Chương 10: Chapter 9:
Two days had passed, and Sunday morning rolled around. I groaned as I dragged myself out of bed, knowing I had combat training. After getting ready, Xenos and I made our way to the teleportation tree, the air crisp and quiet around us. As we stood before the gnarled tree, I turned to him. "See you later," I said, giving a small wave.
But instead of his usual grunt or nod, Xenos shot me a look—a strange, almost knowing glance that made me pause. "What?" I asked, confused. He just rolled his eyes and, with a click of his fingers, disappeared, leaving me and Aurora standing there, equally baffled.
I didn't have time to dwell on it, so I sprinted to class, still wondering what that was about. When I burst into the room, panting slightly, I stopped in my tracks. There, standing at the front, was Xenos, wearing a white button-up shirt and black pants, his black hair tied neatly in a bun. My confusion quickly melted into laughter.
"That's why you gave me that look!" I said between laughs. "You're the teacher!"
Xenos simply crossed his arms, his expression flat. "You're late. Get in line."
I got in line, and as usual, I noticed the distance everyone kept from me, the sideways glances, the whispers. I'd grown used to it by now, though I still didn't know why they were like this. It was always the same—like I didn't belong here, like I was… different.
Xenos started calling everyone up, one by one, to check their combat levels. When he finally reached me, his eyes narrowed. "Sage, three tries to make me fall," he said coldly.
I stepped forward, feeling the tension rise in the room. My first attempt was clumsy—I tried to get around him, but before I could even make a move, he slammed his wooden sward hard into my shoulder. Pain shot through me, and I couldn't help the moan that escaped my lips.
He leaned in, his voice barely a whisper, but sharp. "Weak. If you keep crying, nothing will change."
The words cut deep. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself up, determined to try again. But as I moved to attack, he hit me even harder this time, using his magic to fling me clear across the room. I crashed into the wall, pain radiating through my body, and the laughter started. Quiet at first, but then growing louder—everyone was laughing at me.
The anger inside me boiled over. As Xenos approached, his footsteps slow and deliberate, I could feel something rising within me. When he reached me, that feeling burst out, and I screamed.
Suddenly, Xenos was flung to the other side of the room. The room fell into complete silence. I opened my eyes, panting, to see everyone staring at me in shock, their expressions frozen in disbelief.
I had done that.
I scrambled to my feet, heart pounding, and ran to Xenos. I couldn't believe what I had done—I needed to check if he was okay. But just as I got close, he pushed me back with the flat of his wooden sword. The movement was swift, dismissive, as he stood up on his own.
"Everyone, take a rest while I grade you," he said, his voice steady despite what had just happened. His tone left no room for argument, and the class immediately scattered to sit down.
I found a spot on the ground with my fairy, still reeling from what had happened. My mind was spinning, trying to make sense of it. How had I done that? I wasn't supposed to have magic—at least, none that I could control. But that... that was definitely me. I could still hear the students whispering, their eyes darting toward me, but I was too lost in my thoughts to care.
I glanced over at Xenos. He was holding his side, his face impassive as he made notes on the class. Despite his usual stoic demeanor, I could tell I had actually hurt him. I sat there, confusion gnawing at me, unsure whether to feel proud or terrified of what had just happened.
After what felt like an eternity, Xenos finally walked back toward the group, still holding his side but his expression unreadable. He cleared his throat, and the entire class went silent, every eye fixed on him. I tensed, unsure what was coming next.
"Your combat levels," he began, looking down at the parchment he had been scribbling on. "Some of you need serious work, others are making progress."
He called out names one by one, assigning grades. Most students nodded or muttered their thanks, but no one dared to speak up. Then he reached my name.
"Sage," he said, and the room went quieter. "Your control is still lacking. You rely too much on raw emotion, and that makes you unpredictable. That's a weakness."
I felt my cheeks burn as whispers floated around me, but I kept my eyes on him.
"However..." Xenos hesitated for a second, something flickering in his expression. "There's potential there. But you'll need to learn control if you don't want it to turn against you."
I swallowed hard, nodding. He moved on to the next student, but I couldn't shake the tension that had settled in my chest. The praise, though faint, did nothing to quiet the confusion inside me. What potential? What control? I didn't even know where this power was coming from.
As he finished grading, Xenos glanced my way for a split second, before turning back to the class. Something about that brief look told me this wasn't the last time he would push me like that.
