CHAPTER 151: UNEXPECTED GUESTS

Jayden and the girls made their way toward the student section and found a row midway up. As they settled into their seats, the energy in the room shifted.

"Hello, ladies."

A familiar voice... smooth and slightly mocking, cut through the air. It was none other than Carl.

Jayden didn’t turn. His face stayed neutral, his attention fixed on the arena below.

Tasha blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Carl? You’re here? I thought you were going to sit this one out just like with the sport tournament."

Carl approached with his usual smug stride, wearing his tracksuit with the collar popped and his hair slicked back just a little too perfectly.

Jessica let out a loud, unmistakable groan. "Ugh. Great. My morning has been officially ruined." she muttered to herself.

Carl grinned, pretending not to hear her. "Oh no, Tasha. I wouldn’t miss this for the world. I didn’t come for the sport tournament because I was busy.. training." he said, shooting a glance at Jayden.

But Jayden didn’t so much as glance his way.

This made Carl a bit mad, but he kept his cool. "Save it for the arena." he said inwardly. Then he turned back to the girls.

"Anyways.. Just thought I’d come say good luck." he smiled.

"Thanks," Tasha replied out of courtesy, though her voice was more polite than warm.

Carl glanced at Jessica, who was visibly unimpressed. "Still as charming as ever, Jessica."

"Still as irritating as always," she shot back. "Why don’t you take your luck far far away from us. We don’t need it."

Carl chuckled, brushing off her disdain with practiced ease. "Alright. I just hope your luck doesn’t get me matched with you." he grinned, trying to sound intimidating, but Jessica didn’t even flinch. She simply scoffed and turned her gaze away.

Then Carl turned, spotting Cassandra sitting behind Jayden, and his whole posture shifted... shoulders straighter, voice suddenly smoother.

"Cassandra," he said with a warm smile, stepping toward her. "Didn’t expect to see you here so early."

She glanced up from her wristband, expression unreadable. "I go where I need to be."

Carl chuckled like she’d made a clever joke. "Well, I just wanted to say... you were amazing on the track during the sports tournament. I wasn’t there, but I watched the recap. Honestly, you’re one of the most graceful runners I’ve seen."

There was a beat of silence.

"Thank you," Cassandra said, though it sounded more like a reflex than genuine appreciation.

From their row, Jessica rolled her eyes hard. "Wow. Are you seeing this?" she said to Tasha. "Carl’s moved on from you. And it looks like he’s chasing after Cassandra now."

Tasha stifled a laugh. "Really? That’s great. They’d be perfect for each other."

Carl didn’t seem fazed. He kept smiling, inching a little closer to Cassandra, as if oblivious to the awkward tension tightening around him.

"So anyway, I was thinking—"

"Wait," Cassandra said, holding up a hand.

Carl blinked.

She tilted her head, feigning curiosity. "Sorry. Who are you again?"

The words hit like a slap. Delivered not cruelly, but so effortlessly neutral that they cut even deeper.

Carl opened his mouth.. once, then again, but no sound came out. His smile faltered just slightly.

Jessica let out an exaggerated gasp. "Oooh, snap." she burst into laughter.

Even Tasha couldn’t help it , she stifled a laugh, covering her mouth but failing to hide the amusement in her eyes.

Even Jayden cracked a rare grin.

Carl chuckled awkwardly, trying to play it off. "Right. Funny."

But Cassandra was already turning away, as if he were no more than background noise.

Carl stood there a moment longer, shoulders stiff, before finally muttering, "Okay... I’ll see you around then," and turning to walk off. That was all he could do. He didn’t even try to throw an insult or save face with a snide remark.

He couldn’t.

Cassandra Isley wasn’t someone you talked back to... not unless you had a death wish or a fool’s pride. She was just that important.

Sure, Carl might’ve been the most popular guy in school, with a trail of admirers and a history of stolen glances. And yes, Tasha and Jessica*were undeniably the most popular girls... charismatic, stunning, and always at the center of attention.

But Cassandra?

Cassandra was on another level entirely. She wasn’t just popular... she was untouchable.

How could she not be?

Her mother was Penelope Isley, a former high-ranking politician, a renowned business magnate, and a formidable powerhouse rumored to be above Level 70. Whispers around the world claimed she could level a city if she chose to. Others said even the king of the continent deferred to her behind closed doors.

Whether those stories were true or not didn’t matter. What did matter was that everyone... from students to staff to Principal Thompson himself, knew who Cassandra’s mother was. And that made Cassandra the one person in school no one dared to cross.

Not even someone like Carl.

And he had barely made it ten steps when Cassandra’s voice, sharp and clear, cut through the tension like a knife.

"Oh, wait! I remember you now..." she said with mock surprise. "You’re the guy Jayden fought in Master Jin’s class. The one who cheated."

She scoffed.

Carl froze mid-step, his pride already bruised. He forced a wry smile as he turned his head slightly, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, I uh... I was actually drunk that day. So I wasn’t thinking straight."

It was a weak excuse, and they both knew it. But Carl was desperate to maintain some kind of dignity in front of his new crush.

Cassandra just rolled her eyes. "Oh... Well, either way, Jayden was about to kick your ass that day. And I’m sure he’d do it all over again if he got the chance."

She let out a soft laugh as she leaned in slightly toward Jayden, who, ironically wasn’t even paying attention to anything they were saying anymore.

His eyes were fixed on the entrance of the combat hall, where two adult figures had just entered behind Principal Thompson.

One of them was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a clean buzzcut and a presence that demanded respect. The other was a slender, curvy woman with flowing pink hair that reached her lower back, her movements graceful yet purposeful. Both of them wore black tactical jumpsuits, each fitted with a utility belt gleaming with equipment and devices.

But it wasn’t the gear that caught Jayden’s attention.

It was the insignia... stitched boldly in gold stylized letters across their left chest read:

"EVA".

The Evolved Human Authority.

Jayden’s fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tightening instinctively. "What are they doing here?"