OPERATION WINTERSPINE (Strings Between Us Book 2)

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: OF BLADES UNVEILED, THE POLITICAL STRIKE

A ripple of murmurs happened again because of what he said.

Right in cue, Seb walked in. "Talking behind someone's back is rude, Saichel."

The Arista Dome doors hissed open—we weren't trapped anymore. Beside Seb, the rest of the Court stood, sharp and composed.

"Scanned the dome. Make sure no intruders have escaped. Check the students and teachers. If they're hurt, guide them to the Seraph Wing infirmary," Lyle ordered, his voice carrying over the chaos.

His eyes swept the room, fingers idly fanning the familiar obsidian cards like it was an extension of his will.

A sharp cry tore through the air.

"AAH!" A first-year junior high student shrieked.

My gaze snapped toward the source—an armed man gripping a cluster of terrified kids.

Lyle's eyes narrowed. And then... he moved. His wrist flicked—and the deck came alive.

With a single fluid twist of his wrist, the deck came alive—five cards flashed forward, each slicing through the air toward precision-marked points: the gun's trigger guard, the man's wrist, his knee joint, the comm on his ear, and the light above him.

But before the last card landed, the rest of the deck erupted, a spiraling wall of spinning blades that fanned out to cover every possible escape path.

The armed man froze mid-grip as the cards pinned his options shut—every angle sealed, every move countered.

Checkmate.

The dome erupted again.

"Those cards are lethal?" one student asked.

Seb stepped forward and snapped cuffs onto the man. "I'll take him in. We need to find out what they're really after." His gaze shifted to me. "We have to confirm who their target is—and whether someone inside the school is pulling the strings."."

He didn't wait for Lyle's reply, dragging the man away with one hand, an obsidian knife in the other.

Alexie rushed over to me. "You okay, Pres? Are you hurt?" She shook me urgently, until Xythe cut in flatly, "He's fine, Lex. He won't be if you keep shaking him."

Keryn then came, arms folding. "Bring Ari to her room, Xythe. She needs rest. She's exhausted."

Then she turned to me and tossed another obsidian card. My eyes widened once more. Was it the same obsidian card Lyle carried? Was she trying to kill me?

Keryn grinned. "Relax Pres. That's a key card. To the Eclipsa Sanctum door. Not the front door though. This is a special door just for you. Directly to the third floor. Figures you need that instead of trespassing on the rooftop."

I looked away. I should've expected that. Of course they knew what I was doing. They are probably sitting somewhere inside the Sanctum watching me trespassing.

Alexie giggled in front of me and whispered. "Yes Pres. We knew. We just let it slide."

Headmaster Antonio cancelled the event, offering apologies to the visiting school. I did the same thing—as the Student Council President.

As before everyone leaves, Dr. Elara Fenn arrived.

She stood on the podium, her voice steady but warm.
"I know what happened today was traumatizing," she began, letting her gaze sweep across the crowd before pausing on the Court. "If it hadn't been for them... who knows what could have happened to all of us."

She drew in a quiet breath, then continued.
"As Supreme Allievo Academy's resident guidance counselor and on-call psychologist, I'm offering free counseling sessions to help everyone process what happened. For those from visiting schools, I'll coordinate with your Headmasters so you can receive the same support. Consider this not only a step toward recovery, but also my way of compensating for the trouble you've endured here today."