CHAPTER 26: CHAPTER 26: FAILURE

The Fae teacher had barely finished giving his permission before Zane began drifting around the classroom with calculated ease. His movements were casual, almost lazy, yet there was a deliberate sharpness in the way he paused at each desk, leaning in as though to observe the students’ progress. From the outside it looked like he had taken his assigned role seriously, but Aiden knew better. Every step brought him closer.

Finally, Zane stopped beside him. He bent slightly, his voice low, intimate enough that only Aiden could hear.

"Pretty boy," Zane whispered, lips curling in mischief. "We finally meet again. Tell me, how do you want me to pay you back for the hit you gave me yesterday?"

Aiden stiffened. He kept his eyes on his empty hands, whispering back just as quietly. "You’re Zane Cross. You also said you were in a kind spirit these days, so can you please not be petty? Just let it go."

Zane shook his head slowly, his smirk widening. "No, I can’t let it go. You hit me right on my equipment, you know."

Aiden rolled his eyes, refusing to look at him. "It’s not like it’s wounded. So why can’t you just move on?"

Zane tilted his head. "I don’t know if it’s wounded or not, which is why I’ll need you to help me test it out. You did the damage, so you should be the one to check."

Heat rose in Aiden’s cheeks, but he refused to engage. He glared at Zane once, then turned back to his desk, deliberately ignoring him.

The teacher’s sharp voice carried across the room. "What’s going on over there? Is something wrong?"

Zane straightened immediately, adopting a look of practiced innocence. "No, nothing’s wrong, sir. I’m just explaining and clearing this boy’s doubts about how to conjure his Fae fire."

The teacher studied them for a moment before nodding. "Good. Carry on." He moved away to check on other students.

Zane lingered, his smirk fading as curiosity replaced it. Around the classroom, students had begun producing faint flames—small flickers of blue or gold hovering above their palms. Some were shaky, others too bright to control, but the energy was there. At Aiden’s desk, however, there was only silence and bare hands.

Zane frowned. "What are you doing? It’s not that hard. This is supposed to be the easy part. You’re just bringing out what’s already inside you. It should be as simple as stretching out your hand. The real challenge comes when you separate the two flames. So why are you struggling with the easy part?"

Aiden’s frustration, simmering quietly all class, finally boiled over. "How on earth should I know what’s wrong?" His voice rose, louder than he intended. "I just can’t conjure anything. I don’t even feel like there’s anything in me to begin with, let alone something I can pull out."

The words echoed in the quiet classroom. Heads turned. Students paused mid-practice, staring openly.

The teacher hurried over, alarmed. "Calm down," he urged, his hand firm on Aiden’s shoulder. "Listen to me. You’ve lived as a human your whole life. That explains the difficulty. You’re not used to this. But it’s there. I promise you it’s there. You just need to be patient."

"I tried," Aiden muttered, his voice tight.

"Close your eyes," the teacher said gently. "Calm yourself. You’ll feel the power thrumming through your veins. Once you sense it, draw it out."

Aiden obeyed, forcing air deep into his lungs. He shut his eyes, trying to let the tension bleed away. He pictured energy moving through his veins like liquid light, tried to believe it was there. Then he made the same gesture he had seen Zane and the others perform earlier.

When he opened his eyes, his palms were still bare.

He lifted his gaze to the teacher, defeated. "It’s still nothing."

The teacher’s brows furrowed. "Were you calm?"

"Yes," Aiden answered firmly.

"Did you feel the power in your veins?"

"No," Aiden said, shaking his head. "I felt nothing. Just... normal. The way I’ve always felt."

The teacher’s face darkened with confusion. "That shouldn’t be happening," he said aloud. "It’s impossible."

Zane’s laugh cut through the silence. He leaned against the desk, voice dripping with amusement. "Aren’t you supposed to be the one with the highest blood potential in this academy? Something as simple as conjuring your Fae fire should be effortless for you. So why are you failing?"

Aiden whipped his head toward him, anger sparking. "How should I know? You people are the ones who know everything about this world. You should know what’s wrong with me. Don’t ask me for answers."

