Chereads / Legendary Guardians: Mad Emperor / Chapter 10 - Turning Point

Chapter 10 - Turning Point

Ren was the first to leave the class, she packed her things and walked out hurriedly as if she couldn't bear to watch Liora and Mark play couples.

"Yeah, I'm planning to hit the gym after a quick snack. Wanna tag along?" Eric offered.

{Decline, improving your mystical knowledge should be your priority.} Ra declined immediately and Kael instinctively shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I plan to check out a few books in the library of resonance today," Kael responded with a smile.

"Sure thing, see you tomorrow then." Eric and Kael shared a fist bump before he left the class.

Huff!

Kael exhaled heavily before rising to his feet. He shot one last glance at Liora and Mark before leaving the classroom.

— Academy Northern Region, The Library of Resonance —

Kael walked through the grand arched doorway of the Library of Resonance, his boots echoing faintly against the polished marble floor.

The air was cool, filled with the faint scent of old parchment and ink. Towering shelves lined the spacious hall, each stacked with ancient tomes, scrolls, and manuscripts.

{The knowledge you need has to do with mystic spells and language.} Ra said.

"Hold on, don't tell me you brought me out here without a book in mind?" Kael said in a hushed tone.

{Do as you are told, human!} Ra snapped.

Kael swallowed hard, nodding instinctively. His eyes scanned the aisles as he moved deeper into the library.

Upon reaching the catalog, he noticed the librarian, a quiet grey-haired woman with sharp oversized glasses and unique emerald pupils.

"Hello, how can I help you?" The Librarian's voice was dull and mechanical.

Kael felt like if she wasn't obligated to, she wouldn't be speaking to him.

"Where can I find books that have to do with mystic spells and spirit language?" Kael asked timidly.

The old lady glanced at him once before she gestured toward the east wing.

"Row seventeen, section B," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Thank you!" Kael thanked her with a bow and hurried off, unwilling to spend another second with the old lady.

He weaved through rows of towering bookshelves and when he reached the indicated section, his heart sank. The space where the books should have been was empty.

"Someone already took all of them?," Kael muttered in disbelief.

There are only five demi-humans; why would someone take a row of ten or so books?

Then, he noticed movement a few tables away. A figure sat alone, the sunlight falling softly on her brown hair. It was Ren. Books rested on her table, one in her hands as her eyes scanned its pages intently.

"Ren?" He muttered, surprised to see her here.

Kael started to approach but stopped abruptly when he saw her shoulders trembling. He blinked in confusion as he noticed something off.

'Is she… crying?' Kael noticed her fingers tightened around the edges of the book as she sniffled quietly, her tears falling onto the open pages.

Panic seized Kael. He froze, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. What was he supposed to do? If he approached, he risked saying the wrong thing.

'Maybe I shouldn't get involved; I'll just look for another book,' Kael concluded decisively.

{Do you run away from every awkward situation you find yourself in?} Ra asked, his voice unusually low.

Kael's jaw tightened, his hands clenching tightly.

{Failing is bad, but not trying is just pathetic.} Ra continued.

"Okay, okay, I'll go, just stop the motivational speech thing," Kael let out a defeated sigh.

He looked around, reminding himself there weren't people here to laugh at him if something bad were to happen.

'Here goes nothing!' Kael inhaled and exhaled deeply a few times before approaching.

"Ren?" he called softly, his voice low so as not to disturb the quiet of the library.

Her head shot up, her wide eyes glistening with unshed tears. She quickly wiped her face with the back of her hand, snapping the book shut.

"Kael? What… what are you doing here?" Ren stuttered, her face lowered to hide her reddened face.

"I… I came to find a book, then.. "

{Go straight to the point!} Ra scolded, causing Kael to shudder involuntarily.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt but, are you okay?" He asked in a low tone

Ren nodded, but her eyes turned watery again forcing her to lower her head.

{Offer to listen to her problems.} Ra instructed calmly.

"Do you … do you want to talk about it?" Kael mumbled, his eyes glued to the ground

Ren looked up, confused by the pathetic attempt to show concern. She was stunned to see Kael's face red hot, covered in beads of sweat.

