The Student Council Meeting

1

----------------------------------------

Arcane arts typically demanded a mana core—the arcane heart, as some poetically termed it—to fuel their potent effects. Most Gifted individuals possessed a finite reservoir, demanding a period of rest and recharge once depleted. Yet, there were exceptions.

Athena was one such anomaly. Her power, a constant thrum beneath her skin, was ever-present, and it was her responsibility to keep it leashed.

Avoid eye contact. This was the first rule.

The second... She glanced down at her diamond-studded Tank watch, a gift from her brother, Adrian. A fond smile touched her lips. He always did have a flair for the dramatic, even in his choice of timepieces.

Tick-tick-tick. The sound seemed to amplify in the hushed meeting room.

Being Student Council President was more of a chore than a badge of honour. Meetings, paperwork, disciplinary hearings, more meetings—lather, rinse, repeat. Her unique ability, reflected in the gold of her eyes, had secured her the position by a landslide. But it was the same ability that instilled fear in those she met, a power they both yearned for and recoiled from in equal measure.

A window into the darkest corners of the human soul—one Athena wished she could shut.

She had seen too much, too soon. The skeletons rattling in the closets of even the most seemingly virtuous were laid bare before her, their secrets not mere whispers, but a relentless drumbeat pounding against the walls of her mind.

Theo, though, had been different. He was the first person outside her family to meet her gaze unflinchingly, to see the person she was beneath the power. It had been... comforting.

She had even hoped he would be elected President, a beacon of chivalry in a world often lacking it. But his popularity, while considerable, paled in comparison to hers, a curious paradox given the endless stream of admirers who fluttered around him.

But those encounters always seemed to drive him to seek refuge in the library, a sanctuary of silence where he could shed the weight of expectation and simply be. Lately, though, his visits had taken on a new intensity, a quiet fervour that hinted at something more than mere escapism.

It was as if he'd discovered a secret treasure that held his attention captive. Or perhaps, someone else had become his most captivating read, a mystery he was increasingly evasive about.

And now he was late, a first for their meetings. Athena checked her text message, the one she'd sent this morning to both him and Astra: 'Meeting room at 12:00 sharp.Urgent. Excuse yourself from class if necessary.''

The second hand on her quartz watch ticked away the seconds. Tick-tick-tick.

A sudden sneeze jolted Athena out of her musings. From... Astra? The silver-haired girl discreetly cleared her throat, her face hidden behind a curtain of hair, shielding her from Athena's inquisitive gaze. Her eyes were fixed on the ominous Eye that marred the afternoon sky, as if it were the most captivating sight in existence—or maybe she was just avoiding Athena’s gaze.

"Feeling alright, Astra?" Athena inquired gently.

Astra muttered a dismissive "I'm fine," without turning from the window.

‘How odd,’ Athena mused. Astra hadn't uttered a word since she arrived, seemingly more engrossed in the scenery outside than the urgent matter at hand.

The heavy oak door creaked open, revealing a disheveled Theo. He settled beside Athena, placing two cups of steaming coffee and a fragrant chai latte on the table.

"Everything okay, Theo?" Athena asked, noting his distracted air.

Theo, as if jarred from a dream, mumbled a vague, "Just... caught up."

Athena’s unease deepened. What had captured their attention so completely? Was it the lingering trauma of the smoke monster encounter, or had the creature's malevolent influence seeped deeper into their minds?

Dismissing the unspoken questions, Athena tapped her tablet, projecting holographic video footage into the air. "Shall we get started?"

Theo's eyes widened as the video began to play. "This is... Tiffany's fight against Natalia. How is it... online?"

Athena took a sip of her chai. "It surfaced about a week ago. Most initially dismissed it as staged... a film student's project, perhaps. But it quickly gained traction after this..." she clicked to the next image, revealing a candlelight vigil with Tiffany's photo at its heart.

"Tiffany isn't... dead, is she?" Theo's voice wavered with concern.

