**Two Days Later**
"There's been an incident," Tessia's voice carried a weight that instantly caught my attention. She looked around the table, her eyes serious. I already had a feeling about what she was going to say, and it wasn't good. This involved a friend of mine, which made it personal.
Tessia continued, "There's a drug circulating around the Academy that makes people lose control." She paused, gesturing toward Eneka Watsen. Eneka, who usually had a softer demeanor, now looked tense as she spoke, her eyes darting from one council member to another.
"According to the reports, the victims—or consumers—emit mana uncontrollably, eventually leading to mana exhaustion, which proves fatal. Additionally, they enter a state of intense anger, lashing out at everything around them. While only a few cases have been reported, the gaps between these incidents are growing shorter. The latest victim was a Disciplinary Committee officer. The most notable symptom is a blackish, viscous tattoo-like mark that appears on the consumer's back." She finished her report, bowing her head slightly.
That was the key detail I needed—*a blackish, viscous tattoo.* I rubbed my chin, processing the information, while Tessia's expression remained stern.
"The investigation into this matter is our top priority," Tessia announced, her tone commanding. "We'll be collaborating closely with the Disciplinary Committee on this. Stay sharp, and stay safe. Briefing is over."
Without wasting a second, I stood up from my chair and dashed out of the room. I had a class, but my mind was already racing ahead, trying to piece together the puzzle of this new, dangerous drug.
I couldn't afford to miss this one—it was a class on Fire manipulation, and I was running full tilt through the hallways, shoving past anyone in my way. But just as I was about to reach the classroom, I came to a screeching halt. There, in the corner, was a girl being surrounded by a group of others. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized her.
*Not again,* I thought, but there was no turning back now. I walked towards them, whistling in that distinct Negan style. As soon as they heard me, the girls turned around, their faces going pale as they felt the wave of bloodlust I unleashed. Just like that, they scattered like a bunch of frightened chickens.
Veronica stood there, staring at me with a face as red as a tomato. *Great,* I thought. *This is getting repetitive.* But then again, I wasn't exactly immune to her either. My own heart was racing, and while I might not be showing it on the outside—thanks to my half-elven lineage—I was definitely blushing on the inside.
"Thank you," she said, her voice soft and sweet, her lips a delicate shade of rose pink. I couldn't help but stare, mesmerized by her presence.
Without thinking, I blurted out, "I'm getting a lot of indecent thoughts." Immediately, I felt the heat rise to my face. *Great job, Lucas,* I chastised myself. But it was true—what else could you expect? I was 14, an age when some were already getting married, while I was still roaming the halls of an academy. *Pathetic, truly.*
Veronica's face turned an even deeper shade of red. *Lucas, do something before she completely shuts down.* Without hesitating, I grabbed her hand and started pulling her along.
"Let's go eat something," I said, deciding on the spot. *Screw the class, let's go shopping.* I hadn't explored that area yet anyway.
She tried to resist, but I was as persistent as ever. *We're doing this, whether you like it or not.*
As we reached the commercial district, I couldn't help but notice the number of students milling about. What struck me, though, was how they were mostly in pairs—couples, to be exact. *Wait a sec, is this a date spot?* I glanced at the setting sun. It was that time of day, I supposed. Not that I'd know—I'd never dated anyone before.
I looked back at Veronica, whose hand I was still holding firmly, not wanting to lose her in the crowd. She was absentmindedly curling a strand of her snow-white hair around her finger, her head slightly bowed. *Precious,* I thought, taking in the sight of her. Her amethyst eyes sparkled like gemstones against the snowy backdrop of her hair, framed by long white lashes. Her skin, pale and pristine, was like pure milk. She was breathtakingly beautiful.
I tightened my grip on her hand, noticing the slight pink imprint my fingers were leaving on her soft skin. *Easy, Lucas,* I reminded myself, though I couldn't help but be a little possessive.
Without a word, I led her to the first skewer stall I could find—the very same one where I'd had my first meal when I arrived at the academy just a few days ago. It was simple, unpretentious, but the food had been great. Perfect for a low-key outing.
After buying four skewers, I walked back to Veronica, who was sitting on a bench where I had left her. I handed her two of the skewers and kept the other two for myself. She looked up at me, her voice as sweet as ever. "I can't eat this much."
I grinned, teasing, "Eat up. You should have a big pelvis for a Wykes child."
Her face immediately turned the color of a ripe tomato as she stared at me, utterly shocked. Then, *thup*.
I rubbed my cheek where she had lightly slapped me. *Well, Lucas, you kind of deserved that one,* I thought, realizing my mouth was running wild today.
I watched as she began eating, her face still puffed up and bright red. She was so flustered it was adorable. I quickly polished off my own skewers within a minute, the heat not bothering me in the slightest. Veronica glanced at me in disbelief, but eventually, she resumed eating.
"Why are you eating more?" I asked, grinning playfully. *Lucas, you're really asking for it today,* I thought to myself.
"You said I should eat up. You need a big thin-ng," she stammered, her face blushing madly.
Now it was my turn to flush red, not just my face but my entire body felt like it was on fire. *She's still pure cocaine for me,* I thought, feeling my heart race.
