We're seated at a corner booth of a casual dining spot near campus. Since they don't like being bothered every upper member of the student council usually eats outside the academy. The atmosphere is relaxed, but with the company I'm in, that could change in an instant. The menu ranges from gourmet burgers to upscale salads—basically a "please everyone" kind of joint.
Caspian's already biting into a burger that's stacked high with toppings—bacon, lettuce, and what looks like an entire farm's worth of produce. Lysandra's taking her time with her food, her eyes practically screaming that she wants to inhale her plate.
Raelle? She's distracted, her fingers swiping rapidly across the screen of her tablet. It's like she's preparing for doomsday or some shit, and the rest of us are just extras in her personal disaster movie.
"So why did you want to meet me?" I finally ask, breaking the silence. This guy wouldn't be meeting me for no reason, right?
Caspian takes a bite out of his burger and chews thoughtfully before answering. "Like I said, Raelle kept talking about a freshman from Class A who's already made friends with Isadora, and the troublemaker Biana."
He takes a sip from his water bottle. "I was genuinely surprised when I saw you whip out an entire damn kitchen in the competition."
Lysandra's chewing slows down to the pace of a snail crossing a road, thanks to my earlier warning. I take a bite of my own burger, savoring the blend of spices and grilled meat.
"That reaction is expected," I say, smirking. "Although I only took the cheapest kitchen set. Every student probably thinks I'm crazy."
"You want me to give you a cooking class? Is that it?" I ask, grinning from ear to ear.
Caspian laughs heartily. "Hahaha, maybe another time."
Before I can retort, Raelle, who's been like a zombie engrossed in her tablet, cuts in. "Caspian, about the upcoming test—"
"Everything is already prepared," Caspian interrupts as if he'd read her mind.
At that exact moment, Elith bursts into the restaurant like a bat out of hell, marching toward our table. "You damn idiot! I've been waiting for you, what are you doing here?" He grabs Raelle by the ear and yanks her up.
Well, fuck me sideways. Here comes the cavalry, late but loud. I can't blame Elith for behaving this way but I also can't blame Raelle for being here. What makes them lead? They don't get paid, all their fame is getting stolen and they work nearly all day. They're practically slaves.
"Dammit, Caspian, you know she's busy. You should've sent her away." Elith barks, shifting his glare to the martial artist.
Elith then looks at me, his expression softening for a split second. "By the way, congratulations on second place."
Raelle quickly stands, rescuing her ear from Elith's vice grip. She clears her throat, her eyes scanning all of us as if taking mental snapshots for blackmail material. "I'll leave the bill to you, Caspian~ Enjoy your meal V~"
She scurries off, practically dragging Elith with her like a master escaping a crime scene. A hit-and-run, but instead of a car, it's all her pent-up stress and administrative bullshit.
I watch as Lysandra makes short work of her fifth plate, her fork and knife flying like a conductor's baton orchestrating some sort of food symphony. When she finally sets her utensils down and starts yawning, I let out an internal cheer.
Good, now she won't be ordering the whole damn menu.
Caspian looks at Lysandra, who's on the verge of dozing off. "Is she the reason you took an entire kitchen to the competition?"
"Partly," I reply, my eyes on Lysandra as her head starts bobbing like a dashboard figurine. "She could empty out a restaurant if she tried."
Caspian chuckles. "Good to know. Anyway, I wanted to give you a heads-up. Your upperclassmen should be visiting your class soon. You might not know since you're a freshman, but it's a yearly tradition."
"Ah, yeah, Class A upper classmates," I nod. "I heard about the traditions here, so I expected them to visit at some point."
"Good," he says. "It's a good idea to leave a favorable impression. Connections never hurt."
True. Even if they have a bug up their ass about me, they're not going to waste their time making a freshman's life hell. Right?
Caspian leans in. "You practice martial arts, right? How about going a few rounds? Of course, it'll be purely based on martial skills, nothing else."
I glance at Lysandra, who by now has completely tipped over, her head resting on my shoulder like it's some kind of sacred altar. Do I even have a choice?
I click my tongue. "I'd honestly like that, but I'm a bit busy today. How about I contact you in a few days?"
Caspian stretches his arms, cracking his knuckles like he's warming up for a fight already. "Sure, sure~ Just let me know ahead of time."
I nod, slipping out from the booth and carefully lifting Lysandra as if she's a sack of potatoes. Because if I wake this thing up, she's going to cause a scene that'll make a soap opera look like child's play.
I wave at Caspian. "Catch you later."
★ ★
As I step onto the grounds of the academy, I feel the weight of Lysandra's limp body on my shoulder. Seriously, this damn lizard is heavy. The Class B dorms come into view, their modest architecture contrasting the grandeur of Class A's residence.
Sera's been on my mind. She's sick? The girl barely talks to me unless it has something to do with her brother. Tsk tsk tsk, dammit Sera, you're going to make me switch my plans.
I'm halfway across the courtyard when Luna appears, seemingly out of nowhere. She's clutching that artifact from the competition in her hand like it's the Holy Grail.
"Ummm...what are you doing here?" she stammers.
My eyes drift to the artifact. "Oh, did you get that checked out?"
"Yes, I will not hand it over," she says, tightening her grip on it as if I'm some sort of artifact thief. I might given how rare it is but for now its best she keeps it for herself.
