CHAPTER 73: TALK BETWEEN FRIENDS

The evening air had that lazy, post-training hush to it — the kind that made even tired limbs feel a little lighter. Ron walked beside Aurelian, the small box of limited-edition donuts held carefully in his hands like contraband treasure. The pastry shop’s warm sugar smell still clung to him.

Aurelian kept his head down, shoulders tight. He moved with the practiced ease of someone raised in privilege, but tonight there was a stiffness Ron hadn’t seen before. The boy looked smaller when his guard was lowered.

"Hey," Ron said, easy as ever. "You left the match last time. Didn’t expect you to bail like that. Everything okay?"

Aurelian glanced up, blue eyes reflecting a tired sort of honesty. For a second Ron saw the mask slip: the confident smile replaced by something raw and human. "I—had to go. Family matters." He forced a laugh that didn’t reach his eyes. "The usual. Meetings, arrangements... nonsense."

Ron gave a short snort. "Family matters, huh? Sounds like a noble excuse."

Aurelian’s mouth tightened. "It’s not an excuse." He hesitated, then pushed a hand through his hair. "My father called. There was something urgent. I couldn’t exactly refuse."

They fell into a slow stride. The dorm buildings loomed ahead, soft light spilling from their windows. Students drifted about in pairs and small groups; the night smelled faintly of ink and washing herbs and the academy’s ever-present mana tang.

Ron stopped for a moment and held up the box between them. "Want one? Melon-cream filling. You’ll like it." He offered it with the kind of grin that could talk a person into a thousand things.

Aurelian almost snorted, then surprised himself by letting a ghost of a smile appear. "No thanks. I shouldn’t." He tapped the edge of the box in a nervous tick. "You should give them to Lia, though. She needs something sweet after today."

Ron shrugged. "Of course." He turned the box so Aurelian could see the pastries arranged neatly inside. "But seriously—why all the hurry? You and Celeste seemed fine."

Aurelian’s jaw clenched. "You heard about the engagement. It’s not... how it looks." He glanced away. "My father negotiated a match because it’s politically convenient. Celeste’s family—her sister—needed the alliance to buy protection. They took payment. It’s... messy. I agreed because it would secure certain deals, which I’m not proud of." He swallowed. "I care for Celeste, but that doesn’t mean I like how things were arranged."

Ron listened. He let the words sit between them. The prince in him understood alliances; the friend understood the ache of being made into an object of bargaining. He’d seen similar threads tugged at his own life in other forms.

"So you left because you had to go meet your father? Or something else ?" Ron asked bluntly.

"Both," Aurelian admitted. "I left because I couldn’t do the fight with that cloud hanging over me. I couldn’t concentrate. And I couldn’t let my temper ruin things in front of everyone." He ran a hand along the stone wall as they passed. "My...mother.. is not fine..that’s I had to leave ."

Ron frowned, his usual sharpness softening. "Your mother... is she alright now?"

Aurelian shook his head. "Not really. Father wanted me there because things might get worse. That’s why I couldn’t stay." His voice lowered, the weight of unspoken worry heavy in it.

For once, Ron didn’t have a quick retort. He just walked beside Aurelian, silent for a few steps before muttering, "...You could’ve told us."

Aurelian gave a faint smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Would it have changed anything? You would’ve still fought. I just... didn’t want my problems dragging everyone down."

Aurelian drew in a deep breath before finally speaking.

"Ron... well, I can’t tell you much, but... my mother is afflicted with a strange disease. That day, she had an attack, and I had to go. I... don’t want... my mother to—"

Before he could finish, Ron cut in firmly, his voice steady.

"She’ll be fine. I know it."

Aurelian paused, then gave a faint smile. "Thanks, man."

"No problem," Ron replied. He leaned back slightly, then asked, "Aside from that, do you have any other problems?"

Aurelian let out a small, bitter chuckle. "Just one." His expression shifted, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes. "It’s that guy—Arin."

At the mention of the name, Ron’s face tightened, a mix of frustration and anger appearing instantly.

"What did he do now?" he asked.

"He’s really getting along with Celeste," Aurelian muttered. "And Celeste... she’s getting along with him. I mean, I get it—she doesn’t like me. But before, at least she could hold a conversation with me. Now, ever since she met him... in just a week, it feels like he’s the only one she sees. And apparently, they even met once before.His voice rose with a mix of hurt and disbelief. "Like, What the hell, man?"

Ron clicked his tongue and nodded, irritation flashing in his eyes.

"After Lia, now he’s after Celeste? Did you check if he pulled some kind of magic trick on her—like that weird thing that happened with Lia?"

Aurelian shook his head. "No. I don’t see any change in Celeste’s behavior. Nothing strange."

Ron rolled his eyes nervously. "That could just mean she actually gets along with him."

