”Now, it’s your turn. Don’t be shy; feel the rhythm and connect with your partner.” As she said those words, the students, though initially hesitant, began to follow Gloria’s lead.
Some stumbled over the steps, while others found a surprising ease in the dance. The atmosphere in the Multipurpose Hall transformed as laughter and the gentle sound of steps filled the air.
Maya and Amelia attempted to navigate the dance floor, their movements echoing the guidance they received. Though the dance that Gloria was presenting them was performed by one male and one female, both Maya, and Amelia had the necessary strength and physical aspects of a male already, being awakened.
Thus, despite the initial awkwardness, they gradually found a rhythm. Yet, Maya couldn’t help but continuously steal glances at the sides as her gaze wandered at the couple on the corner.
Though the two didn’t get much attention, recently, Astron has been slightly getting more recognition from the students around the school. His name was strangely known, but for a reason that was very different from normal.
There were weird rumors around him at the start, and his attitude made him seem to believe those rumors were true. However, now, his name was mentioned alongside Irina and Sylvie in the Phantom’s Land case.
And that brought the attention of some curious students to his rank change. There, they saw him jumping around 700 ranks. That was quite an impressive jump, to be honest, and those who had seen it started to think of him a little differently.
He was talked about in the students’ forums, and Maya also knew about those talks as well.That did make her a bit happy about him at the start, but somehow, as she continued to read some comments, she started getting a weird feeling.
A weird feeling that was the same as what she was getting right now. A feeling that made it hard to breathe. She didn’t want to look, but she also couldn’t retract her gaze.
As Maya’s gaze continued to wander towards Astron and Sylvie, Amelia’s voice broke through her reverie. “Maya, why do you keep looking in that direction?” Amelia inquired, her tone a little angry.
Maya flinched slightly, caught off guard by the question. She hesitated, unsure of how to respond without revealing too much. “Oh, it’s nothing, really,” Maya attempted to brush it off, offering a strained smile, just as she did before.
However, Amelia, this time, was no longer going to tolerate such a response.
‘Why? My Maya….Why?’
At this moment, she needed to accept all those things she tried to overlook. No matter how much she hated it, she knew at this point that not acknowledging it would just be a coping mechanism.
Amelia’s anger simmered beneath the surface as she stared at Maya, her frustration palpable. “Maya, you can’t keep pretending like nothing’s wrong. Why do you keep staring at him?” Amelia’s voice was tinged with jealousy, her emotions raw and unfiltered.
Maya’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she stuttered, unable to form a coherent response. Memories of her interactions with Astron flooded her mind, causing her heart to race uncomfortably. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to articulate the complexity of her feelings.
“I-I…” Maya’s voice faltered, her gaze flickering away from Amelia’s probing eyes. She struggled to find the right words, grappling with the weight of unspoken emotions.
Amelia’s jealousy flared at Maya’s hesitation, her frustration mounting with each passing moment.
‘She never shown such a side to me…..This is the first time…..’
There were many emotions that Amelia had never seen on Maya’s face before, which she saw when Maya was with Astron. While she was trailing them when they ate and spoke casually, Amelia saw the expression on Maya’s face, and she knew they were not something that Maya would ever show to her.
“Why him, Maya? What makes him so special?” Amelia’s voice quivered with a mixture of hurt and indignation. “He’s just a low-rank freshman who doesn’t deserve someone like you.”
Her words were something that she wanted to ask for a very long time. She wanted to speak those words, yet she never had the time. But, now, she could no longer hold it in. She wanted to know; she needed to.
As Maya heard Amelia’s questioning words, a subtle shift occurred in her expression. The uncertainty and embarrassment that clouded her features instantly gave way to a slight smile. But, for Amelia, that slight smile felt foreign.
‘Just a low-rank freshman? Is he all that in your eyes, Amelia? The person who saved my life when you were sitting in your room doing nothing. The only person in this world who can give me the taste….The person who never refuses to stay by my side….You are saying he is just a low-rank freshman?’
The normally gentle look Maya would have wasn’t there. Her eyes strangely contained a cold glint. The aura she could feel from Maya also changed in that split second.
“Certainly, from outside, he may be perceived like that,” Maya responded, her voice soft yet resolute. Her gaze met Amelia’s, conveying a depth of emotion that she had never shown.
