CHAPTER 175: EVALUATION TEST [1]

Alaric’s eyes cracked open.

The cave ceiling came into focus above him. His vision swam slightly before steadying.

He groaned, pushing himself upright took more effort than it should have.

His body felt heavy and sluggish.

He sat there for a moment, then brought both hands up to rub at his face. One hand moved to his head. Scratched through his hair absently.

He looked around.

And blinked.

"How did I get here now?"

The words came out confused. Genuinely uncertain.

Then his gaze gone down.

Clothes hung in tatters, shirt torn across the shoulder, sleeve barely attached.

Deep rips ran down one leg of his pants. Dark stains covered the fabric. Blood. Some of it dried, some still tacky.

He looked around.

The cave itself looked like a war zone. The massive crater dominated the back half, edges. Scorch marks streaked up the walls in black patterns. Chunks of rock lay scattered across the floor.

"What the hell?"

Alaric tried to stand but his legs protested. A sharp groan escaped as he pushed through it. His hand went to his temple immediately, pressing hard.

The headache was still there, though now less painful than before.

"Should’ve stayed at the inn."

He muttered the words while taking an unsteady step toward the cave entrance.

Then stopped.

His hand flew to his neck and pressed against the skin there.

Something burned. Hot and intense.

"Ah!"

His fingers fumbled with the clasp of his tattered cloak. Yanked it off and let it fall. Then grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head in one rough motion.

His hand pressed immediately against his bare chest, just above the collarbone.

A mark blazed there.

Black as ink, but glowing with an internal light that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. It seared against his skin, hot enough to make him wince.

"What’s wrong with it now?"

His jaw clenched.

"Selene assured me it won’t be visible and cause much problem."

His fingers pressed harder against the mark, as if he could somehow push the heat back down. Force it to behave.

The glow intensified briefly, then dimmed slightly.

**********

The lecture hall echoed with the shuffling of boots and the scrape of chairs against stone. Students gathered their books, voices rising in scattered conversations.

Professor Thorne gathered his papers into a neat stack, tucked them under one arm, and strode toward the door without a backward glance.

Elina remained seated on her seat, unmoving. Her elbow propped against the bench, cheek resting in her palm. Her golden eyes fixed on an empty seat in the side row, third from the front.

Why didn’t he come today?

Her fingers curled slightly against her cheek as yesterday’s events reeled through her mind.

Was he really not feeling well?

Her brow furrowed slightly.

Did I said something I shouldn’t have?

The question settled uncomfortably in her chest.

Then she froze.

Blinked.

Why am I thinking about him?

The realization hit like cold water. Her spine straightened immediately, head lifting from her palm. She shook her head once.

"What happened? Thinking about your brother?"

A voice came from directly beside her, tinged with teasing warmth.

Elina’s head whipped around.

Lily sat there, leaning forward with her chin propped on both hands, eyes sparkling with mischief. A knowing smile played at the corners of her mouth.

"I’m not."

The words came out harsher than Elina intended.

Lily’s eyebrows rose. The smile didn’t fade, if anything, it grew more amused.

"Oh, but you look—"

"Just shut up, Lily."

Elina turned away, jaw tight. Her hands moved to gather her books with more force than necessary.

Silence stretched between them for a heartbeat.

Lily’s smile softened into something gentler. She reached out, fingers brushing Elina’s arm.

"Hey." Her voice dropped lower, losing the teasing edge. "I didn’t mean to—"

"It’s fine." Elina’s hands stilled on her books. She exhaled slowly through her nose. "Just... forget it."

Then she stood abruptly, books clutched against her chest, and headed for the exit without waiting to see if Lily would follow.

Lily stood too, gathered her own books and followed after Elina.

"Wait up!"

Together, they emerged from the main building into the courtyard.

The afternoon sun hung high in the cloudless sky, pouring golden light across the academy grounds.

Students clustered in small groups beneath archways. The fountain at the courtyard’s center splashed quietly.

They navigated through the scattered groups. Till they reached a familiar oak tree at the far edge of the courtyard, its massive canopy providing a pool of shade.

Jasmine sat beneath it, legs crossed, surrounded by a semicircle of open books. Her auburn hair caught the filtered sunlight as she bent over her notebook, quill moving steadily across the page.

Her hand paused mid-word as she sensed their approach. She looked up, a smile spread across her face. She raised one hand in greeting, and waved at them.

"Hey!"

But Jasmine’s smile faltered quickly. She tilted her head slightly.

"Why didn’t Alaric come with you?"

Elina just shrugged.

Lily dropped down onto the grass, settling her bag beside her. "He didn’t come to classes either."

Jasmine raised a brow. "Why?"

Elina sat down near her, legs folding beneath her. She set her books aside.

"Probably sleeping like a pig somewhere, like he always does."

This made Jasmine’s expression to shift immediately. Her spine straightened.

"Don’t say things like that about him."

Elina clicked her tongue. "Tch."

"Jeez, why are you defending him?" she shifted to fully face Jasmine. "I’m your friend, aren’t I?"

Jasmine’s lips curled into a smirk. "But he’s my future boyfriend."

Elina sighed. Shook her head.

"Just give up. It ain’t happening."

"Why not?"

Jasmine’s tone stayed light. Almost playful.

Elina leaned back on her palms, tilting her head to look at her friend. "I already told you. Alaric’s engaged."

"I know."

The response came immediately. No hesitation.

"I don’t mind sharing him with others."

The words hung there.

Lily’s jaw dropped.

Elina’s eye twitched. Her fingers dug slightly into the grass beneath her palms.

"What if his fiancée doesn’t agree to that?"

Jasmine’s grin widened. She picked up her quill, twirled it once between her fingers.

"I know they don’t love each other... it’s just a political arrangement."

Then she leaned in slightly, smirking, "And... Verelia won’t mind if I bring political assets to the table."

She said it so casually. Like discussing trade agreements instead of... whatever this was.

Elina stared at her.

Just stared.

Then...

"Still no."