Chương 37: 37 - Party Time!

Party Time!

At 7:00 PM, Jon stepped out of his room, donning a white V-neck tee and simple trousers. On his way to Wing B, he crossed paths with Nortis and Elija, two strikingly contrasting figures in terms of looks and vibe. Nortis, with his muscular build and wild aura, seemed like a born warrior. Elija, on the other hand, was lean and radiated an almost zen-like calm. Jon saw himself as the balance between these two extremes, a blend of strength and tranquility.

"Hey, you two," Jon greeted, flashing a warm smile.

"Jon, there you are," Nortis replied, returning the smile with a nod.

The trio walked together toward Elara's room. Nortis, carrying a carefully wrapped bottle, shared some news. "After telling my aunt about the test, she insisted on gifting me her finest wine."

Jon and Elija exchanged uncertain glances. "Are you sure it's appropriate to bring alcohol?" Elija questioned, his voice tinged with caution.

Nortis chuckled. "I checked the academy's rules. There's nothing that prohibits alcohol consumption, or even late-night parties."

'Interesting,' Jon thought. 'The academy seems to want us young folks to face the consequences of our choices without external interference.' He pondered this newfound freedom, which could be either a blessing or a curse, depending on how it was used.

"So, I guess we're good to go," Jon finally broke the silence. "But let's keep things under control, alright? We don't want to attract unwanted attention."

As the three guys reached the room's door, they found the girls already standing, chatting animatedly. Elara, the most enthusiastic of the group, raised her hand and waved at them. "There you are! Let's get this started, we have to wake up early tomorrow, so we can't make it a late night."

Silent exchanges of glances between Jon, Nortis, and Elija conveyed a mute consensus: Elara was right. They approached the door, and Jon, ever the joker, decided to lighten the mood. "Elara, Gwen, Serena or should I say Azure?" He cast a glance at Serena, the shy elf who always seemed a bit out of place.

"Why don't you just come in instead of trying to tease a defenseless girl?" Elara retorted, looping her arm around Serena's shoulders and gesturing for the guys to enter. She was eager to kick off the party and the conversation.

Jon sighed, conceding defeat, and stepped into the room. His joke had been more of a defensive reaction to seeing the three women at the door. Gwen, with her red hair tied back in a ponytail and wearing a plunging white dress, exuded unmatched charm. Serena, shy and reserved, looked stunning with her blue hair and casually fitted attire. And then there was Elara, whose appearance was breathtaking: almost platinum blonde hair, nearly transparent blue eyes, and a strapless green dress that accentuated her figure. Her mixed heritage of elf and glacian made her a rare sight.

Elara was noticeably more dolled up than the other two girls, a detail that only Jon seemed to overlook. While Elija and Nortis, in a typical male gesture, assumed that Elara's extra effort in getting ready was aimed at them, Jon remained more reserved in his assumptions.

Elija and Nortis exchanged glances of mutual approval, as if sharing an unspoken victory. 'We must be the reason,' each thought, allowing themselves a moment of self-congratulation.

Crossing the threshold into Elara's room, Jon was immediately enveloped by the sophistication that Wing B had to offer. The space was divided into two elegantly decorated rooms and even boasted a private bathroom. 'This is light-years ahead of my modest room in Wing F,' Jon thought, impressed by the meticulously arranged ambiance and the subtle aroma that filled the air.

The group settled into the living room, a cozy space adorned with soft cushions and ambient lighting. Nortis, with a smile that bordered on triumphant, pulled out a bottle of wine from his inventory. "My aunt insisted on gifting us her finest wine when she heard about the test," he explained, uncorking the bottle with a satisfying pop.

Jon laughed, fascinated by the wonders of the System's inventory. 'It's amazing how it keeps everything in perfect condition,' he mused, accepting a glass of the deep ruby liquid.

Elara, with no intention of being subtle, chose a spot on the floor close to Jon. "So, Jon, how did you acquire such strength and group combat experience?" She inquired, her nearly transparent blue eyes fixed on him with a curiosity that bordered on insatiable.

The question piqued everyone's curiosity, including Gwen's. She watched Jon with a complex gaze, filled with nuances only she could understand. 'It's been so long since we fought side by side in a dungeon,' she thought, a blend of nostalgia and curiosity filling her being.

Jon smiled, realizing all eyes were on him. "Well, I was fortunate to accompany my father on several of his hunts from a young age. Watching him in action taught me a lot about combat and strategy," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of youthful pride.

