The surge of emotions radiating from Ziyan caught Astra off guard. His feelings were intense enough to drown out the cacophony of other emotions around her. For a brief moment, she found herself caught in Ziyan's gaze, unable to look away from those dark eyes that seemed to see right through her.
But reality crashed back quickly enough. Astra turned her head away, reminding herself that what she felt from him was merely adrenaline – the natural high that came after any dangerous situation. Nothing more. She'd learned long ago not to read too deeply into these emotions.
It was not long before the staff came to get the mere. Silas and Emrys had also come by their side on their mounts, with a still-shaken Rowan perched behind Silas.
"You two okay?" Emrys asked, his usually playful expression replaced by an uncommon seriousness that felt foreign on his features. His emerald eyes scanned both of them for any signs of injury.
"Yeah," Astra responded with a curt nod, while Ziyan flashed a thumbs up, that lazy smirk finding its way back to his face.
"Thank god," Emrys exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. "For a moment there, I thought today's match was going to end with someone dead."
"I AM ALIVE!"
The sudden outburst from Rowan made everyone jump, especially Silas, who nearly toppled off his horse. He shot an annoyed glance over his shoulder, probably contemplating if he should throw Rowan off the horse himself or not.
"I AM ALIVE!" Rowan repeated even louder, throwing his arms up in the air, nearly knocking Silas's glasses askew in the process.
Astra fixed her brother with a look that questioned his sanity, though her expression remained as impassive as ever. With a slight shake of her head, she guided her borrowed white horse forward. Ziyan followed behind her, keeping a close distance.
One was riding on his midnight-black mount, the other was on the pure white stallion. Like day and night, they were complete opposites: her silver hair and his black, her cold demeanor and his lazy charm, her rigid posture and his relaxed slouch. Yet somehow, they complemented each other perfectly.
Behind them, Silas and Emrys exchanged knowing looks, one that Rowan who was still caught up in his near-death experience and subsequent celebration of life, failed to notice. If he had, he would have never allowed Astra and Ziyan to exist in the same room.
Ziyan rode in silence, glancing occasionally at Astra.
"That was reckless," he finally said. When she didn't immediately respond, he added, "Jumping onto a horse and chasing after a runaway mare? Most people would call that crazy."
"I know," Astra responded, her voice flat as he was expecting.
"Yet you still did it,"
"Because I was confident I could pull it off," Simple, direct, stated as if she were commenting on the weather rather than discussing how she'd just charged headlong into danger.
Ziyan urged his horse a bit closer, trying to catch a better glimpse of her expression.
"And what if you couldn't? What if something had gone wrong?" He paused, his next words coming out softer than intended. "What if you had gotten hurt?"
This time, Astra did turn to look at him, her silver eyes meeting his with an intensity that made him want to look away and keep staring at the same time.
"Remember one thing, Ziyan," she said, each word deliberate and clear. "I never do anything I'm not completely confident about. If I had even the slightest doubt about my abilities, I wouldn't have moved from where I stood."
Ziyan stared at her speechlessly, caught off guard by her words. Before he could formulate a response, Astra had already spurred her horse forward, increasing the distance between them.
Watching her pull ahead, Ziyan couldn't help but shake his head, a small smile playing on his lips.
[This girl is nothing but trouble,] he thought, but the thought carried more admiration than warning.
His mind wandered back to what he knew about her from Rowan's occasional mentions. She lived in a small town by choice, despite her mother being a renowned fashion designer who owned multiple properties in every major city. When he'd first heard this, he'd assumed she was just a simple small-town girl, perhaps shy girl who preferred a quiet life.
How wrong he'd been.
Their first meeting on the balcony should have clued him in. Astra was anything but simple. She was more like one of those antique puzzle boxes his grandfather collected, beautiful but containing layers upon layers of complexity underneath. Just when you thought you'd figured her out, you'd discover three more mysteries waiting to be solved.
And now this. Watching her charge straight into chaos proved this girl was trouble. It was both terrifying and fascinating.
As he watched her riding ahead, her posture perfect and her silver hair streaming behind her like a banner, Ziyan found himself chuckling softly.
[It seems like it was gonna be a fun school year this time.]
Just like that, the competition had dissolved into chaos, ending without a winner but with plenty of questions. Emrys firmly believed their opponents had something to do with the horse's strange behavior and had dragged Silas along to investigate. A small crowd of equally suspicious classmates had joined them along.
Meanwhile, Rowan had claimed one of the chairs near the ranch house, sprawled in it like a dramatic Victorian heroine having a fainting spell.
"I am alive," he kept mumbling, staring at the sky as if he couldn't quite believe it was still there. "I am actually alive."
Astra watched the state of her brother with a mixture of exasperation and resignation. She couldn't help but wonder if Atticus Lennox was actually his father or if he had actually found Rowan in a dumpster behind a particularly dramatic theater.
A second later, she looked away from him and took another sip of the juice that a worker had brought her earlier. She could feel curious gazes on her, along with the whirl of emotions from the crowd. It felt suffocating, especially when all those emotions were directed toward her.
She took a deep, controlled breath, mentally reinforcing her barriers. Years of practice had taught her how to block out others' emotions, even if she couldn't eliminate them completely. It was like turning down the volume on a too-loud radio. The music was still there, but muffled enough to be bearable.
She turned her attention to the boy watching her from across the table, his chin propped lazily on his palm and an amused smile playing at his lips.
"Is there something on my face?" she asked flatly, meeting his gaze directly.
Ziyan's smile widened slightly. "Just trying to figure you out."
"That's a waste of time."
"I have plenty of time to waste," he countered. "Besides, you are kind of interesting."
Astra raised an eyebrow slightly. "I'm not here for your entertainment."
"No," he agreed, shifting to lean forward slightly. "You're here because my reckless best friend dragged you into our chaos. Speaking of which..." His expression grew more serious. "Thank you. For saving him."
"He's my brother," she replied simply, as if that explained everything.
"Step-brother," he corrected, watching her reaction carefully. "Who you've barely met. Most people wouldn't risk their lives for someone they don't know, family or not."
Astra set her glass down. "Most people think too much about risks and too little about capabilities. I knew I could help, so I did. The relationship is irrelevant."
"Just like that?" Ziyan questioned, genuinely curious.
"Just like that," she confirmed.