Chapter 92 Wonderland Candy
ARDEN
Again, like how I felt in her office at the United Factions, I felt light. Her counseling room in this office was a far cry from
a practicing politician. Thin bo. Stiff wooden panels and pristine files one would expect from
curtains let sunlight filter in through delicate embroidery,
a potted plant in the corner looked like it had been watered diligently, and two mismatched chairs rested near her desk. Everything about the space felt strange and gentle at the same time.
I didn’t feel as if I had walked into a trap, and that surprised me more than anything. I sat down slowly, careful not to rearrange the scattered papers on her desk. The walls displayed her certificates and commendations, and a small photo frame on a shelf captured a much younger Bethany smiling. She looked like someone who had once known a great deal of joy.
Bethany closed the door behind her and gave me a look before sighing. I swung my feet because the chair was too high, and she sighed even deeper.
me
“You really are a kid,” she scoffed as she sat across from me. “So? What now? Did you bring some kind of evidence? Don’t tell me you came all this way to whine about the system. Trust me, I’ve heard far too many anecdotes.”
I pressed my lips together and cleared my throat. “Before anything else… are you really sick?”
She appeared visibly taken aback. “What?”
“I mean–someone told me that you’re dying,” I said quickly. “If that’s true, maybe I shouldn’t be burdening you with something so heavy. I’d feel terrible sharing all this with someone on their deathbed.”
Bethany stared at me as if I had grown two heads. Then she clicked her tongue and looked away. “I’m not dying,” she muttered. “I have hypertension and pre–diabetes.”
“Oh,” I said, my shoulders loosening. “Comorbidities.”
“Excuse me?”
“Nothing. So it’s something you can live with,” I mumbled. “Why aren’t you running for a third term, then?”
Bethany didn’t respond right away. She leaned back, her hands folding in her lap as her eyes
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scanned the ceiling. When she finally spoke, her voice was sterner. “There comes a point where you just get tired,” she murmured. “For two decades, I did this for Fenra. I fought. I gave everything. And in the end…” Her words trailed off.
“I’ve done enough,” she said more firmly, her jaw tightening. “I didn’t even get to live it for myself.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. She wasn’t asking for comfort. Still, something in her voice made me want to offer it, anyway. I leaned forward, my eyes scanning the desk until something colorful caught my attention.
My eyes widened. “Wait, are those the Wonderland candies?”
I had seen them in her office at the United Factions. I really wanted to snag a piece, but I controlled myself because I knew I was trespassing back then.
Bethany narrowed her eyes, clearly not expecting the subject change. “You know about these?”
“Yeah,” I said, grinning. “They’re candy from the North, right? They mix all kinds of licorice into one. I really like them.”
“You like them?” she asked, suspicious.
“I know. Not a lot of people do,” I said, laughing softly. “My mom said that’s why they went bankrupt. People didn’t prefer the taste. But I really liked them when I was younger. I was sad when I found out they stopped selling them.
Bethany didn’t speak. She just stared at me. Then, with a strange look on her face, she picked up the tin and handed me one. I accepted it gratefully and popped it into my mouth, humming at the familiar taste.
It was just as I remembered–sweet and fragrant.
Bethany’s face hardened again. “Now,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “What did you really come here for?”
I swallowed the candy. Her tone told me that time was running out.
“I don’t have much time,” she added. “I have a client coming in ten minutes.”
I took a deep breath. Then I started talking.
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“I want to tell you everything,” I said quietly. “I trust you. I think I need to trust you the most.”
Her eyes narrowed as she watched me. But she didn’t interrupt, so I reached into my bag and pulled out a copy of the hard drive I stole from Winters‘ office.
“This is from Mr. Winters‘ computer.”
Her eyes tightened the moment she saw the label. “Where did you get this?”
I hesitated for one heartbeat too long. Then she sighed, and something in her clicked. “You sneaked into his office? That’s why I caught you at that time?” Panic shot up my spine. I sat up straighter. “Please overlook it just this once,” I rushed. “Just look at it first, please.”
I pushed the hard drive toward her. “This isn’t about me. This is about what’s happening inside that school. It’s a bunch of videos from Elite students, and he’s distributing them to higher–ups for an outrageous price. To feed… their own fantasies.”
She stared at the device sitting on the table between us.
