Shattered Sanity

(Meanwhile, Ironmoor Province, Western Capital, Gary Ironveil’s POV)

Gary clenched and unclenched his fists while sitting on his bed in the Western Capital, occasionally glancing towards his father, Duke Alaric Ironveil, who sat nearby, gazing through the window towards the balcony.

The past seven days had been nothing short of hell for him, as ever since regaining consciousness, he had found himself trapped between the unbearable pain of his injuries and the constant drowsiness brought upon by the powerful painkillers prescribed by the Academy healers.

Whenever the medicine took effect, his thoughts became so sluggish that he could barely concentrate, although the moment its effects began wearing off, the pain returned with such intensity that even the slightest movement became unbearable.

Clench!

Gary tightened his fist once again, grinding his teeth as he desperately attempted to sense the Aether circulating within his Soul Vessel, only to discover that his efforts remained as fruitless as they had been throughout the past week.

Even now, traces of foreign Storm Aether lingered within his Soul Vessel, violently clashing against his natural elemental affinities and preventing him from properly sensing his own Aether.

’What the hell... Just what the hell was that attack?’

Gary wondered, as he stared towards his trembling fist with an expression of frustration, unable to comprehend how a single strike could have left him in such a miserable condition.

The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was a blinding flash of white light that had struck him without warning, carrying with it a terrifying amount of power unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

While everything that happened afterward remained a complete mystery to him.

Upon regaining consciousness, he had been informed that Riven Dawnriver, his most loathed rival, had personally carried him to the Academy infirmary and saved his life.

However, alongside that revelation came the horrifying news that numerous students had been massacred nearby, with several of his fellow Aureate students suggesting that Riven himself might have been responsible for their deaths.

Gary, however, found that accusation to be utterly ridiculous.

’Riven Dawnriver is many things, but he’s no murderer.’

Gary thought, as he recalled the brutal beating he had inflicted upon Riven during their confrontation, remembering how the boy had been left practically incapable of defending himself.

’I beat that bastard to a pulp with my own hands. He could barely move by the time our fight ended, so how the hell was he supposed to get up and massacre twenty-one students after I lost consciousness?

And besides, whatever spell struck me was far beyond the capabilities of an Ember Rank Ascendant. There’s no bloody way Riven could have summoned an attack of that magnitude.’

The more Gary considered the circumstances, the more convinced he became that someone had deliberately attempted to frame Riven for the massacre, although the identity and motives of whoever was responsible remained a mystery to him.

’That investigator, Jack Sullivan... Surely he must have some idea who could be behind all this.’

Gary thought, as he recalled his conversation with the Chief Imperial Inquisitor, who had appeared to share his suspicions when Gary suggested that a much larger conspiracy might have been at play.

However, although Jack seemed willing to entertain the possibility of a conspiracy, he had been considerably more reluctant to accept Gary’s belief in Riven’s innocence, choosing instead to record his testimony without committing himself to any particular conclusion.

It was only after returning to Ironmoor Province and recounting the incident to his father that Gary finally found someone who seemed to share his interpretation of the events.

Duke Alaric Ironveil had listened carefully to his son’s account before suggesting that the attack might have been intended to accomplish something far more sinister than the murder of a few Academy students.

After all, if Gary had died and Riven had subsequently been identified as his murderer, House Ironveil would almost certainly have demanded vengeance against House Dawnriver, potentially plunging the Western and Eastern regions of the Empire into a devastating conflict.

And regardless of which side emerged victorious, the resulting war would have severely weakened at least one of the Empire’s most powerful noble families.

’Father is right. There’s definitely a conspiracy at play here, but who the hell is pulling the strings?’

Gary wondered, as he finally relaxed his fist and released a weary sigh, his gaze drifting towards the distant skyline beyond his bedroom window.

Although he still considered Riven Dawnriver his sworn rival, Gary had never wished for their competition to end with either of them being murdered or falsely condemned for crimes they had never committed.

And considering that Riven had apparently saved his life despite everything that had happened between them, Gary sincerely hoped that whoever was responsible for the massacre would eventually be exposed, before his rival was forced to suffer the consequences of someone else’s crimes.

”Father, have you decided how you’re going to approach this matter? The Emperor has invited all the parties involved for a public hearing at the Imperial Court, hasn’t he? Whose side are you planning to take?”

Gary asked, as Duke Alaric Ironveil turned towards him with a distracted expression, seemingly having been lost in his own thoughts before his son’s question brought him back to the present.

”I don’t know, son. I haven’t made up my mind just yet.”

Alaric admitted, as he released a deep sigh before glancing towards the window once again.

”However, before I meet the Emperor, I intend to have a private conversation with Drew Dawnriver. I want to hear what that old fox has to say about everything that’s happened, and only after speaking with him will I decide where I stand.”

Alaric muttered, as Gary nodded in acknowledgment, only to immediately wince in pain when even that slight movement of his neck sent an agonizing sensation coursing through his injured body.

”Don’t strain yourself unnecessarily, Gary. You’ve suffered enough already, and the last thing you need is to make your injuries worse.”

Alaric advised, as he slowly rose from his chair and prepared to leave the room.

”Get some rest. I’ll send the nurse in to check on you.”

With those words, Duke Alaric Ironveil walked towards the door, his expression remaining unusually contemplative as he departed his son’s chambers, seemingly still preoccupied with the troubling implications of everything Gary had told him.