Chapter 103 Nightshade interest

Chapter 103 Nightshade interest
Chapter 103

RAVENNA 

I cocked my head to one side, studying the ash-blonde stranger with sudden interest. 

There was something about the way he carried himself that suggested confidence bordering on arrogance, and the intensity in those grey eyes had not faded even slightly.

Before I could analyse the situation further, the professor walked in carrying a stack of papers and a coffee that looked desperately needed. 

The room immediately shifted back to normal noise levels as students scrambled to their seats.

"You should introduce yourself, young man." The Professor said before turning to the board.

The stranger stepped forward and introduced himself with easy charm. "Good morning, everyone. My name is Caleb Nightshade. I am transferring here from another academy, and I am very happy to be part of this school. I look forward to getting to know all of you."

His voice was smooth and confident, the kind that made people pay attention whether they wanted to or not.

The professor nodded in acknowledgement. "Welcome, Mr Nightshade. Please take any available seat." Then his gaze swept across the room and landed on me. "Miss Casmir, I am assigning you to give Mr Nightshade a tour of the campus at the end of this class. Make sure he knows where everything important is located."

I nodded my agreement whilst internally sighing. Playing tour guide was not exactly how I had planned to spend my free period.

The professor clapped his hands together. "Now then, we are going to do something different today. An impromptu group presentation exercise. I am dividing you into two teams, and each team will choose two representatives to give a short speech about economic dangers facing the current world."

He quickly assigned us to groups. Team A included Caleb, myself, Samantha, and several other students whose names I did not immediately remember. Team B consisted of Darius, Dorian, Selene, Marcus, and their group.

"You have ten minutes to discuss amongst yourselves and choose your speakers," the professor announced. "Then we will hear from each team. This will count towards your assessment, so take it seriously."

Team A immediately huddled together. Caleb looked at me with a slight smile. "I think the choice is obvious. Ravenna and I should represent our group."

Samantha nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. You are both new to working together, so it will be interesting to see how you complement each other."

The others agreed quickly, and we spent the remaining time discussing key points we wanted to cover.

Meanwhile, Team B had chosen Darius and Selene as their representatives. I watched them conferring quietly, Selene's hand resting possessively on Darius's arm whilst they talked.

"Time is up," the professor called. "Team A, you will go first. Caleb Nightshade, please begin."

Caleb stood and walked to the front of the classroom with relaxed confidence. "The global economy currently faces several interconnected dangers that threaten stability across all markets. First, we have rising inflation rates that are outpacing wage growth, creating a cost-of-living crisis for ordinary citizens. Second, supply chain disruptions continue to impact industries worldwide, causing shortages and price increases. Third, geopolitical tensions are creating uncertainty in international trade, with countries imposing sanctions and tariffs that hurt everyone involved. These factors combine to create a perfect storm that could trigger widespread economic recession if not addressed through careful policy and international cooperation."

He sat down to polite applause whilst I stood and moved to take his place.

"Building on what Caleb has outlined, I want to focus specifically on the economic danger posed by wealth inequality," I began, keeping my voice clear and steady. "The gap between rich and poor has reached levels not seen since before the Great Depression. When wealth concentrates at the top, consumer spending decreases because the majority of people have less disposable income. This creates a downward spiral where businesses suffer, leading to job losses, which further reduces spending power. Additionally, extreme inequality breeds social unrest and political instability, both of which are terrible for economic confidence and investment. Unless we address this fundamental imbalance through progressive taxation and social support systems, we risk catastrophic economic collapse that will hurt everyone, including the wealthy."

I returned to my seat whilst the professor made notes.

"Team B, you are up. Darius Pike, please begin."

Darius stood and walked to the front, his expression serious and focused. "The current economic landscape is indeed precarious, but I believe the greatest danger we face is unsustainable government debt. Many countries, including major economic powers, have accumulated debt levels that exceed their annual GDP. This creates several problems. First, servicing this debt consumes resources that could be invested in infrastructure, education, and innovation. Second, when debt becomes too large, it undermines confidence in currency stability, potentially triggering capital flight and currency devaluation. Third, high debt levels limit government's ability to respond to future crises, leaving economies vulnerable to shocks they cannot absorb. Addressing this requires difficult choices about spending priorities and revenue generation that politicians are often unwilling to make."

He sat down whilst Selene took her turn at the front.