As I packed my stuff, trying to shake off the tension from the lesson, a group of guys approached me. I wasn't used to this—people usually kept their distance. But they were smiling, genuinely.
"Hey, that was pretty cool what you did back there," one of them said, a tall guy with messy brown hair. "You knocked the teacher flat! No one's ever done that before."
I blinked, taken aback. No one had ever complimented me like this at the school. "Uh, thanks," I muttered, not sure how to respond.
"Are you coming to the ball tonight?" another asked, leaning in slightly. "We could all go together. It'd be fun."
Before I could even process what they were saying, a cold voice cut through the conversation.
"She's not going anywhere with you," Xenos said, stepping up behind them. His expression was stone, eyes narrowing at the group. "I need to talk to Sage in private."
The guys quickly backed off, their excitement fading. "Yeah, of course sir... see you around, Sage," one mumbled before they all scurried away, clearly intimidated by Xenos' presence.
I stood there, my heart racing a little, as I watched them leave. Then I turned to Xenos, confused and a bit irritated. "What's going on?"
He didn't answer right away, just gave me a look that was more serious than usual. "Let's talk outside."
Xenos led me outside, his eyes scanning the area before he finally spoke. "About the ball tonight," he started, his tone firm, "you need to stay close to either me or Alohi the entire time."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why? What's the big deal? It's just a ball."
He shot me a look that silenced my questions. "There are going to be some important people attending—people you haven't met yet. Two of them in particular, you need to be careful around."
"Who?" I asked, suddenly feeling the tension in the air.
"They're twins. Ginger hair, and you'll know them by the sheer arrogance they carry with them. Their names are Citrus and Cyra. They're not people you want to be friends with." He paused, making sure I understood. "This is serious, Sage. Be careful."
I nodded, feeling the weight of his words settling over me. Xenos wasn't one to exaggerate. If he was telling me to be cautious, then I had to listen.
As the conversation seemed to come to a close, I couldn't help but ask, "How's your side? I saw you holding it earlier..."
He didn't answer. Instead, he turned on his heel and vanished down the corridor without a word, leaving me standing there with my question hanging in the air.
I let out a frustrated breath and turned around—only to nearly jump out of my skin.
"Alohi!" I gasped, clutching my chest. She was standing directly behind me, grinning like she found the whole thing hilarious. "You really need to stop doing that!"
Alohi smirked, leaning in close. "What? You're no fun. You'd think after what you did to Xenos today, nothing could scare you." She waggled her eyebrows, clearly fishing for a reaction. "Maybe next time, you'll launch me across the room too. That'd be fun."
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the small smile tugging at my lips. Alohi's unhinged jokes were her way of breaking the tension—though sometimes, they really weren't helping.
Alohi and I wandered through the castle garden, the scent of fresh flowers drifting in the cool afternoon breeze. The cobblestone path crunched beneath our feet as we strolled past vibrant blooms and twisting vines. It felt good to just walk and talk after the chaos of the past few days. I hadn't seen her since she brung me the liquor two days ago.
"So," Alohi began, breaking the silence, "you've been holding out on me, huh? Launching people across rooms, throwing the great Xenos like a ragdoll." She gave me a playful nudge. "Not bad for the girl who thinks she has no magic."
I rolled my eyes but smiled. "I still don't know how that happened, Alohi. It just—" I paused, trying to put it into words, "it just came out of nowhere. One second, I was on the floor, and the next, he was flying."
"That's some serious power, Sage," she said, her tone shifting slightly from teasing to serious. "You've got something in you. Maybe more than you realize."
I shrugged. "It doesn't feel like it. I've been at this school for a week now, and all I've managed to do is… well, that, and somehow healing a plant." I gestured vaguely, unsure of how to explain the mix of fear and confusion swirling inside me. "And don't even get me started on the way everyone acts around me. It's like I'm contagious or something."
Alohi gave a light laugh, shaking her head. "They're just jealous. Or intimidated. You're the chosen one, remember? That's bound to get people's attention, whether you like it or not."
We walked in silence for a moment, passing by a patch of lavender that swayed gently in the breeze. The castle loomed in the distance, its high towers casting shadows over the garden.
"You know," I began, "I've missed this. Just… catching up. It's been a lot these past few days. Between Xenos, training, the whole 'surprise you have powers' thing—" I stopped and turned to her, "I needed this. I needed you to remind me I'm still me."
Alohi grinned, throwing her arm over my shoulder. "You'll always be you, Sage. And I'll always be here to remind you. Plus, I can't have you going soft on me. Who else would I annoy around here?"
