Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
When Alderian could finally return to her side the next day, Augustine was already on her way to the university. She was exhausted after not having slept a wink all night, yet she still had to face the inevitable.
She had called Amanda several times to meet up, but she didn’t answer. She would have no choice but to confront her in person.
Alderian returned looking just as drained as she was. She observed his face worriedly; he looked haggard, with dark circles under his eyes—something she didn’t think was possible for an A’aruin. She took out her phone to simulate a fake conversation while she questioned him in public.
“How do you feel?”
“Like I have a thousand shards of glass embedded in my body,” Alderian said, groaning softly.
“What happened last night?”
Alderian shook his head. “I’m not sure. You were dragged into a dimension I’d never visited before. I don’t know if I could have brought you back if a few more minutes had passed. You were very close to being absorbed by those Shadows.”
Augustine bit her lower lip, uneasy. She couldn’t shake the memory of the feeling of belonging to that place, but it was likely a trick the Shadows used to lure her in and make her surrender without resistance—a deception to make her feel in control.
What did those Shadows want from her? Why did they seek her so persistently?
Alderian hadn’t mentioned it, but she had seen the Black Thread the day the Breach opened. She’d never asked about it out loud, but ever since, she’d had the feeling they were after her.
“Did they hurt you?” Alderian asked, his voice laced with anguish. Augustine noticed he was making an immense effort just to remain present with her.
“No, not much happened, honestly. I was just terrified after you left. I feared you couldn’t return to me, even if you wished, if anything else happened…”
“You’re wrong. I would have returned to your side no matter what. Trust me.”
Alderian wasn’t lying, and she knew he would have found a way.
Before getting off the bus, Augustine added, “I’m going to confront Amanda now. I don’t know how it will go, but I’m sure I won’t be in danger. Go back to A’aru and recover, Alderian. Come back to me only when you are truly well.”
Alderian nodded with a faint smile and vanished.
* * *
The walk to the classroom felt interminable.
Confronting a loved one was far more difficult than facing someone who had been openly hostile.
In the room, Amanda was next to David, just as she had been in the previous days.
Augustine was startled to see them holding hands, David pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.
Apparently, Elarión was right after all.
Just by looking at them, she understood Amanda’s motivation.
With a bitter aftertaste, she approached them.
She assumed David hadn’t taken part in the little staged drama.
He likely had a skewed vision of what happened, but that didn’t diminish the fact that he had also turned his back on her.
Would it be better to call her aside in private?
Augustine smiled with a sharp irony. Amanda had shown no hesitation in throwing her to the lions to be devoured. Augustine was no longer so magnanimous as to protect her now.
She sighed and stood directly in front of them.
David immediately pulled his hand away from Amanda’s, but it was too late. She had already seen.
“I see, Amanda, that your little charade was nothing more than a pathetic plan to get David’s attention all to yourself,” Augustine said with a coldness that surprised even herself.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The room fell into a suffocating silence. Everyone was listening.
“You, my ‘friend’, were the one who submitted that post to Anonymous Confessions.”
She enjoyed seeing Amanda’s face contort in shock. David looked at her, stunned.
“Where are you getting that from? Why are you making up lies?” Amanda said.
Augustine laughed ironically. “I should ask you that. What made you feel so threatened? That David was finally single and might notice me? Or are you so pitiful that you couldn’t get his attention unless you saw him completely destroyed?”
Amanda bit her lip, on the verge of tears.
“Anyone looking at you would think you’re the victim, Amanda.
But you’re not. And if you don’t want me to show the evidence of what you did, so everyone can see exactly what kind of person you are, you’d better confess and apologize.
You have one chance. After that, I won’t be responsible for what I do.
And I’m warning you: I have a lot of experience making videos go viral. ”
Amanda bolted to her feet, a sneer twisting her features. “Aha! Always putting on airs with your YouTube channel. You think you’re so special, don’t you? I can make you viral, too, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
“Wow… congratulations! Such a huge achievement,” Augustine replied with withering sarcasm. “And all for a man? Is your repertoire of seduction truly this limited?”
“Like you seducing Bruno? Don’t think I didn’t notice. That night at the bar, he was with me first, but you just had to shake your ass to leave him completely besotted. You’re a typical ‘pick-me’ girl. You just want every man’s attention on you.”
Augustine listened, speechless. Was this truly how Amanda had perceived her all this time?
Sensing her advantage, Amanda pressed her onslaught. “What else could I do now that you’ve set your sights on David? You forced my hand; I had to protect him from your narcissism. You deserve every single comment you received.”
“That’s not true! Augustine doesn’t deserve any of this!” Sara shouted from across the room, her voice carrying a strength Augustine never thought her capable of. “Augustine is a good person!”
“Shut up, you weirdo,” Amanda snapped at her.
Augustine slapped Amanda, leaving her cheek bright red.
“Now I can see you for what you truly are, Amanda. A venomous, cruel person who feigns affection while sliding a dagger in with a smile. How wrong I was to give my friendship to someone like you.”
Amanda gnashed her teeth in helpless rage. She looked around, searching for a sympathetic gaze, but everyone shunned her, even David. She left the room, though Augustine didn’t even bother to follow her with her eyes.
“Augustine… Forgive me… I had no idea,” David said, desolate.
Augustine stared at him with the coldness of an Ice Queen. “Next time, make your own decisions. I won’t be in your life when that happens, though.”
She turned her back on him and went to Sara. The girl was trembling and, as usual, unable to meet her eyes. “Thank you, Sara.”
“I’m glad you put her in her place,” she whispered.
The class slowly returned to a calm state, though Augustine knew the group chats must be on fire. She had given them enough gossip material for the rest of the year.
* * *
Alderian went back down to the armory. Not that he expected a miracle, but he wanted to force his body’s memory to react. How could he achieve that?
He took the sun-designed sword again, which his mind had already claimed as his own, and went out into the gardens where he imagined Aldana had seen him in the past. Trying to recreate a scene he didn’t remember wasn’t easy, but he would give it a chance.
He took the combat stance he assumed was appropriate for the sword’s weight and closed his eyes. He visualized himself being attacked from different flanks and allowed his body to respond as it wished.
The result was staggering. His body moved on its own.
It automatically switched the sword to his right hand and performed a block; he spun in the air, extending his wings, and with both hands, unleashed a powerful slash toward his imaginary enemy.
An enemy that, had they been present, would have been annihilated on the spot.
He opened his eyes, amazed. Despite the pain still lingering from the previous night’s alchemical transmutation, he had moved with an agility he didn’t know he possessed.
He tried to think consciously about an attack or defensive move, but his mind went blank.
It only seemed to work if he truly felt he was in a fight.
He tried again; he closed his eyes and imagined an attack coming from above. Immediately, he performed a feint, moved across the ground, rolled, and landed in a defensive position, crouching, covered by one of his wings.
He opened his eyes. The wings weren’t purely aesthetic! They were a weapon of war.
How many other things had he taken for granted? How many other things was he wrong about? He sat on the dusty floor, confused. Until now, he had wondered countless times who Aldana was.
But now, he couldn’t help but wonder… Who was he?