Vana's POV
“And I have the evidence to prove it,” I boasted.
Heads turned and raised up at me as I yell, jaws dropped and irritated looks carved out of their faces. I stood in front of them with my back straight, breath hitching as my actions sink into my head.
What in the magic did I just do?
“Now you’ve done it…” Jerome mumbled with a sigh next to me.
Not only did I used my magic arbitrarily and unexpectedly, but I also revealed the journal right from the start without any prior explanation. It’s already a mess, and I think I only made things messier.
“How are the two of you even here? Aren’t you supposed to be executed?” Master Sergis asked in a shout. “Wha—how—” That is exactly the reason why things got complicated.
It was surprising
Vana's POV“You’re right. I made a mistake… a lot more than I could have ever imagined,” Master Sergis agreed, muttering.I flinched, my head tilting down at Master Sergis’ direction. His hands crumpled the letter, staring at it with his teeth gritting. A regretful gaze flickered in his eyes, raising it up at the ice wall’s direction.“From the beginning, I should have known something is going on when Zerondale enticed me against Ashemre. I should have… noticed that he fabricated it all,” he admitted, his voice full of sorrow and regret.“I knew Ashmere wasn’t that kind of person, and my wife would never betray me like that,” he mentioned, pertaining to the conversation between Ms. Madison and Master Ashmere that led to a cheating misunderstanding.“I should have… listened to t
Vana's POV9 months laterI got off the train with my suitcase rolling on the ground, lifting my hands up in the air as the sun beamed above me. It’s been six months since the last time I was in Auregon. It’s been nine months since the Case of the Serpent and Scorpion came to an end.Many things happened in the past nine months. Many to be even count in my hands. I don’t even know where to start. After Chairman Zerondale’s arrest, he was jailed in the palace dungeons and was investigated for nearly a whole month by the royal investigators.He was put in trial the following month after the investigation, with all the charges we filed to him. It took almost two months for all his crimes to be verdicted, and in the end, he was sentenced to death.Lifetime of servitude or liftetime in prison wasn’t enough of a verdict for all
Vana's POVI stared in front of Green Serpent’s guildhall as I arrive at their doorsteps, contemplating myself. I gulped, pursing my lips as I hesitate to take a step forward. Maybe it’s a wrong idea to be here.The last time I stepped foot in this place was when I left the guild. Since then, I never tried or dared to return or join any other guild. I have other plans for the future. None of them includes joining another guild, even if it is Golden Scorpion.“Vana, I thought you wouldn’t arrive,” a voice called, and I turned to face who it was. Cara plastered a smile on her face as she came up to me, her hair flailing on her bare shoulders.“Good afternoon, Cara,” I greeted with a thin line on my face.“Why haven’t you entered?” she wondered.“Well…” I hesitated, gla
Vana's POV“I do. I plan to return to Ashern after I graduate. I also plan to publicly leave the Shadows and remain its member in the dark. Then, I’ll open my own detective agency—”“You’re opening your own agency!” Jerome exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table, which startled me. “Seriously?”“Y-yes?” I stammered, bewildered. “Something wrong with it?”“Not really, but you’re going to do that alone?” Jerome scowled.“No, why do you think I’m telling it to you?”“It’s not what I think, is it?”“More or less. It’s what I need your opinion—or your answer, in this case. I can’t do it alone, and that’s a fact. That’s why, if you would like, I would like to have a partnersh
3rd POV The Detective stared at the board he created in his office, connecting all dots in his web. Red lines of string connect to one person to another, objects and reasons correlating to their deaths. The wind of summer blew against the window shutters, creating a rattling sound that slightly disturbed the Detective’s stirring mind. He rubbed his chis as his eyes landed on the initials written in a letter. The initials, C.Z. was written at the end of the letter that he received a couple of days ago. A formal letter that states for him to stop his investigation. He cannot help but think of only one person that could fit with the initials. The Detective heaved a sigh, heading back to his desk as he pulls out his journal from below one of his locked drawers. He began writing everything he learned from his investigations, the real culprit of the case, and the regrets he carries along with it. His mentor’s friend’s wife and his friend both died in two consecutive days after a heated
Vana's POV Desperate call for desperate measure. The ocean waves splashed against the ship as it sails through the current. The sound of waves clashed against the ship’s exterior, humming in my ear. It was late in the morning when the ship neared the borders of Ashern, the island of Jasper far from my sight. I let my hand sway beyond the deck railings, letting my magic drop and play on the water. I froze the splashes and drops of water from the waves, converting them into crystallized, ice dusts that looked like glitter in the air. I rarely use my magic—I almost don’t use magic if not necessary. But out of boredom of being in the ship for the whole night, without any wink of sleep, I decided to amuse myself by using my magic. I don’t dislike magic. I dislike my magic—the kind of power my magic holds. “Vana, escaping the academy is a very bad idea,” I said to myself, sighing as I thought of the consequences of my actions. I had all night to think and realize how dumb my actions are
Vana's POV The bandits dashed around me, grabbing me by the arm as they haul me along with the rest of the hostages. My hands were tied behind by back, sitting down along with the passengers as the bandits surround us from all direction. Wails and cries of children teared up next to me. I could feel the growing dread and fear in every passenger in the lounge. Their bodies shook from the danger they are facing, their heads lowering to the ground as they panic in their spots. “How are things in this lounge?” another man’s voice asked, a man entering inside the lounge. The man had a lousy posture, wearing a sleeveless hoodie and cargo pants that resembled my brother’s style. Too similar, in fact, that I suspected that it was him at first. The man had the same blonde hair as the woman from earlier. Are they related to each other? Are they the leader of the gang? I moved at the very back of the passengers, leaning back on the wall as I gaze at the man from afar. I observed him, notici
Jerome's POV “All of you stay back and don’t you dare try do anything funny,” the woman said as they all tied us up on one corner of the room. Never have I thought that I’d be involved in a ransom-hostaging case, especially not after I snuck out of the academy grounds. I only wanted to take a break from the academy, why do I have to be caught up into this mess? The woman introduced herself as Vana Farasol, the sister of Storm Farasol. I know who she is; she is a member of our rival guild, Green Serpent. And she’s known in another name. The Cold Killer. From what I’ve heard, she was rumored to have killed her father. But that is not what I’m supposed to be concerned about right now. Half of the passengers in the ship are held hostage in the upper lounge. The other half is held here in the lower lounge, where I am also currently at. As far as I’m concerned, if I don’t’ do something now, something worse will happen to us later. I lifted my eyes up on the bandits within the room, coun