Shirone’s thoughts were a whirlwind as Aveline’s gaze stayed fixed on him.
Why is she standing so close?
Why is she talking to ?
His hands fidgeted at his sides, and his heart raced.
"Relax," Aveline said, her voice calm but with a hint of amusent.
"I’m not going to bite."
"That’s… good to know," Shirone mumbled, his cheeks heating up.
anwhile, Lumia was still locked in a verbal sparring match with Kael.
"You could’ve at least told soone you were sneaking around the academy," she teased.
Kael rolled his eyes.
Shirone, finally managing to compose himself, chid in.
As he decided to help his fellow comrade.
"Kael, you should tell every move to Lumia, apparently. She seems to think it’s her business." Shirone said.
Kael turned to Shirone, a bemused expression on his face.
"Why would I do that?"kael asked.
"You should" Lumia said.
"I didn’t think I needed to report my every move to you." Kael said.
"Well, you should’ve. It’s common courtesy," Lumia retorted, her tone light but teasing.
"You’re not my girlfriend, so why would I tell you everything?" Kael said flatly, his words cutting through the playful air.
Lumia froze, her teasing deanor faltering.
A faint blush crept up her cheeks as she quickly averted her gaze, avoiding Kael’s eyes.
"I… well…" Lumia stamred, suddenly at a loss for words.
Aveline, watching the exchange with keen interest, let out a soft chuckle. "This just got interesting."
Kael’s expression softened as he turned back to Lumia and Aveline.
"Now tell why are following us." Kael asked.
Lumia sighed, her teasing smile fading slightly.
"We were genuinely curious, Kael. You and Shirone are two of the strongest students here, and when you started acting all secretive, it was hard not to wonder." She said.
Aveline nodded.
"And as a discipline president, it’s my duty to ensure there’s no foul play in the academy." Aveline said.
Kael let out a small laugh.
"Foul play? You’re the last person who should be talking about that." Kael said.
"Next ti, don’t repeat this I am letting you go this ti." kael warned.
Lumia regained so of her composure, her smirk returning though her cheeks still held a faint pink hue.
"promise, Kael." lumia said.
As the girls turned to leave, Aveline paused, glancing over her shoulder.
Her blue eyes locked onto Shirone, who was still rooted in place.
"You should work on your confidence, Shirone," Aveline said, her tone playful but with an edge of challenge.
"It’s a little… lacking."
With that, she and Lumia walked away, their laughter echoing softly in the night.
Shirone let out a long, shaky exhale.
"What just happened?" Shirone said.
Kael clapped a hand on his rival’s shoulder, grinning.
"I think you’ve got a long way to go, Shirone." Kael said.
Shirone shot him a glare.
"Says the guy who sohow manages to talk to girls without breaking a sweat." Shirone said.
Kael shrugged, his smirk fading.
"Maybe we should stick to fighting monsters for now. They’re less intimidating."
As shirone parted his way.
kael decided to train his mana control.
As Kael entered, the training hall his mind set on refining his mana control.
The hall buzzed with the echoes of tal clashing and students’ grunts, but what caught Kael’s attention was Marcus, tirelessly swinging his blade at a training dummy.
Kael chose to ignore it at first, stepping into a secluded corner to ditate.
Hours passed, and Kael erged from his trance, his mana flowing smoothly through him.
Yet, as he looked toward the training grounds, he saw Marcus still at it—his strikes growing sloppier, his movents heavier.
Kael frowned and approached.
"Hey, Marcus, why are you pushing yourself so hard? Take a break." Kael said.
"No, I’m not pushing myself," Marcus snapped without turning around, his tone sharper than Kael expected.
Kael crossed his arms, undeterred.
"What’s wrong?" Kael asked.
"Nothing. Just leave alone," Marcus shouted suddenly, spinning toward Kael with a fiery glare.
Kael stepped closer, his voice steady but firm.
"Sothing’s wrong. Tell , Marcus." Kael asked again
Marcus’s shoulders tensed as he backed away, gripping his sword like it was his only anchor.
"I said leave alone!" He lunged toward Kael, his anger spilling over.
"Just leave !"
Kael caught his wrist mid-swing, holding him in place.
"Enough," Kael said, his voice low and commanding. "Tell this instant what’s wrong."
For a mont, Marcus struggled, his breaths ragged.
Then, the fight drained from him, and his sword clattered to the ground.
Tears welled in his eyes and spilled over as his voice broke.
"My mother called today." Marcus said.
Kael’s grip loosened, but he didn’t let go. "Your mother?"
Marcus nodded, tears streaming down his face.
"I was so excited. I thought she finally… cared about . I thought maybe she wanted to see how I was doing, that maybe, just maybe, she wanted to tell she was proud of ."
Kael’s heart sank, but he remained silent, letting Marcus continue.
"But no," Marcus choked out, his voice trembling.
"The only reason she called was to remind how much I’ve failed to et her expectations. How I’ll never be good enough to carry our family’s na."
He looked up at Kael, his face a mix of anger and heartbreak.
"Do you know what it’s like to want to be loved so badly, only to realize you’re nothing but a disappointnt to the one person who should care the most?" Marcus said.
Kael let out a dry laugh, surprising Marcus.
"What’s so funny?" Marcus asked, his voice filled with bitterness.
Kael released Marcus’s wrist and stepped back, his expression unreadable.
"Marcus," he said, his tone heavy with sothing deeper.
"the desire to be loved is the last illusion we cling to. Give up on it."
Marcus blinked, stunned by the coldness of Kael’s words.
But before he could respond, Kael turned and began walking away.
"Wait," Marcus called out, but Kael didn’t stop.
Kael’s shoulders trembled slightly as he walked, his face hidden from view.
Tears welled in his eyes as mories of his previous life surged forth—the loneliness, the rejection, the pain of yearning for sothing he could never have.
"What a fool," Kael muttered to himself, his voice barely audible.
"Both of us."
And with that, he left Marcus standing alone in the dim training hall, both of them weighed down by the invisible scars they carried.
______
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