The last day of the first week of the program dawned, painting Elender Keep with the same cold, indifferent light. But something was… off.
Harry noticed it the moment he stepped onto the training grounds.
Leah wasn't there.
Instead, she stood beside Max, offering him the same flask she'd once handed to Harry, her smile soft and kin. Max, oblivious as ever, took it with a polite nod, his attention already shifting elsewhere, completely missing the way Leah's eyes lingered.
Harry's gaze, however, didn't linger on Leah for long.
Because now, she was coming toward him.
Maya.
The red-haired beauty, whose usual lovely banter with Max was nowhere to be seen today. Instead, her green eyes were sharp, glinting with something between anger and contempt as they locked onto Harry like he was some unsightly blemish on her otherwise perfect day.
'Oh, great…' Harry sighed inwardly, bracing himself as she stopped just a few feet away, arms crossed over her chest, glaring at him like he'd personally insulted her entire family.
Her stare was intense—burning holes right through him.
Harry exhaled slowly, placing his hands on his hips. "Do you have something to say?" His voice was calm, almost bored. "If not, stop staring at me like that. Me and the others might get the wrong idea."
A small snort escaped Maya, sharp and dismissive.
"I don't talk to scum like you," she spat, her words venomous.
Harry arched an eyebrow, unphased. "Well, someone's a bit… dramatic this morning."
Maya's glare intensified.
Harry tilted his head slightly. "Care to enlighten me on what crime I committed?"
"Hmph." Maya's lips curled into a sneer. "Didn't you make her upset?"
'Her?' Harry's mind ticked, but he played dumb. "Her…? Are you talking about Leah?"
Maya rolled her eyes, as if the answer was obvious. "Yeah. Or did any other girl approach you?"
Harry chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Well, they didn't. But that's not the point. And it seems like you misunderstood something. I did nothing to make her upset—at least, I believe so. I just joked with her."
"Liar." Maya's voice was ice-cold. "Then why did she ask me to switch places with her? When I asked why, she couldn't even look me in the eye. She was trembling avoiding eye contact." Her eyes narrowed. "You clearly did something."
"She might be just embarrassed, you know." Harry said, recalling how she left running yesterday.
"You-!"
"..."
Harry stared at her for a moment, the gears in his mind turning.
'She won't believe me no matter what I say,' he realized. 'So she's that type of individual, huh…'
With a sigh, Harry's expression shifted into something more serious. "If I did upset her," he said, voice steady, "then please apologize to her for me."
He gave Maya a small nod, stepping to the side. "See you around."
But before he could take more than a few steps, he felt a sudden force gripping his wrist. Hard.
He glanced down, surprised.
Maya's hand was locked around his arm, her grip strong. Stronger than he'd expected.
'So, she's stronger than Max… Figured.' Harry noted inwardly, his gaze flicking to her face. But Maya didn't flinch under his questioning look. Instead, she leaned in slightly, her voice low and pointed.
"You know what's happening tomorrow, right?"
Harry met her stare, his own expression unreadable. "…Yes. We'll learn how to harness Essence and everything about it."
A smirk tugged at the corner of Maya's mouth. "Heh. Then let me tell you something." She leaned in closer, her breath warm against his skin. "We are the ones who'll 'help' you with that." Her eyes darkened. "But since you made my friend upset, don't even think about getting my help. Or hers. Or anyone's. Even if we were to 'help', you will understand what it means to make our princess sad."
With that, she released his wrist, her touch lingering like a phantom.
"See you then," she said, turning on her heel and walking away without another word.
Harry stood there for a moment, rubbing the spot where her fingers had dug into his skin. A faint glint flickered in his eyes, sharp and calculating.
"…I see," he muttered under his breath. "Open discrimination, huh..."
The pieces were falling into place.
Possibility One: This was a setup by Leah. Meaning she was two-faced, playing the innocent while manipulating things behind the scenes. Which was not entirely impossible.
Possibility Two: Maya was just hot-blooded and reckless. But that didn't fully explain her hostility or... idiocy. Which means there was more to it.
Possibility Three: Well… Harry had a hunch.
But he wasn't going to jump to conclusions just yet.
'Let's see what happens first…'
With that, Harry exhaled, pushed the thoughts aside, and resumed his morning training. The cold wind of Elender Keep bit at his skin, but it was nothing compared to the storm brewing in his mind.
_____ __ _
"…There's another one."
Caroline blinked, tearing her eyes away from the ground to glance at Ashley. "Huh? Another one?"
But Ashley wasn't looking at her.
Her gaze, sharp and unreadable as always, was fixed on a spot across the grounds. Following her line of sight, Caroline's eyes landed on a pair standing not too far from the others.
Max and Leah.
Leah's dark hair shimmered under the morning light, her posture relaxed as she spoke to Max, who seemed his usual oblivious self, nodding along without much reaction. But Leah's eyes told a different story—soft, lingering, almost… wistful.
Caroline's lips parted in understanding.
'Ah… that's what she meant.'
Ashley wasn't talking about a new student.
She was talking about Leah.
Another person standing in her way.
Caroline leaned in slightly, her voice low. "Wasn't she talking with Harry till now? Why did she suddenly switch to Max?"
Ashley didn't respond.
Her eyes narrowed just a fraction, the intensity in her gaze deepening as if she was dissecting the scene in front of her. Caroline shifted uncomfortably, glancing back at Max and Leah, but before she could say anything more, something else caught her attention.
Across the field, near the obstacle course, Harry was standing still, his expression unreadable.
But it wasn't Harry that made Caroline's eyes widen.
It was Maya.
The red-haired girl, who had been practically glued to Max's side all week, was now clutching Harry's forearm, her face inches from his as she spoke in low, heated tones.
Caroline blinked in surprise. "Did she… switch targets?"
"Hmph." Ashley's voice was laced with quiet disdain. "She must have realized it was impossible to get his heart."
Caroline glanced sideways at her, the corner of her mouth twitching. 'She means Max, obviously.'
"Ah, y-yeah." Caroline smiled awkwardly, trying to match Ashley's energy, though the situation felt weirder by the second.
"But…" Ashley continued, her voice quieter, more thoughtful now. "She didn't seem friendly with that… boy."
Caroline's brow furrowed.
'Whoa… she's not calling him a fool anymore. Must be because he averted that girl from Max.'
But before she could get lost in her thoughts, Ashley's sharp voice cut through the air.
"Vice-President."
Caroline straightened instinctively. "Y-Yeah, President?"
Ashley didn't take her eyes off the field. "You're friends with him, right?"
"…Him?" Caroline blinked, but Ashley's gaze didn't move.
'Does she want to go and 'protect' Max again?'
Caroline swallowed.
"Why don't you go and… learn what they're talking about?"
'Knew it.' Caroline chuckled lightly, masking her nerves. "Don't worry, President. Leave it to me."
Without another word, she stepped away from Ashley's side, heading toward Max and Leah, her mind buzzing with questions.
Ashley watched her go, arms folded neatly across her chest.
But as Caroline moved further from her side, Ashley's brows furrowed slightly.
"I didn't mean them."
Her gaze shifted, finally landing on Harry, who was now resuming his training, sprinting through the obstacle course with weird and strange movements yet almost perfect precision.
Ashley's eyes lingered, wondering whether to go herself.
"..."
'…Nah,' Ashley thought, pushing the odd flicker of curiosity aside.
She turned away, but the image of Harry running—unbothered and alone—lingered in the corners of her mind.