Chapter 28: The Price of Defiance [IV]

"I hope it’s not too late," Elle muttered, her eyes glued to her phone. "You’re already all over AsterBuzz, and the comments are not looking good at all." Her expression grew increasingly troubled as she stared at the screen.

She had been considering posting some kind of apology on behalf of Starlight before things spiraled completely out of control. She had been thinking about it ever since they left the dining hall. The thought had kept cycling relentlessly through her mind, refusing to leave her alone. Not as Starlight’s manager, but as someone who genuinely considered her a friend and didn’t want the situation to get any worse than it already had. After Ariel finished telling the story about her sister’s friend, Elle had immediately made up her mind. The last thing she wanted was for Starlight to go through something like that.

What she had never expected, however, was to open AsterBuzz and discover that the incident was already spreading across the platform like wildfire. She had known some students were recording what happened in the corridor, but she hadn’t imagined it would escalate this quickly. Post after post had filled the feed, each one discussing the confrontation from a different angle. Some had exaggerated what happened, others had outright twisted the story, and a few had openly called for Starlight to be punished. One particular post from a well-known tabloid had caught her attention. Unable to resist, she had tapped on the comment section. Almost immediately, her face had paled. The comments had been far worse than she had imagined.

"What’s wrong, Elle?" Ariel asked, noticing the change in her expression.

Elle didn’t even have the words to explain what she had just seen. Instead, she stood up from her seat and walked over, holding out the phone.

"See for yourself."

Ariel took the device from her. The moment her eyes landed on the screen, her expression changed as well, mirroring Elle’s. Understanding that something must be seriously wrong, Starlight frowned. Whatever they were looking at clearly wasn’t good. She shuffled closer to Ariel on the sofa and leaned in, her gaze dropping to the phone screen to see what had caused both girls to look so troubled, only to regret her curiosity almost immediately.

Because what in the hell was this?

ASTERION’S FIRST MAJOR SCANDAL OF THE YEAR: INSOLENCE OR ILLUSION? THE RISE AND IMMEDIATE FALL OF STARLIGHT DAWSON

Written by: The Night Owl

Hello, my glamorous gossip hounds of Asterion Academy. It is your ultimate insider, The Night Owl, bringing you the most scandalous, jaw-dropping tea to ever spill across our sacred academy. Grab your chilled teas and pull up an executive chair, because this is a story you will have to read twice to believe.

The halls of Asterion are usually a place of prestige, dignity, and absolute order. But today? Today, a single human turned our peaceful hierarchy upside down, proving that a little bit of unearned fame can go straight to a girl’s head. Enter Starlight Dawson, our resident wildcard, who seems to think the rules of the Empire simply do not apply to her.

From Unearned Rank to Unfiltered Arrogance

First things first, let us talk about how we even got here. Miss Dawson, or should I say Miss Downsoon, has somehow managed to land at Rank 14 on Apex on her very first day. Impressive? To the naive, perhaps. But we all know the truth. She did not claw her way up through strength or skill. She rode the coattails of the Wolfhart Twins, relying on their clout and the official endorsement video uploaded by their manager, Eden.

It seems that the sudden popularity gave our human newcomer a severe case of delusions of grandeur. She actually believed she was untouchable. But pride, my dear readers, always comes right before a very public, very humiliating fall.

The Corridor Clash: Slapping Royalty

If you thought the morning news was chaotic, the afternoon corridor scene was downright criminal. Reports coming straight from eyewitnesses confirm that Starlight Dawson engaged in a violent assault against none other than Princess Beatrice Ironclaw of the prestigious Perigee Clan.

Yes, you read that correctly.

A human put her hands on werewolf royalty.

She slapped a member of one of the Five Royal Clans that govern the Empire. The same clan whose authority stretches across entire territories and whose influence is second only to the Imperial Family itself.

Sources report that when Princess Beatrice attempted to address a simple incident in the corridor, Miss Downsoon responded with shocking aggression, striking the Princess hard enough to split her lip. The audacity. The sheer disrespect. To attack a member of the Perigee Clan, whose influence extends across vast regions of the Empire and whose word carries enormous political weight, is not merely reckless. It is practically a declaration of war against order itself.

And let us not forget, this is not the first time Miss Dawson has targeted Princess Beatrice. On her very first step into the academy, she practically ran into the Princess in the foyer and reportedly refused to offer even the most basic apology. If it were not for her Academy Mother, Ezabel Lancaster, stepping in to save her from her own foolishness, she might have faced consequences right then and there. It seems Miss Downsoon learned absolutely nothing from that mercy.

Insulting the Wolfhart Alphas: Biting the Hand That Fed Her

Now, here is where the tea gets truly scalding.

When Alpha Mikhail himself arrived at the scene to restore order and save this foolish girl from the full wrath of Princess Beatrice, how did Miss Downsoon respond? With gratitude? With respect? Not a chance.

Instead of showing the proper deference owed to an Imperial Royal Alpha, Starlight Downsoon stood before Alpha Mikhail with complete disregard, boldly dismissing him in front of dozens of witnesses before turning her back and walking away. She treated the future ruler of the Empire as though he were some random student she could brush aside.

Why the sudden confidence, you ask?

Word around campus had long suggested that something unusual was brewing between the Alpha Twins and this human girl. Many believed the twins held a special interest in her, which was why they granted her privileges that no ordinary human would ever receive.

But it appears Miss Dawson mistook royal favors for weakness.

The Royal Retaliation: The End of the Free Ride

If Miss Downsoon believed the Alpha Twins would protect her forever, she was sorely mistaken.

Shortly after her disgraceful display, the official support video Eden posted encouraging students to vote for her Apex ranking was quietly removed from all official platforms.

The message could not be clearer.

The Alpha Twins are done with her.

Their kindness has evaporated, replaced by what appears to be unmistakable anger.

She used their influence to climb the rankings, enjoyed the attention they brought her, and then publicly embarrassed them in front of half the academy. Now the support is gone, the video has vanished, and Miss Downsoon is standing alone.

The Verdict: A Punishment Long Overdue

Let us be entirely honest, my lovely readers.

Starlight Downsoon does not deserve the rank she was given. She does not deserve the platform she was handed. And she certainly does not deserve to walk these halls acting as though she is above the laws and customs that govern every other student.

She is a human who forgot her place, alienated her only supporters, and offended two of the Five Royal Clans before her first day was even over. She is an embarrassment to human students who actually work hard and respect the system, and a threat to the peace and order of this academy.

Will she do the sensible thing and beg for forgiveness before the situation becomes irreversible? Or will her arrogance continue dragging her toward complete social ruin?

The entire academy is watching, and with every passing hour, the number of students willing to stand beside her seems to be shrinking.

One thing is certain: this story is far from over.

The Night Owl will continue monitoring this developing scandal and bring you every shocking update, hidden detail, and explosive revelation as it unfolds. Stay tuned, my lovely readers. The fall of Starlight Dawson may only just be beginning.

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