Chapter 16 - Unfinished Explanations
By the time Lyra and Amy finally returned to the dormitory tower, night had settled completely over Valmere Academy.
The upper corridors were quieter now compared to the chaos of the combat halls. Crystal lamps glowed softly along the walls while distant conversations echoed faintly from nearby rooms.
The moment the dormitory door closed behind them—
Amy collapsed face-first onto her bed dramatically.
"I'm exhausted."
Lyra placed her bag near the desk.
"Of course you will ...." After a pause "After all you spent half the afternoon laughing"
"That still requires energy."
"You're unbelievable."
Amy rolled onto her back lazily before grinning.
"To be fair, today was objectively memorable."
Lyra narrowed her eyes immediately.
"If you mention the falling incident again, I'll throw you out the window."
"That sounds hostile."
"It's a warning."
Amy looked deeply pleased with herself anyway.
For a moment, silence settled comfortably through the room.
Then—
"So..." Lyra said slowly while sitting near the window.
Amy immediately looked suspicious.
"...Why are you suddenly talking like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like me..."
Lyra rested her chin lightly against one hand.
"When Lucian showed up earlier, your mood changed."
Amy blinked once.
"No it didn't."
"It did."
"You imagined it."
"That sounds fake."
Amy grabbed a pillow and threw it directly at her.
Lyra caught it effortlessly.
"I hate your observational skills," Amy muttered.
"Of course it will be good. Afterall I am learning from you" Lyra showed a grin.
Amy stared at her quietly for another second.
Then—
"What happened?"
Amy looked away immediately.
"Nothing happened."
"Now it feels even more suspicious."
Amy groaned dramatically before sitting upright.
"It's not important."
"Then why are you avoiding it?"
"...Because I know how your brain works."
"My brain works perfectly fine."
"No, your brain collects information like an investigator preparing blackmail material."
"That feels too specific."
Amy pointed accusingly toward her.
"Exactly."
Lyra almost smiled slightly.
Then Amy sighed dramatically like she knows what is waiting for her after all this.
"Fine. Something happened yesterday evening."
Lyra stayed silent, waiting.
Amy crossed her arms.
"You remember I said I was helping someone?"
"The curfew issue?"
"Yes."
Amy leaned back against the wall afterward.
"There's a first-year student from the lower residential district. He works part-time outside the academy sometimes because he needs money."
Lyra frowned slightly.
"Students are allowed to do that?"
"Technically? No."
"So it is illegal"
"It is"
Fair enough.
Amy continued afterward.
"He got caught returning after curfew near the archive corridors yesterday. If instructors noticed him properly, he probably would've been suspended."
"So you changed the patrol records."
Amy looked personally offended.
"I adjusted the records."
"That sound trouble"
"It sounds compassionate."
Lyra remained unconvinced.
Amy ignored her expression completely.
"Anyway, while I was fixing the issue—"
She stopped suddenly.
Lyra noticed immediately.
"...While you were fixing the issue?"
Amy looked annoyed now.
"And then Lucian appeared."
Oh.
That explained the reaction earlier.
Lyra leaned back slightly.
"What was he doing there?"
Amy's expression flattened instantly.
"....don't know..."
Lyra waited patiently.
Amy looked like she was debating whether she should be honest or not.
Then finally—
"He was with a girl."
Silence.
Lyra blinked once.
"...That's normal for him, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you annoyed?"
"I wasn't annoyed."
"You absolutely were."
Amy looked deeply betrayed by Lyra's observation skills.
"You notice too much."
"Its because you show too much"
"That's slander."
"It's the truth"
Amy buried her face into the pillow briefly before continuing.
"They were near the archive staircase. I thought they'd leave eventually."
"They didn't."
"No."
"And then?"
Amy sighed.
"He noticed me."
Lyra immediately understood where this was going.
"That sounds bad."
"It got even worse."
Amy pointed toward herself dramatically.
"I was literally holding altered patrol documents in my hand."
"Oh."
"Exactly."
Lyra finally looked interested now.
"So what happened?"
Amy's expression became deeply unimpressed.
"He started smiling."
"A dangerous one. "
Amy mimicked him mockingly afterward.
'Well, this is an unexpected meeting.'
Lyra laughed.
Amy noticed immediately.
"Don't side with him"
"I didn't say anything."
"You were thinking it."
Fair point.
Amy dropped back onto the bed dramatically again.
"He started talking like we were already friends."
"That sounds like Lucian."
"He even tried using his charm on me. ."
Lyra looked amused now.
"Did it work?"
Amy stared at her like she had committed betrayal personally.
"No."
"Not even slightly?"
"He's exactly the kind of person I avoid."
That answer came too quickly.
Lyra noticed.
Amy realized it immediately afterward too.
"...You're judging me."
"I'm observing just like you did."
"That's worse."
Lyra rested against the chair quietly afterward.
"So how did you both avoided getting caught?"
Amy groaned.
"He helped me distract the patrol instructor."
Lyra blinked.
"Lucian helped you?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I have no idea."
That... actually sounded believable.
Amy crossed her arms afterward.
"And now he keeps acting like we share some deep criminal partnership."
Lyra laughed softly.
Amy looked offended instantly.
"You're supposed to support me emotionally."
"I think this is funny."
"You've changed."
"Ofcourse I have, after all I have been with you most of the time."
"You are losing your innocence Lyra"
"Is that so..."Lyra smiled and said "I understand why you always find my matter entertaining..."
"Lyra...you"
"No, I mean I finally understood why you looked like you are ready to stab him earlier."
Amy flopped backward dramatically again.
"He's exhausting."
Lyra looked toward the dormitory ceiling thoughtfully.
Then—
"You know," she said slowly, "he did sprint across the academy just to hear gossip about me."
Amy looked horrified.
"It's horrifying"
"Isn't he in the same league as you and Seren in that case"
"Don't include me in that..."
Lyra shook her head slightly.
"I'm just saying he seems less shallow than people assume."
Amy looked unconvinced immediately.
"That sounds like manipulation."
"Well people are manipulative."
"That sounded personal too."
Amy threw another pillow at her.
This time Lyra didn't dodge.
Silence settled afterward.
Comfortable this time.
Then Amy suddenly narrowed her eyes.
"...Wait."
Lyra looked up.
"What?"
"You're changing the topic."
"I'm not."
"You absolutely are."
Amy pointed dramatically toward her now.
"We somehow stopped discussing the part where you fell directly onto Erix Valehart."
Lyra immediately stood up.
"I'm going to sleep."
"That means I'm correct."
"You won't change..."
"And yet you still like me."
"Is that so...."
Amy grinned proudly while Lyra moved toward the window again.
Outside, Valmere Academy glowed beneath the endless night sky beyond the barrier.
And despite how exhausting today had been—
tomorrow somehow felt even more dangerous already.