Chapter 139: A Battlefield

Elara:

I couldn’t stop thinking about last night. Every time my mind wandered for even a second, it returned to Kairo, to the quiet corner of the library, to the warmth of his arms around me, and most embarrassingly, to the absolute insane sex we had.

The memories immediately sent warmth rushing into my cheeks, and I had to bite the inside of my lip to keep the smile threatening to spread across my face from becoming obvious.

We hadn’t even left the library until nearly four-thirty in the morning. Somehow, neither of us had wanted to break the quiet after that intense session, and somewhere between talking in whispers and simply holding each other, we had both fallen asleep wrapped in each other’s arms. That part somehow made everything feel sweeter to me.

Last night, for once, I had allowed myself to enjoy something without worrying about where it might lead. And now, sitting in Illusion class early in the morning while waiting for Professor Stroll to arrive, I found myself replaying those memories over and over again, completely forgetting that I was supposed to be paying attention to the person sitting beside me.

"Elara."

Violet’s sharp voice finally pierced through my thoughts, and I blinked several times before turning toward her. She was staring at me with an expression that immediately told me she had been trying to get my attention for quite some time.

"How long have you been daydreaming?" she asked, narrowing her violet eyes suspiciously.

I glanced around the classroom, suddenly realizing that several students were already settling into their seats and that Violet was practically glaring holes through me.

"Were you even listening to anything I just said?" she demanded, and I opened my mouth, ready to casually tell her there was nothing wrong. "Don’t," she immediately warned, lifting one finger before I could speak. "Do not even think about saying there is nothing."

I closed my mouth again.

Violet leaned closer, lowering her voice as she declared with absolute certainty, "Something is going on in that head of yours. I know you, Elara. You have that look."

Fortunately, I had the perfect distraction. "I think someone stole my pillow," I blurted out.

Violet’s entire expression went blank. For several seconds, she simply stared at me as though she were waiting for me to laugh and admit that I had finally lost my mind.

I pressed my lips together, fighting the urge to burst into laughter at the sheer disbelief written across her face.

"You are messing with me," she finally said. ℯℯ𝑙.

I shook my head quickly. "I’m not."

Her eyebrows rose. "Someone actually stole your pillow?"

I nodded, becoming more serious when I remembered the strange discovery from this morning. "One of my pillows was missing when I came back from my run. I thought I had misplaced it somewhere, but I couldn’t find it."

Violet continued staring at me as if she couldn’t decide whether to laugh or call someone to check whether I had a fever.

I quickly added, "Mrs. Carter and I searched the entire dorm. Everywhere. It wasn’t there. I have no idea where it went, who took it, or why anyone would even want it. It’s a pillow, Violet. Why would someone steal a pillow? To mess with me?"

Violet finally shook herself out of her stunned silence and frowned. "That makes absolutely no sense." She crossed her arms, clearly trying to approach the situation logically despite how ridiculous it sounded. "And you have a locking spell now, remember? You specifically put one around your dorm after everything that happened. So unless someone broke through your wards, entered your room, stole exactly one pillow, and somehow left without you noticing, I don’t understand how anyone could have taken it."

I stared at her, suddenly realizing she was right. The whole thing was strange. I had no idea how someone could have entered my room without triggering the spell, and yet there was no denying that one of my pillows had disappeared.

For a brief second, I wondered whether Crazy had somehow dragged it somewhere, but even that explanation didn’t feel right. He denied any part in the act when I asked him, and he certainly hadn’t acted as though he had been responsible for anything.

Before Violet and I could continue discussing the mystery, the classroom doors opened and Professor Stroll walked inside. At almost exactly the same moment, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class.

I straightened in my seat, immediately pushing thoughts of missing pillows and mysterious library nights out of my mind. Since the second-year students were present for the class, I’d already assumed today’s lesson would involve practical illusion training rather than another theoretical lecture.

I was actually looking forward to it. Illusion magic was one of the areas I still needed to understand properly, especially because I had started finding it interesting. But the moment Professor Stroll reached the front of the classroom, I realized something was different.

She didn’t immediately begin teaching. Instead, she looked around the room and waited until every student had settled before announcing, "Today’s class will be a combined practical session between first- and second-year students."

A murmur immediately spread through the room. I exchanged a quick glance with Violet, who looked just as surprised as I felt.

Professor Stroll continued without giving anyone time to question the arrangement. "You will be divided into pairs according to the numbers you will draw in a minute. Same numbers will be paired together as opponents."

My gaze immediately dropped to the wooden box she had carried inside with her.

"Your objective will be to demonstrate control, creativity, and stability in illusion magic under your opponent’s pressure." The room suddenly became much quieter. Then she delivered the part that changed everything. "This is the practical that will earn you the thirty credit points you will need to pass your theory exam. So even if your lose today, make sure to lose with a good fight to earn at least 15 out of the 30 credit points."

The lively atmosphere that had existed only seconds earlier vanished completely. A surprise practical exam, one that held the decision of whether we would be passing the illusion exam or not.

Great.

I glanced around the room and saw the exact same realization spreading across the faces of the other students. The whispers stopped. Smiles disappeared. Chairs scraped against the floor as everyone straightened, suddenly looking at their classmates differently.

What had started as an ordinary morning practical had transformed in a matter of seconds.

It wasn’t a classroom anymore.

It was a battlefield.