to celebrate and learn about each other's cultures.

But now it had become a target, likely the work of the same radical group that had been causing chaos in recent days.

As tears threatened to spill from my eyes, I strained to see through the smoke and chaos, hoping that everyone inside would make it out safely.

In the absence of Arthur and Alistair, Claire took command, her voice firm and steady as she barked out orders. She turned to Kai, instructing him to alert the rest of the staff and professors.

"Kai, get everyone here now. We need all hands on deck," she said, her eyes scanning the scene with a sense of urgency.

Turning to Feyrith and me, she continued, "You two, come with me. We need to help the mages who are already working to put out the fire. We can't let this whole building come down."

I couldn't help but notice the dejected expression on Feyrith's face as he hung back, seemingly lost in thought. But we didn't have time for that now.

As we rushed towards the building, I could feel the heat and chaos radiating from the flames. But I didn't panic. I knew I had a role to play. Raising my hand, I summoned my ice magic, causing the temperature to plummet and the flames to be snuffed out. The students around us gasped in shock at the display of my powers.

Theodore's muscles bulged as he augmented his body and charged towards Charles with fury in his eyes. The group surrounding Charles hesitated, seemingly unsure of what to do. Charles let out a panicked cry for help, but no one came to his aid.

I quickly followed behind Theodore, ready to intervene if things got out of hand.

"Theodore, let's calm down and handle this rationally," I suggested, although I couldn't deny the satisfaction I felt at the thought of Charles getting what he deserved.

Ignoring me, Theodore grabbed Charles by the collar and lifted him off the ground. I winced as I watched the veins in Charles' neck bulge, but a small part of me couldn't help but feel that he deserved it for his involvement in the radical group's activities.

"We need to ask you some questions," Theodore growled at Charles. "Come with us."

I couldn't condone Theodore's rough approach, but I understood his frustration. I too was fed up with the group's barbaric tactics and their disregard for the safety of innocent people.

As Theodore was about to drag Charles away, Professor Malkinheim, with his wand drawn, abruptly halted him in his tracks.

"What's going on here?!" the professor demanded in a booming voice.

Theodore, who was caught off guard, scowled at the professor. "This guy," he said, pointing at Charles, "is connected to the radical group we've been after. We need to ask him some questions."

Professor Malkinheim's face twisted in disbelief. "And you're just going to drag him away without any evidence? You're the disciplinary committee officers, not vigilantes. This isn't the way we do things here at the academy."

Charles, who was still lying on the ground, began to plead for help, his voice trembling with fear. "Please, I didn't do anything! Let me go!"

Theodore's anger was palpable, and I could feel his mana surging. But before he could do anything else, another professor intervened.

"Theodore, we understand your frustration, but we can't just take someone away without any concrete evidence," she said, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. "Let's all take a step back and think this through."

Suddenly, a powerful aura washed over us, and I couldn't help but feel both dread and elation at the same time. It was Gary, and seeing him approach us brought out a mix of emotions that I couldn't quite understand even after my confession.

As a princess, I was expected to be tough and self-reliant, but being around Gary made me want to let my guard down and rely on him for protection. It was a dangerous line of thinking, but I couldn't help but feel a strange pull towards him.

"Professors," Gary addressed the group with a smile on his face, his presence overpowering even the imposing Professor Malkinheim.

"I will be taking Mr. Ravenpor for some questioning," he announced as he effortlessly lifted Charles away from Theodore's grasp.

The Professor's face twisted in shock and disbelief. "You can't do that!" he protested, his hand trembling with anger and fear. But Gary's gaze was too intense, too powerful for him to resist.

"Do you dare to defy me, esteemed Professor?" Gary taunted, his purple eyes piercing into Malkinheim's.

The Professor's grip on his wand tightened, but he couldn't bring himself to meet Gary's gaze. He knew he was no match for the most powerful mage of Dicathen. With a defeated sigh, he reluctantly stepped aside and allowed Gary to take Charles away.

As Gary turned and walked away, a sense of unease settled over the group. His smile had been too fake, his tone too ominous. No one knew what kind of interrogation Charles was about to face, but one thing was for certain: it wasn't going to be pleasant.

|Lucas|

"And what the hell is this supposed to be?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I looked around the dimly lit room. It reminded me of a crudely built wine cellar, and I wondered what I was doing here. The mage from the Nades House had brought me here, telling me it would be of interest to me.

Normally, I would have blasted him away for his arrogance, but I was curious after the explosion at the Tri-Union Building earlier today.

"Welcome to one of our humble dwellings that we use for our meetings," a coarse voice said. I found myself surrounded by at least sixty hooded figures, but only the one sitting in the middle with a plain white mask had his face covered.

The mask had two small eyeholes and a crudely drawn smile where the mouth should be. It was simple enough, but it gave off a sinister feel.

