Chapter 50: The council elders meeting
The academy was in chaos after the man-beast attack.
Students huddled in groups, whispering nervously as teachers and guards moved through the halls, assessing damages and calming the frightened.
The dining hall bore the worst look after the attack.
There were shattered tables, claw marks gouged into the stone walls, and the lingering scent of burnt magic in the air.
I didn’t have long to take it in before a messenger found me.
"Archer," he said, breathless. "Chancellor Elysia demands your presence in Seraphin’s office immediately."
I nodded and followed him, my mind racing.
Seraphin’s office was dimly lit with the scent of old books and ink thick in the air.
Chancellor Elysia stood by the window, her back straight. She turned as I entered, her eyes locking onto me.
"Archer," she said, her voice calm edged with authority. "Tell me exactly what happened."
I swallowed. "The man-beast attacked me out of nowhere in the dining hall. I don’t know why. Raven and I ran, but it chased us. When we got to the courtyard, it just... kept coming at me."
Elysia studied me, her gaze sharp. "The city’s barrier has been compromised," she said slowly. "There’s no way a man-beast could have entered unless it manifested within one of our own students."