Chapter 58: Punishment

Elara:

I remained silent for long enough that even I could feel how ridiculous my lack of an answer was becoming. The truth was, I didn’t have one.

I didn’t know why I had asked about Liliana. Maybe because despite everything, I didn’t want to be responsible for seriously hurting someone. Or maybe I was simply incapable of completely turning off the part of me that still cared about people, no matter how badly they treated me. Whatever the reason, I wasn’t ready to admit it aloud.

Esmeray eventually seemed to understand that I wasn’t going to answer and spared me from having to invent something.

"She’s fine," he said. "One potion and she was out of the infirmary in less than five minutes."

My eyebrows lifted slightly. "That fast?"

He nodded before looking pointedly at me. "You, on the other hand, have been unconscious for over half the day."

Instinctively, I turned toward the window. The sky outside had already begun changing colors as the last light of evening stretched across the academy grounds. The sun would disappear within minutes and the combat class had started at ten earlier this morning morning, meaning I had indeed spent almost the entire afternoon sleeping off a single attack.

Somehow, that realization made my body feel even heavier.

I was still staring outside when Esmeray suddenly spoke again, much more softly this time. "I’m sorry."

I turned toward him, confused. "For what?" I asked, wondering if he’s apologizing for what Liliana did to me.

He looked genuinely serious now, as none of the quiet amusement I had seen in him earlier remained. "Today’s lesson was under my supervision. It was my responsibility to make sure everyone was safe, and I failed." His jaw tightened slightly. "I should have stopped Liliana before she attacked you. As the instructor, I’m responsible for what happened."

I opened my mouth to tell him it wasn’t entirely his fault, but he continued before I could. "I should have been more careful. I won’t let something like that happen again." He paused before adding, "Liliana has also been punished. Thirty credit points have been deducted from her record, and she’s been given detention for an entire week."

That surprised me enough to forget about responding to his apology. "Thirty?" I repeated. It was actually a big number considering sometimes students barely earned five credits in an entire week or nothing at all.

Esmeray nodded. "She had lost all the credit points she collected ever since this term began two months ago. She’ll also be restricted from participating in extracurricular combat activities until the detention is complete."

I stared at him in shock. Considering how freely students seemed to get away with bullying, using their magic all the time, and generally behaving like spoiled supernatural teenagers with too much power, I hadn’t expected anyone to punish Liliana at all. Maybe there really were certain lines even this academy wouldn’t tolerate.

The problem was that I wasn’t sure whether the punishment would actually make anything better. Liliana had already hated me before today. Now she had lost thirty credit points and an entire week of her free time because of me.

If anything, I had probably just upgraded myself from someone she disliked to someone she wanted to destroy. I could already imagine the possibilities.

Esmeray looked at me and asked when he noticed me being lost in thoughts. "What are you thinking?"

"That this is probably going to make my life more complicated." I answered honestly.

Before he could say anything, the door opened and Healer Mira returned carrying a small glass filled halfway with a shimmering golden liquid. She handed it to me. "Drink this."

I stared at it suspiciously. The potion looked almost pretty enough to belong in some fantasy movie. Tiny golden particles seemed to swirl inside the liquid whenever I moved the glass.

"What is it?" I asked.

"A restorative potion." She smiled. "And before you ask, no, it won’t taste like the worst thing in existence."

Seemed like my face had betrayed me. I lifted the glass and took a cautious sip. The taste surprised me. It was sweet, somewhere between honey and vanilla, with a faint warmth that spread across my tongue. I finished the entire glass in a few swallows.

The effect was almost immediate. Warmth spread through my body, but unlike the strange warmth associated with my magic, this felt soothing. The ache in my head began fading first. Then the soreness in my arms disappeared. The pain in my back gradually loosened until I could barely feel it anymore.

I blinked several times, then cautiously pushed myself upright. Nothing hurt. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood.

Healer Mira’s eyes widened. "Already?" She asked as if this wasn’t supposed to happen.

I looked down at myself. "I feel fine."

She walked around me, studying me with obvious disbelief. "Your body really does process medicinal magic remarkably quickly." She looked almost fascinated. "I have never seen someone recover this rapidly."

I wasn’t sure whether I should feel proud or concerned. "So I’m free to go?"

She finally nodded. "Yes. You can return to your dorm. You should rest tonight, but unless you experience dizziness or pain, you may resume your classes tomorrow morning."

I thanked her before reaching for my things.

As I stepped outside the infirmary with Esmeray beside me, the evening air felt surprisingly refreshing. The academy had already begun settling into its nighttime rhythm, the corridors quieter than they had been during the day.

Esmeray glanced toward me. "I’ll walk you to your dorm."

I immediately shook my head. "You don’t have to."

"I don’t mind."

"I know, but I’ll be fine." I insisted, not wanting him to waste anymore of his time in taking care of me just because he felt responsible.

He studied me for a moment before eventually nodding. "All right." There was no argument, no insistence, which I appreciated. He simply stepped back and gave me a small nod. "Good night, Elara."

I returned the gesture. "Good night, Esmeray."

Then we went our separate ways.

I walked alone through the quiet corridor toward my dorm, my footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor. My body felt completely normal again, but my mind was anything but.

Today had started with my first real victory at Moonveil, and it had ended with me unconscious in the infirmary.

And somehow, I had the unsettling feeling that things were only getting more complicated from here.