The boy next to me put on his own hooded robe and knelt down on one knee with his head bowed.

"My lord, I have brought Lucas Wykes as you requested," the boy spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Ahh, the infamous Mr. Wykes, in the flesh! I'm delighted you could join us for our little crusade," the man in the mask said, turning his attention towards me.

I surveyed the room, unimpressed. "I'm not here to join anything. I came out of sheer curiosity, but I must say, I'm not impressed. Who are you supposed to be, anyway? You don't seem to be a student... are you a professor?" I scoffed.

"How dare you! You should be grateful that we even considered allowing someone like you to join us!" one of the hooded figures on my right hissed.

"Someone like me?" I repeated, feeling my anger rise.

I began to prepare a spell to retaliate against the hooded figure who had insulted me, but before I could finish the chant, the man in the mask snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, the hooded figure who had insulted me let out a piercing howl as he burst into flames.

I couldn't help but click my tongue in disappointment. Even for instant casting, that was frighteningly fast, beyond the level of some Paladins I had seen.

I turned my attention back to the masked man, still unable to sense his mana core. "Before I even consider joining your cult, I need to know what it is you're trying to accomplish, and why you require my help."

He leaned back in his seat, casually explaining, "Unfortunately, circumstances prevent me from acting personally at this time. I need capable mages to complete my plans thoroughly. You see, I hate leaving loose ends."

He continued, "With your director and three Paladins absent, it's the perfect time to act. By the time they return, it will be too late."

With another snap of his fingers, the flames engulfing the hooded figure dissipated, leaving him twitching on the floor in agony.

"As for my goals, let's just say they coincide with those of these individuals. Everyone here is a dissatisfied human noble who once took pride in the fact that this academy was meant only for the purest of lineage. While you may be a special exception to this case, I still think you'd be a valuable asset to our cause," he explained calmly.

As I glared at the hooded figure, he continued to taunt me. "It seems that what they say about you is true. You look down on those of lower birth. But, did you not see how the commoner in the Paladins proved you wrong?" His voice was coarse but playful.

I stopped in my tracks, feeling a mix of anger and curiosity. "What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice low.

"It's quite obvious, really. You've been pampered with elixirs and strengthening methods since your awakening, yet you still can't match the commoner child in the Paladins, Arthur Leywin," he said, shrugging casually.

My fists clenched in frustration, but before I could argue, he interrupted me. "Don't bother refuting, because you know it's true. Just look at how you both fared against Gary Whiteborn individually. Gary defeated you without even breaking a sweat, but Arthur gave him a little struggle."

I seethed, feeling a surge of anger at his words. "Who do you think you are?" I growled, taking a step forward.

My body was already glowing as mana spilt out from my mana core, ready to fire at him, but I never did. This throbbing sense told me to not mess with him like it was... hopeless.

No! I'm Lucas Wykes of the Wykes Family!

But who the hell was he and why did he talk like he was here the whole time, watching over us?

"I told you. I am but a mere benefactor that came here for the betterment of this land." As he said this, he got up and gave an exaggerated bow with his arms spread out.

Sitting back down on his crude throne, he continued, "Mr Wykes, I believe that, even if our views aren't the same, we could have some sort of mutual benefit in this."

"Go on," I said through gritted teeth.

He ignored the fact that I was still completely surrounded by fire attribute mana, dangerously close to releasing it.

"Soon, I will be able to personally take part in this and when I do, I want to completely shatter the frail glue holding the three races together. However, until that time comes, I need your strength to help run things smoothly," he explained.

My curiosity was piqued as I asked, "How did you come to know about Arthur Leywin?" My growing caution was evident in my tone. Despite being denied entry into the Paladins, I had never been willing to accept Arthur's worthiness for the title. Being a commoner, he had mingled with those of the purest lineage, the very elites of Dicathen. He was the one I had to defeat to prove myself worthy.

The masked man shrugged in response. "It's natural for me to do some research on my potential recruits. But let's talk about what's in it for you, shall we? The power to defeat Arthur, perhaps?"

I was taken aback by his words, unable to make sense of what he was offering. The hooded figures surrounding us seemed equally intrigued but remained quiet, likely out of fear of the masked man's 'discipline.'

"As long as you agree, I can promise you a level of power beyond your wildest dreams," he continued.

I glanced at the hooded figures, wondering if this was too good to be true.

My mind was racing with thoughts of power, of finally surpassing my brother and proving my worth to the world. I could feel the excitement bubbling inside of me as the hooded figure spoke, promising me the means to achieve my desires.

"Not only Arthur Leywin," he stated, "but with this power, you will even surpass your brother in the future!"

I didn't hesitate. "I'm in," I said, my voice laced with eagerness.