Zane smiled slowly, almost lazily. "It’s not like I’m the one behind your problem. I’m only concerned."

"Don’t," Aiden said harshly, his voice cracking. "Don’t act concerned. I don’t want to see it."

Whispers erupted around the classroom. Fingers pointed. Murmurs of curiosity and suspicion rippled through the rows of desks, pulling at Aiden’s nerves like sharp hooks. Once again, he had become a spectacle, the unwilling center of attention.

The teacher clapped his hands sharply. "Enough. Concentrate on your own practice. Keep focusing on separating the blue healing flame from the gold. That is your task."

The murmurs dimmed, though glances still darted toward Aiden. The teacher turned back to him. "If your test results are true, this is only a temporary setback. You’ll overcome it. Keep trying. Don’t give up."

Aiden nodded mutely.

Then the teacher shifted toward Zane, and to Aiden’s surprise, the man blushed faintly. "I appreciate your intention to help," he said carefully, "but I think your presence is agitating my student. Please, allow him space to focus."

Zane pressed a hand to his chest dramatically. "So you’re sending me away... because of him?" His voice dropped, rich and teasing.

The teacher’s cheeks darkened further, though his tone stayed firm. "Yes. I’m sorry, but that’s my decision."

Zane smiled, gave a small bow, and sauntered out of the room without another word.

The teacher patted Aiden’s back. "Take it easy. Don’t rush yourself."

Aiden nodded again, though the tightness in his chest remained.

Once Zane left, he tried harder. He poured every ounce of concentration into his attempts, clenching his fists, whispering instructions under his breath. But the results never changed. Around him, other students not only produced their flames but even managed to separate the blue from the gold. By the time class ended, he had nothing but disappointment.

The teacher stopped him as he gathered his things. "Don’t let this weigh too heavily on you. Keep practicing in your dorm. You’ll get there."

Aiden murmured thanks and left the room. His delay with the teacher meant most of the students were already outside. He stepped through the doorway only to feel every eye turn his way. Whispers rose again, sharper than before, and fingers pointed openly.

At the front of the group stood the girl who had tested with the highest potential among the Faes last week. Aiden recognized her immediately. It looks like she had been furious ever since the results revealed that his potential outshone hers because now her eyes glowed with satisfaction.

"Human," she said with a sneer, "you don’t belong here. Whatever trick you used to cheat your way to that test result, it’s failing you now. If I were you, I’d get out before you embarrass yourself further."

Aiden’s disappointment burned, but his pride refused to bow. He lifted his chin. "You sound like you’ve spent a lot of time being embarrassed yourself. Maybe that’s why you know exactly how to act when you feel it. If leaving is the only way you’ve learned to deal with shame, that says more about you than me. I’ve never been embarrassed before, so I don’t know how it feels. Why don’t you tell me?"

Her face flushed crimson. She raised her hand and snarled, "I’ll kill you."

A golden flame burst into life, separating from its twin blue in less than two seconds. She extinguished the blue, holding the gold like a weapon, and drew her arm back.

Aiden’s chest tightened with jealousy at how easily she summoned her power, but he stood his ground. "Go ahead," he said coldly. "Throw it. Do you know what I learned last week? The school brochure says that if a student deliberately kills another, the academy itself will deliver their punishment—death, no matter who you are or who your parents are. So throw your fire at me. Do I look scared?"

The girl froze, fury twisting her features. Slowly, she lowered her hand, the fire sputtering out. "You’re very good, Aiden," she hissed. "Very clever. But listen well—never meet me alone. If you do, you’ll regret ever setting foot in this school. My advice? Stay in crowded places if you value your life."

With that, she spun on her heel and stormed away, disappearing beyond the gates.

Aiden let out a shaky breath. Relief slid through him, though it was laced with lingering disappointment. His first class with the Faes had ended in failure.

He straightened his back and started walking toward his next lesson. The Wolf class. He prayed it would go better than this one.

Thinking of wolves made his mind drift to Ryker, and before he realized it, a small, bitter smile touched his lips. "Why are you still thinking about him?" he muttered to himself. "He doesn’t even know you. He doesn’t want to."

He shook his head, forcing his thoughts forward, and walked on.