Jogging towards Yuki, Jaylen yells to catch her attention. "Yuki, wait up!"
"Why did she leave in such a rush? Moreover, why did she not greet me, Sarah, and Brandon earlier? It's almost like she's avoiding us."
Slowing into a walk, Jaylen reached out towards Yuki's shoulder and turned her around. "Hey, Yuki, I wanted to ask you–"
Upon encountering Yuki's frigid stare, Jaylen instinctively flinched. The room seemed to drop a few degrees as Yuki's voice, laden with frost, followed suit. Her scowl deepened as she demanded, "Do you mind letting go of me?"
"Oh, um, sorry," Jaylen stammered, hastily retracting his hand as he took a step back from Yuki. The awkwardness hung in the air, his retreat reflecting an uneasy acknowledgment of her discomfort, the distance now a palpable acknowledgment of the delicate balance in the room. the distance now a palpable acknowledgment of the delicate balance in the room.
"Huff, what do you want, Jaylen?" Yuki questioned, her tone laced with irritation. She stood casually, propping herself on one leg while her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, the gesture accentuating her displeasure. As she spoke, a single finger rhythmically tapped on her arm, a visible manifestation of her growing impatience.
"I just wanted to know about the sudden choice of engagement between you and me," Jaylen remarked with a curious smile. The unspoken question hung in the air.
Reflecting on the situation, Jaylen thought to himself, 'Engaging us back then would have made more sense; we were closer until that incident.'
"Why does it bother you to be engaged to me!?" Yuki's cold exterior cracked, revealing the fiery anger beneath. Her voice, usually steady, now carried a sharp edge as she raised it in a vehement retort, each word laden with frustration. Her finger jabbed sharply at Jaylen's chest, the physical punctuation to her emotional outburst.
As Jaylen observed Yuki's anger, he couldn't help but question, 'Why is she so angry? I hope she understands I didn't mean it like that.' His internal dialogue reflected a mix of bewilderment and a genuine desire for understanding.
"No, I just—" Jaylen's words faltered, and he raised his hands in a defensive gesture. He took several steps back. The attempt to clarify hung in the air, and the distance he created emphasized the awkwardness of the moment.
Yuki's patience wore thin. "Enough! I don't want to hear it. I don't have time for this," she snapped back, the sharpness of her tone underscoring her irritation. She turned on her heel, making it clear she was leaving. Leaving the unresolved conversation behind.
Despite Jaylen's attempt to halt her, Yuki's cold, threatening gaze halted him in his tracks—a silent command not to touch her. Another frustrated huff escaped her as she pressed on, leaving Jaylen standing there, speechless and helpless.
As Jaylen observed Yuki, his thoughts drifted inward, 'Yuki, what could have happened during the time we were apart?' The internal query hinted at a yearning for insight into the unspoken experiences that shaped their individual paths.
With a sigh Jaylen begins to make his way toward the front of the school to head to where he would be staying. Navigating through the rows of white walls with celestial images of different kinds showing after many twists and turns, Jaylen makes it out of the Libra building.
'Finally I found an Exit Felt like I wandered around for hours. But Man this school is large, but that makes sense there are twelve classes per year so in total that's thirty six classes. I believe only one other academy has a number even close to it. If i recall correctly it's Last Bastion academy'
Slowly walking the path toward the gate Jaylen arrives at the grand fountain.
The grand fountain commanded a vast expanse, an opulent display of elegance crafted from Celestial Marble. Bathed in the soft glow of ambient light, the ethereal aura it emitted captivated all who beheld it. The celestial material seemed to shimmer, casting a gentle luminescence that added an otherworldly touch to the surroundings. At the heart of this marvel stood a regal statue, a tribute to the goddess of Knowledge, Ibik.
Rising with grace and poise, the goddess gazed into the realms of wisdom, her figure carved with meticulous detail. The fluid lines of her celestial robes seemed to ripple with unseen currents, and her eyes held the timeless wisdom of a deity who had witnessed the eons unfold.
Water cascaded from ornate channels, forming intricate patterns that mirrored the intricate dance of knowledge itself. The soft murmur of flowing water created a soothing melody, inviting seekers and scholars to gather around and partake in the tranquility offered by the goddess's presence.
"Whoa, it's amazing. So this is a celestial ruin," Jaylen marveled, standing there in a daze, absorbing the awe and wonder emanating from the fountain.
'So this is what structures from eons ago looked like. Amazing.' Jaylen's inner thoughts agreed with the collective thoughts of most who had also gazed upon celestial ruins.
"It's your first time seeing one, I take it. How unexpected for the first transcendent," a voice questioned beside him.
"Yeah, it is. No, no, no, wait, who are you?" Jaylen almost yelled in shock, taken aback by the unexpected presence of the person beside him.
"Oh, pardon me. Nice to meet you. My name is Feyra Ash, the tenth transcendent"
Within Jaylen's gaze was Feyra Asha, a slender and scrawny girl whose head barely reached Jaylen's shoulders that added a level of charm for those interested.
