Zone 5
"W–What team are you?" Alia's voice quivered slightly, betraying a hint of unease she couldn't fully suppress.
Alia was confident in her abilities—she knew she was stronger than most of her peers, not only within her class but across the academy. Being the Dolphis Princess ca with its advantages, after all. She had trained rigorously, honed her skills, and was even stronger than many of the Third Years. But there were exceptions—rare opponents whose power she had no certainty of overcoming.
And one of them was standing directly before her.
"..."
"Um... Selene?" Alia raised her guard, her instincts flaring at the other girl's unnerving silence. The look in Selene's eyes was unreadable, and it made Alia's pulse quicken.
'Don't tell ... Am I already up against a big fish this early?!'
The exam had only started four hours ago, yet anything was possible from now until it ended tomorrow. She had hoped to save her strength, to avoid a major confrontation this soon in the ga. Facing a strong opponent like Selene would throw a wrench in her plans.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Selene spoke.
"Red."
"Red? Oh, thank the stars, you scared there for a second, Selene!" Alia exhaled, chuckling awkwardly as she flashed her own screen, which glowed a reassuring crimson. "I'm on the Red team too."
Selene had always been the quiet type, but the way she'd kept silent just now had been downright eerie. A little warning, or at least a quicker response, would've been nice!
Without another word, Selene turned on her heel as if she already had her next objective in mind.
"Wait—Selene!" Alia called after her, hurrying to catch up. "Where are you going?"
"Looking for Victor."
Alia blinked, the answer taking her by surprise. 'Of course, Victor!'
Even in the midst of the exam, Selene's mind was focused on Victor. She could hardly bla her.
"Figures..." Alia murmured, not sure what else to say. Her thoughts swirled with the practicalities of the situation. They were in an exam, and Selene was already hunting down her beloved instead of focusing on advancing.
"Is he on the Red team too?" Alia asked after a pause, curiosity tugging at her.
"I don't know," Selene replied, shaking her head.
Alia stopped in her tracks, utterly dumbfounded. "Wait... you don't know? And you're still looking for him? What if he's on the Blue team?"
"If he's on Blue, I won't hold back. Not even for Victor," Selene said flatly. "But if he's Red, we can team up."
Alia found herself chuckling, unable to contain her amusent at Selene's unlimited dedication to Victor, even in the face of a high-stakes exam. "As expected of you," she said with a giggle..
Selene's love for Victor was almost legendary, and Alia couldn't help but admire that loyalty. While Alia wasn't lacking in passion herself—she had never felt the way she did now about anyone until John had co into her life—her approach to the exam was quite different.
She wasn't going to seek out John. No, she wanted to pass this test on her own, to prove to him, and perhaps even to herself, just how capable and independent she could be. John had grown incredibly strong in what seed like no ti at all, and while Alia loved him with all her heart, a part of her longed to close the gap between them, to match his strength and show him that she was just as reliable.
'Though… I can't deny I want to see him.'
It was a feeling she couldn't escape, no matter how much she focused on the exam or her own ambitions. The image of John lingered in her mind, pulling at her heartstrings in a way she didn't entirely hate.
"Why are you following ?" Selene suddenly asked, halting her steps mid-stride.
"Well…You're an important mber of the Red Team. If you et Victor and it turns out he's on the Blue side, I have to make sure we don't lose you."
There was logic in her words—solid reasoning. Selene was undeniably a valuable asset to their team, and letting her walk into a potential trap with Victor, if he happened to be their opponent, would be reckless. Alia knew that. And thankfully, it seed Selene recognized the point she made.
Selene gave a brief nod, saying nothing more.
Seeing that she wasn't being dismissed outright, Alia allowed herself a small, teasing grin, hoping to lighten the mood. "So, how are things going with Victor?" Most people would have blushed or gotten flustered under such a question, but not Selene. Teasing wasn't sothing that worked on her—at least, not the way it did on others. She was always direct, always transparent when it ca to her feelings for Victor, never shying away from discussing him openly.
"Good," Selene replied simply, her tone softer. "I went on a date with him recently. He bought a gift."
Selene's normally stoic face softened slightly, and Alia noticed her gaze drift down toward her wrist. There, nestled against her pale skin, was a delicate red bracelet. Selene touched it gently, and for the briefest of monts, a small, almost imperceptible smile appeared on her lips. It was a rare sight—an expression of vulnerability that few had ever witnessed.
Alia found herself staring, captivated by how that fleeting smile transford Selene's face. She had always known Selene was beautiful, but in this quiet, unguarded mont, that beauty seed even more striking.
'You're really lucky, Victor!'
John had given her plenty of gifts over ti, thoughtful ones that showed he cared, but part of her wondered—did she want sothing more personal from him? A gift that felt like it was just for her, not out of obligation, but from the depths of his heart?
