Chapter 4 - Chaos Disguised as Friendship
The cafeteria remained crowded long after the swordsmanship trials had ended.
Voices echoed across the massive hall as students loudly debated rankings, victories, and humiliating defeats. Some tables were still reenacting matches dramatically while others argued over who cheated, who got lucky, and who nearly embarrassed themselves to death.
Outside the towering academy windows, dark clouds slowly rolled across the mountains surrounding Asteron.
"It was sunny a while ago," Amy muttered while staring outside. "This academy's weather is genuinely unstable."
Across from her, Lyra barely glanced toward the windows. "It's just rain."
"That's not the point."
"Do you hate clouds?"
Amy frowned at her. "Of course I hate it! Who in the world would like a gloomy day? "
"Well I do like it"
Amy looked at lyra for a few seconds "You sound like an emotionally disconnected human being."
Lyra calmly took another sip of her drink.
"That's probably healthier."
Amy stared at her for a second. "Do you naturally speak like this or did you undergo some spy training like in the movies or what.."
Before Lyra could answer, another tray was placed onto their table.
"Well," a familiar voice said lightly, "this feels a bit dangerous. Or should I say more cinematic"
Amy looked up immediately.
Seren stood beside the table, one hand resting lazily against the back of a chair. Unlike most students still consumed by academy chaos, he looked entirely relaxed.
Unfortunately, he also looked exactly like the type of person Amy would never trust voluntarily.
His gaze briefly shifted toward both girls before settling on Lyra.
"Mind if I sit?"
"You're already halfway sitting," Lyra replied flatly.
A small smile appeared on Seren's face.
"I'll consider that as a permission."
Amy silently watched him take the seat.
The atmosphere shifted slightly afterward.
Not uncomfortable.
Just unfamiliar.
Seren leaned back casually. "Interesting day."
"That's one way to describe a series public humiliation," Amy muttered.
"You disliked the trials?"
"I witnessed at least four people reconsider their future."
"That's part of the academy experience."
Amy looked unconvinced.
Seren laughed softly before glancing toward Lyra again.
"You surprised a lot of people earlier."
"I fought only one match."
"No I meant the staring match you had with Erix Valehart."
The name settled quietly across the table.
Lyra's expression barely changed.
Seren noticed immediately.
"So," he continued casually, "do you actually know him?"
"No."
Quick answer.
Smooth answer.
Almost too quick.
Amy looked between the two of them curiously.
"Not even a little?" Seren asked.
"No."
"Hm."
He picked up his drink afterward, though the thoughtful look in his eyes remained.
It didn't feel like gossip.
More like he was trying to understand something that wasn't fitting together properly.
"Strange," he murmured.
"What is?" Amy asked before Lyra could ignore him.
"Erix doesn't usually pay attention to people that quickly."
Lyra finally looked up slightly. "Maybe he was bored."
Seren laughed quietly. "Trust me. Erix doesn't stare at people because he's bored."
Now even Amy looked curious.
Lyra, however, looked entirely uninterested in continuing the topic.
"You pay too much attention to other people," she said calmly.
Seren leaned back slightly. "Comes naturally."
"That sounds unhealthy."
"Not for me.."a pause then gave a playful smile "maybe for others..."
Amy stared at him for a moment before speaking honestly.
"You're kind of annoying."
Seren looked genuinely amused instead of offended. "That was fast."
"You talked to us more than three minutes."
"And you already formed a strong opinion about me."
"Yes."
This time, Seren actually laughed.
Lyra quietly pushed her tray aside before standing.
"I'm leaving."
Amy blinked. "Already?"
"We'll probably get the trial results later." Lyra adjusted the sleeve of her hoodie slightly. "I'd rather avoid crowds before then."
"That sounds surprisingly reasonable," Seren admitted.
As Lyra turned to leave, Seren spoke again casually.
"So there's really nothing between you and Erix?"
For half a second, the cafeteria noise seemed distant.
Lyra paused beside the table without fully turning around.
"No."
One word.
Cold.
Final.
Unreadable.
Then she started walking again.
But just before disappearing into the crowd, she glanced back once toward Seren.
A single look.
Blank.
Mildly judgmental.
Like she genuinely couldn't understand why he was speaking to her more than that why he was breathing near her.
Seren blinked once.
And suddenly—
the expression felt painfully familiar.
