Darkness swallowed the Grand Hall.
Not the romantic kind.
The panic kind.
Gasps echoed, chairs scraped, and someone near the back screamed dramatically enough to deserve an award. Emergency lights flickered weakly, casting long shadows across the vaulted ceiling.
Mira's heart pounded, but her hand was steady in Adrian's.
He didn't let go.
Guards moved fast, voices low and urgent. "Everyone remain seated."
"Easy for you to say," someone muttered.
Mira leaned toward Adrian. "Tell me this isn't part of the ceremony."
"It isn't," he replied grimly. "Aristella doesn't lose power by accident."
That made her stomach drop.
A sudden clang echoed near the council platform, followed by hurried whispers. The Headmaster's voice cut through the noise, controlled but tense.
"Stay calm. Power will be restored shortly."
Seraphina's silhouette stood unnaturally still at the front row.
Watching.
Waiting.
Mira narrowed her eyes.
The emergency lights brightened. Screens flickered back to life one by one. Murmurs rose as the voting interface reappeared, frozen mid-count.
Mira's name still glowed at the center.
The Headmaster turned sharply toward the council. "What happened to the system?"
A technician whispered frantically. "The vote was interrupted. Someone accessed the controls."
The hall erupted.
"Sabotage?"
"Was the vote altered?"
"This is outrageous!"
Mira felt Adrian's grip tighten, not possessive, not commanding. Protective.
Seraphina finally stood.
"How unfortunate," she said smoothly. "Such chaos only proves how unstable this situation has become."
Mira scoffed. "Funny. Chaos seems very convenient for you."
Seraphina's gaze flicked to her, cool and dismissive. "Careful, Lucky Star. Accusations without proof are dangerous."
Adrian stepped forward. "So is interference in an official vote."
The room went quiet.
Seraphina smiled thinly. "Are you accusing me, Your Highness?"
"I'm saying," Adrian replied evenly, "that someone didn't want the result known."
The technician swallowed. "The tally was almost complete."
Mira's pulse raced. "Almost?"
"Yes," he said. "The result was… leaning one way."
"Which way?" Leo demanded.
The Headmaster raised a hand. "Enough. The integrity of this vote has been compromised. It will be postponed."
A chorus of protests exploded.
"That's not fair!"
"She deserves to know!"
"Finish it!"
Mira felt something sharp twist in her chest.
Postponed meant uncertainty.
Uncertainty meant pressure.
Pressure meant mistakes.
She released Adrian's hand and stepped forward.
"No," she said.
The word cut cleanly through the noise.
All eyes turned to her.
"I won't wait," Mira continued. "If you don't trust your system, then trust your people."
She scanned the hall. "If you think I don't belong here, say it. If you think I do, say that too. But don't hide behind darkness and delays."
Silence fell again.
The Headmaster studied her for a long moment.
Then she nodded once. "Very well."
She turned to the hall. "Those in favor of Mira Lawson remaining at Aristella, stand."
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Then Leo stood.
Then another student.
Then another.
A ripple spread, hesitant, uneven, but growing. Some nobles remained seated, arms crossed. Others stood slowly, conflicted.
Mira counted without meaning to.
It was close.
Painfully close.
The Headmaster turned. "Those opposed, stand."
Chairs scraped. A smaller but still formidable number rose.
The room felt split down the middle.
The Headmaster inhaled. "By academy protocol, the deciding voice rests with, "
She stopped.
Turned.
Looked directly at Prince Adrian.
Mira's breath caught.
Seraphina stiffened.
Adrian stepped forward, face calm, eyes resolute.
"I vote," he said clearly, "for her to stay."
The hall exploded.
Seraphina spun toward him. "You can't, "
"I can," Adrian said. "And I will."
The Headmaster nodded. "Then the decision is made."
She raised her voice. "Mira Lawson will remain at Aristella Institute."
Applause broke out, louder this time. Real. Messy. Human.
Mira stood frozen.
She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until it rushed out of her.
Adrian turned to her. Their eyes met.
"You're not going anywhere," he said quietly.
She swallowed. "Looks like I'm stuck with you."
A ghost of a smile touched his lips.
Seraphina's expression hardened into something dangerous.
This wasn't over.
As the hall slowly emptied, the adrenaline drained from Mira's limbs. She exhaled shakily.
Adrian lingered beside her. "You were brave."
She scoffed. "I was angry."
"Sometimes," he said, "that's the same thing."
She looked at him then, not the crown, not the title.
Just him.
And for the first time, she wondered what staying would truly cost.
Because she had won the vote.
But she had also drawn a line.
And Aristella never forgot those.