Gwen let out a soft laugh, almost inaudible, but enough to catch Jon's attention.

Nortis, oblivious to the subtle exchange between Jon and Gwen, raised his glass. "To teamwork and new beginnings!"

The night progressed with varied conversations, sometimes about battle experiences, initiated by Nortis, and others about magic, with Elija questioning Gwen. Like any good elf, he wanted to become proficient in magic, in addition to archery.

There were also discussions about livelier aspects of life, like first loves, first kisses, and even relationships. Surprisingly, for Jon and the others, it was Serena who broached this topic. After a few glasses of wine, the elf was enchanted by the taste of the alcoholic beverage, although she clearly had little tolerance for it.

Seizing the opportunity, Elara moved closer, looking into Jon's green eyes, and asked if he was seeing anyone. The question was further emphasized by an inebriated Serena.

"So, Jon, seeing anyone?" Elara inquired, her eyes locked onto his.

Serena, now visibly tipsy, amplified Elara's question with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Yeah, Jon, spill the beans!"

The room was thick with tension and anticipation as Jon chose to address Elara's question. He felt everyone's gaze fixed on him, but his eyes met Gwen's for a moment. 'This is my chance to figure out what's changed between us,' Jon thought.

"Actually, there was a girl," Jon began, his voice tinged with a subtle melancholy. "At first, we were just hunting partners, both of us still pretty young. We competed in everything; she had this need to win, and I... I always let her."

He paused, catching Gwen's intrigued look. "She had to travel often, but she always came back. One of those times, as we said goodbye, she kissed me. It was a new experience for me. For a moment, I thought maybe there was something more between us. But in the end, she vanished. I guess it was just me who felt something deeper."

Jon concluded with a nervous laugh, scratching his head as if uncomfortable with his own vulnerability.

Gwen let out a soft, muffled laugh. 'He's always known how to tell a story without revealing the whole truth,' she thought, feeling a blend of nostalgia and a touch of melancholy.

Elara, who had been watching the exchange of glances between Jon and Gwen, felt a wave of curiosity. 'What's really going on between these two?' she pondered, while Serena, still slightly tipsy, applauded Jon's "courage" in sharing his story.

The atmosphere was already charged when Gwen stood up, breaking the silence with her soft yet firm voice. "I need to go. We have class early tomorrow, and I don't want to be drowsy." With a simple "good night," she left, leaving a trail of unanswered questions.

Jon felt the weight of failure. 'My plan didn't work,' he thought, starting to rise. But before he could say anything, Elara quickly intervened. "Nortis, Elija, could you take Serena to her room? I'm afraid she might wander around the academy at night in this state."

Nortis, perhaps also slightly affected by the wine, thumped his chest like a knight accepting a quest. He and Elija escorted a visibly tipsy Serena out of the room, bidding a quick "good night."

Jon began to walk toward the door, with Elara at his side, their steps almost synchronized in a silent rhythm. He opened his mouth to say something, perhaps a "good night" or a "see you tomorrow," but before he could formulate the words, Elara pressed him against the wall. Their eyes met for a moment, and then she kissed him.

It was an awkward kiss, lacking perfect choreography, but charged with raw intensity. The taste of wine still lingered on their lips, mingling with the heat of the moment. 'Is it the wine? Or is it the adrenaline of youth?' Jon wondered, but the question quickly faded, eclipsed by the desire to lose himself in that instant.

Jon remained leaning against the wall, his heart still pounding to the rhythm of the kiss. He let himself be swept away by the moment, his complex thoughts and daily worries evaporating in a whirlpool of sensations. Elara pulled away, panting, but her eyes, still locked onto his, seemed to seek something more.

"That was... unexpected," she murmured, her voice tinged with a vulnerability he had never noticed before. She seemed to be speaking more to herself than to him, as if trying to understand the impulse that led her to kiss him.

A thin line of saliva connected their lips for a brief second before breaking. Elara's face was flushed, but her eyes shone in a way Jon had never seen. "Thank you for leading the group to victory in today's test. It was amazing," she said, her voice regaining some of its usual confidence.

Without another word, Elara gently pushed him out of the room and closed the door behind him. Jon stood there, alone in the hallway, an uncomfortable bulge in his pants and a series of unanswered questions flooding his mind. 'What just happened?' he wondered, but the closed door in front of him offered no answers.