"No," Athena reassured him, "Thomas Blackwood organised this prayer event to wish his daughter a swift recovery. While Adrian managed to prevent the Blackwoods from publicly disclosing Tiffany's supernatural condition, her photos, along with the duel footage, quickly spread online. People started connecting the dots... Now there's widespread panic about a dark force threatening Alchymia. The Council is... very concerned."

"Wow..." Theo breathed, "but the truth will come out eventually. Astra and I fighting the smoke monster was all over school social media."

"School social media,” Athena stressed. “We took extensive measures to contain that information. The school intranet is encrypted, our social media platform is tightly restricted to students and staff, and we scrubbed any related posts. It should have bought us time, but someone clearly had other plans."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Astra's voice, cold and sharp, cut through the air, her eyes fixed on the window. "Only Gifted students were in the Sanctuary. It has to be one of them."

‘And Eydis was there too,’ Athena added silently. She recalled watching Eydis that day, arriving late and clearly without the opportunity to film the entire duel.

What had struck Athena then, and continued to intrigue her now, was Eydis's unnervingly calm demeanour as she observed Astra's intervention with a morbid fascination. Mrs. Henderson had been ready to issue a detention, but Athena had stepped in.

After all, Eydis was... fascinating. Highly intelligent, yes, but not merely in the academic sense she was known for. She possessed a razor-sharp perceptiveness, an uncanny ability to read between the lines and decipher hidden motives. Athena's own carefully calculated probing had backfired spectacularly in that detention room, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable under Eydis's piercing gaze.

Not that Athena was afraid to share the same space with the brunette. In fact, she sensed a strange reciprocity in their shared intrigue.

"But why risk expulsion to leak this video?" Theo wondered aloud, breaking into Athena's thoughts. "The NDA was crystal clear on the consequences of disclosing Gifted abilities." He sighed heavily. "Missing students, leaked video, blood in the freezer... It's one mystery after another."

"About the blood," Athena replied, "the amount was unusual, but not enough to suggest a fatal injury. Adrian is analysing the DNA, hoping for a match in the database. We need to keep this under wraps until we have more information."

Theo looked at her with a troubled expression. "Isn't the truth already out there, though? Despite everything we've done? Despite everything Adrian's doing?"

Before Athena could respond, Astra bolted to the heavy oak door and flung it open with a thud.

"What is it?" Athena asked, startled.

"I thought I sensed something," Astra mumbled. She stood frozen at the door for a beat, her shoulders tense, before abruptly shutting it and returning to her post by the window, studiously avoiding eye contact.

“There is another mystery you’re missing, Theo," Athena turned towards Astra, "you believe there are two of these... entities involved, Astra?"

"Yes," Astra confirmed.

"And this," Athena continued, "is what the public doesn't need to know. The Council's already on thin ice with the Eye and Tiffany’s incident. News of another creature would send the city into chaos."

"We have no leads on these creatures," Theo said. "They're clearly not mindless beasts. And Adrian theorised they could have originated from the Eye, acting as some kind of... portal to a hellish dimension."

Athena nodded grimly. "That's the Council’s working hypothesis. They're focused on containment, but our task is to neutralise the ones already here. And we might have a lead."

"A lead?" Theo asked, leaning closer.

"The missing students are all connected to Tiffany, whose Gifted ability awakening was undeniably unusual. It's possible these demonic entities possess the power to bestow... dark magical abilities upon humans."

Theo's eyes widened as realisation dawned. "But Tiffany is... You think Thomas Blackwood is involved? The upcoming election..."

"His sudden rise in popularity is suspicious," Athena agreed, tapping the tablet to display the upcoming Gala event on the news. "He's been flitting around like a social butterfly lately, and this is the last chance I'll have to speak with him alone. To read his mind."

"A masquerade ball?" Theo raised an eyebrow.

"It's Mr. Blackwood’s Final Stretch fundraiser,” Athena said.

"Thena, going in solo is risky," Theo rumbled, his protective instincts kicking in. "If the Smoke Monster is behind this, you need backup."

Athena gave him a small smile. "I wasn't planning to. All hands on deck for this one. Astra, are you with us?"

