The bailiff called us back.

The tribunal filed in. Their expressions were grave.

"After reviewing all evidence," Ironforge announced, "this tribunal finds Ravenna Blackthorn NOT GUILTY of all charges."

Cheers erupted and Ravenna sagged with relief.

"Furthermore," Ironforge continued, voice hard, "we find clear evidence of conspiracy to commit fraud, false imprisonment, and abuse of academy resources."

He turned to where Adrian sat.

"Adrian Celestius. You orchestrated this frame job. Your faction executed it. Your family funded it. While you may claim ignorance of details, you set these events in motion."

Adrian stood. "Professor, I....."

"Silence." Ironforge's voice was steel. "This tribunal lacks jurisdiction to expel you for criminal conspiracy. That requires a full disciplinary board. But we can and do impose immediate sanctions."

"What sanctions?"

"You are suspended from all academy activities pending a full investigation. You are stripped of S-Class privileges. You are barred from participating in any official academy functions. And..." Ironforge looked disgusted. "You are formally reprimanded for conduct unbecoming of a student."

"You can't..."

"We just did. Appeal to the Headmaster if you wish. But this tribunal's decision stands. " He banged the gavel. "Case closed."

As the room emptied, Ravenna looked at me.

"I'm free."

"You're free."

She hugged me. Sudden, fierce, desperate.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you thank you thank you."

I hugged back. "Always."

When she pulled away, her eyes were wet but smiling.

"I meant what I said. I'm going to prove dark magic isn't evil. I'm going to change the world."

"I know you will."

☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆

I found Adrian alone in the gardens that evening.

He sat on a bench, staring at nothing. His perfect hero facade completely shattered.

"Come to gloat?" he asked without looking at me.

"No."

"Then why are you here?"

I sat beside him. Uninvited. "To understand."

"Understand what?"

"Why you did it. The real reason."

He laughed bitterly. "Because I'm the villain now, right? The hypocritical hero who became everything he claimed to fight against."

"You're not a villain, Adrian. You're just..." I searched for words. "Lost."

"Lost." He turned to look at me. "I knew exactly what I was doing, Hadeon. I wanted Ravenna gone. I wanted your faction weakened. I wanted to win."

"At any cost?"

"At any cost necessary." He looked back at the sky. "That's what heroes do. Whatever it takes to save the world."

"And who decides what the world needs saving from?"

Silence.

"I used to think I knew," Adrian said quietly. "I was chosen. Special. Destined. The world needed me to be the hero, so anything I did in service of that was justified."

"And now?"

"Now I don't know what I am." He stood, his aura flickering weakly. "I've lost my faction. My reputation. My certainty. You took everything."

"I didn't take anything. You gave it away."

"By trying to beat you?"

"By forgetting that people aren't just tools. They're real. With agency. With choices." I stood too. "Lucille chose to leave. Isabella chose to partner with me. Seraphina chose neutrality. Cedric chose his conscience. You didn't lose them. They chose differently."

"Because you manipulated them...."

"I gave them options. You gave them orders. That's the difference."

He was quiet for a long moment.

"I'm going to fight back," he said finally. "I'm not done. This suspension, this humiliation, it's only temporary. I'll rebuild. I'll prove I'm still the hero."

"Maybe you will."

"Aren't you worried?"

"Should I be?"

"I'm still stronger than you. Still have resources. Still have destiny on my side."

"Destiny." I smiled without humor. "Keep telling yourself that, Adrian. See where it gets you."

I started to walk away.

"Hadeon," he called.

I stopped.

"How do you do it? How do you live knowing you're the villain?"

I looked back at him. "I don't live knowing I'm the villain. I live knowing I choose my own path. Villain, hero, those are just things other people use. I decide who I am."

"And who are you?"

"Still figuring that out. But at least I'm choosing for myself."

I left him there, alone with his shattered certainty.

Headquarters was packed that night.

Ravenna's freedom called for celebration. The entire faction showed up, core members, associates, supporters. Even some neutral students came to congratulate her.

Isabella had organized everything. Food, drinks, music. A proper party.