"But…" Selene's voice broke through Alia's thoughts, and when she looked up, she saw that Selene's expression had darkened, the earlier warmth fading into a slight frown.
"But what? Did sothing happen?" Alia asked raising a brow.
Selene nodded slowly, her frown deepening. "The other day... I invited him to my room, but he ran away."
"Huh?" Alia blinked in confusion, her brain struggling to catch up. "Wait, what do you an? Ran away? Aren't you maybe… missing so parts of the story, Selene? What exactly happened?"
Selene tilted her head, seemingly unfazed by the strangeness of the situation she was describing. "Well," she began, her tone as matter-of-fact as ever, "I just removed my clothes and tried to take his off too. He struggled a bit, so I pinned him down. But he managed to escape."
There was a brief pause.
"..."
Alia stood there, utterly speechless. Her mind reeled as she tried to process Selene's casual retelling of what was, in reality, a rather aggressive move.
Selene's frown deepened. "Maybe next ti I'll put him to sleep first before—"
"Don't!!" Alia interrupted, her face flushing bright red, her voice rising in panic.
Selene blinked at her in confusion."Don't what?"
Alia could hardly believe what she was hearing. 'Is she serious?!'
The sheer lack of awareness in Selene's words left her at a loss for how to even begin explaining why putting Victor to sleep was a terrible idea.
"I just—" Alia sputtered, her face burning as she struggled to find the right words. "I don't think that's the best way to handle things, Selene!"
"Why not? He always runs away when I try to get closer."
Alia's mind went blank for a mont. How could she explain sothing so… obvious? "You can't just... pin soone down like that! It's too much!" she managed to say, her hands flying to her flushed cheeks as she imagined herself in Victor's shoes.
anwhile, her thoughts spiraled into dangerous territory. 'Does Victor… like that? Is he into aggressive girls like Selene? Oh no, what if John likes that too?'
The thought of being similarly aggressive with John sent her imagination racing, and she could feel the heat creeping up her neck, spreading across her face like wildfire.
Her mind flashed with images of her trying to be bold with John, and suddenly, she felt mortified. Her face turned a deep, tomato red.
"Enemy."
Selene's sharp voice instantly shattered Alia's wild thoughts. She snapped her gaze forward, following Selene's line of sight. Ahead of them stood another student, but sothing was undeniably off about her.
The girl stood eerily still. Her eyes were cold, locked onto them.
She wasn't soone they recognized, yet the fact that she had approached them so boldly in the middle was strange.
It was a human—at least, she appeared to be. But the way she carried herself, the strange stillness in her expression, set off alarm bells in Selene's mind. "I am quite lucky… Alia Dolphis, right away," the girl muttered under her breath, a twisted smile forming on her lips as she eyed Alia with amusent.
"What? You're also in the Red Team, idiot?" Alia shot back, her brow furrowing as she pointed at the girl's arm.
But the girl rely smiled—a wicked grin that sent a shiver down Alia's spine. And before either of them could react, the girl's figure blurred.
"...!"
Selene's instincts took over. Without a second thought, she shoved Alia to the side, dodging in the opposite direction just in ti. The air whistled where they had stood re monts ago, the speed of the attacker's movents almost unnatural.
"Good reflexes," the girl laughed. She straightened from her attack, her gaze settling back on Selene. "As expected of the reincarnation of the Vampire Witch."
"But you were an inch too late," Seima pointed at Selene's arm.
Selene's eyes widened in horror. Her gaze snapped down to her arm, and a sharp, searing pain exploded from her skin. There, clinging to her pale flesh, was a red spider, its legs twitching as it skittered away, leaving behind two small puncture wounds.
"Ugh…" Selene groaned, her voice strained as dizziness washed over her in waves. The world around her tilted, her vision blurring. She tried to focus, but the pain spread like wildfire from the bite, heating her blood as if her veins were on fire.
"Selene!" Alia cried out, rushing to catch her as her legs buckled beneath her.
Selene's body trembled in Alia's arms, her once-pale face now flushed a feverish red. Sweat beaded along her brow, her breathing shallow and labored. She winced, trying to push herself up, but the venom was spreading too quickly. Her strength was fading with every passing second.
Alia's heart pounded in her chest, panic bubbling up as she held Selene. "What did you do to her?!" Alia shouted, her voice filled with fury as she glared at the girl at Seima.
Seima rely chuckled, her smile grew wider as she dangled a small red vial between her fingers. "Oh, don't worry," she said with a mockingly sweet tone. "I can save her. You see, I have the antidote."
Alia's eyes zeroed in on the vial. "But," Seima continued. "If you want her to live, you'll have to follow . Silently." She twirled the vial in her fingers, taunting Alia with it. "Otherwise…" Her smile grew darker. "Well, let's just say she won't last long."
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