Astra finally turned to face them, mumbling a distracted "yes."

Athena's eyebrow arched with concern. "Astra, are you sure you're feeling well? Your face is quite flushed."

Astra flinched, instinctively covering her face with her palm before turning back to the window. "Maybe," she whispered, the corner of her lips twitching upward in a faint smile, "a particularly clingy feline mistook me for a giant cushion."

Theo's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "A cat?" He looked to Athena for confirmation, but she just shrugged, both of them clearly taken aback by Astra's rare display of emotion.

For as long as they'd known her, when had she ever... smiled?

Athena cleared her throat, finding Astra's flustered state oddly... cute? "Since when did you become a cat whisperer? Last time I checked, you'd rather wrestle a tiger than cuddle a kitten."

"Don't be absurd," Astra grumbled, then added in a quieter voice, "I could take down a tiger with one finger, anyway."

Athena chuckled. "But not a kitten, apparently?"

Astra snapped, "It's just a cold," and sneezed again, this time with more force, as if desperately trying to validate her claim. “I'll be fine.”

Athena and Theo exchanged a puzzled look. Astra's normally icy demeanour had thawed into something... softer. For someone who thrived on unravelling mysteries, she seemed strangely reluctant to address this one.

As if sensing their scrutiny, Astra scowled, snatching her coffee from the table and taking a sip to hide her face. "Thanks,Theo."

Theo blinked, still surprised by Astra's uncharacteristic behaviour. "You're welcome, Astra. And speaking of the Gala, I can secure an invitation for myself. You can accompany Thena."

Athena smiled, resting her chin on her hand. "And who might you be escorting, Theo?"

"Can't I go alone?" Theo asked. "It's dangerous to involve anyone else in this."

Athena shook her head. "Not at this party. Thomas is all about appearances and publicity, he's very particular about his guest list. It's strictly plus-ones."

"How about Adrian?" Theo suggested. "My parents wouldn't exactly be thrilled about flying halfway across the globe for this.”

Athena's smile faded slightly. "Having both Adrian and me attending might raise suspicions. We need someone... inconspicuous.” Adrian had encountered Thomas once before, and if there truly was a sinister force at play, Thomas might be spooked by his presence and avoid Athena altogether.

Theo sighed, finally taking a sip of his lukewarm espresso. "I'm afraid my social circle here in Alchymia is rather...limited," he admitted. "It seems I've been a bit too dedicated to my duties."

Athena tapped her pen against her lips, pondering. Theo, burdened by the weight of his family's legacy as the sole heir to typically prioritised responsibility over personal connections. More precisely, unnecessary connections.

His days were a monotonous routine of studying, training, and student council obligations. Except... there was something Theo wasn't telling her.

"Given how much time you've been spending in the library lately," Athena began, "surely you've made some... acquaintances?" Her golden eyes sharpened as she searched his face.

"No... no one," Theo mumbled, his gaze dropping to his hands.

Athena's pen stilled. Theo had never avoided her gaze before; his silver eyes had always met hers with unwavering honesty. But this time... something was amiss.

She had always prided herself on her ability to read people, not through her inherited power, but through careful observation. Subtle cues, fleeting microexpressions, the way their eyes darted as they spoke, as they lied—she had mastered them all, precisely to avoid relying on her mind-reading abilities.

With a soft sigh, Athena released the death grip she'd unknowingly had on her pen. Was it even her place to pry? But then again, they had a mission.

"Are you absolutely certain there's no one you could bring, Theo?" she repeated, choosing her words carefully.

"My loyalty lies with you, Athena," Theo's reply was sharp, almost as if he'd taken offence at the mere suggestion of another person in his life.

Athena's eyebrows shot up, taken aback by his defensive reaction. "I never questioned your loyalty, did I?" she said calmly.

She paused, letting the silence stretch for a beat, then added, "Or perhaps I should have?"

Theo's gaze snapped back to hers, then just as quickly darted away.

Tick-tick-tick. Focus. Listen. Control.