"Don't tell you've skipped all your classes up until now?" Jas asked, raising an eyebrow in genuine surprise.
Angel, seated beside him, shook her head. "I don't skip all classes, just the practical ones. Fighting's not really my thing. But I do attend so classes—like History. That one's not boring."
"History, huh? Do you happen to know a professor nad Norman Columbus?" Jas leaned in slightly, interested.
Angel nodded. "Yeah, he's my History professor."
Jas let out a sharp laugh. "This has got to be fate!"
It was the teacher he had to kidnap to brainwash before giving the empty body to Gin after all.
At that mont, the two sat comfortably in one of the hidden nooks of the Ocryphia Academy, widely regarded as the best in the Auarion. Both Angel and Jas, Elite students of the academy, were shalessly skipping their classes while enjoying the rare tranquility of their shared spot.
Jas sprawled lazily on a wide stone alcove bench, arms folded behind his head and legs casually crossed. There was just enough room behind Angel, who sat upright next to him, her posture relaxed but composed.
"Fate?" Angel turned her head slightly to glance back at Jas, who was grinning from ear to ear.
"Absolutely. The next ti you have History class, let know. I'm a total history buff," Jas said with a smile.
"I'm a Fourth Year?" Angel replied.
"And?" Jas replied with a shrug. "We're best friends, rember? That's the kind of bond where we hang out regardless of classes."
Angel stared at Jas before opening her lips. "Do best friends keep secrets from each other?"
"Of course not," Jas replied without hesitation.
Angel shifted her position, leaning over him, her face suddenly inches from his. Her deep, dark eyes locked onto his with quiet intensity, her long dark hair brushing lightly against his cheeks. Jas didn't flinch—if anything, he looked more amused, his signature slight smirk lingering on his face.
"Then why are you hiding things from ?" She asked staring down at him.
"Hiding things? ? I'd never dream of it, Angel."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, searching his expression. "I don't know what it is, but your thoughts are impossible to read. You don't show anything—not even a hint—in your expressions."
"Maybe…" Jas whispered softly. "I'm just an open book with invisible ink."
Angel leaned closer, her lips brushing just against Jas' ear as she whispered. "Don't ever think of manipulating , Jas."
Despite her often-naïve appearance, Angel was anything but oblivious.
Jas smirked, whispering back, his lips grazing her ear. "I wouldn't dream of it."
He wasn't lying. Jas never underestimated Angel. In fact, she was the one student that Ivan truly considered, more so even than Travis, the so-called protagonist of the novel. Angel possessed a potential on par with Luna-Evelyn, though her brilliance shone in an entirely different way. That alone earned Jas' consideration.
Before either could say more, hushed voices broke through the mont.
"L-Look at them!"
"How shaless..."
"In broad daylight—and right after class ended!"
"Do you think they skipped class?"
"Should we report them? Isn't that Lady Cattleya?"
The murmurs grew louder as a group of students erged from the nearby lecture hall, led by none other than Cattleya Starlight. From their angle, all they could see was Angel's dark hair obscuring both her and Jas' faces, leaning close enough that it looked scandalous.
Hearing the whispers, Angel slowly turned her head toward the group, her dark gaze silencing them instantly.
"L-Lady Elysphira?!"
"M-My apologies!"
"Forgive us!"
The students imdiately cowered behind Cattleya, clearly terrified of Angel, though Cattleya herself stood unmoved, her expression calm but her eyes keenly observing.
Her gaze settled on the blond hair peeking out from behind Angel. Though she couldn't see his face clearly, his relaxed, arrogant posture gave him away instantly.
As if on cue, Jas sat up, his trademark smile spreading across his face as he caught sight of Cattleya. "Isn't that Cattleya Starlight?"
Cattleya's followers imdiately perked up, their fear forgotten as recognition dawned on them.
"Oh, it's him!"
"The hottie who saved us!"
"Isn't he Lady Cattleya's boyfriend?"
"But why was he so close to Lady Elysphira...?"
"Sothing's definitely up..."
Their murmurs spiraled into frenzied speculation, drawing the attention of more students who began to gather, all curious about the scene unfolding before them.
Having enough, Cattleya's shot a glare to her followers' chatter, silencing them instantly. Then, she turned back toward Jas.
It was just his first day, and Jas had already managed to stir up trouble. But what baffled everyone—Cattleya most of all—was how he'd gotten close to Angel Elysphira of all people.
