Cassandra was still in a daze even it has been hours since Sebastian left. She couldn't believe they had finally kissed. Cassandra grabbed the pillow and covered her mouth to scream. She rolled in the bed, smiling like crazy. Cassandra wanted to shout out loud but managed to restrain herself as she doesn't want to wake up her friends.
Little noises coming from the window caught Cassandra's attention. She raised her eyebrows and waited for it. Then it happened. Small pebbles hit Casandra's windowpane successively. She stood up and walked towards it. Cassandra's smile widened when she saw Sebastian outside.
"Open the window for me." Sebastian mouthed slowly outside. Cassandra nodded her head and carefully opened it.
"Step back, hon," Sebastian said. Cassandra followed him and took a step back. Sebastian climbed rapidly with his superhuman strength.
"You can't sleep?" Sebastian asked and hugged her. Cassandra nodded and buried her head on Sebastian's chest. She inhaled his scent, calmly soothing her body. Cassandra doesn't know why, but she was always looking for Sebastian's smell these past few days.
"Still thinking about the kiss?" Sebastian teases. Cassandra smacked his shoulder but couldn't deny the blush on her face.
"What are you doing here?" Cassandra asked. She backed away from him and got on the bed. Sebastian followed her and sat on the edge. He held her hand and squeezed it.
"I had trouble sleeping when I'm not with you," Sebastian confessed while playing with Cassandra's fingers. "So, I want to sleep here with you. Is that a bad idea, love?" he asked. Cassandra laughed and kissed him on the cheeks. She finds Sebastian cute when he asked.
"No, it's not a bad idea," Cassandra answered. Sebastian smiled that melted Cassandra's heart instantly. The mate pull they had was a strong one.
"Let's sleep?" Sebastian said. Cassandra nodded. He began taking off his shirt and lay down beside her. Cassandra found out that Sebastian wasn't fond of wearing clothes while sleeping. He felt uncomfortable.
"Hey, Blood," Cassandra said. She loves calling Sebastian by his surname. "Good night," she said.
"Good night, love. Dream of me," Sebastian said and kissed her forehead before drifting into a comfortable sleep.
The sun rises, spreading its light. Pinkish glow, clouds tinted, colors that spread across the sky announcing the new day. Cassandra woke up in bed alone. She already knows that Sebastian had to leave early to go back to his dorm. Cassandra stretched her body. Her wolf was itching for a run after weeks of being confined.
"Let's try to run in the forest later," Cassandra hopefully said. She did her morning routines, and when she finished, she went out.
"Lis?" Cassandra called.
"Glad that you awake, Cassy!" Lisanna said, holding a bowl in her hand. "Let's go and eat. Abby's going to join us," she added happily.
"What happened?" Cassandra asked. She was getting weird vibes coming from her friend. Lisanna was always cheerful, but today, she was extra happy that Cassandra thinks something happened.
"It's starting," Lisanna answered. "What is it?" Cassandra asked.
"You'll find out late," Lisanna said. Abegail went out of her room and joined the two for breakfast. Casandra was still clueless about what's about to happen. The students outside were already talking about it. The three went to Academia together. They are directed to the oval where the other students were. There's a giant crystal in front of them surrounded by ancient markings.
"Please, tell me what's happening," Cassandra begged. She doesn't want to be left out. "What's happening?" she asked.
"The start of Battle of the Strongest," Lisanna answered. "What the heck is that?" Cassandra asked, confused.
"I told you about it the last time," Lisanna muttered, but Cassandra just looked at her. "Every yearend there's a test where the students fight and if they win. They will be given a chance to challenge a ranker," Lisanna said. Cassandra's jaw dropped.
"That's the Battle of the Strongest," Abegail said.
"What!? But it's not a yearend yet!" Cassandra complained. Lisanna and Abegail shrugged their shoulders at the same time.
"That's what they decided. This Battle of the Strongest will commence this month," Lisanna said.
"Is that so? What are we doing here, then?" Cassandra asked. "I'm not going to join. Don't tell me the two of you signed up?" she added. Cassandra would love to join, but it's not the right time. She had no idea how strong the students were, and the chances of winning were low. If the Battle of the Strongest happens in its original schedule, she might consider giving it a chance. The announcer kept announcing the names while the two knowingly looked at Cassandra.
"The next participant: Casandra Louise Reese," the students began murmuring and looked at their direction. Cassandra's jaw dropped and pointed herself.
"I repeat. Cassandra Louise Reese, please step forward," the announcer said.
"What the hell!?" Cassandra cursed under her breath and glared at her friends. She doesn't want to accuse them of putting her name on the crystal, but she knows they had something to do with it.
"Cassy! Step forward!" Lisanna happily said while clapping.
"Do you know anything!? Tell it to me, right now!" Cassandra angrily asked. Her friends bowed their heads and avoided Cassandra's intense gaze. The gut feeling Cassandra had was right. Lisanna and Abegail were the ones who put her name on the crystal without her knowing.
"The last call for the participant Cassandra Louise Reese, please step forward and claim your mark."
"Let's talk about this later," Cassandra said and went to the center stage. "Are you Cassandra?" the man asked, holding a box in his hand.
"Yes," Cassandra said. She wanted to back out from the competition, but they strictly forbade it. You have to join once your name was on the crystal.
"Welcome to the 28th Battle of the Strongest. Here's your mark," the man said. Cassandra's forehead creased. She tried finding the mark or any item, but there was none.
"Excuse me? But where is it?" Cassandra asked. She was getting irritated as time passed by.
"On your left shoulder," the man said and smiled. Cassandra raised her sleeve a little higher. She saw the Academia's crest imprinted on her shoulder with the name of the competition and her number. Cassandra thanked the man and got down. She's now officially one of the participants in the Battle of the Strongest.
"What were you two thinking!? Why did you guys put my name on the crystal!?" Cassandra angrily asked Lisanna and Abegail. They were in the vacant room. She was mad at her friends. Without her knowledge or consent, the two decided to put her in the competition.
"It was my idea," Lisanna said and sniffed. "We want you to win and gain a rank," she added and hid behind Abegail's back. For her, facing Cassandra's wrath was terrifying than the competition itself.
"I don't need the rank," Cassandra said and crossed her arms.
"You need it, Cassy!" Abegail shouted. Lisanna flinched behind her. It has been so long since she heard Abegail yelled. "You have crossed paths with Joanna Redwood. She won't just sit back and watched you freely roaming around. She might hurt you!" Abegail added. Her chest was rapidly rising and falling after saying what's on her mind.
"I can protect myself," Cassandra defended. She clearly understands Abegail's sentiments.
"We know that!" Lisanna butted in. "But we couldn't help to worry. We are here to help you train," she added. Cassandra heaved a sigh and stared at the mark on her shoulder. They silently went back to the door. Cassandra stormed off to her room without sparing a glance at her friends. She was still mad at what they did. Cassandra promised her mother that she would avoid troubles while studying, but the dangers seemed to love her.
"What are you doing here, Blood? I'm not in the mood," Cassandra said, seeing Sebastian entered her peripheral vision. She purposely left the window open earlier, but she regretted it today. Sebastian chuckled and sat on the bed.
"There, there. Cal, down, love," Sebastian said while patting her back. "I heard from the students that you joined the Battle of the Strongest," he asked.
"So what?" Cassandra said, irritated.
"Then I guess, your training starts now," Sebastian said. Cassandra looked at him like he'd grown another head, couldn't comprehend what he was saying. Sebastian smiled at Cassandra and suddenly attacked her. This is what Sebastian means by training.