Chapter 71: The Headmistress Watches
Chapter 71: The Headmistress Watches
Somewhere above the Academy, far beyond where students were allowed to go without been called and special cards, hidden behind 7 layers of wards and anti scrying barriers, was an office that watched everything.
The room was dim. Almost black. The only light came from a single floating crystal lamp above the desk, casting long, sharp shadows across black marble walls. The air smelled like old coffee, ink, and the faint metallic tang of a recent storm, like lightning had struck here once and never left.
And sitting in the center of it all, was a matured beautiful woman.
She looked to be in her late twenties to early thirties. She looked young. A mature type of young. The kind that teenagers don’t have. Every Blessed had the mark, she was no different.
A golden sigil sat centered on her forehead, pulsing faintly in the dim light, the same divine glow as the rest of the Blessed. But her Aura was far more Older and Stronger.
Her hair was impossibly dark. Black so deep it seemed to drink the light from the room and blend with the shadows behind her. It fell past her shoulders in smooth waves, framing a face that could start wars.
Her eyes were pure white. No pupils. No irises. Just endless, pale white that made even Blessed S-rank affinity users uncomfortable if they stared too long. She wasn’t blind. Her vision was second to Lynx.
Her skin was rich and pale, like porcelain that had never seen the sun. Her lips were full, bloody red, curved in a permanent half smirk that said she knew secrets you didn’t.
And her body...
Her curves were obscene. Big breasts that jiggled with even the slightest movement, a waist that dipped in sharply, and hips that spilled over the edges of her chair. She wore black. Always black.
A dark coat with red lining draped over her shoulders, and dark gloves that ended at her elbows. One glance at her and you knew two things: she liked power, and she liked it dressed in black and red.
This was Amelia Veyrith.
Headmistress of the AETHER Blessed Academy.
Direct younger sister to the King of the Aether Empire. [Which only few people knew. Most people just knew she was one of the most important people in the Empire]
Ranked Top 3 strongest Blessed in the entire Empire.
Right now, her ass was spilling out of her high backed leather chair as she leaned forward, elbows on the desk, eyes locked on the hPad in her hands.
On the screen, the same video played for the 12th time.
Lynx vs Jace. 20 minutes of footage compressed into 3 minutes of highlights.
One punch. One kneel. One forfeit.
She took a slow sip of her coffee. It was black in color. Bitter in taste. No sugar, just the way she liked. When Lynx raised his hand on screen and said the two words that broke the internet — "I forfeit" — she finally set the phone down.
A small, dangerous smile touched her lips.
"Interesting," she murmured to the empty room. Her voice echoed off the marble.
She picked up her big hPad. Latest model. Her white eyes flickered as she scrolled, then stopped on one name.
She tapped it.
It rang once. Twice.
On the third ring, the screen flickered and Rose appeared.
Her red hair fell in messy waves over her shoulders, partially covering her face. Her hazel eyes were sharp, bored, and completely unimpressed. She looked like she’d just rolled out of bed and decided violence wasn’t worth it yet.
"What is it?" Rose’s cold voice cut through the speakers like a blade.
Amelia grinned, leaning back and letting her coat fall open just a little, showing the black dress underneath. "My dear red haired friend. Can’t even offer a single greeting to your lovely best friend?"
Rose didn’t even blink. "Best what now? You old hag." She yawned dramatically, covering her mouth with one hand like she was about to fall asleep mid call.
Amelia’s white eyes narrowed in amusement. "If people heard how you talk to the Headmistress of the great AETHER Blessed Academy, I wonder how they’d react. The papers would have a field day."
"And since when do I care about other people’s opinions about me, or what I do, Amelia?" Rose fired back, one eyebrow raised. "Last I checked, I’m the one who makes students cry in their first week. Your pain in the ass of a brother also couldn’t do anything to me when I beat his lovely daughter who bullied students."
The smirk on Amelia’s face faded. She sighed, tapping a long, black fingernail against her coffee cup. The sound echoed.
"Fair enough."
