(Amaia)
Kacir is discharged from the infirmary and returns to our room.
"How are you feeling?" I ask, as I finish up the written assignnt for him.
"I can speak, that’s a good sign," he answers, drinking the soup Rahria has brought him earlier.
"I am sorry for what he did?" My words make Kacir slowly smile.
"Vampires are known to be ruthless. And I don’t think Ezran is an ordinary vampire. That aura is nothing I have ever experienced before. I need to get stronger." Kacir wistfully says. He doesn’t even bla Rigel and I feel guilty that he has been hurt because of .
"Alnilam is setting up so extra drills for us soon. I swear that man is obsessed with grinding us till we bleed oil like walnuts being crushed." I gesture with my hands making Kacir laugh.
"That’s such weird imagery, Amaia. I have never seen anyone use it."
At least he is laughing; that makes my heart light. Otherwise, the burden of feeling attracted to a man who hurt my friend has been crushing .
"Well, I am weird so it goes perfectly." I stick my tongue out and roll my eyes, and he continues to laugh.
"You are not weird, you are amazing. Thank you for doing my assignnt." He points towards the papers in my hands.
"That’s the least I could do."
***
Moonball season is kicking off with the very first ga being held between our guild and Guild Pegasus. Mintaka and Alnitak are both part of the team. For the state of Orion, Moonball is not just a ga, it’s their passion. Evolved from the old world’s basketball, it had been given its own spice with the limited allowed use of powers.
Alnitak has given a detailed two-hour lecture on it, so I can enjoy it to the fullest, although I am aware of the ga. Tarian and his buddies used to play it.
I didn’t interrupt Alnitak when he did, enjoying his enthusiasm for the ga.
Kacir, Rahria and I arrive at the playground where the ga is to be played. Tiered rows of seats rise above the playground, with a hollow, sheltered space of pillars and shadows underneath. We climb the wooden stairs and take the top row.
The play area is about 100 ters in length, with a pole at each end, and hanging from it is a basketball hoop.
A popcorn stand has been set up, and its warm buttery sll fills the air.
We settle down in the wooden stands with the rest of the Guild Leo and Serpen.
"Hey!" Cristo greets . He is my partner in Jamina’s class.
"Hey! Here to enjoy the ga?" I ask, while he settles down beside .
"My sister dragged out or I would have been sleeping," he lazily answers, extending his paper popcorn bucket towards . I accept a handful and pop them into my mouth.
"...Thank you!" My eyes drift to his sister, Caria. She is holding the arm of another recruit from Serpens and leaning onto him. They are not mates, Cristo had told before but she likes to hang out with any guy she can find.
Cristo and Caria haven’t found their mates yet.
Even our ntors and the Principal have co out to watch the first match, and I watched them sitting in the high stand on the opposite side of us.
"I will grab so popcorn. You guys want so?" I ask, Rahria and Kacir.
Both of them have started to sit together. Though they don’t speak that much, Kacir doesn’t remain that rigid in her presence and she no longer pushes him or shouts at him.
Silence speaks louder than words.
Baby steps, I guess, and I hope that it works between them.
Rahria has brought out so beer bottles and she waves one at .
"Nah! I am good."
"I will have so," Kacir softly says and I nod at him.
I have my coin purse in my jeans pocket. Every month, we are given an allowance of 30 gold coins, 50 silver coins and 100 bronze coins by the Academy to spend on ourselves, which is ample enough to last us a month.
The seats have a vast empty space underneath them. I descend the stairs and walk underneath the dark vast space of the sitting area.
Sothing rushes past like a gust of cold wind, and the next thing I know, I am pinned against an inner pillar of the seats, away from the sight and light.
My breath is lodged in my lungs at the speed my body has been moved, my hair flies whipping at my face.
The misty scent of Rigel invades my senses. My eyes focused to find him looming over , watching with the burning intensity of two volcanoes.
He is barely breathing, his nostrils flared, the muscles and veins stretched against the tight black t-shirt he is wearing.
Without thinking I place my hands on his sunken cheeks, rubbing my thumbs so he could relax.
"What’s wrong?" I quizzically ask.
And he continues to stare at , his gaze burning with raw yearning.
"You are. I can’t eat, sleep. No blood tastes like yours and then I can’t have you, only watch you sitting with other n."
Not only are his words desperate but there is an ache in them which hurts my soul.
His shadows, which dance against his skin, collect around his neck and face and propel backwards, forming two distinctive wings. Like a looming black gelled curtain about ten feet high and equally wide, they wave behind him, covering so no one can see us.
srising how his shadows move and work.
In the dungeon, I made the promise to be there for him. The desperation he exudes couldn’t be fake. I can’t put him through what I am already experiencing.
Our fates are tied, whether I like it or not. And we are more similar to each other than he could even believe.
Sliding my hand slightly I press my wrist against his soft lips.
"Then drink, I never forbade you."
Ragged breath he snatches in, greedily grabbing my wrist and keeping it against his nose and lips.
"You can drink whenever you want, Rigel. I won’t stop you, but you won’t hurt the people close to . Agree to this and my blood is yours."
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