Chapter 91 Chapter 91

Chapter 91 Chapter 91
The arena did not explode into cheers.

It stayed quiet.

Too quiet.

Elara was still standing in the middle of the platform, chest rising and falling heavily, blood running down from her nose and mouth, dripping from her fingers where she had caught the dagger, and for a moment she did not even seem to understand what she had done. The siren girl was across the arena, her body slumped against the cracked wall where she had been thrown, unmoving.

The silence stretched.

Then whispers began.

“That wasn’t normal.”

“She lifted her with one hand.”

“She is human… right?”

Master Damon was the first to move. He stepped forward onto the arena floor, his long robe brushing against the stone as his sharp eyes stayed on Elara. He did not look angry. He did not look impressed either. He looked like a man who had just seen something he could not explain.

“Healers,” he called calmly.

Several rushed in at once, some going to the unconscious siren, others hesitating before approaching Elara as if unsure whether she might still explode with that strange power again. Elara swayed slightly on her feet, her vision blurring now that the adrenaline was leaving her body.

Aurelius was already halfway down the stairs.

Seraphina followed right behind him.

Varian did not rush.

He stood up slowly from his seat among the leaders. His expression had not changed during the entire fight, not when Elara was beaten, not when she was bleeding, not even when the dagger had almost pierced her chest. But now, as he descended the steps with steady movements, something shifted in his eyes.

Pride.

Calm certainty.

Like he had known.

A healer reached for Elara’s arm, but before they could touch her, she staggered again and nearly fell. Varian reached her first.

He did not say anything.

He simply stepped in front of her, one hand catching her waist before she hit the ground.

The arena noticed.

The whispers grew louder.

“He is touching her.”

“Senior Varian?”

“Are they—”

Aurelius stopped a few feet away, watching carefully, while Seraphina pressed her hands together anxiously.

Elara blinked slowly, her strange eye color now completely gone, replaced with her normal soft gaze. She looked confused more than anything.

“Did I…” she whispered weakly, looking up at Varian.

“You won,” he said simply.

Her brows pulled together slightly as if she was trying to remember.

Varian’s hand tightened just slightly around her waist, not possessive, but firm enough that everyone could see he was the one holding her up.

Master Damon stepped closer, his voice firm but controlled.

“Elara,” he said. “What you displayed just now… explain it.”

The arena leaned forward.

Elara swallowed. “I… I don’t know. She was going to stab me and I just—”

“You just what?” Damon pressed.

“I didn’t want to die.”

The answer was honest. Too honest.

A small murmur spread again.

Varian’s gaze shifted briefly toward Master Damon, calm but sharp.

“She defended herself,” he said. “Is that not the purpose of this trial?”

Damon held his stare for a second longer than necessary, then nodded slowly.

“Yes. It is.” He is actually happy right now but was pretending in front of everyone.

Across the arena, the healers were lifting the siren girl carefully. Her wrist hung at a strange angle. Her breathing was shallow. Students were staring openly now, some shocked, some afraid.

“Is that really the human girl?”

“How did she get that strong?”

“Was that even strength?”

Lynosse had not moved from her seat.

Her smile was gone.

Her fingers were digging into the armrest so tightly her knuckles had turned pale. She had expected blood. She had expected a corpse.

She had not expected that.

Varian gently guided Elara off the platform while the next fight was being prepared, but the energy in the arena had changed. The earlier excitement was gone. Now it feels tense.

Unstable.

As soon as they reached the lower level, Aurelius stepped forward.

“You nearly gave me a heart attack,” he muttered, trying to sound casual but clearly shaken.

Seraphina immediately hugged Elara carefully, mindful of her injuries.

“You were amazing,” she whispered, though her voice trembled slightly.

Elara gave a small, tired smile. “I didn’t feel amazing.”

Varian did not speak again. He simply signaled to one of the academy healers to treat her properly before escorting her away.

And above them, Lynosse finally stood up.

Her movements were sharp.

Controlled.

She walked out of the arena without looking back.

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The corridor outside the siren dormitory was quiet, the heavy doors closing behind Lynosse as she entered without knocking.

The golden-haired girl was already inside, sitting on the edge of her bed while a healer wrapped her wrist tightly with enchanted cloth. Her lip was split. There was dried blood at the corner of her mouth.

The healer bowed slightly and left the room quickly, clearly uncomfortable.

The door shut.

Silence.

Lynosse stood there for a moment, staring.

The girl did not look up immediately.

“Well?” she muttered bitterly. “Are you here to mock me?”

Lynosse walked closer slowly.

“You lost,” she said flatly.

The girl let out a dry laugh that ended in a wince. “I noticed.”

“You said you would handle her.”

“I did handle her,” the girl snapped suddenly, finally looking up. Her golden eyes were burning. “She was nothing. She could barely stand. She was already bleeding.”

“Yet you are the one who ended up against a wall.”

The words were cold.

The girl’s jaw tightened.

“There was something wrong,” she said quietly now.

Lynosse did not respond.

“When she grabbed the dagger…” the girl continued, her voice lowering slightly. “It wasn’t normal. I felt it. Her strength changed. Her presence changed.”

Lynosse’s expression darkened.

“She is human.”

“No,” the girl said immediately. “Not fully.”

The room felt colder.

Lynosse folded her arms slowly. “Explain.”

The girl swallowed.

“When she looked at me, her eyes… they weren’t human. And the power, it didn’t feel trained. It felt awakened.”

The word lingered.

Awakened.

Lynosse’s mind raced.

Awakened meant dormant power.

Hidden bloodline.

Something ancient.

She had thought Elara was weak. Harmless. Easy to remove.

But if she was something else—

Lynosse turned toward the window, staring out at the darkening sky.

“This changes nothing,” she said finally.

The girl gave her a look. “She almost killed me.”

“And you almost killed her,” Lynosse replied sharply. “Do not pretend you were innocent.”

Silence again.

The girl flexed her wrapped wrist slightly. “If she enters the next round like that…”

“She will not be prepared next time,” Lynosse interrupted.

Her voice had shifted now.

“If she cannot be eliminated publicly, then we will find another way.”

The girl studied her carefully. “You still want her dead.”

Lynosse’s lips curved slightly.

“I want her gone.”

She walked toward the door, stopping just before opening it.

“And next time,” she added without turning back, “do not underestimate her.”

The door closed softly behind her.

Inside the room, the golden-haired girl sat in silence, replaying the moment over and over in her head, the dagger stopping mid-air, the sudden strength, the eyes that did not belong to a human.

Back in his private chamber, Varian stood near the window while Elara rested on the couch behind him, healer magic slowly sealing her wounds.

He did not look worried.

He looked thoughtful.

“She has awakened,” he murmured quietly to himself..
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