CHAPTER 27
The moon hung high as the group made their way through the silent hallways, mops and buckets in hand. Laughter and groans echoed as they entered the empty corridor assigned to them.
Sorayael walked at the back, half-listening, until a familiar voice fell in beside her.
He shrugged. "I'm just.. bored."
Kieran looked over his shoulder, raising a brow. "You're still here?"
Ravelia crossed her arms. "You helped us back at the dungeon... and again with Sorayael. You don't seem like a regular student."
Azi leaned against the wall, casually. "Maybe I'm not."
Azi paused, the playful smirk faltering just a little.
Zarethian arched his eyebrow.
The others exchanged looks.
But before anyone could press further, he gave a lopsided grin again and said, "What, no thank you for the entertainment earlier?"
Karsen laughed. "Fine, thanks for making Sorayael almost murder someone."
Azi leaned closer with a grin. "Still thinking about me?"
She elbowed him. "Don't flatter yourself."
He just chuckled.
And as the group continued mopping, scrubbing, and teasing under the moonlight glow filtering through the stained glass, a strange comfort settled in. Despite the punishment, despite the chaos, something about that night felt warm.
But none of them knew, especially not Sorayael, that the boy beside her wasn't who he claimed to be.
And soon, truths buried in silver and shadow would begin to stir.
The next morning at Sterella Academy.
The classroom buzzed with quiet energy, whispers passing from one student to another. News of the previous day's battle had spread like wildfire. But instead of being ostracized, Sorayael and her group found themselves at the center of attention, admired, even envied.
Some students approached with hesitant smiles, offering praise or asking about their magic. Silas was quick to charm, Celene handled it with grace, and Karsen basked in the attention. Sorayael, however, stayed quiet at her desk, gaze distant.
Then came a new voice.
She blinked and looked up, caught off guard by the sudden question. The speaker was a boy with neatly combed chestnut hair and warm amber eyes. He looked genuine... and unfamiliar.
Zacchaeus smiled a bit nervously but didn't falter. "Because I think you're interesting. And maybe... I'd like to know you better."
Sorayael stared at him for a moment longer before giving a small shrug. "Okay."
Before anything else could be said, the professor entered, and class officially began.
..............
Trays clattered and students buzzed in conversation, the scent of roasted meats and sweet pastries thick in the air.
Sorayael and the others settled into their usual spot. Kieran and Karsen argued over seasoning, Ravelia sipped her tea, and Celene poked her vegetables in thoughtful silence.
She paused and glanced at her group.
They exchanged subtle glances with each other. Sorayael gave a small nod and gestured to the empty seat beside her. "Go ahead."
To their surprise, Zacchaeus returned shortly, not just with food for himself, but also with a carefully arranged plate he slid in front of Sorayael.
Karsen raised a brow. Celene exchanged a glance with Ravelia, who arched an elegant brow. Silas sipped his drink slowly. Zarethian, ever observant, leaned forward slightly, arms crossed on the table.
Zacchaeus blinked. "Huh?"
Sorayael didn't speak, barely acknowledging the conversation. She was busy with her food, calmly eating, seemingly unfazed by the rising tension.
Zacchaeus cleared his throat. "I have no intentions. I just... wanted to be nice."
Before Zarethian could reply, another presence slid into the scene like a shadow wrapped in silk.
There was a smile on his face, relaxed, teasing, but something beneath it was sharp. Piercing.
At that, Sorayael let out a soft cough, nearly choking on her food.
Zacchaeus blinked. "Fei..?"
But Azi's smile only deepened as he leaned back in his chair, one leg over the other, his gaze never leaving Zacchaeus.
He was smiling. But deep in his mind, he was already questioning Zacchaeus' existence to the bone.
'Where did you come from?'
'Who are you?'
And most importantly...
'What do you want with her?'
The others were exchanging glances as they've heard the name he introduced in front of them.
