"Ethan. Astron. Co to my office."
The mont she said and then left, a stunned silence fell over the cadets, the weight of Eleanor's abrupt appearance hanging heavy in the air.
Julia's eyes widened as she turned to Ethan, her grin quickly returning. "Well, well, Zeus," she said, her tone dripping with mock intrigue. "Looks like your private ti with Eleanor is kicking off sooner than expected."
Ethan shot her a warning look but didn't respond, the tension in his chest making it hard to focus on a coback.
At that mont, Irina turned sharply, her fiery yellow eyes locking onto Astron, who was seated a few rows back. He hadn't moved, his expression calm as ever, but his sharp purple eyes were fixed on his smartwatch, where sothing on the screen had clearly caught his attention.
Irina raised an eyebrow, her tone carefully asured. "Hmm… Don't tell ?"
The silence in the classroom stretched as Irina continued to stare at Astron, her fiery yellow eyes narrowing slightly. Her gaze flicked to his smartwatch, which he was intently focused on. Though he hadn't moved from his seat, the subtle tension in his posture was impossible to miss.
Irina's suspicion deepened as her lips parted slightly. What she was thinking, others in the room seed to be thinking too. The quiet murmur of whispers began to ripple through the cadets, and a few had already stood, walking toward Astron's desk.
Among them was the trio of girls who had shown a marked interest in Astron earlier in the sester—Tessa, Eva, and Mira. They exchanged brief glances before making a beeline for him, their curiosity evident in the urgency of their steps.
"Hey, Astron," Tessa started, her tone a mix of concern and intrigue. "What's going on? Did sothing happen?"
Eva leaned slightly closer, her eyes searching his face. "Did you do sothing? Why would Eleanor call for you like that?"
"Is she mad at you?" Mira added.
Astron glanced up, his sharp purple eyes briefly scanning the trio before he responded in his usual calm, asured tone. "I don't know the exact reason," he said simply, his voice carrying easily over the growing whispers in the room. "But I have a guess."
His answer only seed to deepen the intrigue as the three girls exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued further.
Irina's eyes remained fixed on him, her sharp instincts catching the faint flicker of thought in his expression. She followed his line of sight as his gaze shifted subtly, landing squarely on Ethan, who was still standing near the door.
Ethan, as if sensing the weight of Astron's look, turned his head and t his eyes. The silent exchange between them carried an unspoken understanding, though neither said a word.
Julia, always quick to pick up on tension, leaned toward Irina, her grin widening. "Okay, what is going on here? First Eleanor singles out Zeus, now Astron's involved, and they're having a whole silent conversation like we're not even here."
Irina didn't answer, her focus still on the two. The classroom buzzed with speculation as more cadets started to whisper theories about what could possibly connect Ethan and Astron to Eleanor's sudden summons.
Eva, not one to let things slide, leaned in closer to Astron, lowering her voice. "Your guess—does it have sothing to do with… you know… what happened earlier this sester?"
Astron didn't reply imdiately, his calm deanor unshaken. Finally, he stood, slipping his smartwatch into his pocket. "I'll know for sure soon enough," he said, his tone giving no room for further questions.
Irina's fiery yellow eyes narrowed sharply as Astron stood up, his usual calm deanor only serving to stoke her growing irritation. Her jaw tightened as she pushed her chair back with deliberate force, the legs scraping audibly against the floor. The sound cut through the hum of whispers, drawing attention to her as she rose to her full height.
The trio of girls—Tessa, Eva, and Mira—glanced her way, their curiosity briefly shifting to unease under her commanding presence. They exchanged glances but stepped aside without a word, instinctively clearing a path for her.
Astron had already begun moving toward the door, his steps asured and unhurried. Irina's fiery gaze locked onto him, and she spoke, her voice carrying a sharp edge. "Leaving already."
"Obviously," Astron replied without looking back, his tone calm but clipped.
Irina stepped forward, her arms crossing as she tilted her head slightly. "Why?"
Astron slowed his pace just enough to glance over his shoulder, his sharp purple eyes eting hers briefly. "Did you not hear what Professor Eleanor said?"
Irina's smirk sharpened slightly, though the irritation in her gaze didn't waver. "That's why I'm asking."
Astron paused for a fraction of a second, as if considering whether to respond, but then he simply turned away and continued walking, his silence speaking volus.
Already getting accustod to the way he is doing things, she just fell into step behind him, her fiery presence unmistakable as the other cadets watched the two with wide eyes and hushed murmurs. She didn't care about the spectacle they were creating; her curiosity was far more pressing.
Why him? Why now?' she thought, her fiery eyes narrowing as she studied Astron's back. She was already aware that Astron had caught Eleanor's attention earlier in the sester—her sharp instincts told her as much. But the timing of this summons, and the fact that Ethan was also involved, made her even more curious.
