Adrian first handed her a glass of water and waited, giving her a few moments to catch her breath.

"Feeling better now?" he asked, taking the empty glass from her and settling into the chair across from her.

Sylvie nodded faintly. "Thank you, Professor." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Adrian drew in a slow breath. "Alright. Let’s take this step by step. What’s going on?"

She hesitated, fingers curling in her lap. But whatever this was, it was too heavy to hold back.

"Professor... I need to confess something."

Adrian simply nodded, letting her speak.

"I... have a very rare ability. I can hear people’s inner thoughts—not everyone’s, but only those who are thinking about people I care about. For example, if someone near me is thinking about my parents... I can hear it."

Her gaze dropped to the floor. "When I accused you back then, I heard how much you hated Allen. In a fit of anger, I lashed out and blamed you... even though your hatred was justified—"

"Sylvie," Adrian cut her off gently, "let’s leave the past where it is. I’m more interested in what’s worrying you now."

He already knew about her ability—it wasn’t something even her parents were aware of. For her to reveal it openly meant the matter at hand was serious.

Sylvie gave a small nod. "Right... sorry." She drew in a deep breath. "This morning, I wasn’t feeling well after breakfast. So I left the venue early and walked around to clear my head."

Her fingers tightened slightly on her knees. "That’s when I came across a man. He was just passing by... but he was thinking about you."

Adrian’s brow furrowed. "What exactly was he thinking?"

"...I couldn’t catch it all. But I heard fragments. Words like—’Isolating her wouldn’t be enough... need to bring Adrian away from safety... Juggler is being an idiot...we should be capturing him...’ Those were the clearest pieces I caught."

Adrian leaned back in his seat.

There was no mistaking it—Sylvie had overheard one of the core members of the Acolytes, the very group planning to sabotage the tournament.

And the name Juggler sealed it.

So... their plan is in motion.

A small part of him had clung to the hope that, because he had completely derailed the canon events, the Acolytes might shift their course—maybe even leave the tournament untouched.

But perhaps that was asking for too much.

After a moment’s silence, he asked, "Did you see the person?"

"Only their back... and the insignia carved into their mantle." Her expression hardened. "It was the insignia of Blackthorn Academy."

Adrian exhaled slowly. That fit his expectations. Not just Blackthorn—he needed to be ready for betrayal from any academy.

The Acolytes’ roots ran deep. Too deep.

Even Runebound might be infected.

"Sir... shouldn’t we inform the authorities?" Sylvie asked carefully.

Adrian let out a quiet sigh. "It’s not that simple, Sylvie. We have no proof that someone from Blackthorn is plotting against me. And if we raise too many alarms, they’ll just change their plan—and then we’ll be in the dark."

Her shoulders sank. "But... why are they targeting you?"

"I believe it’s connected to the ambush," he replied.

Sylvie flinched. Right—the ambush. Adrian had been the key reason there were no casualties, and the transfer students had made it out unharmed.

After a moment, he said, "For now, keep this to yourself. I’ll inform Ariana and make the necessary preparations."

Sylvie bit her lip. "Sir... I might sound like an idiot, but... can’t you just return to the academy? If they’re focused on you, then—"

"And leave you and the others here?" His voice was firm but calm. "They’ll attack regardless of whether I’m present. I’m not abandoning my students knowing they’re in danger."

Her words died in her throat. "...I’m sorry, sir."

Adrian stood and gently placed his hand on her head. "It’s alright, Sylvie. You care about me, and I’m lucky to have you as my student."

Her cheeks warmed instantly. She kept her head down, wanting to stay in that moment just a little longer.

But all good things end.

Adrian soon stepped back. "How’s your stomach now?"

Sylvie blinked, startled by the sudden change of topic, then nodded.

His lips curved faintly. "Then you won’t mind having a meal with me, right?"

Her heart skipped. Dinner... alone... with the Professor?

"I’d love to—" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

...And then reality came crashing down.

A few minutes later, she was walking beside him—along with five other students. Her dream of a private dinner was already crumbling.

What had she been expecting, really...?

"You don’t look particularly happy, junior?" Aries asked with a teasing smile.

Sylvie forced one of her own. "Just feeling a little under the weather."

"Then you should’ve stayed back," Elana muttered under her breath.

Sylvie exhaled quietly. Of course, Elana didn’t like her being anywhere near the Professor.

"Are you feeling alright?" Allen drew closer and lowered his voice.

"Yeah, I’m fine," she replied. "What about you? Have you completely forgotten about Olivia?"

Allen sighed. "I... uh... we had an argument."

Sylvie’s brows lifted. "Again? You two have been fighting a lot lately."

"Bet it’s because he’s been spending all his time training," Aries chimed in, not bothering to whisper.

Allen flinched—clear enough proof that Aries had nailed the truth.

Sylvie shook her head. "You’re still being insecure?"

"More like he’s still beating himself up over losing to Professor Adrian," Aries snickered.

Allen’s shoulders sank. "I feel like I fail every single one of his assessments... and it’s a really disheartening feeling."

Elana frowned. What’s his problem? Losing to a man like Professor Adrian should be an honor.

"Senior Sylvie," Brendon cut in, "do you know when the other first-years are arriving?"

"A day before the final round," Sylvie replied without pressing for details. His slumped shoulders told her enough—he was waiting for someone.

The academy always gave special priority to first-years, treating them as the foundation of the future, so their arrival was deliberately delayed.

Which meant... Brendon would be seeing his Nia again nowhere soon.

While the others were conversing about casual stuff, Elana’s eyes traveled towards the man walking a few steps ahead of them.

He has been silent most of the time...and somehow the air around him gave a vibe that he is anxious about something.

She even tried asking him but like always he smiled and just shook his head, containing the burden all to himself.

’Is there something the matter, Professor...can I help you?’

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you are enjoying the story so far, please leave a review