Chapter 27 THE WEIGHT OF SUSPICION

Chapter 27 THE WEIGHT OF SUSPICION
Aria POV

The rest of the day felt like walking through fog. Every conversation in the hallways was about Aseryn's death. Students huddled in tight groups, voices dropping to whispers whenever someone passed too close. The teachers moved through the corridors with grim faces, their usual authority replaced by something that looked like fear.

I couldn't stop thinking about Vianka. The way she'd looked at me, tears threatening to spill, that scar on her forearm. She'd known. She must have known something terrible was coming, and I'd turned her away.

"Stop torturing yourself," Ciora said as we walked back to our rooms after the last class ended. "You didn't know."

"But I should have listened," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "What if she was trying to warn us? What if she knew who the ghoul was?"

Zephyr shook his head. "Or what if she's the ghoul herself? Think about it. She shows up scared, asking to talk to you privately. Then Aseryn, someone connected to her, ends up dead. It's suspicious."

I wanted to argue, but I couldn't find the words. Everything felt tangled, like trying to unravel a knot in the dark.

The afternoon dragged on. I tried to focus on my assignments, but the words on the parchment blurred together. My mind kept circling back to that moment in the cafeteria. Vianka's trembling voice. The way she'd nodded when I refused her, like she'd expected nothing less.

By the time evening arrived and I had to leave for training with Kael, my stomach was twisted into knots. I changed into the loose training clothes Nesari had given me last week and made my way to the arena.

The sun was setting, painting the sky in streaks of orange and deep purple. The obsidian walls of the arena seemed to absorb the fading light, making the structure look even more imposing than usual. I could already feel the raw elemental energy thrumming through the ground beneath my feet.

Kael was waiting in the center of the arena, his back to me. He stood perfectly still, hands clasped behind him, staring at something I couldn't see. The evening breeze tugged at his dark hair, and for a moment he looked almost peaceful.

"You're late," he said without turning around.

I glanced at the sky. The sun hadn't fully set yet. "I'm exactly on time."

"If you're on time, you're late." He turned to face me, his storm grey eyes assessing. "Your mind isn't here. I can see it in the way you walk."

I opened my mouth to deny it, then closed it again. There was no point lying to Kael. He saw through everything.

"I keep thinking about Vianka," I admitted, walking closer. "She tried to talk to me this morning. She looked terrified. And then Aseryn ended up dead."

Kael was quiet for a moment, his expression unreadable. "You think she knew something."

"Don't you?" I asked. "That scar on her arm, the way she was acting. She wasn't herself."

"People are rarely themselves when they're afraid," Kael said. He gestured for me to take my position in the center of the arena. "But fear makes people do stupid things. Dangerous things. You need to be careful."

I moved to the spot he'd indicated, the same place I'd stood every evening for the past month. The sand beneath my feet was still warm from the day's heat. "Do you think she's the ghoul?"

"I think you're asking the wrong questions," Kael replied. He began to circle me slowly, the way he always did before we started. "The ghoul is a symptom, not the disease. Someone is using soul magic in this academy. Someone powerful enough to hide their presence from Hernabella, from the teachers, even from Kraegon. That should terrify you more than any single ghoul."

I felt a chill run down my spine despite the warm evening air. "But why? Why create a ghoul here?"

"Maybe to kill someone specific. Maybe to create chaos. Maybe because they enjoy it." Kael stopped in front of me, arms crossed. "The why doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you're not prepared."

"I've been training every day," I protested.

"And you're still weak." The words were blunt, cutting. "You freeze when you should move. You hesitate when you should act. Today in the cafeteria, when Vianka approached you, what did you do?"

I thought back. "I stood my ground. I refused to go with her."

"Your friends stood up," Kael corrected. "You reacted after them. You let them protect you instead of protecting yourself." He moved closer, his presence suddenly overwhelming. "What if they hadn't been there? What if it had been the ghoul instead of a scared girl?"

Shame burned in my chest. He was right. I'd frozen, just for a second, but it had been there. That moment of uncertainty.

"I'm trying," I said quietly.

"Trying isn't enough." Kael stepped back, giving me space again. "Show me your stance."

I fell into the defensive position he'd taught me, feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, hands ready. He circled me again, occasionally pushing my shoulder or tapping my knee with his foot to test my balance.