'He's not possibly him, is he?' - Ravelia
'Ha... Goodluck, Ms. Sorayael' - Karsen
'I'll pretend I didn't hear that' - Kieran
.
.
The air in the training hall crackled with a different kind of energy, one not from spells, but from adrenaline.
The stone floor shimmered faintly with embedded enchantments, and magic-resistant barriers lined the walls for safety.
The students of Sterella Academy stood in neat rows, excitement and nerves mingling as they waited.
Azi walked alongside the group as they made their way toward the hall. He stayed just a bit too close to Sorayael.
Zacchaeus, on the other side, tried to spark conversation again.
Sorayael blinked at him. "Is that so?"
Azi, walking beside her, didn't say anything. His smile stayed intact, calm, and carefree.
But his jaw twitched.
He tilted his head slightly, blue oceanic eyes narrowing ever so slightly as Zacchaeus continued to talk.
Zarethian, trailing behind, chuckled low under his breath. "Hang in there, bro."
Azi exhaled slowly and looked away, his hand raking through his tousled white-black-blue hair.
When the Combat Professor arrives, a loud thud echoed through the hall as the double doors are slammed open.
Karsen whispered, "Oh, great. A screamer."
Kaelric's eyes zeroed in on him immediately. "You! Sword boy. You talk when I say talk!"
Karsen straightened like a guilty puppy. "Yessir."
Kaelric smirked. "Good. At least one of you is listening."
He began pacing. "Today, you'll be introduced to foundational combat movements. Whether you're a mage, swordsman, archer, or summoner, it doesn't matter. You need to know how to move. How to read an enemy. How to stay alive."
He clapped his hands. Magic surged beneath their feet and the floor shifted into small platforms.
He pointed. "You. Pretty boy with the fire aura. You're up."
Zarethian cracked his neck and stepped forward, flames faintly rippling at his fingertips.
Kaelric turned to the class. "Watch closely. Footwork. Momentum. Guarding zones."
With precise, fluid movements, he lunged at Zarethian, who countered with a gleam of metal magic and flame. The professor's strikes were firm and intentional, but Zarethian's reflexes were impressive, fast, elegant, like a dancer wrapped in fire.
Zarethian smirked. "Let's go for three next time."
...........
The students began their own drills next, sparring in pairs, practicing dodges, parries, and short spell bursts.
Sorayael, partnered with Celene, moved with calculated boredom, dodging strikes with ease but little enthusiasm.
Azi leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching her like a silent guardian. His gaze often darted toward Zacchaeus whenever the latter looked at Sorayael too long.
At one point, Zacchaeus tried approaching Sorayael with a water flask. "Here, I thought you might be thirsty."
Before she could respond, a hand intercepted it.
Azi took the bottle, smiled sweetly, and handed it back to Zacchaeus. "She's fine. Thanks, though."
Sorayael arched a brow at him. "Really?"
From a distance, Zarethian, watching the whole exchange, just sighed. "Sora's got her hands full."
As the afternoon sun began to dip, casting a warm orange hue through the enchanted glass of the training hall, Professor Kaelric clapped his hands.
The students dispersed, sweaty, sore, and exhausted.
Zarethian wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, stretching his arms overhead. "Not bad for a first round."
Karsen grinned. "Speak for yourself. My shoulders are screaming."
Celene pulled her wet hair into a bun. "I think that's the point."
Silas simply handed out cooling potions with a serene smile. "Here, drink. You'll thank me later."
Sorayael walked a bit ahead of them, her jacket slung over her shoulder, and her face unreadable. Her thoughts weren't in training.
They were on a man with a strange glint in his eye, a soft smile that didn't match his snark, and a name she still didn't know whether to trust, Azi.
He was leaning casually against a tree near the training hall exit, waiting for them like he belonged there.
Zacchaeus had followed behind her, his presence steady and persistent.
Sorayael barely noticed him now.
Azi raised a brow as she approached. "That bored expression tells me you missed me."
She scoffed. "In your dreams."