"I would like to discuss the economic dangers posed by technological disruption," Selene began with a practised smile. "Automation and artificial intelligence are eliminating traditional jobs faster than new ones are being created. This creates structural unemployment that traditional economic tools struggle to address. When large numbers of people cannot find work, consumer spending drops, businesses suffer, and social safety nets become strained. Additionally, the concentration of wealth in technology companies creates new monopolies that stifle competition and innovation. We need to fundamentally rethink education systems, social support structures, and labour regulations to adapt to this rapidly changing economic reality."

She returned to her seat looking pleased with herself.

The professor finished his notes and looked up at all of us. "Excellent work from both teams. You each identified important issues and presented them clearly. I am awarding both teams full marks for this exercise."

He spent the remaining class time assigning homework before dismissing us.

The moment the professor left the room, Darius and Dorian got up from their seats and walked directly towards where Caleb sat. I could see the tension radiating off both of them.

"Did you run away from your previous school after causing trouble?" Darius demanded without preamble. "Or did they finally expel you for being a constant problem?"

Caleb smirked up at him without showing any fear. "I left that school because it was boring. All those students were too easy to manipulate. I am hoping this academy will provide more of a challenge. Specifically, I am looking forward to dealing with your ass, Darius."

"Watch your steps carefully, Nightshade," Darius warned, his voice dropping lower and more dangerous. "Do not cross my boundaries or else—"

"Or else what?" Caleb interrupted, standing so they were face to face. "You cannot actually do anything to me, Darius. We both know that. And I certainly will not be crossing any boundaries if you stay in your own lane and leave me alone."

I watched this interaction with growing satisfaction. They were clearly rivals with serious history between them. This was perfect. Absolutely perfect for what I had in mind.

I stood and walked over to Caleb, deliberately interrupting the staring contest. "We should probably start that campus tour now since we have a free period. Unless you would rather stand here glaring at each other?"

Caleb's expression immediately shifted back to charming. "A tour sounds wonderful. Lead the way."

Darius grabbed my arm before I could leave. "Be careful with Caleb. He is not what he seems."

I pulled my arm free and looked at him with false concern. "You should be more worried about your fiancée right now, Darius. I think she needs some attention from you."

I gestured towards where Selene stood frowning and staring intently at Darius with obvious displeasure written all over her face.

Without waiting for his response, I walked out of the classroom with Caleb following close behind.

Once we were in the corridor, I grinned at him. "I like the fact that you are completely unafraid of Darius Pike. Most people at this school walk on eggshells around him because of who his father is."

He smirked back. "I like the fact that you have been at this academy for months now, on the same hockey team as Darius, dealing with him as your captain, and somehow that experience has not killed your spirit or made you submit."

"We are going to get along just fine," Caleb declared confidently.

I began showing him around the campus, pointing out important buildings and explaining the layout. But mostly, I was studying him carefully, cataloguing every detail.

Caleb Nightshade was definitely useful. I made a mental note to ask Samantha for more detailed information about him and his history with Darius later.

As we walked, he flirted shamelessly. And I let him.

"You know, I have to say," Caleb began with a playful smile, "when they assigned you as my tour guide, I thought it was going to be boring. But you are far more interesting than I expected."

"Is that so?" I replied, keeping my tone light and teasing.

"Absolutely. Most people here are so predictable. But you?" He stepped slightly closer. "You are different. I can tell just by watching how you interact with people. Especially with Darius."

"And what exactly did you observe about how I interact with Darius?"

"That you get under his skin in ways nobody else does," Caleb observed with obvious delight. "That drives him absolutely mad. It is beautiful to watch."

I laughed genuinely at that. "You really do not like him, do you?"

"Let us just say we have history," Caleb replied vaguely. "And now that I am here, things are going to get very interesting for dear Captain Darius."

We continued walking whilst he kept up a steady stream of flirtation mixed with genuine questions about the academy. I answered honestly when it suited me and deflected when it did not.

Finally, we reached the ice rink. Caleb paused at the entrance, looking through the windows at the empty ice.

"Thank you for the tour," he offered with genuine warmth. "This was much more enjoyable than I anticipated."

"You are welcome. Though I should mention you cannot actually go in there unless you are on the team."

Caleb's grin turned absolutely wicked. "Actually, I can. I was accepted onto the hockey team before I even arrived at the academy. Apparently, they needed another strong player."

I raised an eyebrow, genuine surprise flickering through me. Darius and his supposed rival were going to be teammates? Playing on the same ice?

This was going to be even more useful than I had originally thought.