Kael, hands in his pants pockets, walked out of the headmaster’s office. He was dozing off as he walked toward his dorm, thinking about what he wanted to do now. His heart was still racing. He was still craving sothing. He still didn’t know what.
He started to walk faster, his heart pounding. While walking, he was lost in his thought until he accidentally bumped into soone, sending her falling onto the ground, which brought him back to his senses.
"I’m sorry," he said.
Then he looked down and saw her. He couldn’t miss her bright red hair. It was Liz.
Liz stared back at him, filled with joy and confusion, like she barely recognized him.
"Hey there, sunshine. Did you miss ?" Kael said while offering her a hand, and she took it, still having that surprising look on her face.
When she took his hand, Kael realized her palm was warm and soft, her grip strong and steady due to her mastery in archery. As he pulled her up, out of nowhere, she punched him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him.
"Damn, is this how you show affection? Because it’s kinda painful—" Before he could finish, she wrapped her hands around him.
"I’m sorry," he murmured.
The way she wrapped her arms around him was warm and comforting at first. But then, Liz slowly tightened her grip around him.
"Hey, love, I know you missed , but I think you are crushing my ribs." He said, barely able to breathe. "When did you get this strong?" he tried to speak.
"Shut up. You deserve it for leaving without saying anything," Liz murmured.
He realized that he made her worry and didn’t fight back. He wrapped his arms around her, one hand resting on the back of her as he gently pressed her head against his shoulder.
"I’m sorry, sunshine. It won’t happen again, promise," he said softly while not being able to finish saying promise. The fear of failing to keep a promise—he didn’t want to make empty promises again.
She gave him one more squeeze before letting him go.
"Ow, I think you broke a few of my ribs," Kael muttered.
Liz ignored his comnt, grabbed his hand, and started to drag him with her.
"So, where are we going? On a date?" Kael said with a smile.
"No, we’re going to our next class," she demanded.
"But I don’t want to go to class."
"Too bad."
"Well, as you wish then, Milady."
As they started to walk toward their class, Kael didn’t feel exhausted or tired. His heart rate went back to normal. He liked this. This was the type of comfort he had been searching for.
For so reason, being near Liz didn’t make him feel suffocated. With her, he felt free. Since the first day he saw her, it felt like they had known each other for ages. As if she had always been with him.
She made him want to abandon everything—all his responsibilities—and live sowhere far with her, where they could be happy.
For once, he wanted to experience happiness.
"Can I really do that? Live here with her? Can I?" he thought to himself.
As he lost himself in his thoughts, Liz asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing." He smiled.
"Where have you been this whole ti?"
"I was helping my father."
"With what?"
"Stuff."
"What stuff?"
"Underworld stuff."
As Kael said that, Liz kicked him on the shin and walked away.
"Ow, ow, ow! Damn, you are so aggressive!"
"I hate you," she said while walking away.
"Wait up, sunshine, I’m sorry!" he shouted as he ran after her, one of his legs still feeling pain from the kick.
He caught up to her. He tried to talk to her, but she ignored him and pouted at him.
They managed to make it to class while Liz was still ignoring him. No one was in the class yet, so he sat next to her, trying to talk to her and apologize.
Slowly, students started to fill up the class.
As he was begging Liz to forgive him, Vander Vex—Son of Poseidon—and Rowan Rho—Son of Ares—walked toward him. They didn’t look aggressive or cocky. They looked normal.
As they ca near him, Kael looked at them.
"Oh, I get it. I will move now."
They stopped him.
"We just ca to thank you for saving us. Caius told us everything. We would have co to see you earlier, but we were busy being healed."
"Really?" Kael said as he looked toward where Caius was sitting. As he looked toward him, he turned his back.
Kael knew that he probably made them apologize. He wondered, Can people really change this much in so little ti?
"No worries, man." He gave them a smile.
They walked away toward their seats.
As they did, a tear started to fall out.
Before anyone could notice, he hid his face on the table.
Then he realized that the world had been treating him too good.
He still rembered sleeping underneath the bridge, stealing food just to survive the day. Being beaten by people, called nas, all the lonely nights in the cold streets.
It made Kael feel suspicious.
But happy.
He liked that feeling.
Now, he actually felt like he had friends. Like he had family.
He didn’t feel alone.
He felt happy.
Now, more than anything, he didn’t want to leave this life behind.
He wanted to stay like this forever.
Then, sothing that man said in his dream when he fought the ferryman ca back to him.
"Listen well and listen good, Son of the Cursed God. There are gods far stronger than the Olympians. When the ti cos, they will take everything from you."
He wondered, If that’s true, then...
He couldn’t think about it.
It hurt even thinking about soone doing sothing to Liz.
He realized he needed to get stronger.
As he thought about this with his face down on the table, the instructor walked in.
"Hello, students. As you know , I am Chiron, and today we will talk about your godly powers."
"Perfect," Kael muttered.
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