I laughed, feeling the tension ease out of me a little. She had that way of making everything seem just a bit more manageable. Even when the weight of being 'the chosen one' felt like it was crushing me, Alohi was there to keep me grounded.
As we walked further into the garden, the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting a golden glow over everything. I could almost forget, just for a little while, the world I'd been thrown into. Almost.
____________________________________
Inside one of the castle's lavish dressing rooms, I stood before the large mirror, the soft light reflecting off the golden frame. Alohi was already dressed, standing beside me in a stunning dark green gown that hugged her every curve. The backless design of the dress was almost scandalous, the fabric dipping low, leaving her skin bare. As she turned to adjust her hair, I noticed something I hadn't seen before.
"Alohi, is that a snake tattoo on your back?" I asked, pointing to the intricate design that coiled gracefully down her spine. "Xenos has a tattoo on his back too. What does it mean?"
Alohi glanced at me through the mirror, smirking. "You've been paying close attention to Xenos, huh?" She teased, then turned around so I could see the tattoo better. "It's a connection to our spiritual creature. Mine is a snake, his is a dragon. It's part of our bond with the creatures we're tied to."
I thought back to the massive dragon tattoo on Xenos's back, remembering how his hands turned purple that night. There was clearly so much more to their connection than I understood. "That's… powerful," I muttered, still taking in the meaning behind it.
"It is," she replied, then changed the subject. "Anyway, I brought something for you." Alohi reached behind a nearby chair and pulled out a delicate cream-colored dress. "I found. Maybe stole it from somewhere… it's your mother's gown. I thought you might want to wear it tonight."
I stepped forward, my breath catching as I took the dress from her hands. It was beautiful—cream white with intricate red flower embroidery along the edges. The dress was long, with a slit down the side, and half of the back was backless. I ran my fingers over the soft fabric, feeling a wave of emotion rise within me.
"Thank you, Alohi," I whispered, touched that she had brought it. "I'll wear it."
She smiled, watching as I slipped into the gown. It fit perfectly, almost as if it was meant for me. I stood in front of the mirror again, adjusting the straps and taking in the way it draped elegantly around my body. The slit was tasteful, showing just enough of my leg, while the backless design felt daring without being too revealing.
"I knew it would look incredible on you," Alohi said, her eyes gleaming. "And your hair…" she gestured, "you should put it up, let the dress do the talking."
I nodded, pulling my curly hair into a loose bun, a few tendrils escaping to frame my face. Alohi handed me a bottle of shimmering spray, and I lightly dusted my skin with it, giving me a soft glow.
"One more thing," Alohi said, reaching into a small box. She pulled out a red necklace, a delicate piece with a vibrant stone in the center. "This will go perfectly with the dress."
I smiled, accepting the necklace and fastening it around my neck. It complemented the red embroidery on the dress, tying everything together. When I looked at myself again, I felt… different. Like for the first time in a while, I was stepping into who I was meant to be. Or maybe, who I wanted to be.
"You look amazing," Alohi said, stepping back to admire her work.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself for the night ahead. "Let's hope I survive this ball as well as I've survived everything else."
As Alohi and I stepped out of the dressing room, we were greeted by the sight of our companions—some of the most trusted faces I'd grown accustomed to over the past week. But what really made me stop in my tracks was Xenos.
He stood just a few feet away, dressed in the most breathtaking tuxedo I'd ever seen. The sharp black fabric clung to his figure, emphasizing his broad shoulders and lean frame. His black hair was half up, half down, a few strands cascading along the sides of his face. His usual stoic expression softened ever so slightly when his eyes met mine.
For a moment, I forgot where we were headed, too caught up in the transformation that seemed to have taken over all of us tonight.
Alohi nudged me with her elbow, pulling me back to the present. "See? He cleans up nice too," she whispered, making me smile.
Without a word, Xenos gestured for us to follow, and together, our small group made our way down the grand halls of the castle. My heels clicked softly against the polished marble floors, the anticipation building with every step.
At last, we arrived at the towering doors of the ballroom, the sounds of music and chatter filtering through. Xenos stopped just before the entrance, glancing back at us to make sure we were ready. I could feel the weight of the evening pressing down on me, the significance of the ball, the people I was about to meet, and the uncertainty of what might happen.
I caught Xenos's eye one more time before the doors would open, and I couldn't shake the feeling that this night was going to change everything.
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