Adorned with unkempt Bright red hair, a visual representation of her approach to life. Her brown eyes were concealed behind her glasses. Though not a jaw-dropping beauty, her natural cuteness captures attention in its own way.
"Alright then nice to meet you Feyra I'm–"
Putting up her hand to halt him, she stated very firmly, "You don't have to tell me who you are; I already know. Jaylen Orpheus, the first transcendent with a perfect score."
"Right, Well then about The Fountain–"
"There you are, Jaylen! Me and Aunt Mell were waiting for you"
Jaylen's eyes twitched ever so slightly at being interrupted once again. Suppressing a hint of irritation, he turned towards Lilith's direction with a forced smile. "Lilith, sorry to keep you and Aunt Mell waiting. I'm coming."
Feyra received a wave from Jaylen as he turned to leave. "Well, Feyra, it seems I've got to go. I guess I'll see you around school then," he called out, already heading towards Lilith.
"Hm," Feyra nodded, pulling a book from her bag. She found a spot near the fountain and settled down to read.
"Come on, Aunt Mell is going to be mad at you," Lilith chided, quickly moving through the halls..
"Ugh, Anything but that," added Jaylen, following along.
…
Next morning.
"Damn, I'm going to be late," running through the halls of Libra Building, Jaylen rushes to class. He quickly fixes his school uniform, tucking in the white undershirt into his gray pants, and straightening the tie that had revealed itself, pairing well with his black blazer adorned with a balance scale.
'I can't believe I slept in so late. This has never happened before and also why didn't Lilith wake me up. I can't believe she left me behind like that.' Back at home Jaylen was well known for waking up early and had never slept in once most notably from the fact he is a very light sleeper.
Reaching the practice run Jaylen runs into Brandon who had also just arrived.
"Woah, Jaylen, slow down, why the rush?"
"Cause we're going to be late to class Brandon"
"Huh, what are you talking about? We still have another twenty minutes before class starts"
"We do?"
"Yeah"
"Then why did my clock say class was going to start in a minute"
"Here what my Index says the time is"
Activating his index, a screen is revealed to both of them, the screen reads 12/2/2097 6:40 AM. A year in Yonus is 635 ½ days in total these days are split into 21 months with each month having around 30 days. The current month being Emberwhirl.
"Wait a sec-"
Jaylen also activates his index, revealing his screen which reads 12/2/2097 6:59 AM.
"Yeah, your time is definitely wrong just look into the room there's not that many people in there," Brandon points into the practice room to further prove his point.
Walking past Brandon, Jaylen enters the practice room. Within the room only a few people could be seen inside, not nearly enough for the whole class.
"Huh seems like you're right. But who would change the time on my index? Hmm" putting his hand onto his chin Jaylen thinks deeply about who could have done this.
Knowing that there were only three people in the whole estate who would enter his room apart from him, he was able to narrow down the suspects to three. 'It wouldn't have been Aunt Mell or Aunt Panama; they wouldn't have bothered with such pranks.'
And With a sense of enlightenment it clicks, slamming his fist into his hand, Jaylen exclaims "Lilith!"
"Hmm Lilith, Why her, do you believe she did it?" trying to understand Jaylen's thought process, Brandon inquiries.
"Simple she woke up earlier than me and she's usually a heavier sleeper then me and she has a pretty clear track record of playing pranks on me. So it could only be her." Nodding in affirmation Jaylen has no doubt it was his cousin.
'Just wait, Lilith. I'll be sure to get you back for this one, for sure,' Jaylen's inner thoughts begin to leak out, painting his face with a menacing grin.
"Yikes, who has your wrath for you to make a face like that, it totally ruins your somewhat decent looks," a voice echoed out just behind Jaylen and Brandon.
Hearing this Jaylen quick whips his head in the direction of the voice and retorts "What do you mean by decent looks Sarah"
"Hey but shouldn't we be getting ready for class it starts in two minutes" completely ignoring Jaylen, Sarah walks into the practice room followed by Brandon to prepare for the teacher's arrival.
"Are you guys really going to pretended to not hear me, hey guys seriously listen to me, hello"
As they continued forward, Sarah couldn't help but turn back to Jaylen and quickly stick out her tongue before turning back around. Seeing this, Jaylen couldn't help but feel a little angered by this, but quickly threw it aside, knowing she's only playing around.
Interacting with his friends like this, Jaylen couldn't help but think back on his interaction with Yuki, a frown covering his face as he thought about it. 'Yuki seemed irritated about something when I talked to her. Was it really from what I said? She also seemed to be in a rush. Maybe I should have waited for a better chance. I'll wait until she's not so pissed off.'
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Jaylen looks up to see class starting as Miss Xirenia walks in.
"Hello, everyone, good to see you're all here. Let's not waste any time and get started right away," Miss Xirenia addressed the class, her arms crossed and a stern expression painted on her face. Standing there, she exuded a strong sense of pressure as she looked around the room.
—--