Chapter 51 - A Festive Distraction
By Monday morning, Valmere Academy had already begun preparing for the Freshers' Party.
The change was impossible to miss.
Colorful banners hung across the corridors.
Students carried boxes of decorations from one building to another.
The noticeboards were covered with announcements about performances, dance sessions, and entertainment schedules.
Even the usual noise between classes had changed.
Instead of discussing assignments or upcoming evaluations...
Students were discussing songs.
Dances.
Clothes.
And who they were hoping to see at the party.
"...Apparently, the music committee has chosen three different dance tracks."
Mina walked backward through the corridor, speaking with enough excitement for everyone around her to hear.
Celia adjusted her glasses.
"...That information has been announced four times already."
"...Because it's important."
Nora walked beside them, quietly holding the strap of her bag.
"...Are there really going to be performances?"
Mina turned toward her.
"Of course! Singing, dancing, magic displays, probably some terrible comedy act from the second-years—"
"...That last part sounds unnecessary," Celia said.
"It sounds entertaining."
Amy glanced at Lyra.
"...Are you excited?"
Lyra looked at the decorations hanging above the corridor.
"...I don't know."
Mina gasped.
"...You don't know?"
"About what?"
"The party."
Lyra considered the question.
"...I've never been to one."
Mina stopped walking.
Amy nearly walked into her.
"...You've never been to a Freshers' Party?"
Lyra shook her head.
Mina placed both hands against her cheeks.
"...Then we have a lot of work to do."
Celia sighed.
"...Please don't make it sound like a military operation."
"It is a military operation."
Nora quietly looked toward the decorated hall.
"...It does look nice."
Her voice was soft.
But the small smile on her face was noticeable.
Amy smiled.
"...See? Even Nora is interested."
Nora immediately looked away.
"...I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
By the afternoon, the academy's central activity hall had been turned into a preparation zone.
Tables had been pushed against the walls.
Bundles of ribbons covered the floor.
Several students were arranging floating lights above the stage while others practiced performances near the windows.
A group from the dance committee stood in the center of the hall.
"...Again from the beginning!"
A senior student clapped twice.
Mina immediately grabbed Amy's hand.
"...Come on."
Amy blinked.
"...Why me?"
"Because you know the steps."
"I know some of the steps."
"That's enough."
Before Amy could protest, Mina pulled her into the line.
Celia followed with a resigned expression.
Nora remained near the edge of the room.
Lyra stood beside her.
The music began.
Mina moved confidently.
Amy followed with ease.
Celia performed the steps neatly, though she looked as if she were completing an assigned duty.
Nora watched carefully.
Lyra tried to copy the movements.
She was doing reasonably well.
Until the steps became faster.
She turned in the wrong direction.
Then stopped completely.
Amy noticed.
"...Lyra?"
Lyra looked at her.
"...I lost the sequence."
Mina hurried over.
"...You were doing fine!"
"...I was?"
"Yes."
Celia glanced at her.
"...You only turned the wrong way twice."
Lyra looked at her.
"...That doesn't sound fine."
"...Compared to Mina, it is."
Mina placed a hand over her chest.
"...My dancing is perfect."
"...You nearly hit someone with your elbow," Celia replied.
"...That was part of the choreography."
Nora covered her mouth.
A small laugh escaped.
Everyone turned toward her.
Nora froze.
"...Sorry."
Amy smiled.
"...Don't apologize."
Lyra looked at Nora.
"...You should dance."
Nora's eyes widened slightly.
"...Me?"
"...You were following the steps."
"...I was only watching."
Mina immediately reached for her hand.
"...Then watch from closer."
Nora's face turned pink.
"...Mina."
But she allowed herself to be pulled into the line.
For the next few minutes, the five girls practiced together.
Lyra still missed a few steps.
Nora remained quiet.
Mina continued to overperform.
Celia corrected everyone.
And Amy laughed more than she danced.
The atmosphere was light.
Almost too light.
Because every now and then...
Lyra caught someone watching her.
Kaelen.
Riven.
Erix.
They were helping arrange the decorations on the opposite side of the hall.
None of them had mentioned the Western Tower.
Neither had she.
But something had changed.
Not enough to make the room uncomfortable.
Just enough for Lyra to notice.
During the next break, the students scattered toward the cafeteria.
Mina dropped into a chair with a dramatic sigh.
"...I need water."
Celia sat beside her.
"...You need to stop dancing like you're fighting an invisible enemy."
"...That is how I dance."
Nora quietly took the seat beside Amy.
Lyra sat across from them.
A few moments later, Black Crest joined the table.
Seren placed his drink down.
