That Evening at Adrian's Quarters.

Adrian sat alone in his room, staring at nothing.

The hearing had been a disaster and not because he'd lost, it was suspended, not dismissed, but mostly because of how it had gone.

Seraphina's testimony and the student reactions. The committee's doubt.

People were questioning him.

Him. The hero.

It shouldn't be possible. Heroes didn't get questioned. They got believed. Supported. Followed. That's how stories worked.

But somehow, Hadeon Ravana had changed the story.

A knock at his door. Adrian almost ignored it. But then...

"It's me," Cedric's voice. "We need to talk."

Adrian opened the door. Cedric entered, looking uncomfortable. He sighed and went to the point immediately.

"The faction is... concerned," Cedric said carefully.

"About?" His eyes flashed as he asked.

"Your methods. The hearing and the economic warfare. Some are questioning if...."

"If what?"

"If we're still the good guys."

Adrian's holy aura flared, golden light ran across his body. "We ARE the good guys. I'm the hero. That makes us good by definition."

"That's not how it works..... "

"That's EXACTLY how it works!" Adrian slammed his hand on the desk. "I was chosen. Destined. My methods don't matter because my cause is just."

Cedric was quiet. Then. "That's what Ravana would say."

"What?"

Cedric met his eyes. "You taught me to judge people by their actions, Adrian. I'm judging you the same way."

"And?"

"And I don't like what I'm seeing."

Silence.

"Get out," Adrian said quietly.

"Adrian...."

"Get. The. Fuck. Out."

Cedric left.

Adrian stood alone in his perfect room, surrounded by his perfect awards, maintaining his perfect image.

And for the first time since arriving at this academy, he wondered.

What if he was wrong?

No.

No, that was impossible.

Heroes weren't wrong. Couldn't be wrong.

He was the protagonist. The chosen one.

Hadeon Ravana was the villain.

And villains always lost eventually.

They had to.

Because that's how stories worked.

☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆

I was reading Isabella's latest market analysis when Lucille entered, her expression grim.

"We have a problem."

I looked up. "Define problem."

"Ravenna's been arrested."

My blood went cold. "What?"

"Academy security did it one hour ago. Charged with illegal magical experimentation. They're saying she was practicing forbidden magic in her workshop."

I was on my feet immediately. "That's bullshit. All her research is documented and approved...."

"They found 'evidence' of dark magic components and forbidden texts. A ritual circle that matches known necromantic patterns."

"Planted. They're going harder after her now after what happened! She still has some charges left pending, are they going to use this one to nail her now?"

"Obviously. But she's in custody. They're holding her pending investigation."

I paced.

This was Adrian's move again. He couldn't beat me in the hearing, so he was attacking my faction directly.

"Where is she?"

"Academy detention. They won't let anyone see her until the preliminary investigation is complete."

"How long?"

"Forty-eight hours minimum."

I thought fast. Ravenna was vulnerable. Her family had already been destroyed by false accusations. If Adrian could make these charges stick...

She'd be expelled at minimum. Executed at worst.

The system chimed.

```

[EMERGENCY QUEST: SAVE RAVENNA BLACKTHORN]

[DEATH FLAG #8 ACCELERATED]

[ORIGINAL TIMELINE: Chapter 89]

[CURRENT:.....]

[REASON: Your actions have consequences]

[RAVENNA'S SCHEDULED EXECUTION: 7 days]

[WITHOUT INTERVENTION: 95% death chance]

[OBJECTIVE: Prove her innocence and expose the frame]

[TIME LIMIT: 7 days]

[FAILURE: Ravenna dies, faction loses key member, massive morale loss]

```

Seven days.

"Get Isabella. Get Marcus. Get everyone." I grabbed my coat. "We're going to war."

"Against Adrian?"

"Against whoever framed Ravenna. If that's Adrian, then yes. If it's his backers, them too. I don't care." I met her eyes.

Lucille nodded. "What's the plan?"

"We prove she's innocent. And then we make whoever did this regret it."

☆☆▪︎☆☆

The meeting room looked like a crime scene investigation board.

Maps and evidence photos with withness statements. Everything we could gather in twelve hours.

"Let's go through it again," I said.

Marcus pointed. "Ravenna was working in her workshop from 6 PM to midnight alone with no witnesses."

"Security sweep happened at 12:30 AM," Lucille continued. "They 'found' forbidden materials and arrested her immediately."

"Too convenient," Isabella said with a shake of her head. "Security sweeps are random. How did they know to check her workshop that specific night?"

"Its from an anonymous tip," Damian read from the official report. "Concerned student reported suspicious magical activity."

"Bullshit," I said. "Her workshop is warded against detection. You'd need to be inside to know what she was working on."

"Or have access to security reports," Thomas suggested. He'd joined us to provide legal counsel. "Academy security files are confidential, but..."

"But Adrian has connections on the security staff," Lucille finished. "I've documented three guards who regularly report to his faction."

I studied the evidence photos. The forbidden materials were damning,necromantic reagents and banned texts, a summoning circle.

All things Ravenna would never use.

"This is too perfect," I said. "Like someone read a checklist of 'forbidden magic evidence' and planted it all at once."

"Agreed," Marcus said with a grimace. "Look at the summoning circle. It's drawn in fresh chalk. Ravenna's been in that workshop for months. Why would she suddenly draw a necromantic circle last night?"

"Maybe she was....." Thomas started.

"She wasn't," I cut him off. "Ravenna researches dark magic, not forbidden magic. There's a difference. Dark magic is legal but stigmatized. Necromancy is illegal everywhere."

"Can we prove the evidence was planted?" Isabella asked.

"The chalk analysis might help," Marcus said. "I can test for magical signatures. If someone else drew that circle, I'll know."

"Do it. What else?"

"The forbidden texts," Lucille said. "They're from the restricted library, from what I can tell. None have been checked out recently. Someone stole them specifically to plant in her workshop."

"Library security logs?"

"That's where it gets interesting." Lucille smiled without humor. "The library's security enchantments logged an unauthorized entry three nights ago. Guess whose magical signature was detected?"

"Ravenna's?"

"No. Adrian's."

Everyone went quiet.

"That's... bold," Thomas said. "He personally stole restricted texts to frame her?"

"Or someone with access to his magical signature did," I said. "Marcus, can signatures be faked?"

"With advanced enchanting, yes. But it requires a sample of the target's magic and considerable skill."

"So either Adrian did it himself, or someone in his faction who has his magical signature."

"Either way, it ties back to him," Isabella said with a slight smile, as if she finally see a ray of hope.

"Circumstantially," Thomas warned. "That's not enough for proof. Any competent defense would argue someone framed Adrian to frame Ravenna."

"Then we need more," I said. "Lucille, interrogate those security guards. Carefully. Find out who tipped them off."

"On it."

"Marcus, analyze that chalk. I want conclusive proof it wasn't Ravenna."

"Give me six hours."

"Isabella, follow the money. Someone paid for those restricted texts. Find the transaction."

"I'll check underground market records."

I turned to Damian. "I need to see Ravenna."

"They won't allow visitors....."

"I don't care. Find me a way in, bribe someone. Call in a favor. I need ten minutes with her."

"Yes, Young Master."

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