"Better," he admitted. "Your foundation is stronger. But you're still thinking too much. When I push here," he pressed against my shoulder, "you should react, not think about reacting."

"I don't understand the difference."

"Then we'll beat it into you until you do." There was no humor in his voice, only determination. "Again. Faster this time."

We went through the drills. Dodge, block, counter, retreat. Over and over until my muscles burned and sweat dripped into my eyes. Kael was relentless, calling out corrections, demonstrating movements, occasionally grabbing my arm to adjust my form.

"You're still hesitating," he said after I failed to block a strike properly for the third time. "What are you afraid of?"

"Hurting you," I gasped, bent over with my hands on my knees.

Kael actually laughed. It was a short, sharp sound, like breaking glass. "You couldn't hurt me if you tried with everything you have. Stop holding back."

Something in his tone ignited a spark of anger in my chest. I straightened, meeting his eyes. "Fine."

The next sequence was different. I stopped thinking about proper form and just moved. When Kael struck, I blocked hard enough to jar my arm. When he stepped forward, I stepped back and countered. It was messy, unrefined, but it was real.

"There," Kael said, actually sounding pleased. "That's what I want. That fire."

I was breathing hard, my entire body trembling from exertion. "I feel like I'm going to collapse."

"Good. That means you're actually working." He walked over to the water skin he'd left by the arena wall and tossed it to me. I caught it clumsily and drank deeply, the cool water a blessing against my parched throat.

Kael let me rest for a moment, then said, "The competition starts tomorrow."

I nearly choked on the water. "I know. I'm terrified I'll drag my team down."

"You probably will," he said bluntly. "You have no magic, limited combat skills, and a tendency to overthink everything. But that doesn't mean you're useless."

"That's the worst pep talk I've ever heard," I muttered.

"I don't do pep talks. I tell you the truth." Kael took the water skin back and drank from it himself. "You're smart. You notice things others miss. You can strategize. Use those strengths instead of lamenting your weaknesses."

I watched him, trying to understand this man who saved my life but claimed he'd kill me, who pushed me to my breaking point every evening but still made sure I had water to drink. "Why do you care if I succeed or fail?"

"I don't," he said immediately. Then, after a pause, "But I care about completing my mission. And keeping you alive is part of that mission."

"What mission?" I asked, the question I'd been holding back for weeks finally breaking free. "Who gave you this mission? You told Andorin and Hernabella that someone higher than the Queen commands you. Who?"

Kael's expression shuttered completely. "That's not something you need to know right now."

"When will I need to know?"

"When you're ready to hear it." He set the water skin down and moved back to the center of the arena. "Now stop asking questions and start moving. We have another hour before I'm done with you."

I groaned but followed him. My muscles screamed in protest, but I ignored them. If Kael thought I could handle another hour, then I would handle another hour. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me quit.

As we moved through another series of exercises, my mind drifted back to the murder despite my attempts to focus. Aseryn was dead. The boy who'd tortured me in the dungeon, who'd kicked me, who'd looked at me like I was less than human. Part of me felt relieved he was gone, and that realization made me feel sick with guilt.

"Focus," Kael snapped, his hand stopping just short of my face. "See? Dead. Again."

I reset my stance, pushing thoughts of Aseryn away. There would be time to process everything later. Right now, I needed to survive this training session.

By the time Kael finally called an end to our session, the stars were fully visible overhead. I could barely stand, my legs shaking with exhaustion. Every muscle in my body ached, and I was fairly certain I'd have new bruises by morning.

"Same time tomorrow," Kael said, his tone suggesting this had been an easy session. "After your competition."

"You're a monster," I breathed.

"Yes," he agreed without hesitation. "Now go rest. You'll need your strength tomorrow."

I limped toward the arena exit, every step an effort. Just before I left, I turned back. Kael was standing in the center again, staring up at the night sky.

"Thank you," I called out.

He didn't respond, didn't even acknowledge that he'd heard me. But I saw his shoulders shift slightly, and I took that as answer enough.

The walk back to my room felt twice as long as usual. My body wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed, but my mind was still racing. Tomorrow the competition would begin. Tomorrow I'd have to prove I belonged on my team despite my lack of magic. And somewhere in this academy, a murderer walked free, wearing the face of someone we might know.