“R-right? Isn’t it? There is no way-” Amelia replied, this time stuttering. The Maya before her felt somehow unfamiliar, and she couldn’t keep her bearings.
“But….” Maya shut her words off, her gaze bearing into Amelia’s, a glint of defiance shimmering in her eyes. “By what right do you think you can judge other people’s preferences, Amelia?” Maya’s voice held a firmness that Amelia had never heard before, her words cutting through the air with precision. “Is everything about rankings in your eyes?”
Amelia’s eyes widened in astonishment at Maya’s sudden interruption. This was the first time she had seen Maya speak with such assertiveness, challenging her beliefs without hesitation. The Maya before her seemed transformed, shedding her usual gentle demeanor for a newfound one.
“I-I didn’t mean it like that,” Amelia stammered, taken aback by Maya’s unexpected reaction. “It is just….I want the best for my friend….And I don’t want to see you sad.”
Maya’s smile softened as she regarded Amelia, her eyes reflecting a mixture of affection and determination. “What if I told you I love him, Amelia?” Maya’s words hung in the air, laden with a weight that Amelia could hardly comprehend. “Would you support me in my feelings? Don’t your words mean just that?”
Amelia’s already wide eyes widened further, a flicker of disbelief crossing her features. Tears welled in her eyes as she struggled to process Maya’s confession. “Love? Do you really love him?” Amelia’s voice trembled with uncertainty, her emotions in turmoil.
Maya turned to take a look at the side, and there she saw him dancing with Sylvie. Her eyes containing the same cold glint, she mumbled. “Yeah…..I guess this is what I am feeling….Yet, I have been hesitant to show it for a long time….But, I won’t let this be any longer….”
She said, lowering her gaze. “Only I should be close to him.”
As Maya’s words sank in, Amelia’s tears flowed freely, her heart heavy with the weight of Maya’s revelation. She realized at that moment that there was no turning back from Maya’s feelings, and her friend was already determined to pursue what her heart desired, no matter the cost.
‘She is gone…There is no turning back for her now….What should I do? What do I need to do now? What am I going to do now, after knowing everything?’
With a shaky smile, Amelia turned to Maya, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Would it be okay if I went to the restroom quickly?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Maya nodded understandingly, a ‘gentle’ expression on her face. “Of course, take your time,” she replied, giving Amelia’s hand a reassuring squeeze.
Feeling overwhelmed, Amelia hastily wiped away her tears and turned to leave, her footsteps echoing softly as she made her way to the restroom. Once inside, she let out a shaky breath, allowing herself a moment to compose her emotions.
But try as she might, she couldn’t shake the feeling of heartache that threatened to consume her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she leaned against the sink, grappling with the realization that Maya’s feelings had irreversibly altered the future that she had envisioned. She knew that she no longer could make attempts, as they wouldn’t result in anything.
On the other hand, Maya, now left alone, just watched Astron and Sylvie while lost in thought.
‘I will no longer stay indecisively.’
Her gaze was looking at him, and she pledged inwardly, accepting the emotion inside her heart as her own. Her eyes turned red for a split second, showing the intensity of her emotions.
*******
<Unknown Mountain, Elven Domain>
In the heart of an unknown mountain, hidden deep within the labyrinthine passages of a vast cave system, a solitary figure sits in quiet contemplation. His body, chiseled and muscular, exudes an aura of strength and resilience. With each steady breath, the cavern seems to pulse in harmony with his presence.
Long hair cascades down his shoulders, framing a face weathered by time and adorned with a rugged beard and mustache. He appeared as a wanderer, a nomad of the mountains, attuned to the rhythms of the earth.
–SWOOSH!
Suddenly, as if stirred from a deep slumber, the figure’s eyes snap open. A gust of wind rushed through the cavern, swirling around him like a tempest in the night. His gaze, fierce and penetrating, bore into the darkness with eyes of yellow, vertically slit as if they could pierce through the veil of reality itself.
“Finally, he appeared,” the figure murmured, his voice a low rumble that reverberated through the cavern. At that moment, a sense of purpose filled the air, as if the very mountain itself awaited the unfolding of a long-awaited hunt.
“The one I will need to hunt.”
His gaze was locked into the place, bearing through the mountains, looking at the exact domain that belonged to Humans.