From the corner of my eye, I spotted another couple strolling through the district, but this wasn't just any couple—it was Arthur and Tessia, the famously paired duo. Shaking Veronica's hand slightly, I gestured for her to get up as we approached them. While Veronica's face was filled with confusion, mine was lit up with pure amusement.
Leaning in close to them, I whispered, "A professor having an affair with a princess isn't exactly a good look, you know."
Arthur nearly jumped out of his skin, taking a step back as he quickly turned to face us. "What's up, bro?" I asked, grinning.
"You scared me, man," he replied, trying to catch his breath.
Before he could gather himself, I cut in, "You guys on a date?"
Tessia immediately started blushing, while Arthur had that familiar "duh" expression plastered on his face. "Not exactly. We were just—"
"Yep, you guys were on a date," I interrupted, pushing Arthur forward, still holding onto Tessia's hand. As they started walking ahead, I felt a gentle tug on my shirt. It was Veronica, her face as red as ever, and she asked in a small voice, "Are we on a date?"
*Come on, man,* I thought, *at this rate, she's going to turn into a Martian with all that blushing.*
"Of course," I replied nonchalantly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Grabbing Veronica's hand, I led her over to the confused Arthur and Tessia. With my free hand, I gave Arthur a friendly pat on the back and pointed toward a shop I hadn't seen before—or really, I hadn't seen much of anything around here. The shop had blue outer walls and a sign with a little white swirl on a brown cone.
"Let's check it out, shall we?" I suggested, pulling Arthur along with me. *Damn, I'm strong,* I thought as I dragged both him and Tessia and also Veronica along.
We settled at a table inside the shop, and I took a quick look around. The place was empty. Finally, I spotted a waiter dozing off at the counter. I made a loud noise to get his attention. He jolted awake, then quickly stood up and smiled at us, trying to smooth down his hair as he walked over to take our order.
The waiter approached our table, his grin as wide as if he'd just won the lottery. "Hello Sir and Ma'am, what would you like to order?"
I leaned back in my chair, glancing up at him. "Do you guys have a menu or something?"
"Yes, sir! Let me get it for you." He dashed off and returned in the blink of an eye, handing a menu to both Arthur and me before disappearing again.
Arthur muttered while rubbing his chin, "So, got any ideas?"
I skimmed through the menu, equally puzzled. "No idea. What about this brown one? And what the hell do you call these things?" I asked, pointing at a creamy-looking illustration that seemed to involve some kind of cone.
Tessia chimed in, pointing at the title below the images, "Ice cream. See?"
I nodded, still curious about this strange dessert. *Ice cream? What a peculiar name.* Turning my attention to Veronica, who was sitting close beside me, I gently pushed the menu toward her. "What do you like to order, Veronica?"
She looked adorably confused, her innocent face scrunching up as she studied the menu. "I don't know..." she admitted.
"Just choose anything you like," I encouraged her, trying to keep my cool as I admired how cute she looked.
Still looking uncertain, she eventually pointed to a white one. Meanwhile, Arthur and Tessia seemed to have made their decisions too, with Tessia opting for a green-white one and Arthur choosing the same brown one that had caught my eye. Noice.
Pretending to clear my throat, I signaled for the waiter, who appeared beside us almost instantly. *Man, this guy's fast.*
I placed our orders for this so-called "ice cream," then leaned back, wondering what this new experience was going to be like.
As we waited, I noticed the atmosphere between Arthur and Tessia—there was an unspoken tension, something beyond just being classmates. Veronica, on the other hand, was still fiddling with the hem of her dress, occasionally sneaking glances at me.
Trying to lighten the mood, I turned to Arthur. "So, what's the deal, man? You and Tessia seem pretty close these days. Anything you want to share?"
Arthur shot me a look, clearly not amused by my teasing. "It's not like that."
"Sure, sure," I smirked, giving Veronica a playful nudge with my elbow. "And what about you, Veronica? Ever had ice cream before?"
She shook her head, her snowy white hair bouncing slightly. "No... but it sounds interesting."
"It is," Tessia added, smiling warmly at Veronica. "I think you'll like it."
A few moments later, the waiter returned, balancing a tray with our orders. He placed the ice creams in front of us, each one looking more intriguing than the last.
"Enjoy," the waiter said with a cheerful nod before retreating to his station.
I took a spoonful of the brown ice cream, savoring the cold, creamy texture as it melted on my tongue. "Whoa, this is... actually pretty good!"
Veronica hesitated before taking a small bite of her white ice cream. Her eyes widened in surprise, a delighted smile spreading across her face. "This is really nice!"
Watching her enjoy it made me feel oddly content. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all—skipping class, stumbling upon this quaint little shop.
As we all dug into our ice creams, the conversation flowed more easily. The initial awkwardness began to fade, replaced by laughter and lighthearted teasing.
But in the back of my mind, I couldn't shake the feeling that this simple outing was just the calm before the storm. There were too many things brewing beneath the surface.
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GUYS just wanna tell you the next chapters just enjoy, I don't really like keeping track of the timeline. The academy arc is of 6 months🤔 so well everything is happening in 6 months okay. Don't even know what I'm tryin to say but yeah.
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Powerstonessss!!!
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Be sure to comment it Motivates me most the time.