The Villain Professor's Second Chance-Chapter 434: The Heated Council Debate

Amberine’s fists clenched at her sides, her jaw tightening as she listened. She had always known that Draven had a dark past, that he was feared for a reason. But to hear it spoken of so openly, to hear the disdain in their voices...it felt like a slap in the face. The scholars spoke with such conviction, their words laced with fear and contempt. It made her stomach turn, her emotions roiling like a storm within her. How easily people turned against someone when given the chance. How quickly they believed the worst, latching onto rumors and whispers as if they were indisputable truths.

Amberine’s heart ached with an unfamiliar defensiveness. She wanted to scream at them, to tell them that they didn’t know Draven—that they hadn’t seen the way he had fought to protect her, the way he had guided her when she was lost. But at the same time, the old anger surged back, reminding her that this was the man who had killed her father. She should want them to despise him, should relish in their hatred. Yet, all she felt was confusion and a pang of something else—something like guilt.

Was she betraying her father by even considering that Draven might be innocent?

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She shook her head, forcing herself to move away from the group, her hands trembling as she tucked them into the folds of her robe. She needed clarity, needed answers that she couldn’t find by listening to the whispers of those who didn’t understand. These people only knew what they wanted to know. They spoke of Draven’s ruthlessness, his cold demeanor, as though it defined his entire being. They didn’t see what she had seen. They didn’t know him.

She walked down the dim corridor, her footsteps echoing softly in the silence, her mind a swirling mix of doubt and determination. As she passed a group of students, their conversation caught her attention, their voices hushed but urgent.

"Did you hear?" one of them whispered, a young man with wide, fearful eyes. "They say the council is deciding whether to detain Professor Draven. Chancellor Lisanor is pushing for it—says he’s too dangerous to be left unchecked."

Amberine’s breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding. Detain Draven? The thought made her chest tighten with panic. If they detained him, if they imprisoned him before she could find out the truth—she might never know. The uncertainty, the questions that haunted her, would remain unanswered forever.

Another student, a girl with a nervous expression, spoke up. "But Chancellor Kyrion is defending him. He’s saying the evidence isn’t enough, that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. It’s like the whole council is divided."

Amberine’s eyes widened, a spark of hope igniting in her chest. Kyrion was defending him. Maybe there was still a chance. Maybe not everyone believed in Draven’s guilt so easily. She had to know more, had to understand what was happening behind those closed doors where the council debated Draven’s fate.

Without thinking, Amberine turned on her heel, her heart pounding as she made her way through the winding halls of Aetherion. She knew where the council chamber was—knew it would be heavily guarded, impossible to enter. But she didn’t need to enter. She only needed to listen.

She moved with purpose, her footsteps light as she approached the council wing. The large double doors of the council chamber loomed ahead, their intricate carvings depicting scenes from Aetherion’s history. Amberine could hear muffled voices from behind the doors, the council members engaged in heated debate.

She glanced around, her eyes scanning the hallway until she found what she was looking for—an empty chamber adjacent to the council room. The door was slightly ajar, and she slipped inside, her breath coming in short, nervous gasps. The room was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of the sconces lining the corridor outside.

Amberine took a deep breath, her heart pounding as she knelt on the floor, her hands trembling slightly as she began to draw a small sigil on the stone. It was a spell she had learned during her research, a spell that allowed her to project her senses beyond physical barriers. It was risky, and she knew she could be caught if someone sensed the magic, but she had to know.

She finished the sigil, her fingers brushing over the lines as she whispered the incantation, her voice barely audible. The air shimmered around her, the sigil glowing faintly before it disappeared, the magic taking hold. Amberine closed her eyes, her senses expanding, the muffled voices from the council chamber suddenly becoming clear.

"…I cannot, in good conscience, allow this to go unchallenged," Chancellor Lisanor’s voice rang out, sharp and filled with conviction. "Draven Arcanum von Drakhan has a history—a history of ruthlessness, of decisions made without regard for the lives of others. This incident is just another in a long line of actions that prove his lack of humanity. We cannot afford to ignore this."

Amberine’s breath caught in her throat, her jaw tightening as she listened. Lisanor’s words were like a dagger, each one cutting deeper than the last. She had heard of Lisanor—respected, powerful, unyielding in her judgments. And it was clear that she was intent on seeing Draven punished.

"But the evidence is circumstantial at best," came Chancellor Kyrion’s calm, measured voice. "There are inconsistencies—gaps in the timeline, traces of magic that don’t align with Draven’s signature. We owe it to him, and to ourselves, to ensure that we do not act out of fear or prejudice. Draven is a valuable member of Aetherion. He deserves a fair inquiry, not a rush to judgment."

Amberine felt a surge of gratitude for Kyrion, his voice a beacon of reason in the midst of the chaos. He was right. They couldn’t act on assumptions, couldn’t condemn Draven without knowing the truth. She leaned closer, her senses straining as she listened.

Lisanor’s voice was cold, unwavering. "And what of his past, Kyrion? Are we to ignore the countless lives lost, the countless people who suffered under his rule as the Ruthless Earl of Drakhan? His reputation precedes him. This is not an isolated incident—it is a pattern. A pattern of destruction and disregard for life."

Kyrion’s response was swift, his tone sharp. "And yet, he has also saved lives. He has contributed to the knowledge and strength of Aetherion in ways that cannot be ignored. We cannot allow fear of his past to blind us to the person he is now. People change, Lisanor. We must give him the opportunity to prove his innocence."

The room fell into a tense silence, the weight of the debate hanging heavy in the air. Amberine’s heart pounded, her emotions a tangled mess of hope and fear. The council was divided—some siding with Lisanor, others with Kyrion. It was clear that Draven’s fate hung in the balance, that the outcome of this debate would determine everything.

Suddenly, just as the debate seemed to reach its peak, Amberine felt the floor beneath her tremble. It started as a faint vibration, then grew stronger, the very walls of the chamber seeming to shudder. The sconces flickered, the flames dancing wildly as if caught in a sudden gust of wind.

"What…?" Amberine gasped, her concentration breaking, the spell slipping away as her focus wavered.

Books fell from shelves, the floor beneath her rumbling as though an earthquake had struck. Amberine’s heart pounded in her chest, her eyes widening as she struggled to regain her footing.

And then she heard it—a voice, low and chilling, echoing through her mind, resonating with an unnatural clarity that made her blood run cold.

"I found you."

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Amberine’s breath caught, her entire body going rigid. She knew that voice—it was one she had hoped to never hear again. It belonged to one of the Devil Coffin’s members, a figure shrouded in darkness, a nightmare she had thought was far behind her.

"He’s here…" she whispered, her voice barely audible, her eyes wide with fear. The trembling of the building, the shaking walls—it wasn’t natural. It wasn’t an earthquake. It was him.

Panic surged through her veins, her heart racing as she struggled to comprehend what was happening. The council’s debate, the accusations, Draven—all of it faded into the background as the reality of her situation crashed over her like a wave.

She needed to move. She needed to warn someone.

But most of all, she needed to survive.