ShadowBound: The Need For Power-Chapter 634: Now I Need To Find Him

For a moment after her declaration, no one spoke.

The air around the table seemed to settle, as if the weight of Ariana’s words had briefly stilled everything else. The usual clatter of dishes and conversations from the other tables continued in the background, but for their group, time felt oddly suspended.

Dylan was the first to react.

"Well damn," he said with a low whistle, leaning back in his chair as he stared at Ariana with wide eyes. "Didn’t expect that to come out that loud."

A small grin slowly spread across his face.

"But hey," he added, raising both hands slightly in surrender, "I’m not complaining. That was actually pretty cool."

Ariana’s cheeks turned faintly pink as she realized how loudly she had spoken, but the embarrassment didn’t completely erase the determination that had settled in her expression.

Maxwell nodded slowly.

"I think that’s the best decision," he said calmly. "If Sheila opens up to anyone right now, it’ll probably be you."

His tone carried no doubt—only quiet reassurance.

Charlotte gave Ariana a soft smile as she leaned back in her chair, clearly pleased with the outcome.

"See?" she said gently. "You already look more confident than you did a minute ago."

Then she tilted her head slightly, studying Ariana. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"But don’t think you have to carry the whole thing alone," Charlotte added. "We’re still here if things get messy."

Across the table, Asher rested his elbow on the table and propped his chin against his hand.

"Well," he said bluntly, "at least we figured that out."

He looked directly at Ariana.

"Just don’t overthink it."

Ariana blinked.

Asher shrugged.

"You’re good at talking to people. Just do what you usually do," he said plainly. "If you start thinking too much about saying the perfect thing, you’ll probably mess it up."

It wasn’t exactly comforting advice, but it wasn’t meant to be harsh either. That was simply the way Asher spoke.

Dylan chuckled.

"Wow," he said, shaking his head slightly. "That might actually be the most practical thing you’ve said all morning."

"Shut up," Asher muttered.

The brief exchange helped lighten the atmosphere again.

Liam, however, had remained quiet. He watched Ariana for a moment longer, his gaze calm and observant.

"You don’t need to force anything," he said after a moment.

Everyone’s attention drifted toward him.

"If she doesn’t want to talk right away, don’t push her," Liam continued. "Just being there might already be enough."

His tone was steady, almost analytical, but there was a quiet sincerity behind his words.

"People tend to speak eventually when they feel safe enough."

Ariana nodded slowly.

"I understand," she said.

Her hands were still resting in her lap, but they were no longer trembling.

Dylan suddenly clapped his hands together once.

"Well then!" he announced loudly. "Looks like we’ve got a plan."

Several nearby students glanced over again at the sudden noise.

"Easy there," Charlotte muttered.

Dylan lowered his voice slightly, though his enthusiasm remained obvious.

"So when are you going to go talk to her?" he asked Ariana.

Ariana hesitated.

"I... think I’ll go after breakfast," she said after a moment. "She’s probably still in her room."

Maxwell nodded in agreement.

"That’s probably the best time," he said. "If she hasn’t come out yet, she might still be trying to avoid people."

"Yeah," Dylan added. "And if she sees the entire group walking up to her door, she’ll probably barricade herself inside."

Asher snorted faintly.

"Wouldn’t blame her."

Ariana exhaled slowly.

Now that the decision had been made, the reality of what she was about to do finally began to settle in. Her determination was still there—but so was the nervousness.

Charlotte noticed the slight tension in Ariana’s shoulders and reached over, gently squeezing her arm.

"You’ll be fine," she said softly.

Ariana gave a small nod.

Across the table, Liam quietly resumed eating, as if the discussion had already reached its natural conclusion.

But internally, his thoughts were still moving.

’Sheila...’

He could already imagine the turmoil she must be dealing with.

Percy’s revelations had clearly struck deeper than anyone else at the table fully understood.

For someone like Sheila, someone who valued loyalty, family, and trust so deeply, the truth Percy had revealed was probably like a blade driven straight into her foundation.

Liam glanced briefly toward Ariana.

’If anyone can reach her right now... it’s definitely you.’

He returned his attention to his food, though his thoughts remained distant.

Meanwhile, Ariana slowly stood from her seat. "I’ll go after I finish eating," she said quietly.

This time, no one tried to stop her or question her decision.Because now, they all understood something clearly.

The next step belonged to her.

***

Not long after the group’s discussion had come to its natural end, breakfast eventually wrapped up. The table that had once been filled with conversation, debate, and the occasional teasing remark slowly emptied as the last of the plates were pushed aside.

True to her word, Ariana did not linger.

Once she had finished eating, she quietly rose from her seat and prepared to leave. There was still a trace of nervousness in her posture, but the determination she had shown earlier remained firmly in place. Before stepping away from the table, she glanced briefly at the others, and though no one said much, the meaning behind their looks was clear enough.

Charlotte gave her a reassuring nod. Maxwell offered a small thumbs-up accompanied by a calm smile. Even Asher, who rarely bothered with encouraging gestures, simply tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment.

"Good luck," Dylan said, raising a hand casually.

With that simple send-off, Ariana turned and made her way toward the dormitory halls where Sheila’s room was located, leaving the rest of the group behind.

The moment she disappeared from view, the atmosphere at the table shifted again.