There was a beat of silence. Only the hum of the hPad filled it.
"Why did you call me?" Rose asked, cutting straight to it. She was already turning away, like she expected this to be a waste of time.
"This is the longest conversation we’ve had in years, and yo—"
Rose cut her off. "I doubt the great Amelia would call me just to hold a casual conversation. You hate casual. You think it’s inefficient."
Amelia clicked her tongue. "You’re always like this. Sharp. Cold. No wonder you’re 50 years old and still single. High school girls are already having boyfriends and posting about it."
That got a reaction.
Rose’s expression cracked, just for half a second. Her jaw tightened. "Really? That’s what’s coming from you? You’re almost 100 years old. 300? I don’t even remember. And you’re what, single? A virgin? Haven’t seen a man’s dick before, and you’re talking about me being single? You’re older than my father. And he’s old enough to be a statue."
Amelia clutched her heart dramatically, squeezing her chest in the process and letting out a wounded gasp that was 99% fake. "You’ve hurt my poor soul, Rose. My poor, innocent, untouched—"
"You don’t have one," Rose said flatly.
Amelia dropped the act instantly. The playfulness vanished from her face. "Then you should know, I have no interest in men. Never did. Never will."
"Well," Rose said, leaning back in her own chair, "neither do I."
Silence stretched between them again. But this time it was different. Less hostile. More... tired. Like two old rivals who were too old to keep pretending.
Finally, Amelia spoke again, her voice dropping all playfulness.
"I’m calling to talk about that kid. The one making headlines in the Academy."
Rose’s entire posture changed in an instant. Her boredom vanished. Her back straightened.
"Lynx?"
"Yes. Lynx." Amelia tapped her screen, and Lynx’s fight footage froze behind her... he’s mid-punch, lightning crackling around his fist.
"He’s been number one in the Academy News for a week straight. And I heard he’s only attended your class twice. He was supposed to have four affinities. Now he has five. He hasn’t attended the other affinity classes once. He disappeared for a month, came back making waves, and went head to head with Jace. And won...technically."
Her white eyes gleamed.
"Where’s all this going? Don’t do anything to that kid, Amelia." Rose’s voice was low. A warning.
"Relax," Amelia said, raising both hands in mock surrender. "I’m just curious. We both know he’s not normal. He’s an anomaly, Rose. A walking contradiction. And I’m interested. He’s even stronger than Jace. I believe... he might be stronger than you."
"You don’t know that," Rose said immediately. "I’m not Jace."
Amelia laughed, a short, sharp sound that had no humor in it. "This is exactly why I called you."
She tapped her hPad again. With a few clicks, three more screens lit up beside Rose’s.
The other Year 2 teachers appeared one by one, faces popping onto the call.
Jace, arm wrapped in bandages, face pale but trying to look unbothered. There was still a bruise on his jaw.
Thomas, the Earth Affinity teacher, massive, arms crossed, sitting in what looked like a gym.
Selene, Ice Affinity teacher, expression unreadable as always, sitting in perfect posture.
Mira, Wind Affinity teacher, leaning forward with curiosity, a notepad in her lap.
It was now a full group call.
And the moment they saw Amelia’s white eyes staring at them, every single one of them straightened up. Well, except Rose. Nobody dared look at Amelia directly for too long. Not even Selene. The pressure in the call spiked.
"I hope you’re all having a lovely day, my dear teachers," Amelia said. Her voice had lost every ounce of warmth. Now it was sharp, commanding, the voice of someone who could erase you with a thought.
Jace cleared his throat, trying to ease the tension. "Apart from the pain, I think I’m good?" He forced a small smile and shifted in his seat.
"That kid got you real good, Jace," Thomas rumbled, flexing his arms. His voice was like a boulder rolling. "Makes me wanna fight him too. See how he’ll do against me."
"More like how you’ll do against him." Mira said.
"Speak for yourself. I’m not Jace."
"Ouch."
"That’s enough." At Amelia voice. They quieted downed instantly.