Velenda’s erald eyes sparkled, her radiant smile unwavering as she nodded at Alex’s claim of readiness for hoverball, her voice bright and encouraging.
"That’s good," she said, her chirpy tone cutting through the lively hum of Starhaven Academy’s crowded hall, where students swirled in a vibrant chaos, their tunics flashing under the morning sunlight streaming through stained-glass windows.
Her raven-black hair shimred, her supermodel beauty a constant distraction, but Alex’s focus held, his red eyes locked on her, though his mind churned with dread about the upcoming hoverball ga.
Her hand still rested lightly on his arm, her touch warm, grounding, yet amplifying the pressure of her presence as they stood amidst the bustling throng, the air thick with the scent of parchnt and sweet elixirs.
The flow of students parted slightly, and a new figure caught Alex’s eye, striding through the hall with a crew of students trailing behind like a loyal entourage.
Vaelen, his angular face sharp and commanding, moved with a predator’s grace, his dark hair swept back, his piercing gray eyes scanning the crowd.
As his gaze landed on Alex, a frown climbed his face, souring his features into a mask of disdain, his lips curling as if Alex’s re presence offended him.
The hall’s noise seed to dim, the tension between them a palpable current, drawing curious glances from nearby students, their whispers a soft undercurrent to the mont.
Alex stared back, his red eyes narrowing, a frown etching itself across his face, his jaw clenching with a hard, steely resolve.
The mory of their first encounter at the assembly the previous day flashed in Alex’s mind, Vaelen’s cold stare, his whispered jabs among the crowd, marking Alex as an outsider from the start.
He felt the weight of Vaelen’s stare, heavy with contempt, and matched it with his own, refusing to back down, the hall’s vibrant chaos fading into a blur as their silent confrontation crackled.
Velenda, who’d been watching Alex’s face, caught the shift, her erald eyes narrowing in surprise as a hard, steely look crossed his features, his jaw smarting with tension.
Her back had been to the hall, her focus on their conversation, but she turned, her raven hair swishing, and spotted Vaelen striding by, his gray eyes locked on Alex, his crew trailing like shadows.
Understanding dawned, her lips twitching as she turned back to Alex, a chuckle escaping, bright and teasing.
"Bad blood’s mutual, huh?" she said, her voice playful, her smile sly, her erald eyes glinting with amusent at the obvious animosity, her confidence unshaken by the tension.
Alex said nothing, his mouth pressed into a thin line, his red eyes still tracking Vaelen’s retreating figure, the frown etched deep, his silence a wall against Velenda’s levity.
The sting of Vaelen’s disdain lingered, a reminder of the Council’s scrutiny, the whispers about his origins, and the precarious place he held in this world, his untested abilities a constant shadow over his confidence.
Velenda’s chuckle softened, her hand squeezing his arm, her voice light but insistent.
"Lighten up," she said, her erald eyes searching his, urging him to shake off the mont’s weight.
Then, as if a switch had flipped in her mind, her smile stretched wider, growing into sothing almost infectious.
A flicker of realization danced behind her eyes, and for a brief mont, she looked like a kid on the edge of revealing a well-kept secret.
The subtle shift in her expression was impossible to miss, her eyes lit up with a sudden burst of energy
Whatever thought had just crossed her mind, it clearly thrilled her.
"Oh, I almost forgot," she said, her tone conspiratorial, leaning closer, her perfu a faint, floral tease. "Vaelen’s a telekinetic too. You might get to face off in the hoverball match."
Alex’s red eyes widened, surprise breaking through his tension, his frown faltering as he processed her words. "Vaelen’s a telekinetic?" he asked, his voice low, a mix of disbelief and unease, his mind racing to recall their past encounter, searching for any hint of Vaelen’s abilities, finding none.
Velenda nodded, her smile unfazed, her erald eyes gleaming with certainty. "Yup, telekinetic," she confird, her voice bright, as if the prospect of their potential clash was a fun twist
"Could be interesting," she added, her tone teasing, her fingers giving his arm another playful squeeze, oblivious to the storm her words unleashed in his mind.
Alex’s frown returned, his red eyes drifting to the hall, where students moved with purpose, their laughter and chatter a mocking reminder of their ease, their mastery.
"Why didn’t Bastian ntion that?" he wondered aloud, his voice quiet.
His thoughts shifted to Vaelen, imagining a one-on-one match, the telekinetic ball hovering between them, Vaelen’s control sharp, precise, honed by years of practice, while Alex’s abilities remained a raw, unpredictable force, untested since the Council’s chaotic demonstration.
Could he take Vaelen on? The question gnawed at him, doubt and determination warring in his chest, his red eyes narrowing as he weighed his chances, his inexperience a heavy anchor.
He needed to know where he stood, to test his telekinesis before the match exposed his weaknesses to the entire school.
The last ti he’d used inflicting, at the Council’s behest, he’d simply thought about it, and the system had activated it, a seamless response to his intent.
Maybe telekinesis worked the sa way, a ntal trigger he could summon now, here, to gauge his control, to see if he had any hope of holding his own.
He focused, his eyes sharpening, his mind reaching for the familiar hum of his power, willing telekinesis to surface, his breath steadying as he concentrated, the hall’s noise fading into a distant buzz.
A sharp chi rang in his mind, the system blinked and flashed a clear ssage:
Alex couldn’t help but grin the mont he laid eyes on it. A spark of satisfaction lit up in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth tugged upward in a slow, confident smile.
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