Aurelian narrowed his gaze at Ron. "I mean, sure—she can choose whoever she wants as her friend. I don’t care about that. But as long as he’s not doing anything shady to her..."

.

.

.

Ron slowed his pace, finally stopping at the end of the corridor. "Well... guess this is where I head off."

Aurelian gave a faint smile, though his eyes still carried a shadow. "Yeah." He hesitated, then looked at Ron more directly. "You know... Ron... just—thanks, man."

Ron didn’t say much. He simply nodded, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Well, I have to go anyway. Got these donuts, and if I don’t get back soon, Lia will throw tantrum."

That finally pulled a soft chuckle out of Aurelian. "Go, then. "

Ron smirked, adjusting the box in his hand. "See you around,man."

Aurelian gave a final nod, watching as Ron turned the corner and disappeared, leaving him alone with the echo of the brief but grounding conversation.

Meanwhile,

Zane leaned back against his bedframe, the pale blue glow of the holographic feed reflecting faintly in his deep purple eyes. On the screen, Ron’s casual farewell and Aurelian’s quietly muttered "Thanks, man" replayed in his mind.

"What a good show I watched," he murmured, lips curling into an amused smirk. The bee-shaped surveillance bot buzzed faintly on the corner of his desk, its tiny wings retracting as the feed terminated.

He tapped the laptop resting on his legs—the one etched with a sleek metallic Z. Lines of shifting grey code scrolled across the screen as if alive, pulsing in sync with his thoughts.

"Unlike Lia..." Zane muttered, gaze sharpening, "this Celeste girl wasn’t able to resist fate at all. No strange signs, no ripples. Just another thread tangled in destiny’s web."

His fingers danced across the keyboard, the grey laptop responding almost intuitively, alive under his touch.

"But this Arin..." Zane’s smirk vanished, replaced with a flat, dangerous calm. "After I secured his Administrator... he’s nothing more than a walking dead man." His voice dropped lower, carrying the weight of finality. "He just doesn’t know it yet."

The hologram flickered away, leaving only the soft hum of his tech-filled room. Zane sighed, leaning forward with a faint chuckle. "Well, enough entertainment for today. Time to fiddle with something else..."

His hands returned to the laptop, the Z logo gleaming faintly as streams of encrypted runes and coded glyphs flickered alive. He wasn’t just watching anymore—he was rewriting the rules.

--

Seris Velmira’s POV

The teachers’ cafeteria buzzed with faint chatter, the clinking of utensils filling the otherwise calm space. Seris Velmira sat alone at her usual corner table, slowly cutting into her lunch.

Her eyes drifted toward the far wall, but her thoughts weren’t on the food. They lingered elsewhere—on one particular professor.

Professor Zane... he’s really strange.

She frowned faintly. First, he breaks through the academy’s detection barrier like it was nothing, then suddenly becomes a teacher despite being as strong as Vice-Chairman Lucen himself. And yet... he doesn’t even try to interact with the other staff. Unless Vice-Chairman is with him, he keeps everyone at arm’s length.

Finishing her meal, Seris sighed softly and gathered her tray. As she approached the return counter, she noticed the head chef—an old, stout man usually full of life—looking oddly fatigued. His shoulders slouched, and his forehead glistened with sweat.

"You look tired these past few days, Head Chef," Seris asked curiously, handing over her tray. "Is something wrong?"

The chef let out a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head.

"Haha... Miss Seris, don’t worry about me. It’s just... Professor Zane eats a little more food than most."

Seris blinked. A little? She could almost hear the careful choice in his words—his tone trying not to sound rude.

The chef, however, smiled earnestly after a pause.

"But really, it’s good for me. As a chef, it makes me grateful that someone enjoys my cooking that much."

A small laugh escaped Seris’s lips. "I see. That does sound like him."

Just then, her bracelet flickered—a faint blue-white glow pulsing against her wrist. Her expression stiffened.

"Ah... thank you for the food, Head Chef. I need to go." She turned quickly, heels clicking across the floor, and hurried down the hall toward the Vice-Chairman’s office.

---

"Come in, Seris," Lucen Merrith’s deep voice called as soon as she approached.

She entered, shutting the door softly behind her. "Vice-Chairman, what happened? You told me you’d only use the bracelet if it was truly important."

Lucen’s expression was unusually grave, his hands clasped tightly on the desk. His sharp eyes locked onto her as he spoke.

"I received a message from the Chairman today."

Seris froze. "The Chairman...? You mean... he’s returning?"

Lucen gave a single, heavy nod. "Yes. Which can only mean one thing..."

Seris’s breath caught in her throat, her voice trembling.

"He... he found something, didn’t he?"

The air in the room grew dense, silence pressing down as the weight of the revelation lingered.