Chapter 197 197: The cause of the fire

Words : 1425 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

Noah winced as he peeled off his shirt, revealing angry red burns across his shoulders and back. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving him acutely aware of every injury he'd sustained during the rescue. He'd managed to slip away from the medical teams, not wanting to explain why his injuries weren't consistent with someone who had supposedly been nowhere near the worst of the flames. His phone buzzed on the desk, drawing his attention. A message from Sophie. *Meet me at the fountain in 20? Need to talk.* Noah texted back a quick affirmative, then stepped into the shower, hissing as the cool water hit his burns. His was rapid but would take some minutes before it all went away. Right now, he felt completely drained. Twenty minutes later, freshened up and wearing a loose shirt to avoid irritating the remaining burns, Noah made his way to the central fountain. The campus was eerily quiet. Classes had been canceled for the day, and many students had retreated to their rooms or called home for reassurance. The aftermath of the fires was visible everywhere—not just in the charred buildings, but in the faces of students and staff alike. Fear, confusion, and a palpable tension hung in the air. Sophie was already waiting when he arrived, her usually perfect appearance slightly disheveled. Her dark hair was pulled back in a hasty ponytail, and she wore simple jeans and a sweater instead of her customary polished look. "Hey," Noah said, kissing her briefly before sitting beside her on the fountain's edge. "You look terrible," she replied, eyes searching his face. "Were you in there? Really in there?" Noah nodded, too tired to deny it. "Fifth floor of Building C. Got a student out." Sophie's expression shifted between pride and exasperation. "You could have been killed." "I knew what I was doing," Noah replied, though that wasn't entirely true. He'd been improvising from the moment he'd entered the building. "Everyone's talking about how the fire just stopped," Sophie said, lowering her voice despite the empty plaza. "Like someone turned it off." Noah hesitated, then decided to trust her. "I saw something in there, Sophie. Someone." Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?" "There was a figure moving through the flames," Noah explained, keeping his voice low. "Walking right through them like they weren't even there. When I went back to find them, the fire was just...gone. Completely extinguished." Sophie stared at him. "You think someone started those fires deliberately? And then put them out?" "I don't know," Noah admitted. "But it wasn't natural fire. It moved wrong, and nothing could extinguish it—until suddenly it was gone." Sophie was quiet for a moment, processing this. "There's more," she finally said. "I was going to call my dad earlier, to let him know I was okay after the fires. But when I went to the secure comms room, there were academy officials all over the place. Something about a data breach." Noah frowned. "What kind of data breach?" "From what I overheard, someone downloaded files from the IT center during the chaos," Sophie explained. "Specifically, information about the finalists representing the academy at the tournament." "The tournament?" Noah echoed, his mind racing. "That can't be a coincidence." "That's not all," Sophie continued. "One of the officials mentioned that the method of infiltration was 'undetectable by conventional security.' They're baffled about how someone got past their systems." Noah leaned back, wincing as his burned skin protested. "So someone creates a massive distraction with these unnatural fires, then uses the chaos to steal information about tournament participants?" "It looks that way," Sophie agreed. "Could it be Jayden Smoak?" Noah asked, thinking of School 8's notorious top student. "Or maybe another academy entirely?" Sophie shook her head firmly. "I highly doubt it. For one, that would be crossing a line. Minor property damage to fuel inter-school rivalry is one thing, but this? Two major fires, students endangered, buildings destroyed? No way." She brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, continuing, "Not to mention, if one school did this, all twelve academies in the Eastern Sector could retaliate in kind. It would be anarchy, and nobody wants that—least of all the academies themselves. They're competitive, not suicidal." Noah nodded slowly. She had a point. The academies competed fiercely, but they operated within unspoken boundaries. This was different—dangerous, calculated, potentially deadly. "Then who?" he asked, more to himself than to Sophie. "And why target information about the tournament specifically?" "Maybe someone wants to know their competition," Sophie suggested. "Or maybe it's about something else entirely. The tournament data could just be a cover for what they really wanted." Noah was about to respond when he noticed a familiar figure approaching them. His expression hardened instantly. "We have company," he muttered to Sophie. Raven , from Class 1A, walked toward them with uncharacteristic hesitation. Usually confident to the point of arrogance, the tall, sharp-featured student seemed almost nervous as he approached. "Eclipse," Raven said, stopping a respectful distance away. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Noah crossed his arms. "What do you want?" Raven glanced at Sophie, clearly uncomfortable with her presence, but continued anyway. "I came to apologize. For trying to set you up. For reporting you to Commander Albright." Sophie's eyebrows shot up. "So you're the mole we've been looking for all this time?" Raven didn't acknowledge her, keeping his focus on Noah. "I was wrong. And after today, seeing what you did—running into that fire to save someone while the rest of us just watched—I realized I've been on the wrong side." "So you still spy on me, huh?" Noah muttered angrily. "No. Albright had me on a different job and I just happened to have seen you and Lucas run into the flames," Raven replied with an honest expression. Noah studied him, searching for signs of deception. "Why should I believe anything you say? You've been gunning for me since day one." "I have," Raven admitted. "Because I was told to. Because I thought..." He trailed off, then squared his shoulders. "Look, I'm not asking you to trust me. I'm just here to warn you." "Warn me about what?" Noah asked, his interest piqued despite his lingering anger. "Albright is planning something big at the inter-school tournament," Raven said, lowering his voice. "Something that involves you specifically. He wants to expose you." Sophie moved closer to Noah, protective. "Expose him for what?" Again, Raven ignored her, speaking directly to Noah. "You know what for. The same reason he's had me watching you all this time." "What exactly is he planning?" Noah pressed. Raven shook his head. "I don't know the details. But it's going to happen during the tournament, and it's designed to force your hand." "And why are you telling me this?" Noah demanded. "Why the sudden change of heart?" "Because what I saw today changed things," Raven replied simply. "You risked your life while Albright was nowhere to be found. While none of us knew what to do. That counts for something in my book." Noah regarded him skeptically. "Just like that, you've switched sides?" "I'm not on any 'side,'" Raven countered. "I'm just doing what I think is right. Take the warning or leave it—that's up to you." Sophie stepped forward, positioning herself partly between them. "If you're really having a crisis of conscience, tell us what Albright has on Noah. What is he trying to expose?" Raven finally looked at her, his expression unreadable. "Ask your boyfriend. He knows." "That's enough," Noah said sharply. "If you're done delivering your cryptic warning, you can go." Raven nodded, seeming to have expected this response. "I understand if you can't forgive me. But I needed you to know that Albright is out for you, Eclipse. Whatever you're hiding, he's determined to bring it into the open." He turned to leave, then paused. "One more thing. The fires today? They weren't random. And they weren't set by another school." "How do you know that?" Noah asked. "Because Albright wasn't surprised," Raven said simply. "He was expecting something like this to happen. Just not quite this scale." With that, he walked away, leaving Noah and Sophie staring after him in confusion and growing concern.

Chapter 197 197: The cause of the fire

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