Her eyes dilated in shock as she remembered that Kael was never popular and usually got bullied. He was introverted, just like her, and was putting in a lot of effort just to communicate.

"Let's go outside. We can't talk here." Ren agreed with a cheerful nod. "I'll pack my things first."

Kael nodded, his stomach knotting. He stood by the side like a puppy and followed her as she led the way out of the library as soon as she was done packing.

---

Outside, the academy grounds were bathed in soft afternoon light. The flowers, leaves, and grass swayed in the direction of the wind.

Ren guided them to a bench beneath a tree, its leaves swaying in the breeze. She sat down, clutching the books tightly to her chest, while Kael hesitated for a moment before sitting beside her.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Ren stared at the ground, her hair falling over her face like a curtain. Kael shifted awkwardly, unsure of how to break the silence.

Finally, she spoke, her voice filled with sadness.

"Mark and I used to have a thing between us since I got here. That was until yesterday after we met at Liora's room." Ren wasn't crying this time, she just felt sad.

Kael glanced at her, his brow furrowed.

"By a thing, do you mean dating?" Kael asked.

{No, she means they played soccer together.} Ra rolled his eyes.

Ren nodded with her face still lowered. Her response made Kael's heart skip a beat, his fingers tightening at the edges of the bench.

"He left me for her… he broke up with me over a text." Ren chuckled bitterly, lifting her face towards the canopy of leaves above.

"What?" Kael blurted out, abruptly jumping to his feet.

---

Kael's shuffling footsteps could be heard up the dormitory staircase, Ra's voice drowning under his thundering heartbeat. Running up the third floor, he quickly raced towards the left wing where Liora's room was located.

Three doors away, Kael could already hear it: low moans accompanied by giggles and low laughter. For a moment, Kael's mind went blank; it suddenly felt harder to breathe.

His legs felt wobbly, causing him to trip over his shoelaces. Kael fell with a loud thud, the moaning voices freezing right after.

"Ah!" Kael gritted his teeth, holding his right ankle tightly.

His shoelace must have undone itself while he was running and in a brief moment of shock, he stepped the wrong way and twisted his right ankle.

Clank!

Kael heard a door open, his face snapped up only to see Liora's head sticking out of the door. Her hair was disheveled, his face covered in beads of sweat.

Her eyes were empty as she looked at Kael's fallen figures for a few seconds.

"Is there a problem?" Mark's voice rang from within the room, Kael's heart tightening when he heard it.

"No, it's nothing," Liora responded, slamming her door shut and locking it.

Buzz!

Kael lay there, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief. In a few seconds, the moans continued, louder than before.

{You abandoned Ren at the library, alongside the books just to listen to the female you like mating with another male. Don't you feel stupid?} Ra was ruthless, especially now Kael was hurt.

Ra believed Kael had a weak heart and mind because he had yet to experience reality. He was a coward who removed himself from uncomfortable situations, avoiding the physical, psychological, and emotional consequences that come with it.

Consequences meant to build his character, resolve, and courage.

For Kael, it felt like an out-of-body experience. It felt like he could see himself from a third-person perspective, lying on the floor with a broken heart.

He felt disgusted, annoyed, and even disdainful toward himself.

Kael froze, the confusion, chaos, and destruction in his mind replaced with silence. He silently grabbed the wall, using it as leverage to pull himself up, before limping away.

He returned to his room, locking the door behind him. For the rest of the day, Kael lay on his bed, looking at the spinning ceiling fan, and Liora's moans and giggles replayed in his head.

A part of him hoped Liora would knock on his door and give him a half-baked explanation and apology, but it never happened.

The afternoon rushed by and night came with peace. Moonlight illuminated his dark room, his large window giving him a good view of the stars.

{Right now, What do you feel?} Ra asked, his voice lacking hostility.

Kael initially planned to ignore Ra, but the question made him think in that direction. The look in her eyes when she saw him on the floor made him feel worthless.

Liora went on to call him nothing, banging the door, and returned to Mark without a second thought.

"Empty, worthless, discarded..." Kael mumbled reluctantly.

{Good, always remember you were rejected and abandoned. She considered you worthless. Internalize it, sleep on it, and wake up a different man.} Ra's voice was soothing, causing Kael to sleep off without noticing.