CHAPTER 173: SNEAKY CAELUM.

(A/N Big thanks to everyone for the Power stones and Golden tickets, they mean a lot. As usual, please don’t hesitate to comment or drop a review. ENJOY)

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Regardless, it was happening.

They walked slowly down the path as the distant thump of music reached them, the party already alive in the outer Magnums.

And as they approached the teleportation platform, Irelle finally spoke again — low and careful.

"...Thank you for asking me."

Orion glanced sideways at her.

"I should be thanking you," he said.

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Orion had thought he was prepared for surprises.

He wasn’t.

Walking beside Irelle through the lamp-lit paths toward Magnum 2, he found himself replaying the small moments of their trip over and over. The tiny smiles she gave. The soft, unguarded blushes. The way her voice carried a gentleness he wasn’t expecting.

He’d assumed she was one of those proudly independent girls — the quiet but firm type. That was how she’d come across during the trial years ago. Composed. Steady. Unfazed. Almost aloof in her confidence.

But tonight...

Tonight she felt different.

Not in a superficial way. Not in a flirty way. But in something more delicate, more honest — a shift he wouldn’t have missed over four years of being in the same tightly bonded class.

She hadn’t suddenly become a different person.

People didn’t change overnight.

So either she was pretending...

Or this night in particular was drawing something new out of her.

Or worse—

Maybe she liked him.

It wasn’t impossible. Fourteen-year-olds developed crushes like breathing. And if she did... he’d honestly feel bad for her. He wasn’t interested in romance — not in that way, not yet. And unless she directly said anything, he’d never bring it up.

For all he knew, he was imagining the entire thing.

His body was fourteen. His mind wasn’t. That alone created confusion he’d learned to tolerate.

He pushed the thoughts aside and focused on their surroundings.

When they reached the end of the walkway, the view opened up — and Orion stopped dead in his tracks.

"...You’ve got to be kidding me."

Irelle slowed beside him as he stared.

The party was enormous.

Not a building.

Not a hall.

The entire center block of Magnum 2 was alive.

Lanterns floated in the air. Music pulsed like a living beast. Students were passing trays of food around as if this were a banquet hosted by nobles, except half the guests were dancing like unhinged beasts. Lights flashed in mana-generated patterns across rooftops.

And in the sky — literally floating on a rotating mana disc —

"...is that Arlen?" Orion muttered.

Because there he was.

Arlen.

Blasting music.

Grinning like he’d ascended to godhood.

Waving his arms as if conducting an orchestra of chaos.

Orion dragged a hand down his face.

"Seris..." he groaned under his breath.

Of course she would escalate a simple birthday party into a multi-building festival.

He checked the time.

9:45 PM.

They’d taken longer than expected — nearly thirty minutes walking, talking, adjusting to the night air. And in that time, the party had already reached full intensity.

The closer they got, the louder the music became. Bass thumped. People laughed, shouted, chanted. Mana flickered everywhere. Someone had summoned floating snack trays that zipped around like tame birds.

Orion squinted instinctively.

His mana sense did the same.

The atmosphere was wild — loud — bright — chaotic. Everything he generally avoided. Everything he didn’t find relaxing.

The exact opposite of calm.

He wanted to turn back.

Or better yet, vanish.

Just disappear back to his room and read a book. Or train. Or literally do anything other than this.

And that was when he felt it.

A squeeze.

Light, gentle — but grounding.

He looked down.

Irelle’s small hand tightened around his.

She had been walking forward when she noticed he wasn’t. And when she turned, her eyes immediately caught the subtle distress in his expression.

He wasn’t panicking.

He wasn’t afraid.

But he was undeniably uncomfortable.

And she saw it instantly.

Years within A1 had taught all of them how to read Orion — even his near-neutral expressions. But Irelle... she was even sharper than the others. She’d always been observant. Quiet. Perceptive in ways people underestimated.

She stepped closer, her brows drawing together just a little.

"...Do you want to go back?" she asked softly.

There was disappointment in her tone — faint but present — yet she still asked.

Still gave him the option.

Still placed his comfort above her desire to attend.

Orion inhaled once.

Slow.

Measured.

Grounding.

Her hand around his felt steady.

He exhaled.

"No," he said quietly, shaking off the tension in his shoulders. "Let’s go."

Her eyes widened slightly — not dramatically, but enough for him to notice.

She nodded, and together they resumed walking.

As they entered the outer ring of the party, Orion scanned the area again. Students of all ranks and years were milling about. Some dancing. Some sitting in groups. Some shouting games across balconies. His senses picked up dozens of mana signatures colliding chaotically.

And then—

He felt something else.

A presence he did not expect.

Familiar.

Warm.

Controlled.

Trying desperately to hide itself in the sea of people.

Orion’s lips curled.

A slow, knowing smirk.

"Oh?" he murmured.

Irelle glanced at him. "What is it?"

"Someone interesting," he replied.

And as they approached the heart of the event — the central courtyard where the music was loudest — a figure stepped out from behind a table stacked with drinks.

He looked up.

Their eyes met.

Caelum froze.

Orion’s smirk widened — just a fraction.

Caught red-handed.

Caelum stood there, eyes wide, a drink halfway raised, expression somewhere between guilt, betrayal, and a deer staring at an oncoming carriage.

"...Orion," Caelum whispered.

Orion tilted his head.

"Well," he said calmly, "fancy seeing you here."

Caelum’s mouth opened and closed three times.

Irelle blinked between the two boys, confused.

Orion folded his arms with the smug composure of someone who had predicted the stock market, but Caelum... Caelum looked like the world had ended.

"Y-You said you weren’t going!" Caelum sputtered, horrified.

"And you said you weren’t going," Orion replied smoothly.

Caelum’s ears turned red.

Irelle covered her mouth, fighting a tiny laugh.

The music thumped behind them.

The party roared around them.

And Orion stared at his best friend with a slow, infuriating grin.

Game on.