Professor Jade entered the room, followed by two knights in gleaming armor.

  The class immediately erupted into whispers, and gasps echoed across the hall. The knights' silver armor shimmered under the morning light. Their visors were down, and their presence was suffocating.

  “Silence!” Jade's voice cracked like a whip. It was sharper and more agitated than Kael had ever heard. Her usual composure was gone.

  "This morning," she began, her voice strained, "a professor of our academy was found dead in his office."

  The classroom fell utterly still. The air itself seemed to freeze.

  "He was murdered."

  The word struck like thunder. Shock rippled through the students, and horror was written on every face. Some of the girls covered their mouths, tears glimmering in their eyes. The boys muttered in disbelief, their voices trembling.

  What? A murder? Kael’s thoughts spun as the words sank in. A murder in this academy? He frowned. This place is supposed to be one of the most secure in the Empire, second only to the palace. How could this happen here?

  His gaze drifted around the room, taking in the faces of his classmates. Fear, disbelief, and confusion were written on their faces. Then his eyes landed on Cassandra.

  She was smiling. Not nervously or out of shock, but calmly, as if nothing had happened.

  Before he could process it, Professor Jade’s voice cut sharply through the room again. Silence!” she commanded. “You don’t have to worry. The Knights of the Order have already arrived. They will remain here until the academy is fully secure.”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Kael’s brow furrowed. The Order? That made no sense. The Order only intervened when incidents involved the Words. Their appearance here meant that something far more serious than a mere killing had occurred.

  He raised his hand slowly.

  "Student Kael,” Jade acknowledged, her tone weary.

  "Who is the victim?" he asked. "Was it one of our professors?"

  Jade hesitated. Her gaze flickered toward the knights standing beside her. Their polished armor reflected the cold morning light. For a brief moment, her usual authority faltered. One of the knights nodded slightly, giving her permission.

  “No,” Jade finally said, her voice quieter than before. "It wasn’t one of your professors. Professor Sariel taught theoretical sword training for the trainee guards.”

  So it was one of Zaros's professors.

  She scanned every face in the room before speaking again. "You are not in danger,” she began, her tone steady yet cold. "But I must tell you: The circumstances suggest that this was no accident. It was likely an assassination executed by a group of rebels who have opposed the Empire for some time now.”

  The room fell deathly silent.

  Jade’s expression hardened, and her voice turned sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. "So, if anyone among you has connections to these people, or knows someone who does, you would be wise to fear the consequences.”

  Her words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. She paused, letting the silence sink into every corner of the classroom. Her gaze slowly moved from one student to the next, studying their faces. When her eyes met Kael’s, they lingered longer than on anyone else's.

  After a tense moment, she straightened. “That’s all,” she said curtly. "Today’s class is dismissed. This afternoon, we will hold a funeral for Professor Sariel.”

  With that, she turned and left the room, the two knights following in her wake.

  No one moved. The students sat frozen in their seats, their eyes clouded with fear and disbelief. The whisper of rebellion—that forbidden word—hung over them like a curse.

  Kael remained seated as well. But he was not afraid of being murdered. It was the creeping dread of realization. He wondered who might truly stand behind the group the Empire called rebels.

  What have I gotten myself into? The question echoed through his mind like a whisper he could no longer silence.