Talia stared at him for a few monts, her brows wrinkling in confusion.
Xander Gray wanted to talk to her. That alone was enough to pique her curiosity.
Knowing who the elusive youth was, she’d be a fool to refuse to listen to what he had to say.
"Of course, what would you like to talk about?"
Xander’s reputation certainly preceded Jim. Despite not hailing from any of the illustrious Great Houses, he’d beco the student council president of one of the most prestigious assassin Academies in the world. And the Pyreptar academy no less.
That alone spoke volus about his skill and Talent.
Very few other youths his age could boast of the sa feats, even in the other Academies around the world.
As though that weren’t enough, he was also one of the youngest novices in history, at just sixteen years old.
The period of apprenticeship usually lasted several years, during which apprentices learned from their masters. Soon after, the apprentices returned from Tenebris.
Maestros would single out Talented aspirants that they considered worth their ti and were bound to carry on their legacy from a batch of nurous returning aspirants. What followed was mind-wrecking, brutal training that pushed the apprentices past the limits of their bodies, forcing their bodies to adapt to the flow of umbralis within them. Reforging and reshaping them into literal weapons in human skin.
But despite the strenuous and hellish training, Xander Gray successfully managed to complete it in record ti.
"While this may seem abrupt and most definitely out of the blue, I have a proposal for you."
Several of the youths in the courtyard were now focused on the two figures.
"The ice princess..."
" ...and the student council president..."
Despite the strict upbringing, the scions were the sa as all other teenagers when it ca to gossip.
"What do you think they’re talking about..."
"...do you think..."
Talia’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"What kind of proposal do you have?"
Xander leaned in slightly and whispered.
"I’m assembling a squad. I would like for you to be a part of my team for the upcoming academy Veilrend gas."
"The Veilrend Gas...what..."
The mory of that afternoon in the cafeteria quickly resurfaced in her mind.
"The gas...While I wasn’t completely paying attention to what Emily said, I vaguely rember her ntioning them.
In the anti, the whispers around them only grew louder.
"What is he doing?"
With his enhanced hearing, Xander could imdiately hear what the whispers were about.
A slow, mischievous smirk spread across his face.
"Idiots..."
Tali, too, noticed the commotion but her poker face remained impeccably intact.
Choosing her words evenly, she spoke.
"I’m not so sure about these Veilrend gas. Sure, I’ve heard of them, em but I think soone at your level would be better suited to deal with this kind of thing."
Xander’s smile only grew wider, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous light.
"No, I think you’re just perfect. In fact, I’ll personally prepare you for the gas. What do you think?"
Talia stared at him for a few monts,nts then let out a sigh.
"Fine. I’ll—"
"Perfect!"
Xander bead, his dark eyes sparkling with excitent.
Talia’s poker face almost cracked then.
"Is he supposed to be normal..."
The harsh intensity of the training often broke so of the apprentices, often fundantally changing their minds and worldview.
So it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to think that the student council president was a little unhinged.
In fact, most assassins were a little mad. They were eerily adept at masking their insanity.
"I’ll take my leave then."
" Wait..."
There was a slight pause, Xander’s smile faltering briefly,efly then fading completely.
His expression beca extrely serious.
"There’s one other person I’d like to persuade to join . But I don’t think they’ll acquiesce to my request without your intervention."
Talia frowned in question.
" And who would that be?"
"Lucian Ash. The boy who was without you earlier."
Talia’s frown darkened.
" So he noticed Lucian..."
"And what makes you think he’ll listen to ?"
Xander frowned at her question.
" You’ve fought side by side before,efore yes? You, Lucian Ash, Morgan Thane, Cassius Wulfric, Emily Whizen, and Samantha Grenfell...there was one other...Amanda..."
Talia fought the urge to draw back.
"He’s remarkably well-inford,ord," she thought, becoming even warr of the now smiling youth.
Talia nodded, pursing her lips slightly.
" Then he’ll definitely agree to your request."
Talia’s eyes widened.
" What logic is that..."
Letting out a weary sigh, she nodded.
" Fine. I accept. I’ll try to convince him."
Xander offered her a slight bow.
"Thank you for your ti, he said with a blinding smile.
Talia stared at him for a few monts, nodded, then promptly spun on her heel and strode off.
Several murmurs and gasps rippled through the students.
That’s the ice princess for you."
" Oh my God, what was that about..."
" Do you think..."
****
"No, I’m not interested.
The next day, when Talia approached Lucian with Xander’s proposal, he listened to her in silence for a few monts then rejected her outright.
"Predictable..."
But what was even more intriguing was how Xander had known that Lucjan would refuse.
Talia stared at the russet-eyed boy in front of her with an expression of utter exasperation.
" Please..."
"Nope."
Lucian lazily cupped his hands behind his head.
" I have nothing to gain from this, and that’s certainly suspicious. Why would he pick a bunch of second years? What are we even..."
Lucian was referring to the fact that the Survivors of the dark maestro incident were having special classes separately from the rest of the school, yet technically, they were second years.
He let out a sigh, shaking his head slightly.
"It’s too suspicious for . He has several options; he’s better off picking those closer to becoming novices. Not to ntion all the unwanted attention I would be getting."
"But—"
Lucian raised a hand.
"Listen, Talia, I’m not doing it and that’s that."
Talia let out an exasperated sigh,h leaning on the giant workbench.
" Won’t you at least consider it..."
" Shuuush.hh" Emily raised a hand to her lips. quietly gesturing towards Rundrik Ember’s muscular fra.
The professor was slowly approaching the table.
Rundrik’s eerie orange eyes focused on her completely, the air around him subtly humming with a faintly palpable heat.
"Miss Varas, is there anything you’d like to share with the rest of the class?"
Currently, their group was noticeably missing a mber.
Rundrik was aware of the circumstances behind Morgan’s disappearance in Teneb,ris but he had not taken any action to replace Morgan and Amanda.
Fortunately, Talia had decided to study weaponsmithing, with rules being bent slightly because of the Dark Maestro incident allowing her to switch courses.
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