Dylan, being someone who practically treated boredom like an enemy that needed to be eliminated as quickly as possible, leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms behind his head. His eyes wandered around the academy courtyard outside the dining hall windows before a familiar spark of mischief lit up his expression.

"Well," he said suddenly, sitting forward again, "now that we’re free for the morning..."

His grin widened.

"How about we sneak up to the academy rooftops and check out the view of Grandeur City?"

Charlotte immediately looked interested.

"Oh?" she hummed softly, tilting her head as if considering the idea. "That actually sounds tempting."

Her lips curved into a faint smile.

"It’s technically off limits, isn’t it?"

Dylan’s grin only widened further.

"Exactly."

Charlotte chuckled quietly.

"Then I don’t see the harm in it," she replied casually. "Especially considering the risk."

She leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other.

"If we get caught, we might get into trouble," she added lightly. "But that just makes it a little more exciting."

Maxwell surprised everyone by nodding in agreement.

"Honestly... I wouldn’t mind seeing the city from up there," he admitted.

Normally, he wasn’t the type to jump onto Dylan’s impulsive ideas without hesitation. Most of the time he served as the voice of reason whenever Dylan suggested something questionable.

But this time felt different.

Grandeur City was enormous, sprawling endlessly beyond the academy walls with towers, markets, plazas, and districts stretching across the horizon. Seeing it from the rooftops of the academy—one of the tallest structures in the area—would probably offer a breathtaking view.

And for once, Maxwell thought it might be worth trying something a little reckless.

"I’m in," he said.

Dylan pointed at him immediately.

"See? Maxwell gets it."

Asher, however, did not look even remotely interested.

He had already stood from his seat while the others were still discussing the idea. Without waiting for the conversation to finish, he turned and glanced in the direction of the training grounds.

"Not happening," he said bluntly.

Dylan groaned.

"C’mon, buzzcut. Live a little."

"I’ve got better things to do," Asher replied flatly.

Without another word, he turned and walked away toward the direction of one of the academy’s training fields, clearly intending to spend the morning the way he usually did—training until something broke or someone stopped him.

Dylan watched him go and sighed dramatically.

"Man has the personality of a brick wall."

Liam stood shortly after.

"I’ll pass as well," he said calmly.

Dylan looked at him with immediate suspicion.

"Oh? And why’s that?"

"I have something to take care of," Liam replied simply. "I’ll catch up with you later."

He didn’t elaborate further.

Before Dylan could press him for more information, Liam had already turned and left the dining hall.

Dylan stared after him for a moment before shrugging.

"Alright then," he muttered.

He clapped his hands once and stood up.

"Well, rooftop expedition it is."

Charlotte rose from her seat with an amused smile, while Maxwell followed shortly after.

With Dylan leading the way like an overly enthusiastic tour guide, the three of them slipped out of the dining hall and headed deeper into the academy halls, beginning their small adventure toward the rooftops.

***

Meanwhile, Liam walked alone across the academy grounds.

The morning air was calm, and the wide training fields, stone walkways, and towering academy buildings stretched out around him. Students moved about in small groups as they usually did.

But Liam paid little attention to them.

His eyes scanned the area carefully as he walked, quietly searching for a specific person.

Percy.

’With Ariana going to deal with Sheila’s emotional turmoil,’ Liam thought calmly, ’the only thing left for me to worry about now... is Percy.’

Mabel’s earlier report still lingered clearly in his mind.

She had told him everything about the conversation between Percy and Sheila—how Percy had finally opened himself completely to his sister. How he had laid out the truth behind his actions, his decisions, and the reasons he had distanced himself from her.

More importantly, Mabel had described something Liam had not expected.

Percy had been vulnerable.

Truly vulnerable.

For someone like Percy, that alone was significant.

Yet despite that moment of honesty, the result had not unfolded the way Percy had probably hoped.

Instead of giving him an answer... Sheila had simply run away.

When Liam first heard that, he had immediately realized something.

Even though Percy had technically done exactly what Liam wanted, telling Sheila the truth and attempting to repair their fractured relationship, the outcome still left things incomplete.

Sheila’s emotional state made that painfully obvious.

The reconciliation that should have strengthened her had instead shattered something inside her.

But Liam had never considered it a serious problem.

Originally, he had intended to speak to Sheila himself.

Given the information he already possessed about Percy’s confession, Liam was confident he could guide the conversation in a direction that would allow Sheila to understand Percy’s intentions more clearly.

In other words, he could have helped them reconcile.

But he chose not to.

Because Percy needed to be addressed as well.

Liam knew that fixing the situation on only one side would not truly resolve the issue.

Yet things had shifted slightly during breakfast.

When Dylan mentioned seeing Sheila the previous night and again earlier that morning... and when Ariana described the hollow emptiness she had seen in Sheila’s eyes...

Liam had immediately adjusted his approach.

That level of emotional damage required a different kind of support.

Someone who could reach Sheila on a more personal level.

Someone she would naturally open up to.

And Ariana fit that role far better than Liam ever could.

So Liam had simply guided the conversation in that direction with just a little push here and there, allowing the others to reach the conclusion naturally.

Once they started speaking, the momentum carried itself.

’Everything fell into place easier than expected,’ Liam thought quietly.

Now Ariana was on her way to Sheila.

And Liam had another task.

’Now all I need...’ His gaze swept across the training grounds again. ’...is to find Percy.’