Chapter 72

The hallway thundered with the sound of footsteps as Gale and I tore after Emily and Bell. My heart raced—not just from the sprint but from the embarrassment simmering inside me. The thought of that moment in the storage room, potentially caught on camera and exposed to the academy, made me want to crawl into a hole.

"Emily! Bell! Stop right now, or I swear you'll regret it!" I yelled, my voice a mix of anger and desperation.

Emily threw a glance over her shoulder, her face lit with amusement. "You're going to have to catch us first, Aleena!"

Bell waved the camera mockingly in the air, adding, "Yeah, this footage is priceless! We might just sell it!"

"Ugh, they're so dead," Gale growled under his breath, his jaw tightening as he pushed himself to run faster.

The chase spilled from the storage wing into the academy's training yard, drawing the attention of students practicing their drills. They paused mid-session, some cheering or laughing at the spectacle unfolding before them. My frustration only deepened as whispers of curiosity and amusement spread through the crowd.

"Don't let them out of sight!" Gale shouted, leaping over a low obstacle.

"I know!" I snapped, veering left to intercept their path.

Emily and Bell were fast, darting toward the archery range. Gale and I exchanged a quick glance and silently agreed to flank them.

I pivoted sharply to cut off their escape route, my eyes narrowing as I zeroed in on their every move. Amid the chaos of the chase, I caught a faint, melodic humming sound—soft and distant, almost unnoticeable. I shook it off, focusing on the task at hand.

Gale reached the other end of the range, positioning himself like a wall. "You're cornered! Hand it over!"

Emily grinned mischievously and, in one fluid motion, nocked a blunt arrow. She fired it at a barrel near Gale's feet. The barrel toppled, spilling a cascade of sandbags that tumbled into his path.

"Seriously?!" Gale barked, stumbling but managing to stay upright.

"Nice one, Emily!" Bell cheered, grabbing her arm to pull her along.

My teeth clenched as adrenaline surged through me. If Gale couldn't stop them, I had to.

I muttered a quick incantation, channeling magic into my legs. The air around me shimmered as I activated a light-speed dash spell, propelling myself forward in a blur. In an instant, I cut in front of Emily and Bell, blocking their escape.

"End of the line," I said, my voice low and steady, though my chest heaved from exertion.

Emily skidded to a halt, her bow falling to her side. Bell, however, wasn't ready to give up. She clutched the camera tightly, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"What are you gonna do? Fight us?" Bell taunted.

"Try me," I replied, letting a faint magical aura flicker around my fists.

Before Bell could respond, Gale appeared behind them, brushing sand off his uniform. "You two are trapped. Give us the camera, and this ends now."

Emily sighed, lowering her bow. "Fine, fine, we were just playing around."

"Locking us in a storage room and recording us isn't playing around," I snapped, my voice sharp with irritation.

Bell hesitated, her confidence faltering. She glanced between me, Gale, and the camera in her hand. Finally, she raised her chin defiantly. "Okay, we'll delete it... but only on one condition."

I folded my arms. "What condition?"

"You have to admit you were about to kiss Gale," Bell said, her grin returning with a vengeance.

I froze, my face instantly heating. Gale, beside me, looked equally horrified.

"That's ridiculous!" I barked, taking a step forward.

"Was it, though?" Emily teased, raising an eyebrow.

"This isn't up for debate," Gale interjected, his tone sharp and commanding. "Hand over the camera, or I'll take it by force."

His sudden seriousness startled both Emily and Bell. After a tense moment, Bell sighed and extended the camera toward him.

"Fine. Spoilsport," she muttered, the playful glint in her eyes dimming.

Gale immediately opened the playback screen and began scrolling through the footage. A wave of relief washed over his face.

"It wasn't recording," he announced. "They were bluffing."

My knees almost gave out from the sheer relief. "You've got to be kidding me."

Emily and Bell exchanged awkward glances, realizing their prank hadn't gone as smoothly as they'd thought.

"Well, I guess we'll call it even," Emily said, attempting a sheepish laugh.

"Not even close," I shot back, my glare icy. "You're cleaning the storage room after this."

"And you're explaining the broken door to Teacher Ganth," Gale added, crossing his arms.

Their faces fell, but they didn't argue, shuffling back toward the storage wing with their heads hung low.

As the chaos died down, Gale and I walked back toward the training grounds in silence. The tension from earlier lingered between us, unspoken but undeniable.

"Thanks for helping me handle that," I said finally, breaking the awkward quiet.

He shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. "No problem. But... let's make sure we don't end up in that kind of situation again."

"Agreed," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks heat once more.

But even as we returned to the training grounds, I couldn't stop thinking about the storage room—the almost moment. And though I didn't want to admit it, I knew this wasn't the last time I'd feel this way.