Early in the morning, Kevin could be seen jogging along the forest trail outside the academy. His breathing was steady, a thin layer of sweat glistening on his forehead as he moved quietly through the trees.
It had been a week since the announcement of the Chosen Ones, and none of the five members had lost their badges yet.
What happened during that group training still lingered in everyone’s minds—especially Emma’s performance.
Defeating nearly two dozen students on her own and even subduing an out-of-control phoenix had left a lasting impression.
That incident alone was enough to make most students think twice before challenging the academy’s top pick.
Even though Natalie and Gizel continued to receive regular challenges, neither had ever been pushed into a situation where losing their badge was even a possibility.
Now, only a week remained before they would be officially declared as the academy’s representatives.
"Hmm?" Kevin’s eyes caught a familiar silver-haired figure running a few meters ahead.
He picked up his pace and approached her. "Morning," he greeted lightly.
Emma glanced at him and gave a small nod, not slowing down.
"William isn’t with you?" Kevin asked, a little surprised. The two of them were almost always together these days.
"He doesn’t have a habit of training early in the morning," she replied, a trace of complaint in her tone.
She had tried to convince him to join her for morning runs so they could spar afterward, but William had dismissed it as pointless. To him, real battles were the only kind of training that mattered.
And so, she was here—alone, missing his presence more than she would admit.
Kevin hummed, "Different people, different ways of thinking."
They continued running until they reached the edge of the student grounds and finally slowed to a stop.
After catching his breath, Kevin spoke quietly, "Hey, um... tomorrow’s my mother’s death anniversary."
Emma remembered. Every year, she and the others would visit her grave. Emma usually prayed for her soul.
Letting out a small sigh, she said, "Alright. Just let me know when you’re leaving." Then, narrowing her eyes slightly, she added, "The others are coming too, right?"
Kevin quickly nodded. "Yes, of course."
"Okay then," Emma said softly. Without another word, she turned and began walking back toward the academy.
....
Around eight in the morning, like everyone else, William was heading toward the classroom—with a familiar girl walking quietly by his side.
It had become a routine for them. They would walk to class together, barely talk throughout the day, and then meet again at dinner.
Since their courses were different, they had to attend separate classes, which made it hard for them to spend much time together.
That’s why these few minutes of walking side by side every morning were precious to her.
"By the way," Emma suddenly spoke, breaking the quiet.
William hummed in response, glancing at her.
"How do my hands look?" she asked, raising her right hand toward him.
He blinked, caught off guard by the question, and looked at her hand. It was smooth and fair, her nails neatly trimmed, the skin soft and well cared for.
"It looks good... smooth," he said simply.
Emma nodded with a small pout. "It looks smooth, right? Then why are you so averse to holding it?"
William’s lips parted slightly as he realized his hands were, as usual, tucked in his pockets.
He tilted his head and said, "My hands stay warm that way."
Emma frowned. "So... you choose warmth over comfort, huh? Okay, I understand."
William chuckled softly, reaching out to take her hand before she could lower it.
"Now, now," he said with a teasing smile, "how could I make a pretty girl sad first thing in the morning?"
Emma huffed, "If you were going to hold it anyway, why bother making me upset first?"
William grinned, eyes glinting with amusement. "Because for the past two years, I’ve only seen your cold, indifferent face. So watching you show so many emotions now...it’s kind of addictive."
Emma let out a small, wry smile. "What a reason to bully me." She exhaled softly, then intertwined her fingers with his, her tone gentler as she added, "Well, I never had a reason to show my emotions to anyone... but now, things are different."
Lost in their world, the two reached the classroom and sadly had to part ways since they had different seats.
Emma actually had enquired if she could change seats but that could only happen during the mid-terms which was about three months away.
Emma wasn’t going to wait for too long that’s why she has decided to do something about the sitting arrangement after the contest.
William released her hand and told her, "Let’s meet after the class?"
Emma nodded and took her seat while the blond one made his way towards the back of the class where a certain pink haired boy was already seated.
Resting his bag on the desk, William said, "If you wish to attack me, do it now. During the lecture, I might just throw you out of the window."
Loid wryly smiled, "I have tried my luck a few times already and have accepted the fact that I am not going to be a part of this contest."
William grinned, "That’s better," he said beside the boy, still a bit cautious, and asked, "You...didn’t even appear that desperate for the badge though. Why is that?"
William noticed that during these three attempts, Loid never actually pushed himself to the point where William could actually feel the hunger from him.
Not to talk about, he hadn’t even shown his unique ability until now, which was a big sign of how least he was interested in the badge.
Adding to that, during the training sessions when most of the students challenge the chosen ones, William doesn’t even spot Loid anywhere around.
Loid exhaled a sigh, "Well...you can say I don’t want to shame my family by appearing like a coward."
William hummed, "What family do you actually belong to?"
The first time they talked, Loid mentioned something about his family’s expectations which became the reason why he was in this academy in the first place.
He asked at that time which family he belonged to but since the teacher arrived, William never got the answer.
Loid sheepishly smiled as he said, "Guess you really don’t know ..." releasing a long breath, he finally said, "My name is Loid Eld Rumberclad—the youngest of the royal family."
"...."
The fuck?
His deskmate is a Prince?
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comment and make sure to add the book to your collection.