I marched through the hallway of the main building, heart heavy. It must have shown on my face because every student present glanced away and stepped aside almost immediately, their black half cloaks fluttering as they went.
The walls surrounding me were made of light-colored, ancient stone, the window panes stained glass so they reflect colorful hues to the marble floor as the balmy sunlight streamed in. Everything here was too bright for my mood.
"Lady," Cosie said next to me. "I shall go and fetch your weapons in the training hall. I'll be swift so I can also assist you with your personal belongings."
"Don't worry about it." I replied, silently grateful that she came along. Though her maid outfit looked a bit out of place here, I thought.
Cosie bowed before making a turn to the passage branching left. After retrieving the random magical and non-magical trinkets from my locker and placing it into a box, I then headed to the dorms.
When I arrived at my room, I found that there were two girls waiting for me. I figured I had locked it before I left when I received Mother's summons this morning. Had I forgotten doing so in the spur of the moment? Perhaps I did, it wasn't always she called for me whenever I was in the academy.
"Stop standing there, doing that puzzle-solving face of yours." Karina had her feet stretched out on my bed as she sat on a bench on the side.
"We came here through the windows." Zarina giggled, body curled on the couch against the opposite wall.
I shook my head, closing the wooden door behind me. "Wind Wielders, why am I not surprised?"
As expected of twins, both have long, wavy brown hair and dark eyes. Both have small statures and fair skin. However, they hadn't tried to wear any individual distinctions. They enjoyed and reveled in the confusion of others. But I'd always known who was who.
I dropped the box filled with belongings onto the carpeted floor. Stripping off my half cloak and slinging it on the chair before my study desk, I began to sort through the few clothes in my cabinet.
"What's with the silence?" I chuckled. "Don't stare at me like you're going to peel off my skin layer by layer."
"You're really leaving, then?" Zarina said and I could imagine her sulking. "It's final?"
"Yes," I answered, folding the clothes before shucking them into the box. "Only for a few months. I'll be back before the Grand Games. Don't miss me too much."
"It's truly an emergency if you're forced to miss the classes so abruptly." Karina's starting to assist me by gathering the scrolls scattered on my desk. Apparently, friends turn into angels when you're about to vanish.
Zarina, too, was putting the blanket and pillows in the right places. "Now that I think about it, Niko was absent this morning, too."
My hands paused for a bit. "He was?"
"Yes, Lily." Karina crossed her arms, shifting her body as she gazed at me. "The two top students in our class—two students unlikely to even miss a single second of lectures—missing in action at the same day, at the same time. How strange, is it not?"
I scoffed. "Not really."
Zarina paced the room to position herself beside her sister. "We thought you two finally snapped and decided to end it all off with a duel! We were worried."
"That'll never happen," I shrugged. "Because we already know I'm much stronger than him. Besides, it could merely be a coincidence."
"I highly doubt it," Karina's finger was on her chin. "He's taking a break on school. The same as you."
I instantly turned to the twins. "He what?"
"They say he's handling the properties of his family located in some far-off land," Karina said. "Well, doesn't that sound too similar with someone else's reasons?"
"By someone else," Zarina added. "We mean you."
"Yes, thank you, Zari." Karina sighed.
I could barely think straight without trying to figure out what the hell had gotten Niko to exit the academy like me.
I cleared my throat. "This could all be empty rumors. How'd you even get this information?"
Zarina grinned. "The wind carries with it the whispers of the wise."
Karina covered her sister's mouth with her palm. "Oh for the Fates' sake, everyone's gotten wind about the news. Lilibeth and Nikolas, sworn enemies, gone for a morning, only to return to pack up their belongings and get whisked away to distant lands. What, have you two lost it at last and discovered that underneath all the hate, you are actually madly and desperately in love with each other?"
I blinked. "That's… quite an imagination you have, Karina."
"So it's true?" she said.
"Of course not!" I huffed. "That notion is ridiculous. As your friend for many years, you know me better than to be something as disgusting as being in love with Nikolas Kore."
"All right Flame Queen," Zarina nodded. "We won't press you any further. We trust that you won't lie to us."
"Mmm, be careful out there." Karina said softly.
I swallowed the bile rising to my throat. Lying to them had to be the worst. I could probably tell them, but only when this tension settles down.
I pressed my lips. "I will. And look, I don't care what Niko's gotten himself into this time, but what I'm dealing with is some serious family business. Like really serious. We're in deep shit."
"Darling, it's fine if you can't tell us." Karina had stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "We'll wait for you when you're ready."
"Truly," Zarina followed. "We'll be here."
I took them in, wearing their uniforms: their vests, waistcoats, fitted pants and knee-high boots. I'd sure as hell am going to miss them.
"You're the best." I said before wrapping my arms around them.
When I descended the stairs and alighted to the ground floor, the box had become heavier and too much for me to carry. While walking, I hoped the carriage was parked in front of the dorms and not the main building.
It was also harder to see where I was going because of the box occupying half of my view. Although I did manage earlier, I could probably—
I bumped into someone.
"Oh, forgive me—" I ceased talking. So did the person I'd stumbled upon, who'd insultingly said the same words before the sight of one another made us pause.
"Kore," I hissed.
"Russels," he hissed back and smirked.
Here he was, sworn nemesis and the only individual I'd promised to hate for eternity.
…and he's also carrying a box?
"Sorry, didn't see you there." His crystal-blue eyes twinkled wickedly. "If only you weren't so small, Russels."
I licked a fang. "If only you were as tall as you are good in the arena, Kore."
One edge of his lip curled. He sized me up and his attention lingered for a while on the box hugged by my arms. As if doing his best to offend me more, he switched to hold his box—which is the same size as mine—on one hand, while the other he used to fix his long silver hair that was tied into a loose ponytail.
He titled his stupid head. "Need some help?"
My eye twitched. And in a heartbeat, the box ignited into flames. I spread my arms to the sides, the burning paper falling to the floor—along with my personal possessions. Good, they were too heavy anyway.
Niko's eyes widened. He held out his hand and ice bloomed on the floor between us.
"You're mad!" he said. "You could have messed up the floor."
It's his last day and he'd rather care about that?
I closed the distance and scooped his collars in my hand, as though he wasn't taller than me by inches. I take pride in messing up his uniform. His uniform that's tailored and cut so perfectly that it wraps all of him so perfectly that it's annoying.
"I am so enamored by the fact that I won't be seeing your idiotic little face from now on," I seethed. "Existing within the same breathing space as you everyday drains the living shit out of me, Nikolas."
He leaned forward so that our foreheads touched. It's as though a crack of lightning passed before us. "I am aware, Lilibeth, as you never seem to fail to remind me how much you hate me every damned day I'm here. It's such a hassle, to be honest. So rest easy, the feeling's mutual. Oh, how glad I am to be rid of you."
I edged backward, letting him go and calming myself. "Good. See you never, Kore."
"Farewell forever, Russels."