Chapter 7 CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7

AURELIA

After the humiliating cafeteria incident with Draven and Vespera, I tried my best to keep my head down. I walked through the hallways with Lirien and Caelum on either side of me like they were forming a small shield. My uniform still felt a little damp from the water Vespera had dumped on me earlier, and every time someone looked at me for too long, I felt like they were replaying the whole scene in their heads.

“You okay?” Lirien asked quietly as we turned a corner. “You’ve been really quiet since lunch.”

“I’m fine,” I said, even though I wasn’t. “I just want to get through the rest of the day without anyone else throwing my food or pouring water on me.”

Caelum let out a small laugh, but it sounded tired. “That’s a low bar, but I get it. Just stick with us. If anyone tries anything, we’ve got you.”

We were heading to our next lecture when I saw it. At the end of the hallway, a few of Vespera’s followers — two B-Rank girls and one C-Rank guy had cornered a lower-rank student. The poor guy’s books were scattered all over the floor. One of the girls was using a small shadow tendril to keep pushing his things away every time he tried to pick them up, while the others laughed.

“Pathetic,” the C-Rank guy said loudly.

I stopped walking. My chest tightened. I knew I should just keep going. I was already in enough trouble. But something inside me snapped. I couldn’t just watch.

Without thinking, I walked straight over. “Hey,” I said, my voice coming out louder than I expected. “Leave him alone. He didn’t do anything to you.”

The three of them turned to look at me. The girl with the shadow tendril smirked. “Well, well. Look who decided to play hero. The little human who got her food thrown across the cafeteria and still thinks she can tell us what to do.”

I ignored her and bent down to help the lower-rank student gather his books. “Here,” I said softly to him. “Let me help you.”

He looked up at me with wide eyes. “You… you don’t have to do that. They’ll just come after you too.”

“I know,” I said, picking up another book. “But I’m not going to stand there and watch them treat you like this. It’s not right.”

The C-Rank guy stepped closer. “Mind your own business, human. Or do you want us to give you the same treatment we gave your tray earlier?”

Lirien and Caelum had caught up by then. Lirien’s voice was small but firm. “She’s right. You’re just being bullies. Leave him alone.”

Caelum stood beside me, his usual easy smile gone. “Yeah. Walk away. This isn’t worth it.”

The shadow girl let out a cold laugh. “Look at this. The human and her little protection squad. You really think you’re something special now, don’t you? Just because Draven threw your food and Zale looked at you once?”

I stood up slowly, still holding the student’s books. My hands were shaking, but I didn’t back down. “I don’t think I’m special. I just think you should stop picking on people who can’t fight back. It’s pathetic.”

The guy opened his mouth to say something else, but then he froze. His eyes went to something behind me. The two girls followed his gaze and their smirks disappeared.

I turned around.

Zale Marinus was standing at the end of the corridor.

His silver-white hair moved gently like it was underwater even though there was no wind. His ice-blue eyes were locked directly on me. The stare was so cold, so piercing and completely emotionless, that I felt my whole body shrink back instinctively. It was like being dipped in freezing water. My breath caught in my throat.

He didn’t say anything. He just stood there, watching.

The three bullies suddenly looked nervous. “We were just… we were just leaving,” the shadow girl muttered. They quickly gathered their things and walked away in the opposite direction.

I stood there frozen for a second, still holding the student’s books. My heart was hammering. I could feel Zale’s gaze on me like it was physically pressing down.

The lower-rank student took his books from me with shaky hands. “Thank you,” he whispered. “But you really shouldn’t have done that. They’re going to make it worse for you now.”

“It’s okay,” I said, my voice quieter than before. “Just… be careful.”

He nodded and hurried off.

Lirien touched my arm. “Aurelia, we should go. Zale is still watching.”

I forced myself to turn away from that icy stare. My legs felt unsteady, like they might give out at any second. The weight of everything — the cafeteria incident, the stares, and now this — was making my head spin. I started walking faster, wanting to get away from that corridor and those eyes.

But my legs betrayed me.

In a quieter side corridor where no one else was around, my foot caught on something and I stumbled hard. I was going to hit the floor face-first.

A strong hand caught my arm before I could fall.

I gasped and looked up.

Zale was right there. He had moved so fast I hadn’t even seen him. His hand was steady on my arm, holding me upright. The cold from his fingers seemed to seep through my sleeve, but at the same time, a strange warmth spread through my chest.

My heart started pounding violently. It felt like it was trying to break out of my ribs. The pull I had felt toward Draven before was suddenly there again, but this time it was with Zale colder, sharper, but just as strong. I hated how my body reacted to it. I hated that even though he was looking at me like I was nothing, part of me didn’t want him to let go.

I looked up into his icy blue eyes. He was so close. His silver-white hair framed his face, and that cold, distant expression hadn’t changed. But something flickered in his gaze for just a second, something I couldn’t name.

The air between us felt thick. Neither of us moved. I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears.

He still hadn’t let go of my arm.

And I didn’t know if I wanted him to.

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