"...I think the decorations are trying to kill us."
Riven sat beside him.
"...Lucian was holding a ribbon for an hour."
Lucian leaned back in his chair.
"...It got tangled while I was trying to put it up."
Seren turned toward him with a mischievous smile.
"...Did it tangle accidentally or intentionally?"
Lucian narrowed his eyes.
"...What do you mean?"
"...I saw a girl with a ponytail helping you."
Seren leaned closer.
"...And somehow, the ribbon became even more tangled."
Lucian stared at him.
"...She was trying to help."
"...Of course she was."
"...She was."
"...I believe you."
"You clearly don't."
"Not even a little."
Riven looked between them.
"...How long were you holding the ribbon?"
Lucian sighed.
"...Too long."
"...That explains why it looked like a defeated snake."
Seren nodded solemnly.
"...A very tragic ribbon."
Mina pointed at him.
"...You were the one who tied three ribbons together by mistake."
"...That was a design choice."
"...You called it a knot."
"...A very artistic knot."
Celia took a sip of her drink.
"...I think the decorations are safer when none of you touch them."
Kaelen sat at the end of the table.
Erix remained standing for a moment before taking the empty seat near Riven.
His eyes briefly moved toward Lyra.
"...How are you feeling?"
The question was quiet and ordinary.
Lyra looked at him.
"...Fine."
Kaelen glanced at her.
"...You don't have to stay for the entire preparation if you're tired."
There was no pressure in his voice.
No suspicion.
Just concern.
Lyra nodded.
"...I know."
The exchange lasted only a few seconds.
But Seren noticed the slight pause afterward.
So did Lucian.
Neither knew why.
Before either could ask...
Elias approached the table with a drink in his hand.
He looked toward Amy.
"...I saved you a seat earlier, but Mina got there first."
Amy blinked.
"...Oh."
Mina raised her hand.
"...In my defense, the seat was empty."
Elias smiled.
"...I can bring you something if you haven't ordered yet."
Amy glanced at the drink in front of her.
"I'm fine. I already have one."
"...Right."
He looked at her cup.
Then back at her.
"...The dance practice looked good, by the way."
Amy smiled politely.
"...Thanks."
Elias hesitated.
"...You were really good."
Mina's eyebrows rose.
Celia slowly turned her head.
Nora looked between Elias and Amy.
Amy seemed not to notice anything unusual.
"...It was just practice."
"...Still."
Elias gave her a small smile before returning to his own group.
The moment he walked away—
Seren leaned across the table.
"...Amy."
Amy looked up.
"...What?"
"...I think someone likes you."
Amy nearly choked on her drink.
"...What?"
Mina's eyes widened.
"...I noticed that too."
Celia nodded calmly.
"...He was unusually attentive."
Nora quietly glanced in the direction Elias had gone.
"...He complimented her twice."
Amy stared at all of them.
"...He was being friendly."
Seren placed a hand over his heart.
"...Of course."
His voice grew deliberately louder.
"...Elias is always that friendly with everyone."
Across the table, Lucian paused halfway through taking a sip of his drink.
"...Elias?"
Seren smiled into his cup.
"...Why? Did you hear something interesting?"
Lucian lowered his drink.
"...You seem unusually invested in someone else's conversation."
"...I'm simply sharing information."
"Loudly."
"Some information deserves to be heard."
Lucian gave him a flat look.
"...You're being obvious."
Seren's grin widened.
"...I wasn't trying to be subtle."
Amy looked between them.
"...What are you two talking about?"
"Nothing," Seren said immediately.
"Absolutely nothing," Lucian added.
Their matching expressions made it obvious that it was not nothing.
Mina leaned closer to Amy.
"...You should pay attention."
Amy groaned.
"...Please don't start."
Celia calmly picked up her drink.
"...It may already be too late."
Nora lowered her eyes to hide another small smile.
Across the table, Lyra watched the exchange quietly.
The tension around Black Crest had not disappeared.
But it had loosened.
Seren was back to being irritating.
Lucian was back to observing everything.
Riven was arguing with Mina about whether ribbons could be dangerous.
And Kaelen was pretending not to listen.
For a little while...
The Western Tower felt far away.
Then Erix glanced toward the hall windows.
His expression changed for only a moment.
Lyra noticed.
Neither of them said anything.
Outside, students continued hanging lights across the academy grounds.
The Freshers' Party was only two days away.
And everyone seemed determined to make it unforgettable.
Author's Note
Amy really has no idea what's happening around her, does she? ?? Meanwhile, Seren is making sure Lucian hears everything.
And with the Freshers' Party just around the corner, things are about to get interesting!