Amy quickly hurried after Lyra, though not before giving Seren one last suspicious look.
Seren watched the two disappear into the crowded cafeteria before leaning back slightly in his chair.
"...Interesting," he murmured quietly.
The moment Seren returned to the Black Crest table, Lucian looked up immediately.
"There he is," Lucian announced dramatically. "The criminal returns."
Seren dropped into the empty chair beside him. "You say that like I vanished for months."
"You disappeared during lunch."
"That's basically betrayal."
At the center of the table, Kaelan calmly turned another page of the book resting beside his tray.
"Where did you go?"
Unlike Lucian's dramatics, Kaelan sounded genuinely curious.
Seren grabbed his drink lazily. "Nowhere important."
"That means somewhere important," Lucian replied instantly.
Across from them, Rivan looked up from aggressively destroying a piece of bread.
"Did you get attacked?"
"No."
"Rejected?"
Seren stared at him.
Lucian looked proud immediately. "He's growing."
At the far end of the table, Erix remained focused on his food.
Or at least pretended to.
Seren noticed the brief shift in Erix's attention at the word rejected.
Tiny reaction.
But enough.
Lucian noticed too.
"...Wait," Lucian said slowly.
Then grinned.
"Oh, no. You went to talk to the hoodie girl."
Rivan blinked. "The terrifying one?"
"She's not terrifying," Seren replied casually.
Erix's hand paused slightly before continuing again.
Interesting.
"You actually did?" Lucian leaned forward immediately. "Why?"
Seren shrugged. "Curiosity."
"That has literally never benefited you."
"True."
Kaelan finally closed his book halfway. "And?"
Seren took another sip of his drink, deliberately stretching the silence longer than necessary.
Lucian looked ready to throw something at him.
"She's strange," Seren finally admitted.
"That explains absolutely nothing."
"She barely reacts to anything." Seren leaned back lazily. "Talking to her feels weirdly difficult."
Rivan looked concerned. "Did she insult you?"
"...Emotionally, yes."
Lucian burst into laughter immediately.
Meanwhile, Erix still hadn't looked up.
Which honestly made this entire situation funnier.
"So what did you ask her?" Lucian continued.
"Mostly about Erix."
This time, Erix finally looked up.
There it was.
Lucian nearly looked proud.
Kaelan quietly took a sip of tea. "And?"
"She denied knowing him."
Erix's expression remained unreadable.
Lucian looked between both of them slowly.
"That's interesting."
"Very," Seren agreed.
"You people are making this bigger than it is," Erix said flatly.
Lucian rested his chin against his hand innocently. "Then why are you listening so carefully?"
"I'm not."
"Mhm."
Seren hid his amusement behind another sip of his drink.
Actually, the funniest part of the conversation had been something else entirely.
"She did remind me of someone though," he said casually.
Lucian blinked. "Who?"
Seren slowly looked toward Erix.
Silence.
Rivan looked confused already.
Kaelan lowered his book slightly like he already understood.
Erix looked mildly irritated before Seren even answered.
"...You."
Lucian nearly died laughing.
"That's horrifying."
"I'm serious," Seren continued, visibly amused now. "Right before leaving, she gave me the exact same look Erix gives whenever one of us starts talking too much."
Rivan frowned. "What look?"
Seren pointed calmly toward Erix.
"The 'why are you alive and breathing near me' look."
Lucian completely lost composure.
Even Kaelan looked suspiciously close to smiling.
Erix stared at Seren with absolutely no expression.
Seren pointed immediately again. "That one. Exactly that one."
"You're all unbearable," Erix said flatly.
"See?" Lucian laughed. "It really is the same."
Rivan looked genuinely disturbed now. "There are two of him?"
"This academy won't survive," Lucian said solemnly.
The terrifying reputation surrounding Black Crest would've shattered instantly if anyone saw them like this.
No elegance.
No intimidation.
Just chaos disguised as friendship.
Eventually Kaelan reopened his book quietly.
"So," he asked calmly, "what do you actually think about her?"
The question settled differently than the others.
Less teasing.
More observant.
Seren's amusement faded slightly.
For a moment, he remembered the way Lyra answered questions so carefully.
Like someone constantly deciding how much of herself people were allowed to see.
"...I think," he said slowly, "she avoids people before they get the chance to understand her."
For once, even Lucian went quiet.
Erix said nothing at all.
But strangely—
he didn't disagree.
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