It had been three days since the academy reopened.
Three days of the sa cold stares, hushed whispers, and an isolation so absolute it almost felt orchestrated and indeed it was!
And honestly? At this point, I was starting to get used to it. Even the professors—who were supposed to be the mature ones here—weren't above blatantly ignoring .
Mature, my ass.
It wasn't just the students. Their parents had made sure their precious sons and daughters knew exactly what to do: avoid like the plague, pretend I didn't exist, and under no circumstances, under any circumstances, should they even think about getting friendly with .
And for what, exactly?
Did they think I was plotting so grand act of revenge? That I'd set up a terrorist attack on Sancta Vedelia just because I was banished? The whole thing was ridiculous.
I wasn't about to cry over it, but that didn't an it didn't piss off. The way they all deliberately avoided , whispering behind my back like I was so cursed relic of the past. The isolation itself wasn't what bothered —I had no interest in befriending these self-righteous idiots—but being the constant center of attention, the unspoken villain in their little narrative? That got under my skin.
If I could, I'd have dropped out in a heartbeat. But, of course, that wasn't an option. If I left, they'd probably cut out of the upcoming trip to Fangoria, which I couldn't afford. The next Event was happening there, and like it or not, I had no choice but to stick around.
In the past three days, I'd barely spoken to anyone. Alicia was the only exception since the library was one of the few places where I could get so peace.
As for John? Yeah, we hadn't exchanged a single word. He was always with Alia now, and he hadn't made any effort to reach out to . Not that I blad him.
The last ti we spoke, it ended in an argunt, and we hadn't been on good terms since. Then I went off and got married to a new woman, handed the Seed of Eden over to Utopia, and basically made a series of decisions that he probably thought were reckless and selfish.
So, yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if he was pissed.
But it wasn't like I could just reach out to him and ask about his decision. He had his own share of burdens, just as I had mine.
Not that it mattered. My decision had already been made, and I had no regrets—not even after the decision of banishnt. I stood by everything I had done for Utopia. Sothing had to be done to ensure they never dared to move against Sancta Vedelia again.
And practically enslaving Utopia, imprisoning them under the strict rule of a so-called victorious warlord, would never bring peace. If anything, it would only stoke the flas of vengeance.
That was why giving power to Freyka had been the best choice. She never wanted a war with Sancta Vedelia in the first place. She only wanted her body back. Viessa had infiltrated Sancta Vedelia to retrieve it for her, but in the end, they had failed.
My gaze drifted down to the bracelet on my wrist—Viessa's bracelet.
I had considered asking Freyja about it, but in the end, I kept my silence. I still didn't completely trust her. Not yet.
I had no idea why she had given this bracelet or what its purpose was, but I had a feeling I would find out soon enough. Right now, though, there were more imdiate matters to deal with.
Peeking around the corner, I scanned the hallway ahead.
My target was the classroom just down the corridor—the White Class lecture hall. I needed to talk to John.
Technically, I had a class right now, but I had chosen to skip it. One missed lesson wasn't going to make a difference. Besides, ever since I returned to the academy, Brian Moonfang—Roda's father— hadn't stopped glaring at . I had no interest in sitting through another class under his judgntal stare.
And the real reason I was lurking instead of waiting out in the open?
Elizabeth was in the White Class.
That alone was enough of a reason to stay out of sight.
Ever since her sudden shift in behavior, she had been more aggressive than ever, and dealing with her on top of everything else weighing on my mind was exhausting.
If she saw here, she would definitely pounce on again.
[]
Shaddap.
Right now, I just needed to talk to John without any issues.
I waited patiently, watching as their class finally ended. Slowly, the students trickled out, heading toward the cafeteria for lunch. I remained hidden, biding my ti. Then, when I saw Elizabeth step out of the classroom, I instinctively shrank back further into the shadows.
She was alone. As always.
Compared to the beginning of the year, when she had at least so classmates around her, now people kept their distance, making a clear gap around her as she walked. Not that I could bla them.
Elizabeth practically radiated a murderous aura, sothing raw and oppressive that sent shivers down everyone's spine. Even from here, I could feel it.
Luckily, she didn't seem all that focused. She walked off without noticing . If she had been paying attention, she might've caught the scent of my blood.
Two minutes after she disappeared down the hallway, John finally stepped out of the classroom—predictably with Alia glued to his side. The two were practically inseparable, walking so closely they might as well have been holding hands.
They headed in the opposite direction. Away from the cafeteria.
So they're planning to eat alone together, huh?
This guy sure has changed.
I waited until they were just about to pass before I called out.
"John."
John stopped mid-step, turning his head to the left.
"Amael?" Alia blinked in surprise.
I smirked slightly. "Mind if I borrow your boyfriend? Unless, of course, you need him to pamper you during lunch."
Alia turned a little red, then quickly nodded. "O–Of course! John, I'll be waiting at our usual spot." With that, she left in a hurry.
Silence stretched between us for a mont before John finally spoke.
"What do you want?" He asked curtly.
I raised an eyebrow. "What's your 'usual spot'?"
John shot a glare.
I was tempted to mock him further but held back—for now.
"It's been a while. I think we should talk," I said instead.
"After class." He turned to leave.
Sure, that would've been an ideal ti—but I already had plans after class.
"Now." I made my tone serious.
John eyed for a long second, then reluctantly agreed.
We walked side by side through the emptying academy hallway, a strange silence lingering between us. Finally, I broke it.
"You seem pretty relaxed for soone whose girlfriend is being targeted by Behemoth."
John let out a scoff. "You think I am?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Behemoth's gonna attack during our trip to the capital of Fangoria—or did you just forget?" I asked, sarcastically
John snorted. "I didn't forget. It's been on my mind this whole ti. Grukel confird that Behemoth plans to use Alia to resurrect Deborah Dolphis."
I frowned. So it really was the case, huh?
I had my doubts. From what I rembered, they only needed a royal Dolphis pureblood to activate the Horns of Behemoth. But now they wanted to bring back that madwoman, too?
"They're a lot more ambitious than they were in the ga," I muttered.
"Forget that ga. Nihil made it for his own damn projects," John scoffed.
"Yeah." I nodded, but the thought lingered.
If Nihil really had knowledge of the future—or at least, a future—shouldn't he have included Deborah Dolphis's resurrection in the ga? Or maybe, in the tiline he saw, Alia wasn't the one used to bring her back?
I an, there was nothing like resurrecting Deborah Dolphis plot in the ga. That whole resurrection thing was only concerning her mad partner Xenos.
Honestly, I had no clue at this point.
"Do you rember how it goes?" I asked, glancing at John.
He furrowed his brows, deep in thought. I couldn't bla him for struggling to recall. Like Eric, he had an early transmigration, so his mories must've been muddled. As for ? Well, I wasn't exactly known for my flawless mory either. It had been, what, three or four years since I played that part?
"Wasn't it that historical cave?" John finally said.
"Yeah. That's where they'll use the two Horns to bring Behemoth back," I confird.
It wouldn't be the true Behemoth—only a weakened version—but even that would be a complete disaster.
The only one who had ever managed to kill Behemoth was Victor Quinn Raven, a Demigod at that ti. And he died in the process.
If they actually succeeded in bringing Behemoth back… things would get ugly.
Especially with the three other Executives there as well.
User Comments
0 comments from readers