It was absurd.
Find adventures on empire
Angel was notorious for being anti-social, a girl who could make anyone uneasy with her observations. If that wasn't enough, she had a knack for blurting out her unfiltered thoughts, no matter how cutting or awkward they might be. Most people couldn't handle her, yet here Jas was, smiling as if they'd been friends for years.
Cattleya's annoyance flared at the sight of his confident smile. With a sharp turn, she pivoted on her heel to walk away.
"Who is she?" Angel asked, genuinely curious, her dark eyes following Cattleya.
Jas waved a hand dismissively. "Just so random girl who begged to save her friends once. I agreed, of course—I'm a generous man."
Cattleya's steps ca to an abrupt halt, her shoulders stiffening as her brows twitched at his words.
"The na Starlight sounds familiar," Angel murmured thoughtfully, tilting her head.
Jas shrugged. "No clue. All I know is she's filthy rich. But you're richer, aren't you?" He gave Angel a hopeful look.
Angel blinked and nodded lightly. "Hmm."
"That's my best friend for you," Jas said with a wide grin, clapping her lightly on the shoulder.
Unbeknownst to Angel, Jas was already calculating. Once he discovered how to access the Vault, Cattleya would beco irrelevant to him. Angel, however, was quickly proving to be far more valuable for the future.
anwhile, Cattleya's pride took hit after hit. Her fists clenched at her sides as she turned back toward Jas.
"Y-You! How dare you?!" She obviously snapped.
Why was Jas always like this?
Even when she said nothing, he sohow found ways to insult her. Comparing her to other girls—and she was always the one falling short! It was infuriating, like losing a competition she hadn't even entered.
"What's happening, Cattleya?"
Heads turned as Lucas Whiteford appeared, flanked by his usual entourage of loyal henchn.
"Ah, Lucas," Cattleya greeted, forcing a smile despite her earlier outburst. Her frustration lted into awkwardness—she'd just raised her voice so unsightly in front of the man she was supposed to marry soday.
"Look, it's the new guy," one of Lucas's followers sneered, pointing at Jas.
The rest of the group chuckled darkly, already closing the distance with the clear intent to intimidate him.
But their confident steps faltered as they noticed Angel Elysphira sitting beside Jas.
"Oh, are you Cattleya's crush? She's crazy about you, you know. Maybe you should give her a bit of attention—she's been on edge lately," Jas said, leaning back lazily, his arms tucked behind his head once more like he didn't have a care in the world.
"How dare you speak to Lord Whiteford like that!" One of Lucas's n barked, stepping forward. But the mont he felt Angel's gaze on him, he froze mid-step.
It wasn't like Angel was outright threatening him—she was just glancing around, curious as ever. Still, there was sothing about her aura that sent a shiver down people's spines.
"..." anwhile, Cattleya flushed a deep red at Jas's blunt comnt. She clenched her fists in anger and stord off without another word.
Lucas Whiteford, however, had his gaze locked on Jas. Unlike the others, Lucas wasn't the type to be rattled by Angel's presence. Confident in his high status, he looked down at Jas with a cold sneer.
"I don't know how a commoner like you managed to crawl your way into the Elite Class," Lucas began, his voice filled with disdain, "but you'd do well to rember your place, peasant."
Jas, far from offended, let out a booming laugh that echoed across the corridor. "Ahahaha! Oh, man, you guys are hilarious," he said, sitting up and smirking. "Seriously, do you all pass those cheesy lines down like so kind of noble heirloom? Sa words, different world. It's almost impressive."
"..."
The large corridor fell into a stunned silence, everyone frozen in disbelief at Jas's insolence.
anwhile, Jas turned to Angel as if nothing had happened. "Thank god you're not like these clowns, Angel. I knew you'd never hit with so cringe-worthy line like that." He sighed in relief.
Angel, not fully grasping the context but sensing the approval, gave him a small nod. She didn't care much about Lucas or his wounded pride, so she simply sat down and resud eating her lunch from her basket.
Ignored and outright dismissed by both Jas and Angel, Lucas's composure crumbled. His face twisted in anger, and it was clear he was monts away from attacking Jas.
"Jas Arnold Grayling."
But at that mont, a voice interrupted.
Everyone turned to see a young woman approaching. It was Eline Castell, the main teacher of the Elite First Years.
Her gaze locked on Jas. "Follow ."
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