"Astron," she said, her voice low but firm as they exited the classroom. "Are you not going to tell anything?"
Astron glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his expression unreadable. "There's nothing to tell."
Irina huffed, her irritation bubbling just beneath the surface. "You don't think it's strange? Her summoning you like this? And with Ethan?"
Astron didn't reply imdiately, his sharp gaze flicking ahead as they walked. Finally, he said, "Partially."
"Partially?"
Astron's steps remained steady, his voice calm and asured as he replied, "You must have seen Ethan's assignnt already."
Irina tilted her head slightly, her fiery yellow eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Yep."
Astron nodded, his sharp purple eyes glinting faintly as he glanced at her. "Eleanor appears to want to be our ntor. As for why…" He paused, his gaze shifting ahead, his tone steady but thoughtful. "It's hard to say for certain. I can partially understand her reasoning—it likely has to do with our rapid advancent in the academy's ranks."
Irina raised an eyebrow, her suspicion deepening. "Rapid advancent?"
Astron nodded again, his voice remaining calm. "Ethan and I are among the few cadets who have advanced as much as we have in such a short ti. Of course, Ethan's progress is far more substantial than mine. He's climbed several ranks at an unprecedented pace."
Irina's fiery gaze bore into him, her suspicion simring beneath the surface. "And you think that's enough reason for her to take an interest in both of you?"
"It's plausible," Astron replied simply, his tone giving no room for embellishnt. "Aside from that, I don't have any other reason."
Irina's glare intensified, her fiery yellow eyes narrowing as if she could peel away his composure with her gaze alone. But Astron remained unbothered, his calm deanor as unshakable as ever.
After a mont, she exhaled sharply, her irritation flickering but not entirely fading. 'He really doesn't know anything more,' she thought, though the possibility frustrated her. It wasn't like Astron to withhold information without reason.
"I see."
Irina huffed softly.
Her fiery hair swayed with the motion, and her mind churned with possibilities as Astron made his way toward Eleanor's office.
'Professor Eleanor….What are you even trying to do?'
******
Ethan jogged lightly down the corridor, catching up to Astron with long, steady strides. The sharp sound of his boots against the polished floor echoed faintly as he closed the distance. As he drew level with Astron, he gave him a lopsided grin.
"Yo," Ethan greeted casually.
Astron glanced at him briefly, his sharp purple eyes unreadable, before giving a slight nod. "Ethan."
For a few monts, they walked in silence, the contrast between Ethan's easygoing deanor and Astron's quiet intensity palpable. Ethan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, his hazel gaze thoughtful.
"...It's been a while, hasn't it?" Ethan said finally, his tone light but tinged with familiarity.
Astron's steps didn't falter, but his gaze shifted slightly, as if weighing Ethan's words. "A while since what?"
"Since we talked like this," Ethan replied, his grin softening into a smile. "You know, without it being about so sparring session or soone trying to kill us."
Astron didn't imdiately reply, his sharp gaze fixed ahead. Finally, he said, "...I suppose it has."
Ethan chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets as they continued walking. "You don't make it easy, you know. Trying to have a normal conversation with you is like trying to scale a mountain blindfolded."
"That is….an interesting comparison." Astron didn't react to the nudge, but his tone was dry as he replied, "Annoyingly so."
Ethan laughed, the sound echoing faintly in the corridor. "I'll take that as a complint."
The silence between them stretched again, but this ti it felt less heavy, more companionable. Ethan glanced at Astron once more, his hazel eyes flicking over his calm expression.
"So," Ethan began, his voice quieter now, "any idea what this is about? Eleanor calling both of us, I an."
Astron's gaze didn't waver. "I have guesses. Nothing concrete."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Care to share?"
Astron hesitated for a fraction of a second before speaking. "Our progress. Both of us have advanced quickly compared to the others. Eleanor's interest likely stems from that."
Ethan humd thoughtfully, nodding. "Makes sense, I guess. But it's still… weird. Feels like there's more to it."
"Perhaps," Astron said simply, his tone noncommittal.
Ethan watched him for a mont, then smiled faintly. "You really don't give anything away, do you?"
"I don't see the point in speculation," Astron replied calmly.
"Fair enough," Ethan said, his tone light but edged with understanding. "But you know, it's not a bad thing to talk things out. Even if you're not sure."
Astron glanced at him briefly, his sharp purple eyes eting Ethan's hazel ones. "And what do you hope to accomplish by talking it out?"
Ethan shrugged, his grin returning. "Maybe nothing. Or maybe I'll understand you a little better."
Astron's gaze lingered on him for a mont longer before he turned his attention forward again. "...Arrogant…"
Ethan laughed again, his steps falling in sync with Astron's as they continued toward Eleanor's office. "Maybe."
For the first ti in a long while, Ethan felt a small but significant shift in the air between them. It wasn't much, but it was sothing. And for now, that was enough.
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