"Victor…" I finally spoke, breaking the uneasy silence that had stretched far too long.
"Yeah?" he replied, turning to with a raised eyebrow.
"Is sothing… wrong?" I asked, frowning. His gaze flickered briefly before he looked ahead again.
"Course not," he said, his tone flat, almost dismissive.
Alright, I'd have to be the biggest idiot alive to believe that.
Victor was clearly avoiding Selena's gaze. It was painfully obvious. His eyes darted everywhere else like he was afraid to accidentally et hers. But why? What reason could there possibly be for him to act this way?
Sure, Selena was stronger than him, that much was a fact, but that shouldn't make him so uneasy. Not Victor. He wasn't the type to back down just because soone was stronger.
Wait.
Or…
Could she have done sothing to him while I was unconscious?
I glanced at Selena, who sat quietly beside . Her head was bowed, and she was clearly avoiding eye contact, though her arm was hooked around mine.
Why was she acting so docile? Selena never behaved like this unless I'd complinted her or gotten romantic—which I hadn't done. Not even close. So, what was going on with her?
And then there was the issue with Nelia. I still couldn't fully communicate with her. The soul bond wasn't stabilized yet, interfering with our connection through the Trinket of Destiny.
Before we parted, though, she'd literally forced to wear this stupid tie. She also made a few things very clear before I left:
First, everyone I was about to et was an idiot. According to her, their opinions were inconsequential, not worth my ti, and I should ignore them completely.
Weird advice. Felt like sothing my mom would say.
She'd said so other… odd things. Honestly, they made her sound like an overprotective girlfriend. Most notably, she emphasized that she was my only responsibility.
And then there was her opinion about Selena. Nelia insisted I clear the air between us because she didn't trust her anymore. She thought Selena was…
…a danger to .
"Well, I've been thinking about what you said about the online PvP battles," I said, redirecting my focus to Victor. That got his attention. He turned to fully, his eyes narrowing with interest.
"And?" He tilted his head, waiting.
"Let's do it."
Victor's face broke into a wide grin. "I knew you'd co around." He nudged with his elbow, looking smug.
"When do we start?" I asked.
He placed a hand on his chin, considering. "I'll check it out today. Let's head there tomorrow."
I nodded. I needed as much combat experience as I could get, and PvP Online was the best place to hone my skills. Sure, I'd probably lose all my points in the process, but it'd still be worth it.
Or…
Should I ask Selena for more?
I turned to her again, and for a split second, our eyes t. She imdiately flinched, her cheeks turning pink, and she quickly looked away.
Alright, why the hell is she acting cute now?!
This whole situation was weirding out. She definitely did sothing to be acting like this, but what exactly?
"Um… Ryan," I heard her small, hesitant voice. She had finally decided to speak.
"Yeah?" I replied, my tone neutral.
"… Can… can you tell what happened before the test ended? Why did you… end up like that?" Her grip on my hand tightened as she spoke, her voice laced with nervousness.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Victor tilting his head slightly, clearly trying to eavesdrop. His expression betrayed a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty, as though he wanted to join the conversation but wasn't sure if he should.
Tsk. This was getting annoying. What did she do to him?
"… Honestly, I don't rember," I finally said. Her head snapped up, her wide, shocked eyes locking onto mine.
"You… don't?" she pressed, disbelief etched across her face.
I sighed and rubbed my forehead, trying to piece together the fragnts of my mory. "I rember getting surrounded by vampires… and then the building collapsed. That's it. Everything after that is just… a blur."
"Really?" Victor finally decided to chi in.
"… Yes?" I raised an eyebrow at him, already tired of the interrogation.
"But… I heard rumors that—" He paused, glancing around the room in his usual overly cautious manner before leaning in closer. "I heard your team got the highest points," he whispered.
"What?" I blurted out, caught off guard.
"Yeah, apparently, there's talk that you guys managed to take down a highblood," he said.
My gaze instinctively road the hall, searching for the one person who could confirm or deny this ridiculous claim.
'Elena?' I spotted her sitting far from where I was. It looked like she'd been staring at , but the mont our eyes t, she quickly looked away, almost fearfully.
Tsk. Forget it.
"You had scared for a second there!"
Suddenly, I was pulled into a tight embrace from the side, squeezing the breath out of .
Damn it! My ribs!
I turned my head to see Selena clinging to , a silly grin plastered across her face.
"Selena?" I said, staring at her in confusion.
What the hell is wrong with this girl?
She was grinning at like an idiot now, her face practically glowing with happiness. What happened to the quiet, timid girl I was just talking to a second ago?
"EVERYONE, TAKE YOUR SEATS! Class starts now," a sharp voice called out.
I turned to the front of the room and saw lina, the lecturer, striding in, her authoritative presence snapping everyone to attention.
Sighing, I looked back at Selena. She had shifted her focus to the front but was still holding onto my hand like a lifeline.
Whatever.
...
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give more motivation!
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give more motivation!
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give more motivation!
Golden Tickets....
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