Chapter 37 End Of The Trials
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. “I would trust him with anything.”
Oliver’s chest rose sharply. For the first time that morning, something close to a smile touched his lips, small, restrained, fragile.
Mr. Roger let the moment breathe.
“Then tell us,” he said, “why you seek a place on the student council.”
I lowered my gaze. Not sure of what to say. Julian? To help Julian? No, that remains a secret.
The silence stretched longer than before.
“I want to help someone,” I said at last.
Mr. Roger tilted his head. “Oliver?”
“No. Kaitlyn.”
The single word rang louder than expected.
Evander turned sharply.
Naomi’s eyes widened.
Even Julian leaned forward.
The hall reacted instantly.
Kaitlyn’s head snapped up.
“What? You?” Naomi whispered.
Evander stared at Kaitlyn as if seeing her for the first time.
Kaitlyn herself looked stunned, her composure cracking for the first time that night.
Mr. Roger studied Lexie carefully. “Why Kaitlyn Hansen?”
I lifted my gaze to Kaitlyn directly. “Because she’s leaving.”
A sharp intake of breath swept the hall.
“I don’t want her to,” I continued. “She shouldn’t.”
Kaitlyn’s hands curled into fists, “How dare this brat?” she muttered, angrily.
“You barely know her,” Mr. Roger said calmly.
“Barely? She’s the first student I spoke to on my first day in this school,” I smirked, “I know she’s hurting,” Lexie replied. “And I know she’s carrying something alone.”
The hall was deathly quiet now.
Mr. Roger’s gaze flicked upward.
From the elevated seats, Mr. Hansen leaned forward for the first time.
“Why,” he demanded, his voice sharp and authoritative, “should my daughter stay after I’ve lost one?”
Every eye turned to me.
My pulse thundered in my ears. My hands trembled but I did not sit back. I leaned forward instead.
“Because running won’t bring her sister back,” I said.
Kaitlyn froze.
“And because leaving…. won’t give her answers,” I continued, voice steady despite the weight pressing on my chest. “But staying might.”
Mr. Hansen’s expression darkened. “You presume much.”
“I don’t,” I said. “I listen.”
I swallowed.
“She deserves the truth,” I said softly. “About her sister. About what happened. About why the silence hurts more than the answers.”
The hall held its breath.
Mr. Hansen studied her with clinical precision. “And you believe yourself capable of giving her this truth?”
“No,” I answered honestly. “But I believe she deserves someone who won’t turn away from it.”
Kaitlyn’s shoulders shook.
Not with rage.
With guilt.
“All I wanted,” Kaitlyn said suddenly, her voice breaking within her, barely audible, “was to make sure you didn’t win.”
Her words trembled. “Before I left.”
I am truly surprised and impressed about myself, my boldness. Gravenmoor has really taught me a lot.
“And I don’t want her to leave like this. Hurt. Blind”
Mr. Hansen closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them, something had shifted.
The weight lifted, not entirely, but enough.
Mr. Roger stepped forward. “That concludes Lexie Lambert’s Trial of Truth.”
The light dimmed.
I rose slowly, legs unsteady, heart pounding.
As I stepped away from the chair, Kaitlyn couldn’t raise her eyes at me.
The hall buzzed with restrained awe, confusion, and something close to reverence.
Mr. Roger faced the audience. “The results shall be announced shortly.”
I returned to my place beside Marcus and Melanie, my body trembling badly, not from fear, but from the cost of truth.
And above them all, unseen by most—
Kaitlyn’s world had quietly, irrevocably cracked open
“That was bold of you, Lexie,” Melanie muttered once we were seated again, waiting for the results to be announced.
I turned toward her, studying her expression. “What do you mean?”
Before she could answer, Marcus cleared his throat. “Can you girls please excuse me?” he said awkwardly.
Both Melanie and I paused and looked at him.
“I need to use the bathroom,” he added quickly.
Neither of us replied.
Marcus stayed seated, glancing between Melanie on his left and me on his right, shifting uncomfortably. “What… are you waiting for?”
I frowned. “What are you waiting for?” I asked flatly.
He jumped to his feet at once. “That’s a yes.” And with that, he hurried down the aisle and disappeared out of the hall.
Melanie leaned closer. “Kaitlyn isn’t the kind of person you can help,” she said quietly. “Or rather… the kind you should help.”
I turned fully toward her. “Why?”
“You’ll end up being used,” she replied. “You’ll think you’re helping her, right up until she turns you into her pawn. Her slave.”
“And why should I listen to you?” I asked, my voice steady.
Before she could respond—
“Welcome back, esteemed students of Gravenmoor Art Academy.”
Principal Greaves’s voice echoed through the hall.
Every whisper died instantly.
“Today,” he continued, stepping forward, “this moment marks the official conclusion of the student council trials. But before I proceed…” He paused, inhaling deeply, his gaze settling first on Kaitlyn, then shifting unmistakably to me.
“Kaitlyn Hansen will no longer be leaving the student council.”
The announcement landed without applause.
No cheers. No murmurs.
Only silence.
Kaitlyn exhaled slowly, her shoulders dropping as though she had been holding her breath for weeks. Relief washed over her face, undeniable.
“Her father has decided she will remain at Gravenmoor,” Principal Greaves continued, “and continue serving as your student council president.”
Still, no clapping.
Just acceptance.
“And now,” he said, adjusting the file in his hands, “to the results of the trials.”
My eyes darted instinctively to Marcus’s seat.
Empty.
“He isn’t back yet,” I murmured under my breath.
Principal Greaves unfolded the document.
“The overall winner of the three trials, Trial of Wit, Trial of Valor, and the Trial of Truth—” He paused deliberately.
“I hereby announce Candidate Lexie Lambert as the winner.”
The words struck me like a sudden drop.
“Securing the position of Secretary on the student council.”
My heart sank straight into my stomach.
“Lexie Lambert,” the principal said, lifting his gaze, “please step forward for recognition.”
The first sound of applause came from Kaitlyn.
She clapped slowly, deliberately, her eyes locked on mine. A smirk tugged at her lips, one I couldn’t decipher. It wasn’t quite malicious. It wasn’t entirely kind.
Then the hall followed.
Applause swelled around me, filling the space.
I turned toward Melanie.
She wasn’t clapping.
She simply met my gaze.
“Good luck,” she said quietly, without a smile.
I didn’t reply.
I stood and walked toward the podium, my steps steady despite the chaos in my chest.
Ms. Gladys approached, placing a flower gently into my hands. “Congratulations,” she whispered, barely audible over the clapping.
I nodded, managing a smile.
Standing before the audience, flowers resting against my arms, I lifted my head and smiled brightly.
But then—
I searched the crowd.
Adrian’s seat was empty.
My smile faltered, but only for a second.
I steadied it when I saw Oliver clapping, his gaze fixed on me, something proud and unresolved flickering in his eyes. Julian was clapping too, his expression unmistakably satisfied, almost smug.
Still—
Where was Adrian?
And Marcus…
He still hadn’t returned.
The applause continued, but a quiet unease settled deep in my chest, I couldn’t ignore it.E