El walked across the threshold and knocked on Noah's door. A man of imposing stature, sporting a weird mustache and clad in butler attire—Noah's keeper—opened the door with a flourish. "Ah, good morning, Master El," he intoned, stepping aside with an air of respect.
"Morning to you too, Arnold. Where's Noah?" El replied, stepping into the lavish foyer.
"He's almost ready to depart with you, Master El," Arnold responded, his tone accommodating.
El sighed, exasperation lacing his voice. "It seems we'll have to wait a bit longer; a certain sleeping beauty woke up late again."
"Ah, Master Caleb, I presume?" Arnold said, noting El's nod. "Then I shall inform Master Noah," he added, retreating.
As Arnold strode away, El continued deeper into the house, but soon his somewhat serene expression soured as he spotted Caspian also in his uniform of blue, sprawled comfortably on the couch, with a wide smile looking at his phone.
The sight of Caspian so uncharacteristically upbeat and happy unsettled him; without a moment's pause, El positioned himself at a distance, feigning interest in his own device.
But El realize, it was not just the digital screen before him that occupied his thoughts; because of his curse advanced senses he could practically feel Caspian's grin directed at him from across the room—'damnit', El thought, his mood darkening further. Reluctantly, he lifted his gaze to meet Caspian's, whose smile seemed to deepen at having captured El's attention.
"What?" El said,In a harsh voice.
Caspian, however, remained unfazed, the smile glued in place. His thoughts diverged drastically from the impression El had of him at that moment.
'Could the new form of my sword technique finally give me the edge I need to beat him?'
Caspian mused, oblivious to the unnerving nature of his continued smiling.
'Then again, he undoubtedly has his own secret trump card, but that hardly matters—I'll soon find out.'
His confidence grew as he mentally dismissed the rest of the group, recognizing only Lilah as a potential challenge, but convinced he could still take her on, all the while maintaining that eerie grin.
.
.
.
.
.
'What on earth is this freak thinking about?'
El sulked inwardly, his instincts picking up on Caspian's strategizing in silence.
'It's probably more elaborate combat plans, against..well everyone,just knowing him,'
he continued, unknowingly tapping into his own surprisingly keen perception of others.
At that moment, Noah in his uniform strolled into the living room, breaking the tension.
"Hey, guys,"
he called out, his voice brightening the atmosphere.
"You do realize we're about five minutes late, right? It's gonna take at least another ten minutes to reach the classroom."
His tone, a mix of sarcasm and urgency, pulled both El and Caspian from their ruminations. However, just as either could respond, a knock echoed from the entrance, and Arnold moved to open the door.
"Good morning, Master Caleb. They have been waiting for you," he announced with a crisp formality.
A hurried figure rushed into the living room—it was obviously Caleb. "Um, sorry, everyone! The water cut off mid-shower, making me late,I would have to file a complainant form for it" he proclaimed, adjusting his tie, his agitation palpable.
Everyone exchanged knowing glances, aware of the obvious lies but too accustomed to calling him out on such transparent excuses.
Without another moment's delay, the group formed up and began their walk to class, unconcerned about waiting for the girls—who always departed early.
As they navigated the hall, Caspian pressed the button for the elevator and as they entered through,they settled into casual stances; some engaged with their phones, while others sat lost in thought or cloaked in a nervous anticipation. To an outsider, they must have appeared intimidating, and an unfortunate soul would soon bear witness to it.
The elevator paused on the third floor, and the doors slid open, prompting all to glance up simultaneously. There stood a boy, stylish tousled black hair framing his face, light green eyes adorned in glasses awash with panic, his gaze frozen with a pale look on the inhabitants of the elevator.
-----
Jonah had evidently woken up on the wrong side of the bed. He sprang up, urgency propelling him towards the bathroom. It wasn't intentional; the school period had been a whirlwind of chaos and he was barely keeping his head above water. Two months into the semester of first year, and exhaustion clung to him. Then what awaited him in second-year? Or beyond that?
It was Tuesday, and looming over him like a storm cloud was an assignment due tomorrow—a research paper that required him to digest at least a minimum of four books from the library as he had not have any digital devices at his disposal as he wasn't allowed to,and he had exerted all his energy the night prior, burning the midnight oil in a desperate bid to stay afloat.
As the top student in the Illusion Department for first-years, maintaining his position was crucial. Without the backing of influential connections, he needed every sponsor he could secure to remain at the prestigious academy he was in.
After a hasty shower, he donned his blue uniform and darted towards the front of his room, grabbing his backpack and books with little time to spare. Being low-ranked in the general standings his room denied him access to a kitchen, thrusting him into the chaotic cafeteria for meals which he would likely miss for this morning. He hoped, albeit with little expectation, that he could endure his classes until lunch.
With a tumbling heart, he exited his room and locked the door, fumbling with his keys. As he raced to the elevator,so not to miss it and lucky,he was able to intercept the elevator which was coming for the top floors, he pondered the privilege of the top ten students, a flicker of jealousy gnawing at him. Yet there was no point in lamenting his situation; reaching the top felt like grasping at smoke.
The elevator doors finally opened, revealing an atmosphere of intimidation. He felt his complexion pale as he faced the four figures inside— the very embodiment of aristocracy, the elite of their year. He swallowed hard, battling the instinct to just miss this ride but he did not have a choice or he would be late, very late.
The silence was suffocating, charged with a cold intensity that wrapped around him like a vise. Desperate to occupy his mind, he cast a fleeting glance around the cabin,around which was faster that anything,but someone caught it, which was El, nearly nothing could escape his senses in his surroundings but he subconsciously ignored as an harmless act which it was.
Recognizing the four riders with him—no one could mistake the top ten students of their year, all hailing from noble houses, three from the illustrious four great houses—Jonah felt insignificant, a mere commoner among princes. The elevator chimed, and before he could second-guess himself, he dashed out, the oppressive atmosphere behind him.
----
Meanwhile, El shrugged, perplexed by Jonah's hasty exit.he mused, though the tension in the elevator was calm and friendly, save for perhaps a blanket of silence.
Once they stepped outside of the dorm building, Caspian broke the stillness.
"So, are we running or taking the train?"
They mulled it over for a moment before deciding,
"Nah, let's run. The academy class ring isn't too far from here."
They shrug and began to jogg,but as usual there was a competition spirit which flared out and then,finally someone spoke.
"The last to reach the class ring will have to spar with Lilah!"
Without hesitation, they bolted into a sprint, drawing curious gazes from bystanders, some nearly tumbling over in surprise. Fortunately, the dormitory was a mana-restricted zone, or the collateral damage would have escalated dramatically.
Three minutes into the run, the impressive architecture of the academy class buildings came into view, towering above them.
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