It is the Blackwood's annual Enchantment Fair, the school was alive with energy and different booths. Laughter and cheers echoed through the grounds as students enjoyed games like hammer strike, arm wrestling, archery, balloon popping, and even a pie-eating contest. Aria wandered through the crowd, the vibrant lights and upbeat music creating a festive atmosphere.
While walking alone in the school grounds, she caught sight of Jackson at the hammer strike booth, casually holding a mallet. A crowd had gathered to watch, and Aria stopped in her tracks, intrigued. His posture was effortless, his sharp eyes locked onto the target. With a powerful swing, he struck the lever, and the bell at the top rang out clearly. He repeated the feat again and again, even when the target was set higher.
Aria's brows furrowed. How is he that strong? She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something unusual about him because the person that followed Jackson is not able to ring the bell even once. So, the guy walked about in frustration while glaring at Jackson who seemed to be unbothered by him.
Aria let out a little chuckle, then Jackson immediately turned his head unto Aria's direction.Then, their eyes met. Aria and Jackson exchanged glances. Unsure if he was looking at her, she turned around to check if there was anyone else behind her, but there was no one.
She felt uneasy, wondering how Jackson could have heard her chuckle so faintly. After all, there were two booths between them.
"Yeah, I heard you, and I was looking at you, and no one else," Jackson replied, his gaze fixed on her from a distance.
Aria didn't know what to do. She couldn't deny that she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks and a flutter in her stomach at his words. She knew he was referring to her watching him play, but her mind had taken it in a different direction.
Quickly averting her gaze, she rushed back to the stage to prepare for their performance.
When she reached the backstage area, Ava approached her, drumsticks in hand. "Where were you? We're up next," Ava asked.
"Oh, I was just walking around," Aria replied hesitantly, not wanting to confuse her friend with the strange encounter. She decided to tell Ava about it after their performance.
—
Later, the spotlight shifted to the stage where Ava and Aria's band was set to perform. As Aria picked up her guitar and began to sing, her eyes scanned the crowd—and then they locked with Jackson's.
The world around her seemed to fade. The bustling fair, the cheering crowd, even the music—all of it dulled as if it existed in the background of a dream. Jackson stood there, his piercing gaze fixed on her, as though the song she was singing was meant only for him. A shiver ran down her spine, but she couldn't look away.
Her voice trembled slightly as she finished the verse, and Ava shot her a curious glance, but Aria quickly recovered. When the song ended, the crowd erupted in applause, but Aria's mind was elsewhere.
After the performance, Aria stepped off the stage and headed toward the refreshment table to grab a drink. As she poured herself some punch, she heard a familiar, mocking laugh behind her. She turned to see Bianca and Serena, their arms crossed and smirks plastered on their faces.
Bianca and Serena approached her. Their eyes glinted with malice. "Well, well, if it isn't the little songbird," Bianca sneered. "Your voice is so... squeaky."
Aria rolled her eyes, ignoring their petty insults. She turned to leave, but Serena blocked her path. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Out of your way," Aria replied, trying to maintain her composure.
"Oh, come on, don't be so sensitive," Bianca scoffed. "We were just teasing."
"Yeah, well, your teasing isn't very funny," Aria retorted.
Before the situation could escalate further, Adrian stepped in. "Leave her alone," he said to Bianca and Serena, his voice stern. Bianca rolled her eyes but backed down.
Aria managed a small smile, appreciating his kindness. "Thanks, Adrian" grateful for his intervention.
"No problem," he replied, a soft smile playing on his lips.
He cracked a joke to lighten the mood, earning a quiet laugh from her. But as he fussed over her, Aria felt a weight in the air—something heavy and tense.
She glanced behind Adrian and saw Jackson standing a few feet away, his eyes locked on the scene. His expression was unreadable, but there was a strange intensity in his gaze that made Aria's heart skip a beat. Also did she see something in his eyes? Jealousy maybe?
Then, without a word, Jackson stepped forward. His presence was commanding, and the crowd around them seemed to instinctively part to let him through. He stopped in front of Bianca and Serena, his sharp eyes piercing into theirs.
"Apologize," Jackson said, his voice calm but laced with an undeniable authority.
Bianca opened her mouth to protest, but Jackson's gaze froze her in place. "Now," he added, his tone lower, more insistent.
"We're… sorry," Bianca stammered, her usual bravado completely gone.
"Yeah, sorry," Serena echoed quickly.
Without another word, the two girls turned and hurried away, their faces pale.
Aria stared at them in disbelief, then turned to Jackson. "How did you—"
"Some people just need to be reminded of their manners," Jackson said simply, cutting her off. His eyes lingered on her for a moment, softening slightly.
Then, he turned to Adrian. "You know, I've always admired your skills, Adrian, and I've heard that no one has beaten you at arm wrestling. Why don't we give it a try?," Jackson said with a playful smirk on his face.
Adrian, surprised but intrigued, accepted the challenge. The crowd gathered around as the two rivals faced off. With a powerful grip, Jackson overpowered Adrian, winning the match.
The crowd erupted in cheers, and Aria couldn't help but feel a strange mix of admiration and concern for Jackson. His strength was undeniable, no one has ever beaten Adrian in arm wrestling for like two years, but he did it so easily without breaking a sweat. She wondered what secrets he was hiding, and what dark forces might be lurking beneath his calm exterior.
Later that night, Aria sat on her bed, replaying the events of the day in her mind. Jackson's strength in the hammer strike and arm wrestling, the way he commanded Bianca and Serena with just a few words, and the way his presence seemed to shift the air around him—all of it felt… unnatural.
She thought back to the strange glow she had seen in his eyes before and the way he heard her from a distance and how she was able to hear him back. She thought, "How was that possible?" Did she eat something or was she just delusional or hallucinating?
'Who are you, Jackson?' she wondered, her curiosity mingled with a strange sense of dread.