I chuckle. "Hahaha, I'm not here for that. I'm going to visit Sera."
Luna gives me a puzzled look before shifting her eyes to the comatose Lysandra on my shoulder. She ignores her completely, which is probably for the best, and walks away.
I continue toward the dorms, only to be intercepted again, this time by Mira near the Class B cafeteria. "Oi, what are you doing here?"
What's with these people? "I'm here to visit Sera," I reply, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice. Fuck, why is everyone so damn nosy?
Nyssa then walks out from the cafeteria, her eyes landing on me. "Hmmm? Right now is not a good time, she is somewhat sick."
I raise an eyebrow. "What happened?"
Please, for the love of all that's sacred, let it not be what I think it is.
"I don't know, she suddenly got really sick after eating. We think it might be food poisoning," Nyssa replies.
Nyssa glances at Lysandra, who's still slung over my shoulder like a bag of laundry. Her fingers twitch, and she seems to be fighting the urge to comment. "I think it would be best to take your friend there to her dorm," she finally says.
"Don't worry about it; I'm used to this," I reply, trying to keep my cool. "Can one of you lead me to Sera's room? I don't know which one it is."
Fuck. I need to see just how bad this "food poisoning" situation is.
Mira rolls her eyes and stretches out the word as she says, "Sure sure~ Anything for my good friend V~ Don't worry Nyssa, I'll handle this~"
"Thank you so much, my good friend," I retort, matching her saccharine tone. "I hope your tongue doesn't get stuck on the roof of your mouth; it's the only roof you'll ever bring down."
Nyssa pulls Mira to the side and mutters, "You stay here, I'll take him." Mira sticks out her tongue but somehow manages to make the gesture look menacing. I shrug it off. What a circus.
As Nyssa and I walk, she starts humming a tune. "Hey V~ Which Rune class are you taking?"
"I'm taking Runic Engineering," I reply, seeing no point in hiding it. Chances are she already knows.
Her eyes light up. "No way, really? I'm taking that one as well."
I nod, half-listening. My mind's still buzzing about Sera and her supposed "food poisoning." Ugh, I thought this might have happened so I modified my plan but this is still annoying.
We arrive at Sera's dorm, and before Nyssa unlocks the door, she says, "Ah, she's having hallucinations. Probably due to the mushrooms she ate, so she might spout some nonsense."
I raise an eyebrow but say nothing. Fuck, why do you keep making it easier and easier for me to guess what the problem is?
Nyssa opens the door, and we walk in. I sling Lysandra off my shoulder and drop her on the couch without a care. She continues to snore like a lawnmower in hibernation. Oh, to have the luxury of sleep without responsibilities. If I could only switch places for a week... just a week.
Nyssa grins, "I'll wait here; you can go ahead and enter her room."
My attention is on Sera, sprawled on her bed like a marionette with its strings cut, twitching in her sleep. Looks like she's having a pretty messed-up nightmare.
I almost reach out to shake her awake, but I stop myself just in time. "Fuck you, Nyssa, you nearly got me," I mutter under my breath. There's a thin strand of energy emanating off of Sera, like a spider's web spun by some ethereal spider. If I touch her, I'll likely inherit a part of those disgusting visions she's having, tsk tsk tks. I'm sorry for letting this happen to you Sera, I won't be able to do much right now but I'll at least slow down the infection rate. You'll just have to endure it until everything is set, you'll hate me but I won't let you speak with your brother for a while.
"To think you'd try to trap me through her," I muse, examining Sera from a distance. "You underestimated me. I've planned for every curveball you could pitch."
I unzip my bag and pull out a small vial of purified holy water and a baggie of various magical herbs and tiny rocks. All eyes are on me—even the unseen ones. But let them watch. I smirk, "Ah, the joy of being underestimated; it means you can get away with anything and no one will suspect you."
Dropping the herbs, rocks, and a splash of holy water into a small mortar, I grind them all into a fine paste with a pestle. It's an odd little ritual, but it works. I then add a splash of my own spit—yep, you heard that right—and the mixture hisses and sizzles like some witch's brew.
I dip a tiny pipette into the mortar, extracting a minuscule amount of the liquid and dispense it onto a small cotton ball.
Ilka materializes on top of my head, her spectral form radiating an inquisitive aura. "What's this?" she asks, her gaze following my movements.
I look at Ilka and nod toward Sera. "Hey, look at her. What do you see?"
Ilka scans Sera's form, pausing as if attempting to sense something. "Hmm, I don't know, but I can tell it's not good."
I grab the cotton ball I've prepared and survey the room. Ah, there it is—a picture of Ash on her desk. Perfect. I walk over to the picture, my glove shifting its form, its material elongating into a needle-thin point. I gently poke Sera's neck, causing a tiny droplet of her blood to bead at the surface.
Ilka flits off my head and lands near Sera's body. "Did you become a cultist? I'm very disappointed in you."
Rolling my eyes, I mumble, "The damn cultists got to her. I'm just helping her a bit." I dip the cotton ball, which is already imbued with my own concoction, into the droplet of blood on her neck, imbuing it with her essence.
Next, I rub the blood-soaked cotton gently over the picture of Ash. Lastly, I lift the needle-like extension of my glove and position the cotton ball over Sera's eyes. As it makes contact, the cotton begins to glow and disintegrate, vanishing as if it's being absorbed by her very being.