CHAPTER 46: SPATIAL DOMAIN.

We watch him carefully.

He seems very cocky - in my opinion.

"Rebellion? Who’s leading it? One of you?"

We exchange brief glances and nod simultaneously.

He tilts his head back and laughs loudly. My fingers knot into fists. What aspect of our proposal does he find amusing?

He finally stops laughing, but a smirk remains on his handsome features.

"Are you done?" Toshiro asks, sounding rigid and edgy.

His knuckles are white from clutching his knees too tightly.

"No. We’ve barely begun. I’ve never been one to follow rules, especially when blind people are leading".

I wince at the insult. The guy hit the right mark. We are inexperienced in the art of sorcery. How could we possibly hope to lead veterans?

"No one leads, if that’s what is bothering you. We accept that we have much to learn and we are willing to learn from you". Toshiro breaks in to say.

The guy skims a gaze over Toshiro.

"I’m bored now. I’ll see you at Mrs. Val’s seminar".

"I thi-"

We are back in the hallway, exactly where we had stopped. There is no one sitting on the window ledge.

I look at Toshiro. He shrugs lightly. This kind of situation tests your sanity and sense of reality.

"I don’t like his attitude one bit. He appeals to me as the type that would be really hard to work with. I have my doubts".

I grin widely.

"All my doubts disappeared the moment he pulled us into his ’Spatial Domain’. His aura and confidence overshadowed anything else. Just imagine what he could do with his powers. He could pull the monsters into his Domain and wipe them out effortlessly".

He averts his gaze.

"Maybe... you have a point. The asshole has value outside his cockiness and his intimidating good looks".

I roll my eyes. I always count on Toshiro to be hard on everybody.

We return back to his room. The hallway is littered with students coming and going. The hallway is alive with chatter and laughter. A few curious stares and whispers are directed towards us, but asides that, we don’t attract unnecessary attention.

We enter the room and Toshiro closes the door. Angela is not here - that’s the first thing I notice.

Toshiro settles on the bed heavily and the bed creaks under his weight. His room mate is lying quietly on his back with his legs crossed at his ankles, reading a book on his bed.

I notice that he is wearing his shoes on the bed. It instantly irritates me, but I prevent myself from commenting.

"We need to up our game quickly, if we want to impress that Spatial Domain guy".

I look down at him. He is clasping his hands together as is offering up a silent prayer.

Time is of the essence.

"My advice, though I advise you not to take it - since I don’t take advice - don’t do anything with Spatial Domain. He is generally bad news." Toshiro’s roommate breaks in to say.

We both turn to him.

He shrugs and goes back to his reading.

"What’s wrong with him? He’ s almost harmless." I ask, picking my words carefully.

"Even the Chancellor and Provost are afraid of him." