Pride-Niklaus's Point of View
♕︎ ♕︎ ♕︎
The atmosphere grew tense, freezing in that instant as if time itself had decided to hold its breath. None of us were willing to pair with that arsehole, not in a million years. The mere thought of being tethered to him was enough to make anyone gag. If there was anyone here who might actually be okay with it, it would probably be Apollo. After all, he was dating Loki's best friend and had been forced to tolerate Loki's presence long enough to get used to the guy's antics. But for the rest of us? Absolutely not. Not even close. There was no world, no scenario, where I could stomach being paired with Loki. And I knew I wasn't alone in that sentiment.
"Gods, have mercy. Take the second ball," Atlas growled, his voice dripping with anxiety as he struggled to keep his frustration hidden. His usual calm demeanor had completely shattered, replaced with a palpable tension. He was clearly feeling the pressure.
Diana, sensing the rising unease, turned toward Samuel, her gaze heavy with unspoken tension. The air between them crackled with anticipation. "The one who will pair with Loki is..." Diana's voice trailed off, the suspense hanging in the air like a thick fog.
Samuel, ever the showman, couldn't resist dragging out the moment. A wide grin spread across his face as he flashed a glance at the gathered group. "Apollo Valentine Bathory-Moreno!" he finally announced with an exaggerated flourish.
"Fuck yeah!" Atlas shouted, throwing his arms up in the air like a man who'd just narrowly avoided a disaster. His relief was obvious, and I could practically see the tension leave his shoulders.
"Fuck," Scarlet muttered under her breath, her expression turning from annoyance to sheer disbelief. Without a second's hesitation, she sank to her knees, her back slumping against the wall as if the weight of the world had just fallen on her. The sight of her utterly disturbed, visibly shaken by the turn of events, almost made me chuckle. The reason was clear: the odds of her pairing with either me or Dove had just tripled exponentially. She knew she was in trouble. "Let me get my brother. Please, let me get Atlas," she begged, her voice tight with desperation. The raw emotion in her words was impossible to ignore.
Loki, ever the troublemaker, grinned like the cat who had caught the canary. "Good buddy?" he asked, his tone dripping with mock sweetness.
Apollo, surprisingly calm and collected, looked totally unfazed. He even seemed a little pleased by the outcome. "More time with you means more time with Neo, so, hell yeah," he said, giving a casual shrug as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I like that too," Neo-Brynolf chimed in, his grin widening as he seemed to relish the unfolding chaos.
And then, with a sudden flash of light, Loki and Apollo were teleported to their designated seats in the center of the room. Apollo was placed on the side of the top 1, while Loki found himself positioned on the side of the top 3. The pair of them looked completely unfazed by the shift, as if they were used to being at the center of the madness.
"Alright, the ball," Scarlet muttered under her breath, her voice a strained whisper as the reality of the situation seemed to sink in. Her eyes were wide with nervous energy. "The third ball," she added, her voice cracking slightly as her anxiety bubbled to the surface.
Kai, always one for teasing, couldn't resist the opportunity to get under her skin. "Anxious much?" he taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Go to fucking hell, lustful demon," Scarlet shot back, her words laced with venom, her fury barely contained.
Kai flashed an impish grin, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Well, you might come to us," he said, winking at me as though it were some kind of twisted invitation.
"The third ball is..." Diana's voice rang out, thick with anticipation. Her words seemed to hang in the air, stretching out the moment for as long as possible, drawing every ounce of attention to her.
Samuel, ever the one to revel in the suspense, leaned in with a smirk and, with an almost theatrical flair, finally announced, "Atlas Vincent Bathory-Moreno!"
Scarlet's reaction was immediate and unmistakable. A squeak escaped her lips, so high-pitched it almost made me laugh. Her face twisted in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock and frustration. The dramatic effect of her reaction almost made the whole thing worth it. But the drama was far from over. "The next ball will decide who pairs with the Drakyre triplet and the last pair," Samuel continued, his voice carrying a malicious edge. He was clearly enjoying this. His eyes locked on Scarlet, as if savoring every moment of her misery.
Scarlet immediately squeezed her eyes shut, her hands pressed together in a desperate prayer. "Please, please, please," she whispered, her voice almost a chant, invoking every god she could think of to change the outcome.
"The fourth name is..." Diana continued to tease, her smile almost too knowing as she shifted her gaze toward Scarlet. The tension was unbearable.
"Vain-Dove Zara Python-Cervenka!" Samuel declared, his voice almost gleeful as he revealed the next name with a flourish.
"No!" Scarlet, Atlas, Apollo, and Loki all gasped in shock, their faces a mixture of disbelief and outrage.
"Fuck no!" Scarlet screamed, her voice thick with disbelief. "This is messed up. It wasn't supposed to be this way! No fucking mixed tight!" she fumed, clearly outraged by the unexpected turn of events. "We fell on our normal places on the top three! What kind of bullshit is this? Let's do it again!" she demanded, her voice escalating with frustration.
But before she could finish her rant, the magic took over, and we were all teleported to our designated places. The room spun around me as reality reasserted itself, and I found myself standing in my spot. Scarlet ended up in the rightmost seat, and I was sandwiched between her and Apollo.
"No!" Scarlet cried out when our eyes met, her voice cracking with frustration, disbelief, and anger. "This must be a nightmare," she muttered, almost as if she were trying to convince herself that this was all just a bad dream.
To me, it felt like quite the opposite. "A nightmare indeed," I muttered under my breath, my gaze cold and unyielding. "Believe me, I'm just as disgusted to fall with you as you are with me," I snapped, my words dripping with disdain. I made sure she could hear every single syllable, letting her know exactly how I felt about this situation. "And I'm not just talking about the fact that we've 'fallen' together."
"I am more disgusted than you!" Scarlet retorted, her eyes narrowing with defiance, as if she could somehow outdo me in the level of disgust we both shared.
"Sure you are," I replied, my voice thick with sarcasm as I turned away from her and glanced at her brother. Atlas was pressing his lips together, clearly doing everything he could to avoid making eye contact with me. He was struggling to keep his composure, but it was clear that this pairing was just as undesirable for him. "But I'm not sure who's more unlucky here—me or Apollo. Because, dude, you're stuck with the filthy fox."
This broke the Drakyre's stoic façade. He let out a small choke of laughter, the tension finally breaking as amusement slipped through his usually cold demeanor. "He isn't that bad," he said with a shrug. "Besides, I'll be with his best friend. It's a win in my book."
"Yeah? Well, Neo will be with his partner, while you're stuck with the filthy fox," I added, unable to resist another jab. I couldn't help myself.
Loki, clearly over the entire conversation, rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh. "Shut the fuck up, Pride," he grumbled, his annoyance clear in his voice.
I raised an eyebrow, a smirk curling at the edges of my lips. "What? Are you jealous?"
"Of course, I am," Loki scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I wanted to be with Calli."
Scarlet cursed under her breath, her eyes widening in horror as she turned her face away from Loki. She was doing everything she could to avoid looking at him, her willpower to look away almost palpable. The tension between them was thick, and I could see how much she was struggling.
The whole thing felt like a twisted game of fate. None of us were happy with how things had turned out, but that was exactly the point. This was chaos, and chaos was exactly what we all thrived on. And honestly, I couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction at Loki's disappointment. Because, after all, he didn't get paired with my girl.