Chapter 133: The Glimors [1]
It had been four days since classes started.
The classroom was still buzzing with the last echoes of Professor Voss’s lecture as students began to gather their things.
The professor’s voice carried over the rustling. "Dismissed. Remember, your essays on essence theory fundamentals are due next week."
Students began standing, chairs scraping against stone floors.
"Well, that was pretty knowledgeable," a dark-haired girl remarked, zipping up her bag with a thoughtful expression.
"Yes, Professor Voss is really good." Beside her, a scarlet-haired girl smiled, carefully organizing her papers before sliding them into her leather satchel.
Around them, other students were beginning to stir as Professor Voss gathered his materials at the front of the classroom.
"Though on our first day," Lily continued, slinging her bag, over her shoulder.
"I thought he’d be like those boring professors from our old Academy. But no, he actually makes it interesting."
They joined the flow of students moving toward the door, weaving between desks.
Elina giggled as they stepped into the corridor. "Lily, you sound like you have a crush on him."
Lily’s cheeks burned red.
"What! Of course not. He’s an old man. Why would I have a crush on an old man?"
They turned left, following the corridor toward the main courtyard.
Sunlight streamed through tall windows, casting long shadows.
Elina smirked and winked. "Well, I heard people usually have a thing for older ones."
Lily scrunched her nose. "Ew, Ely! I’m not like your boyfriend."
Elina blinked, nearly walking into a pillar.
"Huh? My boyfriend? When did I get one?"
Lily playfully shook her head as they descended a short flight of stairs.
"Don’t play dumb, Ely. I know you very well."
Elina stopped walking and turned toward her with an exaggerated pout.
"Excuse me, my honorable esteemed friend Lily Ross... how the hell do you know I have a boyfriend when even I don’t know I have one?"
Lily shrugged, clearly enjoying herself.
"Isn’t it obvious? Of course it’s that goldy boy."
They began moving and emerged into the courtyard, autumn air crisp against their faces.
"Caleb?" Elina huffed, stopping near a stone bench. "He’s not my boyfriend. We’re just friends."
Lily raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Really?"
"Yes! Really!" Elina snapped back, crossing her arms but hiding a small smile.
Lily giggled and nudged her.
"Though... I don’t know why, but when I saw him yesterday... he was looking pretty cool. I thought maybe you just friend-zoned him and now he’s on his villian arc."
Elina rolled her eyes dramatically. "Stop with these wild theories! This isn’t some romance novel."
"But it could be," Lily said, dodging as Elina swatted at her arm.
"Titled ’The Baroness’s Daughter and the Golden—’"
"One more word and I’m telling everyone about your poetry collection dedicated to—"
"You wouldn’t dare!"
Their laughter echoed across the courtyard as they headed toward their next class.
But quickly, it died down as a voice cut through the air.
"Ah, nice meeting you, cousin."
Elina and Lily stopped in their tracks.
As an auburn-haired boy emerged from the shadow of the archway ahead, yellow eyes gleaming with malice.
Two others flanked him, same predatory eyes, though one had black hair, the other had grey.
The auburn-haired boy stepped forward, boots clicking against cobblestones with deliberate slowness.
Elina’s eyes narrowed. Lily’s fingers twitched slightly on her bag strap, her body stiffening.
The auburn-haired boy slowed his pace, stepping closer.
"What? No greeting?"
Elina remained silent, her jaw tightening but her eyes hard.
Lily’s breath hitched, and her eyes darted between the boy and Elina.
The boy stopped just a few feet in front of them, his eyes locked onto Elina’s face.
Her lips parted. "What do you want, Cassius?"
The boy’s expression shifted as he leaned in slightly, narrowing his eyes.
"It’s Master Cassius to you. Or have you forgotten your place, cousin?"
Elina’s jaw clenched tighter. Her eyes flashed, but she held her tongue.
She turned, attempting to brush past him without another word, her posture stiff with contained irritation.
But before she could move forward, the grey haired boy stepped in front of her, blocking the way with a lazy but firm stance.
"Not so fast," he drawled. "Where’s the fun in that?"
Cassius then turned his attention to stiff Lily, his grin softening into something falsely kind.
"Ah, dear, please don’t be frightened. We’re family, after all."
He placed a hand on Elina’s shoulder, fingers digging in.
Elina’s eyes hardened in an instant. Before Cassius could press further, she acted.
Her hand shot out, grabbing his wrist with lightning speed and twisting it sharply.
"Argh!" Cassius hissed, his eyes snapping open in pain.
"You bit—" he growled through clenched teeth, but the curse caught in his throat
"What’s happening here?"
