Chapter 638

Evaline:

The first week of December arrived with two things that dominated every student’s life.

Cold.

And classes.

The temperature had dropped sharply over the past few days. Frost covered the academy grounds every morning, and everyone was anticipating the first snow of the season.

The wind that swept through the valley carried a sharp bite, though most of us barely felt it thanks to our werewolf blood.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the academic storm that had suddenly descended upon us.

Since the Christmas and New Year holidays were just around the corner, our professors had apparently decided it was the perfect moment to reveal their true colors.

Projects.

Assignments.

Reports.

Research papers.

Group work.

It felt like every professor had secretly gathered in a room and agreed on one thing – bury the students in work before the holidays.

If their goal was to make sure we didn’t get a single spare second during the break, they had certainly done their job well.

But if they thought that would stop students from enjoying the holidays… they couldn’t have been more wrong.

Because nearly everyone in the academy had reached the exact same conclusion – finish everything before the holidays even began.

And if the crowds in the library and study halls were anything to go by, the plan was already in full motion.

Every evening, those places were packed.

Students sat at long tables surrounded by books, notes, laptops, and empty coffee cups. Heated debates about history, runes, and potions echoed through the rooms, mixed with the tapping of keys and the occasional frustrated groan.

Even the quiet corners were occupied.

Everyone was working.

Everyone was determined.

My friends and I were no exception.

Every evening after classes, we gathered either in the library, the study hall, or sometimes even one of ours’ dorm common rooms to work on assignments and projects together.

And honestly?

I didn’t mind it.

In fact, I had agreed to the idea immediately when Ria suggested it, because I was really looking forward to the holidays.

Not for rest.

Not for celebrations.

But because I wanted to spend that time with my family… and help with the soul death investigation.

The last thing I wanted was to be buried under academy work while trying to deal with something that serious.

So when my friends decided we should join the mass movement of students finishing their work early, I didn’t hesitate for even a second.

It meant a few intense weeks now.

But freedom later.

And right now, that sounded perfect.

Still, my schedule had become… ridiculous.

When I wasn’t in class or studying with my friends, I was in the experiment lab – working, testing, trying, failing, trying again and then succeeding. I also kept looking for a way to heal the soul death victims.

And then came the weekends.

While most students used their weekends to relax, I spent mine at headquarters.

Working.

Paperwork.

Meetings.

Reports.

And occasionally arguing and just chilling with Elion.

Last weekend, he did mention his blind date with Selene. He told me he had a good time with her and thanked me for arranging the date.

But he didn’t say anything more than that.

There was no mention of whether they had spoken again, no mention of whether he planned to see her in the future.

And honestly, I didn’t ask either.

My role as the matchmaker had ended the moment that date happened. The rest was between the two of them.

I respected both of their personal spaces enough to not pry.

As for the question-and-answer sessions I usually had with him every Saturday… those had changed too.

Now that I had asked mostly everything I wanted to know about our bloodline, the format had shifted naturally.

It wasn’t really a question session anymore. There were just… conversations. Sometimes we talked about council matters, sometimes about pack politics, sometimes about completely random things.

And occasionally about me… and my mates.

Those thirty minutes had slowly become a strange but consistent part of my Saturdays.

But even those conversations couldn’t distract my mind from the real storm brewing beneath everything.

The soul death investigation.

Last week, River had called for a council meeting, and it was there that the witches officially joined the investigation.

Elder Morwen and Elder Penn had attended as representatives of the witches. They agreed to help the council capture the Great Evil, and eliminate it, if possible.

Just as River had promised the witches before, he kept his word. During the meeting, he didn’t reveal the secret, nor he spoke a word of the Great Evil’s true identity.

He simply presented the current situation, and what his next move was.

However, there was a problem – the witches couldn’t just appear at the academy immediately.

If a group of powerful elder witches suddenly walked onto campus, it would cause chaos.

Students would notice.

Rumors would spread.

Curiosity would spiral out of control.

And that was the last thing we needed.

So a plan was formed – to wait until the holidays.

Once the students and the teachers would leave the academy for holidays, the witches would arrive quietly and begin their search.

They would try to locate the Great Evil and take care of it just as planned.

Until then, the investigation continued quietly behind the scenes.

Elder Morwen and Elder Penn were looking for a way to completely eliminate the Great Evil. They also visited the soul dead warriors to check their condition before they started looking for a cure.

She was doing exactly what she promised.

Every time I thought about that promise, my chest tightened. Because one of those victims was someone I loved.

My mate. My Draven.

But now there was hope. Though small and fragile, but real. And every day that passed brought us one step closer to the holidays.

Closer to the moment when the witches would arrive.

Closer to the moment we would finally face the ancient nightmare hiding somewhere in the academy.

Closer to the moment that could decide everything.