"That bastard…" I hissed through gritted teeth.
I shot to my feet, storming across the field, each stomp louder than the last. The Hero turned, his smug expression faltering.
"Hey, Chlo—"
I grabbed him by the collar before he could finish, yanking him forward until our faces were inches apart.
"What the fuck is your problem?" I snarled. "You could've killed him!"
He gave that same cocky smirk I hated. "What do you mean?" he said, pretending to play dumb.
"You know exactly what I mean." My voice shook with fury. "The fireball you sent at Lycos."
"That could've been anyone," he shrugged.
"Don't give me that crap!" I shot back. "I can see the pyro mana residue still clinging to you—no one else here is emitting it"
The Hero froze, his smirk faltering. "You can see—?"
I cut him off again, shouting toward the professor. "Professor! You've got mana eye art, don't you?!"
The professor stepped forward, expression sharp. With a faint glow, his eyes shifted as he scanned the area. After a moment, he frowned. "She's right," he said gravely. "You're the only one here carrying pyro mana residue."
He crossed his arms. "Attacking another student, intentionally or not, is a serious offense. Hero or not I have no other choice but to deduct points from you as well as send you to the principles right after class"
The Hero's face went pale. "Y–you can't be serious!"
"I'm dead serious," The professor replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The field went silent before erupting into hushed whispers. The "Hero," caught red-handed and humiliated by a commoner's word, could only stand there trembling.
"What a little fuck," I mumbled to myself just barely loud enough for Lycos to hear as I made my way back over to him.
Questions lingered in my mind, but it was probably better not to pry into his life.
Just as Lycos predicted, it started to rain soon after elemental arts class ended. The Hero was immediately sent off, and the rest of the day felt dreary and quiet. Most professors preferred hands-on demonstrations over long, boring lectures, so there wasn't much left to do.
I eventually found myself back in my room, sitting by the window, watching the rain trail down the glass. The rhythmic patter filled the silence, oddly calming, yet heavy with thoughts I couldn't quite untangle.
"Borrring," I sighed, lying flat on my bed.
After a long moment of staring at the ceiling, I stood up and stretched. Changing into something more comfortable—a cropped top and shorts instead of the stiff uniform—I felt a little freer. We were allowed to dress casually outside of class, supposedly to give us a "sense of freedom." Sure, whatever helps.
"Maybe I should go see Liliah," I muttered.
I left my dorm and headed over to Liliah's door, knocking quickly. There was the familiar click of it unlocking.
"Hey, Chloe," she greeted.
I smiled with a lazy wave. "I'm bored out of my mind, and the rain isn't helping. Can I hang with you?"
She nodded. "Come on in—Akaline's here as well."
I slouched slightly. "That weirdo?" I mumbled under my breath.
"You say something?" she asked.
I straightened my posture, forcing a smile. "No, nothing!"
Akaline was sitting on Liliah's bed, fidgeting with some kind of cube nothing I'd ever seen before. He glanced at me for half a second before returning to his mysterious tinkering. Was he even going to acknowledge my existence?
"Make yourself comfortable, Chloe," Liliah said, spinning lazily in her desk chair.
A few seconds of awkward silence passed before that familiar devious smirk spread across her face.
"So… what's going on with you and that one boy?" she teased.
My face went crimson. "W–what do you mean!" I stammered.
"Oh, come on, have you not heard the rumors? You and the black-haired boy—always together in class. Then what you two did to the hero?" Her smirk grew even wider. "Only a week in, and already making a play? How very unlike you."
News sure travels fast—too fast. I wanted to keep a low profile, but somehow being around Lycos made me the center of attention. I fiddled with a strand of my hair, mumbling, "Although… it hasn't been too bad."
Liliah's grin widened—she could definitely tell I was flustered.
Liliah suddenly stood up, grabbing Akaline by the collar and dragging him along as if this were just another day. He wore his usual nonchalant expression, like being hauled around by a mischievous spirit mage was completely normal.
"Stay here really quick," she said over her shoulder before disappearing out the door with him.
I stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before sighing and wandering over to her bed. Sitting down, I glanced around the room better than before. "This place is really like a forest," I muttered. Every corner was packed with plants—flowers, vines, even little glowing bulbs that looked half alive. It smelled like rain and mana here.
Minutes passed. I could faintly hear rambling outside the door, Liliah's voice, mixed with Lycos's calmer tone. Then, suddenly—
SLAM!
The door burst open.
"Go inside!" Liliah's voice commanded.
I jumped slightly, looking toward the door. My heart skipped a beat.
There he was, Lycos being literally pushed inside by Liliah. He looked as unbothered as ever, brushing off his sleeve like nothing happened.
"Are those two… close?" I wondered aloud, then immediately shook my head. "Why am I even thinking that?" I mumbled, feeling heat rise to my face.
"Me and Akaline have a couple of things to do, so I brought Lycos over to keep you company!" Liliah said with a teasing grin before scurrying out and slamming the door behind her.
Silence.
We stared at each other for longer than I'd like to admit. His red, blood-shot, wolf-like eyes locked on my very flustered face before I looked away. The air was awkward, but honestly… that was nothing new with him. Silent, oblivious, and unreadable as ever.
I decided to speak first. because if there's one thing I've learned, he's never the one to start conversations.
"Sorry that Liliah dragged you in here," I said, scratching my cheek awkwardly. "She can be… a bit mischievous sometimes. Loves teasing people—especially me."
He gave a small nod.
I frowned. "You can speak, you know."
"It's fine," he said simply. "Nothing new."
"Nothing new meaning Liliah does that all the time—we've only been here for a week—or the fact that you always get pushed around by people?"
He blinked once. "Second thing."
"Wow," I said flatly.
He just stood there by the door, completely still. His presence somehow made the silence feel heavier.
"You know there are places to sit, right?" I said, pointing to the bed. "You don't have to stand there like a lost statue."
He hesitated for a moment before finally doing as told, sitting on the edge of Liliah's bed. It was still a little uncomfortable, but at least now he wasn't staring directly at me.
Still… There was something strange about him. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Those dark particles I'd seen before, the way he moved only when prompted—almost like… like he wasn't entirely human.
I worry for him… even though I just met this guy.
I wanted to try something. I slid down off the bed to his level, sitting beside him. My face instantly went red. What am I doing!? I mumbled to myself.
"Look at me for a second," I said.
As told, he lifted his head and met my gaze.
Seconds passed then minutes. I studied him carefully. He looked exhausted, dark bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept properly in days. The light in his eyes was gone—empty, lifeless, like a walking doll. And the way he only moved when told… almost as if he were being controlled.
But if that were true, why did he listen to me?
Before I could stop myself, I reached out and gently grabbed his neck, guiding his head down onto my lap. My face burned. What the hell am I doing!?
He blinked once. "What are you doing?" he asked quietly.
"My mom used to do this for me when I couldn't sleep."
"But I—"
"Shut it and go to sleep," I cut him off.
He didn't argue. He simply closed his eyes. The room fell silent except for the faint patter of rain against the window.
There was something about him I just couldn't walk away from. Something that made my chest tighten. If I left him alone—even for a moment—I felt like something terrible might happen.
I didn't understand why I cared so much about a stranger I'd only just met. It was all so… puzzling.
I looked down to find him sleeping peacefully. A small sigh escaped me as my eyes grew heavy. Before long, I drifted off too.
Thirty minutes later…
The door creaked open. Liliah and Alkaline peeked inside.
Liliah smirked, her voice barely above a whisper. "How adorable."
"Only if cameras were invented," Alkaline said.
"A what?" Liliah tilted her head.
"Not important," he replied flatly.