A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs-Chapter 210: Exactly Who Did It

{Third Person}

~**^**~

Chaos shattered the celebration.

The music cut mid-note. Lanterns flared brighter as emergency wards ignited across the courtyard.

Professors barked orders while guards surged forward, forming a tight perimeter around the fallen champion.

"Elira Shaw is to be evacuated immediately!" the Vice Chancellor’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

Students were herded backwards in waves, confusion and fear rippling through the crowd.

"She coughed blood—"

"Was it poison?"

"Did you see her collapse?"

"No one moves unless instructed!" a guard shouted. "This is a royal emergency!"

Meanwhile, Zenon reached Elira first.

He dropped to his knees beside her, hands shaking only once before steel-cold control snapped into place.

"Elira. Elira, stay with me."

Her skin was burning, feverish, and blood stained the corner of her lips.

Lennon swore under his breath, already tearing open his coat to wrap her shoulders, while Rennon pressed two fingers to her wrist, his eyes distant as a vision brushed the edge of his consciousness.

"She is fading," Rennon said urgently. "Move. Now."

Carefully, they lifted her together and moved at a run toward the infirmary, professors clearing the way instinctively.

"Open every ward!" Zenon barked as they burst through the infirmary doors. "I want every healer, every nurse, every physician in this building. NOW."

Doctors scrambled. Nurses rushed forward with stretchers and potions.

Zenon didn’t let go until the last second.

"If she dies," his voice was low, lethal, "this infirmary burns."

No one who saw and heard his rage doubted him, even though some of them wondered why he was that possessive about a female student of the academy.

---

Back in the courtyard, the King had risen to his full height.

The air seemed to bow.

"This celebration is suspended," he declared, voice carrying without enchantment. "No student, professor, or guest is permitted to leave ESA grounds."

A beat later, he added, "I am ordering a full investigation. Every drink served. Every tray handled. Every hand involved."

Instantly, guards snapped to attention.

"Find who did this," the King said. "And bring them to me."

Meanwhile, Regina, who initially had a smile on her lips, sat frozen. The joy that had bloomed moments earlier was gone—ripped away and replaced with cold, crawling panic.

Her fingers trembled in her lap. ’No. No, no—this isn’t how I envisioned things to play out.’

At the same time, whispers slithered through the Student Council row.

"That looked like poison..."

"Regina—didn’t you—?"

"Her drink—wasn’t that—?"

Regina’s breath shortened. Then Princess Kaelis stood, and the temperature around her seemed to drop.

"Regina," Kaelis said quietly. "Follow me."

Without an argument or delay, Regina rose on stiff legs and obeyed.

They entered a secluded antechamber beneath the pavilion—stone walls, warded silence, and no witnesses.

Moments later, the door slammed shut, and Kaelis turned. Her composure shattered.

"Did you do it?" she snapped, fury blazing. "Did you poison Elira?"

Regina straightened, forcing calm into her spine despite the hammering of her heart.

"I had nothing to do with it," she said firmly. "I swear it."

Kaelis stared at her, long and searching, then she scoffed. "Good," she said coldly. "Because if you are involved—"

Then she stepped closer, her aura pressing down like a blade at Regina’s throat. "I will kill you myself."

Silence swallowed the room as Regina swallowed hard.

For the first time since Founders Day began, fear outweighed hatred. And somewhere across the academy, as healers fought to save Elira Shaw’s life—

The noose began to tighten.

---

Back at the infirmary, the doors sealed with a low hum as the last ward snapped into place.

Elira lay motionless on the bed, her skin pale against the sheets as Healers surrounded her bed, crystal instruments hovering above her body, glowing softly as they traced the flow of magic and blood beneath her skin.

One of the senior physicians stiffened. "This is no ordinary collapse," she said grimly. "There is a toxin in her bloodstream."

Zenon’s head snapped up as his eyes sharpened instantly. "Explain."

She gestured, adjusting the lens. "The toxin was ingested. Recently. Liquid-based."

Lennon’s eyes darkened instantly. "The banquet."

"Yes," the healer confirmed. "Specifically, wine. It was cleverly masked. Tasteless. Odourless."

Rennon exhaled sharply. "So why didn’t it take effect immediately?"

"Because it was dormant," the healer replied. "The poison was designed to bind quietly in the bloodstream, harmless on its own."

She hesitated, then continued gravely. "But because Elira drew heavily on her supernatural power during the final combat, the poison activated this quickly."

The room went deadly still.

"Fire magic," the healer added in a low voice, "acted as a catalyst. Her own power accelerated the toxin, forcing it to attack her organs all at once."

Zenon’s jaw tightened, fury coiling beneath his calm. "They waited until she won."

"Yes," the healer said. "Whoever planned this knew she would survive the duels."

"This was meant to punish her for winning," Lennon said quietly.

"And to do it publicly," Rennon added. "In front of the King."

The healer nodded. "Had she not been as strong as she is, she would already be dead."

Zenon stepped closer to the bed, his hand hovering just above Elira’s wrist, as though afraid to touch her.

"Can you remove it?" he asked.

"We can neutralize it," the healer answered. "But it will take time. The poison has intertwined with her magic. Pull it out too fast, and we risk destabilizing her core."

Zenon’s voice dropped, lethal in its restraint. "Then you will be careful."

"We will," she assured him.

---

Meanwhile, outside the corridors of the sealed room, guards stood at either end, faces stern, blocking anyone from passing.

Cambria paced once, then stopped. Her hands trembled. "Why won’t they let us see her?" she whispered.

"Because this is serious," Tamryn answered softly. "And because someone tried to kill her."

Nari’s hands clenched into fists. "I know exactly who did it."

Juniper turned sharply. "Nari."

"I’m serious!" Nari snapped, her voice breaking despite herself. "You don’t just poison someone like that unless you’re jealous enough to want them gone."

Juniper lowered her voice immediately. "Stop. You cannot say things like that out loud."

Tamryn nodded, her expression firm. "If they pull you into questioning and you start accusing people without proof, you will only make things worse for yourself and for Elira."

Nari’s eyes burned. "But we all know who is capable of doing this."

Cambria finally spoke. Her eyes were glassy now, tears clinging to her lashes. She shook her head slowly.

"That doesn’t matter right now," she said, her voice trembling but resolute. "None of it does."

Then, she looked at the sealed door and continued, swallowing hard, "What matters is our friend, who is lying in there fighting for her life."

Silence fell over them in that moment.

Juniper lowered her gaze. Tamryn pressed her lips together, jaw tight.

Nari fought it, but she lost. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she scrubbed at it angrily with the back of her hand.

"I hate this," she whispered.

They stood there together, helpless, afraid, waiting.

Behind the sealed door, Elira Shaw hovered between breaths. And across the academy, the investigation had only just begun.