The fires had been controlled for the most part, but their scars remained visible across Class B’s camp.

Blackened tent poles. The supply cache was half-collapsed, its contents scattered and stained. Sapphire’s runes flickered weakly, patched together by her but no longer forming the cohesive, organized network of defense they once offered.

Everyone’s guard was up. Right now, class B was extremely vulnerable to attack.

Elara stood near the river’s edge, arms crossed.

Her gaze swept the damage again and again, as though glaring at the losses might somehow undo them.

But he knew she was most likely thinking about what he had suggested a few minutes back.

He’d given her time to think it over.

Ronan approached from behind, stopping a few meters away.

"You’re going to get wrinkles glaring like that."

She didn’t turn. "Reddy’s faction attacked us. Class A attacked us. The alliance is broken."

"Yes."

"And you think we should just... negotiate?" Her voice carried an edge that could have cut stone. "After they burned half our camp?"

"I think," Ronan said calmly, "that only Reddy’s faction burned down half our camp. And I also believe that retaliation only becomes useful if we can turn it into leverage."

Elara finally looked at him, frustration evident on her face. "What does that even mean?"

Ronan gestured toward the captured Class A students sitting bound near the perimeter.

Reddy sat among them, still glaring daggers at anyone who passed.

"We have prisoners. They have a broken faction and a leader who very likely didn’t authorize this attack. They’re weak. Does that not sound like leverage to you?"

Elara’s hands clenched. "So we let them get away with it?"

She wasn’t hearing him. She was angry.

"No. We make them pay. I know you want to. Sapphire wants to. Everyone wants to. But not through blind revenge. As the leader, you need to put aside your wants and think about the needs."

"And you think you know our needs?"

"I think you know them too, am I wrong? You just don’t want to see them because you’re upset."

Elara stayed quiet.

Ronan’s tone sharpened slightly. "We force Armani into a position where he has to give us something valuable to keep the alliance from collapsing entirely."

She studied his face, her glare softening into something more tired.

"And what exactly do you think he’ll give us?"

Ronan smiled faintly, matching her expression. "Let’s go find out."

Armani stood near the edge of his camp, arms crossed. He’d brought four students with him, not enough to start a fight. He was showing he was peaceful.

Behind Elara, two Class B students dragged Reddy forward, still bound.

"Elara," Armani greeted, his voice measured, grimacing slightly as he looked at his bound classmate. "I heard there was an... incident."

"An incident?" Elara spat, her tone ice cold. "Your people attacked our camp. Burned our supplies. Destroyed Sapphire’s runes."

"I did not order that attack."

"Doesn’t matter." Ronan stepped forward before Elara could respond. "They acted under Class A’s banner. That makes it your responsibility."

Armani’s gaze shifted to Ronan. "You’re suggesting I’m responsible for every rogue element in my class?"

"A rogue element? You call your vice leader a rogue element as if you got unlucky!?" Elara glared daggers.

Armani’s posture stiffened slightly, and one of the students behind him shifted uncomfortably.

It was clear that even he knew that this had been on him.

Reddy, unable to stay silent, spat toward Ronan.

"You don’t get to lecture anyone about responsibility, worthless Ashbourne trash–"

"Shut up."

It was Armani that spoke up, and surprisingly Reddy listened.

Elara seized the moment. "We want compensation. The alliance is broken unless you fix this."

Armani nodded slowly. "What do you want? Supplies? Territory concessions?"

"No," Ronan said.

Both Armani and Elara looked at him.

Ronan met Armani’s gaze directly. "We want the method."

Armani’s expression didn’t change, but his silence spoke volumes.

"What method?" Elara asked, confusion threading through her frustration.

Ronan kept his eyes on Armani. "The one that lets you channel two minor nodes into a single statue simultaneously. The acceleration technique."

Armani’s jaw worked silently. His students exchanged uncertain glances.

"I don’t know what you’re–"

"A classmate of yours let it slip. Though, I won’t say who. But trust me, I’m an Ashbourne. Even I know of the Ravenclaw families influence in this Academy. It isn’t surprising how you found out."

Armani cursed under his breath.

"What are you two talking about?" Elara asked, confused.

Armani exhaled slowly, and his composure cracked. "That technique is complicated. Dangerous. If the runes aren’t balanced perfectly–"

"Sapphire can handle it," Ronan said simply. "And you’re going to tell her how."

"Or what?" Armani’s voice hardened. "You’ll declare war on Class A? You’re weaker than us, and you know it."

"No." Ronan tilted his head slightly. "We aren’t. You’re assuming we will let all of our captured students go."

"You can’t keep them restrained forever. You don’t have the resources for that."

"But we can kill them, can’t we?"

Armani scoffed. "As if the Academy will allow that."

Elara stepped in, understanding the direction Ronan was taking. "But we can break their legs. Cripple them for a fortnight. Then what?"

It was clear to Ronan that Elara didn’t plan on actually doing this.

It was a bluff.

Armani bristled. "You wouldn’t–"

Ronan didn’t waste any time.

He grabbed the restrained Reddy’s arm and drove his foot into the boy’s shoulder, pinning him to the ground and straightening the boy’s arm out.

"Want to test that?"

Elara’s expression turned sour, before she quickly controlled it. She was obviously not comfortable with it, but she understood the purpose of it.

Besides, she wasn’t Reddy’s biggest fan anyway.

"Fuck! Let go of me!"

Armani’s eyes widened in alarm.

"O-okay! Don’t get hasty! I understand, you are serious about this."

He seemed less concerned for Reddy, and more for how the negotiation would go after Ronan successfully called his bluff.

Finally, he spoke again. "Fine. I’ll give you the method. But Class B doesn’t retaliate against Class A. We stay allied."

"Conditional," Elara countered, her voice steady. "Class A stays out of our territory. No more surprise visits. And we keep Reddy in our territory at all times. You will discipline his faction."

Armani glanced at Reddy, expression turning cold. "That was already going to happen. And I’m fine with you keeping him. He has been more trouble than he is worth."

Ronan stepped back slightly, letting Elara finish the negotiation.

She held Armani’s gaze for several long seconds before nodding.

"Then we have a deal."