Chapter 34 Broken Allegiances
- The tension in the Academy was palpable, hanging in the air like an invisible storm cloud, ready to burst at any moment. Since the discovery of the hidden chamber and the ominous orb within, whispers had spread like wildfire. The fractures that had been forming between the students, professors, and the Council were now widening into gaping chasms. What had once been a unified institution for the elemental masters was now splintering apart.
- Ava could feel the weight of the distrust pressing down on her from all sides as she made her way through the hallways of the Academy. Eyes followed her every move—some filled with fear, others with suspicion, and a few with open hostility. It didn’t help that rumors of her connection to the Void had been circulating since the storm’s rise. She was no longer just a prodigy; to many, she was a ticking time bomb.
- She kept her head down, moving quickly toward the meeting chamber where the Stormguard had gathered. The halls, once filled with the vibrant energy of students practicing their elemental arts, were eerily quiet. The usual sounds of crackling fire, rushing water, and swirling wind had been replaced with uneasy murmurs and nervous glances. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for the next spark to ignite the growing tension.