Noble had felt the emotions of the people outside suddenly shift. It went from a pebble to a landslide of anger in a blink. The professor rushed to stem the tide of anger boiling over on the front lawn.
What she found not only upset her; it ignited something deep in her soul.
Now, a couple dozen teens were floating at various levels above her, and three princesses were viewing their tour guide with wariness.
Noble's eyes were like two pools of fury.
"Dismiss your weapons. All of you!"
A wave of fear passed across the company to punctuate the teacher's demand.
Sparks filled the air as blades and other implements of destruction returned to their owners' Soul Seas.
"Who started this?" Noble's voice was even.
All fingers pointed to a single source. The young woman with two thick braids. She attempted to scramble away, using every swimming technique she knew to move through the air.
Instead, her body moved against her will toward the professor until she was facing Noble.
"Name?"
The girl pointed her toes to try and gain purchase on the ground, but the dirt was a millimeter too far below her feet.
As much as she wanted to run, there was no escape. She would have to answer the teacher.
"Nora, ma'am."
Noble knew from the girl's emotional spike that she wasn't being completely honest.
The professor tilted her head.
"Nora?"
"Genora, ma'am. I-I forgot the Gen!" The young woman seemed to have abandoned her desire to deceive. That was good.
"Sleeper Genora," Noble repeated. "It seems you have caused quite a stir here. Would you tell me what happened?"
"I can!" Lumi raised her hand only for Mei to force it down again.
The professor's attention was suffocating, and neither Mei nor Yuma wanted it directed at them.
Genora gulped. "I was just asking about what happened to Lady Changing Star."
"Why would these girls know anything about what happened to Lady Nephis? Were they there?" Noble raised an eyebrow.
Genora looked away. "I'm not sure, but…"
"Indeed, they were not. I know because I was there, and there were no mundane people or Sleepers anywhere nearby."
Noble's statement caused a small flurry of whispers. While there had been rumors, Noble had never spoken publicly about the event after the day it happened. The news caught the students by surprise, stunning them momentarily.
"That's right," she nodded. "So instead of pestering three new girls at the school who have just as much idea what happened as you do, come to the source and ask me. What made you think they would have the answers you sought?"
Genora lifted her chin. "They are from Song; I saw them this morning with Beastmaster myself! I heard her call them her sisters."
"And that would suddenly make them experts on what happened with Lady Nephis?" Noble arched her brow.
"Silent Stalker..."
"Denies the claim, as did these ladies, I am sure." The professor noted the princesses nodding out of the corner of her eye. "How would you feel if your family member were accused of the most atrocious crime, and you were asked to answer in their stead? Would you like it?"
"N-no..." Genora shook her head.
"No, and you shouldn't like it. Keep that in mind going forward." Noble raised her voice. "What happened to Changing Star is horrific, but you hurting someone else because of it does not solve the problem. It causes a new one. The Academy is where each person is assessed based on their own character and merit, not who their family is. I do not want to ever hear of a person being attacked on this campus based on their affiliation. If you turn on someone because of what you believe someone they know did, then the next time the tide could turn against you."
There was silence for a moment as the floating Sleepers contemplated her words.
"There will be peace and camaraderie at the Academy." The professor furrowed her brow. "Do I make myself clear?"
To punctuate her point, Noble sent another jolt of fear into those around her. It wasn't much, but it got her point across.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Never again, ma'am."
"Whatever you say!"
'Time to rein it in.' Noble had let her presence loose to subdue the students, but now, with the help of her bracelets, she retracted her aura to be a Master once more. As she did so, she siphoned the students' residual anger, frustration, and fear, leaving compassion behind instead.
The students blinked as if coming out of a dream. What had they done?
None of them would have been so foolish on their own. They weren't legacies. While some had come from Ravenheart or Bastion, most were average residents of the NQSC or other parts of the waking world.
They weren't accustomed to spilling human blood. So, how had they come so close to attacking three of their fellow students?
"We're sorry!"
"Please forgive us!"
"It won't happen again!"
Noble nodded slowly. "I should hope not, because if it does, expulsion from the school will be the least of your worries. Do you think Queen Ki Song will take kindly to her daughters being hurt?"
A new panic swept over the crowd. None of them had any hope when facing off against an angry Sovereign. They had no backing of their own. The Queen would squash them like insects.
Genora seemed to realize this a moment after the rest. Her eyes welled with tears. "I'm sorry!" she cried.
"Don't apologize to me." Noble shook her head. "Apologize to them."
"I am sorry!" She repeated, this time to Yuma, Mei, and Lumi.
Lumi stepped forward with a dangerous look in her eye. Unable to run, Genora held up her hands. "Please, mercy! I beg of you!"
The small princess raised her hand. "I won't tell Mother just this once, but only if you never accuse Silent Stalker ever again."
Genora nearly went cross-eyed looking at the smaller girl's wagging finger.
"Yes. You have my word!" Genora's tears were flowing freely.
"I know you mean what you say." Noble folded her hands. "But make sure you keep your promise. That goes for all of you. Let this be a close call that will not be repeated."
The grief coming from the Sleepers was genuine. But their anger and outrage had belonged to them as well.
Noble had found their sudden outburst upsetting and unsettling. Was this how their year would go?
Not on her watch! Events like this were why she needed to get her ideas before the Provost as soon as possible.
"What's all this?" Rock exited the building with a student by his side. The young man hadn't been part of the group that had attacked and instead had gone for help.
"Just a misunderstanding between students." Noble lowered the dangling feet to the ground.
The Sleepers let out sighs of relief to be back in control of their own bodies.
"It's all been sorted now, but if you would like a summary, perhaps Sleeper Genora would like to fill you in."
"Everything is fine, Instructor Rock!" Genora nodded. "We were just learning how to become better students at the Academy. Thank you, Professor."
Noble was surprised to find that the gratitude was genuine.
"I will see you around, Dreamer Yuma, Dreamer Mei, and Dreamer Lumi. Sorry again about the misunderstanding."
Noble watched the crowd disperse, many of them mumbling similar sentiments as they passed the three girls who had been the center of attention.
Noble released a relieved sigh.
Maybe there was hope for peace in the confines of the hallowed walls after all… At least for a little while.
Noble looked at Rock, a small smile forming on her face. The man was ready to knock some heads together, but thankfully, he didn't have to.
She gave him a meaningful look.
'I'll explain later…'
With that, she turned to the Princesses. "Where were we? Oh yes, the tour. Shall we continue?"