Ravenna stood in the center, surrounded by well-wishers. She was smiling. Really smiling. I hadn't seen her this happy since I'd met her.

"Speech!" someone called out.

"Speech! Speech!"

Ravenna looked panicked, but I nodded encouragingly.

She took a breath. "I'm not good at speeches. I'm better with magic than words. But..." She looked around the room. "Thank you. All of you. For believing me when the world called me a liar. For fighting for me when it would've been easier to let me fall. For being... family."

Cheers.

"And especially Hadeon." She met my eyes. "You saved my life. Not just from execution, but from giving up. You showed me that dark magic doesn't make me evil. That my research matters. That I matter." Her voice cracked slightly. "I'll spend the rest of my life trying to repay that debt."

"You don't owe me anything," I said.

"I know. But I'm going to anyway." She raised her glass. "To the Obsidian Council. To choosing our own paths."

"To freedom!" Marcus shouted.

Everyone drank.

As the party continued, the system chimed.

```

[QUEST COMPLETE: SAVE RAVENNA BLACKTHORN]

[DEATH FLAG #8: CLEARED EARLY]

[ORIGINAL: Chapter 89]

[TIME SAVED: 64 chapters]

[REWARDS]

+3,000 Villain Score (quest complete)

+1,500 Villain Score (early completion bonus)

+2,000 Villain Score (exposing Adrian's conspiracy)

[RELATIONSHIP UPDATE: RAVENNA BLACKTHORN]

[LOYALTY: 95% → 100%]

[DEVOTION: Absolute]

[EMOTIONAL BOND: Maximum]

[STATUS: Would die AND kill for you]

[MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS]

- Exposed Adrian's criminal conspiracy

- Cleared innocent ally

- Damaged Adrian's reputation severely

- Recruited Cedric Valorheart (40% loyalty, growing)

- Strengthened faction unity

[ADRIAN STATUS UPDATE]

Adrian's Fate Points: 4,500 → 2,000 (catastrophic loss)

Reputation: 95% → 45% (massive damage)

Faction Strength: 60% → 25% (collapsing)

Mental State: Breaking

Desperation: MAXIMUM

[WARNING: Wounded animals are most dangerous]

[Adrian will retaliate]

[Method: Unknown]

[Timing: Soon]

[PREPARE FOR ESCALATION]

[You are now done with the beginning chapters. The real story starts now]

[PREPARE YOURSELF]

```

I dismissed the notification and rejoined the celebration.

Let Adrian plan his retaliation.

We'd survived everything he'd thrown at us.

The celebration wound down around midnight.

People left in groups, laughing and happy. Ravenna went with Isabella and Lucille, they'd insisted she stay with them tonight instead of returning to her workshop.

I stayed behind to clean up with Damian and Marcus.

"That went well," Marcus said, stacking chairs.

"Too well," I said.

He looked at me. "You're expecting retaliation."

"I know Adrian. He's not done. Today humiliated him publicly. Shattered his image. He'll respond."

"Let him try. We've beaten everything else."

"Hmm."

Damian frowned. "Young Master, you're worried."

"I'm cautious."

"What could he do? He's suspended. His faction's collapsing. His reputation's destroyed."

"That's what worries me. He has nothing left to lose."

Before I could elaborate, Lucille appeared in the doorway. Running. Her face showing worry.

"We have a problem. Big problem." She said with a hiss.

"What happened?"

"The Headmaster just announced an announcement."

"About?"

"He didn't say. But..." She looked grim. "Adrian's father is coming. Baron Celestius himself. With representatives from the Church and the Royal Court."

My blood went cold.

"That's....."

"Above academy level. This isn't student politics anymore. This is..." She paused. "This is adults getting involved."

Marcus whistled. "That's not good."

"What can the Baron do?" I asked. "The evidence against Adrian is solid."

"The Baron has connections. Money. Political power." Lucille's expression was dark. "And he doesn't care about rules if they're inconvenient."

The system chimed urgently.

```

[EMERGENCY WARNING]

[COUNCIL OF FATES: DIRECT INTERVENTION IMMINENT]

[THE STORY YOU KNOW IS TURNING AROUND]

```

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