Chapter 33 - 33: The Silent Coup [2]

In Class A1, The classroom buzzed with hushed conversations as students settled in before the next lecture. Near the back, Reo leaned over his desk, his voice low but excited. "Hey, you hear about Instructor Vaylen?" he asked, nudging Kyle with his elbow. "People are saying he's been acting real weird lately." Kyle raised an eyebrow, feigning mild interest. "Oh? Like what?" Luna, perched on the edge of Reo's desk, twirled a strand of her short white hair between her fingers. "Oh, it's juicy," she said, grinning. "Apparently, he used to be some big-shot alchemist, but the association demoted him for stealing his junior's research." Reo whistled. "No way. That's messed up." Kyle shrugged, flipping through his notes like he wasn't all that invested. "Wouldn't surprise me. He's been snapping at everyone lately. Even Emily yesterday—totally lost it over a simple potion mistake." Luna gasped. "Wait, that's why you two got kicked out? I thought you just blew something up again." "I also heard he screamed at some second-year for stirring a potion counter-clockwise. Who even cares about that?" Kyle snorted, keeping his tone casual. "Probably the same guy who got demoted from the Alchemy Association for 'creative differences.'" He made air quotes, then shrugged like it was no big deal. "Funny how none of his research papers got published after that." Reo whistled. "Damn. So that's why he's got a stick up his—" "Language," Luna sing-songed, kicking his boot off the desk. A few seats over, a group of first-years—ones Kyle had "accidentally" shared a few rumors with last week—whispered among themselves. "Wait, seriously?" one of them hissed. Reo leaned in closer, eyes wide. "You think it's true? That he never actually hit Gold rank?" Kyle didn't answer right away, just tapped his stylus against his mana tab like he was thinking. "I mean… have you ever seen him use high-tier alchemy? Even the other instructors avoid working with him." Luna's black eyes sparkled with mischief. "Ooooh, scandalous. So he is just coasting on old reputation?" Kyle rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "Wouldn't surprise me. Guy's got the temper of a rabid wolf and the credibility of a three-copper scam artist." The gossip spread like wildfire from there, whispers darting from desk to desk. Kyle didn't even have to nudge it along—once the seeds were planted, the rumor mill did the work for him. Luna leaned in, black eyes sparkling with mischief. "Okay, but hypothetically… if someone wanted to get on his bad side, what's the move?" Sёarch* The NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Reo barked a laugh. "Breathe wrong in his general direction, apparently." Kyle just smiled, slow and knowing. "Or ask him really pointed questions about his research." Luna giggled. "You are evil." "Me?" Kyle pressed a hand to his chest, mock-offended. "I'm just an innocent bystander." Reo snorted. "Yeah, and I'm the king of Aevorath." The bell rang, cutting off the chatter as Instructor Hale stomped into the room. But the whispers lingered, slipping between students like smoke—and Kyle? He just leaned back, satisfied. **** The moment Professor Vaylen Mourncrest stepped into the lab, the air turned thick. Kyle leaned back in his seat at the far end of the room, watching with cold amusement as the man's bloodshot eyes swept over the class. His hands trembled slightly, his usual pristine robes wrinkled, and the dark circles under his eyes made him look half-dead. 'Good. He's cracking.' 'Finally, after a month of effort—' Whispers slithered through the room like snakes. "—heard he got demoted for plagiarism—" "—my cousin said the Alchemy Association banned him—" "—sells potions under the table to nobles—" Kyle smirked. The rumors had spread exactly as he had planned. A few well-placed comments in the right ears, a little anonymous tip-off to the gossip-hungry students, and suddenly, Vaylen's reputation was crumbling faster than a poorly brewed potion. The professor's jaw clenched as he set a stack of papers down with too much force. "Today," he hissed, "we will be reviewing proper ingredient preparation. Unlike the amateur mistakes I've been seeing." A snicker came from the front row. Vaylen's head snapped toward the sound. "Something funny, Mr. Duskrend?" Kaelith, still nursing bruises from his humiliating loss to Kyle, stiffened. "No, Professor. Just—" "Just what?" Vaylen's voice was a razor's edge. Kaelith swallowed. "Just… heard something about your research being, uh, borrowed by your juniors." The room went dead silent. Vaylen's face darkened. "And where did you hear that?" Kaelith's eyes flicked toward Kyle for half a second—just long enough. Vaylen's gaze locked onto Kyle like a predator spotting prey. Kyle just smiled. The professor's fingers twitched. "Mr. Valemont. Care to enlighten us?" Kyle tilted his head, feigning innocence. "About what, Professor? I'm just here to learn." A vein pulsed in Vaylen's temple. "You think this is a joke?" Kyle shrugged. "I don't know, sir. But if you think stealing your juniors work is a joke, then maybe the Alchemy Association was right to demote you." A sharp gasp rippled through the room. A first-year near the front—one of the kids Kyle had anonymously tipped some academy credits to—cleared his throat. "Professor, is it true you got kicked out of the Alchemy Association for plagiarism?" Vaylen's face twisted. "You dare—" Another student, emboldened, chimed in. "I heard you sold out your own research partner to cover your mistakes." Vaylen's lips curled into something ugly. "You insolent little—" Vaylen's entire body went rigid. His knuckles turned white where they gripped the desk. Kyle cut him off, voice dripping with mock concern. "Oh, wait, was that a secret? My bad. Though, honestly, selling your juniors' work is almost as bad as, say…" He leaned forward slightly. After a little pause. "Selling your soul to a demon." Vaylen's entire body locked up told Kyle he'd hit the mark. The professor's hands shook. Not from anger. From something worse. Then— A pulse of wrongness flooded the room. The air turned heavy, sour, like rotting meat. The lanterns flickered. Students gasped as an unnatural, oily darkness seeped from Vaylen's skin—not a full transformation, but something inside him was leaking out. Demonic energy. Not a full demon. A demonic-human. One who had sold his soul to demons. "You little—" Vaylen's voice distorted, guttural. His fingers curled like claws. That was all it took. Someone screamed. Chairs screeched as students bolted for the door, shoving past each other in panic. Kyle stayed put, watching, calculating— Then the lab doors burst open. Wind howled through the room, slamming into Vaylen with enough force to send him crashing into the chalkboard. Aurelia Valemont stood in the doorway, her back hair whipping around her like a storm. Her eyes—sharp, furious—locked onto Vaylen. "Enough." The single word carried the weight of a hurricane. Vaylen snarled, demonic energy writhing around him—but Aurelia didn't give him a chance. Her hand flicked. A razor-edged gust of wind slammed into him, pinning him to the wall like a bug. Kyle exhaled. 'Right on time.' Aurelia's gaze cut to him. "You." Kyle blinked. "Me?" Her eye twitched. "We are talking later." Then she turned back to Vaylen, wind already coiling around her fingers. The real show was just beginning. ****