“Have you heard about this before?” I asked, my voice sounding smaller.
“I’ve heard,” she finally said. “About the point system. The extra credit students receive for mating. While I’ve always thought it was… unconventional, I suppose one could argue that bonding with your fated pair is part of a werewolf’s natural development. Maybe it encourages healthy pairing.”
“But that’s not what’s happening,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s not that pure. Students are gaming the system. They’re using each other to rack up points, even if they’re not fated. Those who graduate at the top–those with the most points–end up in the United Factions. They gain positions of power and prestige. It’s all tied to their rankings.”
Bethany frowned deeper. “Those who graduate at the top of the class are the best,” she replied firmly. “That’s how the system works.”
“They’re the best,” I insisted, “only because of this point system.”
Then I reached into my bag again and pulled out the tattered journal. I handed it to her slowly. “This belonged to a student who went missing. It was hidden in a library near the school.”
She took it but didn’t open it right away.
“And there’s a cabin in the woods,” I added. “It has three skeletons inside. The scent markers
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but the place… it belongs to Mr. Winters. His name was written on the wall of the
are gone, basement.”
Bethany’s voice remained calm. “Do you have any proof he owns that cabin?”
“I… no.” I looked away. “Not enough to hold up in court. But the videos on that drive are his. They show Elite students, Miss Spirit. They are being distributed without their consent.”
Her fingers clenched around the journal.
“I know this isn’t enough,” I admitted. “But I hope you still believe in me. I wouldn’t be risking this–any of this–if it wasn’t real. I know you’re busy, and I understand there’s too much on your plate. But something’s slipping through the cracks. Please. I’m not asking you to arrest him tomorrow. I’m just asking you to look deeper. To see what I’ve seen.”
Bethany stared at me for a moment, and I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Her face remained neutral, her breathing steady.
So I reached into my bag one more time.
“This,” I said, setting down a thick folder, “is everything I wrote down last night. A complete breakdown of how we could dismantle what he’s built.”
Bethany’s eyes flicked to the folder.
“I know I’m just a student. But I studied him. This could work, but we need you. We can’t do this without someone like you. The foundation of all of this is having you on our side.”
I opened my mouth to say something else when I heard a quiet thud.
Something had fallen out of my bag.
I turned quickly–and my heart skipped a beat.
It was that small locked treasure box. The one I found in the woods during our semestral
youling it in there but I must have just stuffed it in last minute
You’ve got your reading rewards; tap the
them
Does this book fit your cultural background?
on the right top of the j
Tarked, rising to her feet so fast that her chair screeched back
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are gone, but the place… it belongs to Mr. Winters. His name was written on the wall of the basement.”
Bethany’s voice remained calm. “Do you have any proof he owns that cabin?”
“I… no.” I looked away. “Not enough to hold up in court. But the videos on that drive are his. They show Elite students, Miss Spirit. They are being distributed without their consent.”
Her fingers clenched around the journal.
“I know this isn’t enough,” I admitted. “But I hope you still believe in me. I wouldn’t be risking this–any of this–if it wasn’t real. I know you’re busy, and I understand there’s too much on your plate. But something’s slipping through the cracks. Please. I’m not asking you to arrest him tomorrow. I’m just asking you to look deeper. To see what I’ve seen.”
Bethany stared at me for a moment, and I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Her face remained neutral, her breathing steady.
So I reached into my bag one more time.
“This,” I said, setting down a thick folder, “is everything I wrote down last night. A complete breakdown of how we could dismantle what he’s built.”
Bethany’s eyes flicked to the folder.
“I know I’m just a student. But I studied him. This could work, but we need you. We can’t do this without someone like you. The foundation of all of this is having you on our side.”
I opened my mouth to say something else when I heard a quiet thud.
Something had fallen out of my bag.
I turned quickly–and my heart skipped a beat.
It was that small locked treasure box. The one I found in the woods during our semestral break. I didn’t even remember putting it in there but I must have just stuffed it in last minute while packing.
I reached out to grab it.
But Bethany’s voice cracked like a whip.
“Why do
you
have that?” she barked, rising to her feet so fast that her chair screeched back
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Chapter 92 Wonderland Candy
against the wooden floor.
I froze.
My hand hovered just above the box.
Her face had gone pale.
“Why,” she repeated, “do you have that box?”
–
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