Orion, after that talk with Eric, came back to Hogwarts, half frustrated and half disappointed.
'That man isn't even ready to believe that Merlin taught me, let alone help me bring him back...'
Right now, he just wanted to strangle Eric, but he was already dead. Once again, he found himself in a situation where he couldn't find any way to bring back Merlin.
But his visit to Eric wasn't a complete waste. He learned a lot about the past and what this power really is.
A few things about vampires as well. He finally knew how exactly Merlin died and also understood the power.
This particular so-called power was something he had never heard of before. Merlin never talked about it. It kind of makes sense; the old man lost his power after he died, and the other half was lost when Eric died.
He knew that Merlin chose him to fight against Death, maybe because he had this power given to him by the system. Maybe he thought that with this power, he could rival Death after that power, aka Harmony, was lost.
'Meaning that even Merlin wasn't sure I could do it. He was just hoping I could.' Orion couldn't help but sigh.
'We all are so doomed.'
Orion couldn't help but sigh. He wasn't sure whether he could stop someone like Death. Yes, he was very strong now, but ultimately he was still human.
Not to mention that the person who had any information about Death, aka Merlin, was no longer here with him.
"Whatever, there is no point in wasting time anymore. I need to find another way," Orion muttered to himself, trying to encourage himself.
"What did you say...?" Suddenly, the girl sitting beside him asked.
"Ah, nothing, nothing..." Shaking his head, he denied it.
"You okay?" Daphne, who was working on some sort of potion, suddenly asked.
"Yeah, completely fine," Orion instantly replied.
.
.
.
Daphne's eyes flicked toward the entrance every few minutes. The Yule Ball was approaching, and the anticipation was starting to eat at her. She had spent the last few days subtly hinting to Orion that he should ask her to the dance, but to her growing frustration, he hadn't made a move yet.
"Why hasn't he asked me yet?" she muttered under her breath, her irritation bubbling to the surface. She huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the crackling fire in front of her as if it were the source of her woes. "Honestly, it's like he's completely oblivious or something."
Which, in reality, he was. Dancing with teenage girls was the last thing he wanted to do right now.
She'd been trying to steer their conversations toward the topic of the Yule Ball, dropping hints about how she hadn't been asked yet and how she was hoping for someone special to take her. But each time, Orion just seemed distracted, barely acknowledging her hints.
"Maybe he's just waiting for the right moment," she told herself, but the thought didn't calm her irritation. "Or maybe he's planning something grand? He better be, or I swear I'll—"
Her thoughts were interrupted as Orion stood up and started walking around the room. She was used to this; he did that when he was thinking about something, looking as distracted as ever.
She quickly stood up and approached him, a small, hopeful smile on her face. "Orion, have you thought about who you're taking to the Yule Ball yet?"
Orion blinked, snapping out of whatever deep thought he'd been in. "Hmm? Oh, the Ball. Nah, I ain't going."
Daphne, to some extent, knew that this would be his response. Her smile faltered, but she quickly recovered, knowing that he had to attend as it was mandatory for champions. Trying to steer the conversation in the direction she wanted, she said, "It's mandatory, so stop ignoring it. You don't want to be the last one without a date, do you?"
Orion just shrugged his mind clearly elsewhere. "Sigh... troublesome."
Daphne felt a surge of frustration but kept her voice light. "So… any idea who you might ask?"
Before Orion could respond, Rose burst into the room, looking equally determined. Daphne internally cursed her timing. Rose was the last person she wanted around right now.
"Orion!" Rose called out, making a beeline for him. "I was looking for you. We need to talk."
Daphne's eyes narrowed slightly. "We were just talking, actually. About the Yule Ball."
Rose paused, her expression shifting as she quickly realized why Daphne was bringing up the Ball. "Oh," she said, her voice losing a bit of its urgency. "I… I was just curious who you were planning to ask."
Orion glanced between the two girls, utterly unaware of the silent competition going on. "I haven't decided yet."
Both girls tried to hide their disappointment, but it was clear that neither was happy with his answer.
"So, who's it going to be?" Daphne pressed, trying to sound casual.
"Yeah," Rose added, her tone a bit more insistent. "You've got to have someone in mind."
Orion scratched his head, looking between them again. But instead of answering, his mind drifted to more pressing matters.
The upcoming Yule Ball seemed trivial compared to what he was trying to figure out. He needed to find a way to bring Merlin back, deal with Morgan's mysterious presence, and figure out why neither Morgan nor Hermione seemed to have shadows. These thoughts were far more urgent than deciding on a date for a dance.
'Maybe I should ask out either Morgan or Hermione to investigate. But...'
Orion's idea was pretty straightforward: ask them out and then find out what's going on with them. The Yule Ball was the best chance to do that, but he had a feeling it wasn't a good idea.
It was like he had a sixth sense telling him not to do that, because if he did, bringing back Merlin would be the least of his problems. He had a feeling that the world would mess him over again if he did, and this time, real hard.
"Ummm... I'm not sure." He just replied with a smile, as if telling them he couldn't care less about that right now.
Daphne's frustration grew. She had been dropping hints, trying to get him to notice, but he was as oblivious as ever. She huffed internally, crossing her arms in irritation. Why did he have to be so difficult?
Rose, on the other hand, tried to think of a way to push Orion into making a decision, but seeing how distracted he was, she began to wonder if something else was going on. He wasn't usually this distant. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry. What could be weighing on him so heavily?
As the two girls exchanged glances, they both realized that getting Orion to ask either of them to the Yule Ball might be more challenging than they had anticipated.
Meanwhile, Orion barely registered the tension between Daphne and Rose. His mind was occupied with more significant concerns. He had to find a way to bring Merlin back, and he still needed to figure out what was going on with Morgan and Hermione. The Yule Ball was the least of his worries.
'Wait, what if someone had already asked him out?'
Rose remembered seeing him with Morgan.
Daphne remembered seeing him with Hermione.
Both of their bodies stiffened, unsure of what to do. They didn't want to ask him out themselves. Boys were supposed to ask girls.
But... but...
They couldn't help but feel conflicted.
xxx
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