From the opposite end of the courtyard, a honey-blonde-haired girl with equally striking honey-colored eyes was striding toward them.
Her hair shimmered in the sunlight as she pushed through clusters of onlookers.
*******
"Urgh!"
Alaric rolled his neck with a loud crack and stretched his arms, stepping out of the training room with a lazy groan.
The afternoon light spilled into the hallway, long shadows stretching behind him as students passed by.
Behind him, Oliver bit his nails furiously, his eyes darting left and right.
"We’re going to be in trouble," he muttered, barely above a whisper but full of dread.
"We’re definitely going to be in trouble."
Alaric stopped dead in his tracks and spun around, arching an eyebrow. "Oi! Stop yapping."
Oliver’s eyes widened in offense. "Stop? Why would I? And how could I?"
He ran a hand through his messy hair, making it even worse.
"Argh! Why did I even agree to this? Why did I even follow you here?"
Passing students in the corridor gave them curious looks, a mix of amusement and secondhand embarrassment.
Alaric clicked his tongue and kept walking, hands shoved in his pockets.
"Stop shouting."
"I’M NOT SHOUTING!"
The nearby students froze for a moment, startled, before quickly dispersing, exchanging whispers and glances.
Alaric turned fully toward him, lips curved in mock seriousness.
"Well, from where I come from, we call this shouting."
Oliver’s cheeks flushed red. He opened his mouth to retort but closed it again, biting back the words. After a moment, he sighed and exhaled deeply.
Alaric shrugged, hands in his pockets, and resumed walking with an exaggerated yawn.
Olive fell a step behind him.
"Look, Alaric," Oliver groaned, turning to face him. "We missed Professor Voss’s lecture. You know, a main subject’s lecture! We haven’t even been here for a week, and we’ve already skipped a class!"
Alaric shrugged. "So what? It’s not like we don’t know anything about those theories. The professor’s just telling us the basics for now."
Oliver groaned again, throwing his hands in the air. He turned fully toward Alaric, walking backwards, eyes wide with disbelief.
"You’re not getting it, Alaric Glimor."
"Then enlighten me, Oliver Blackwood," Alaric drawled, his lips curling in amusement.
Oliver threw his hands up in frustration.
"It’s not about the content!" His eyes widened as he spoke, his voice urgent.
"It’s about attendance! Participation points! Making a good impression! Voss remembers everything.... EVERYTHING! He probably already has our names scribbled down somewhere... ’troublemakers, since day four.’"
They rounded a corner in the courtyard, nearly colliding with a group of students walking the other way.
The students stepped aside, exchanging looks but saying nothing as the two boys brushed past them.
"Besides," Oliver continued once they’d passed, lowering his voice but still fuming, "what were we even doing that was so important? Three hours in the training room for what? You barely broke a sweat."
Alaric’s lips twitched into a sly smile.
"You were sweating plenty."
"Oliver shot him a glare. "Because someone kept increasing the difficulty on the essence barriers!"
"My channels feel like they’ve been scrubbed with sandpaper."
"Good. Means they’re expanding."
"That’s not how—" Oliver stopped mid-sentence as they entered the main courtyard, and both stopped abruptly. A large crowd had formed near the eastern path. Students clustered around, whispering, craning their necks.
"What now?" Oliver muttered.
Alaric’s eyes sharpened. Through the crowd, he caught a flash of scarlet hair.
His pupils narrowed.
Elina?
Without hesitation, Alaric pushed off, moving toward the crowd.
"Come on," Oliver called after him, grabbing his arm. "Stop! Let’s go to our next class!"
But Alaric barely paused. With a firm shove, he pushed past a knot of students who parted unwillingly, murmuring among themselves as he passed.
"Well, what else could you expect from someone from a branch family..." one whispered, half-heard but sharp with disdain.
But he kept moving.
As he reached the edge of the crowd, his gaze locked onto a honey-blonde-haired girl standing close to Elina.
The honey-blonde girl had Elina’s chin gripped between her fingers, forcing her to look up.
She was saying something too low to hear, lips curved in a smile that didn’t reach her amber eyes.
Then she released Elina with a small push, straightening and brushing her hands together as if she’d touched something distasteful.
That’s when she noticed the newcomers.
Alaric’s gaze went from her to Elina.
Without thinking, he moved toward her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"You good—"
He began. But.
She swatted his hand away violently, shooting him a glare that could have melted steel.
Without a word, she grabbed Lily’s arm and walked away.
Alaric stood there, watching them disappear into the crowd.
Then, slowly, his attention shifted back to the honey-blonde girl.
She was studying him with the kind of interest a cat might show a new mouse.
Before he could speak, she tilted her head.
"So... you’re Alaric Glimor."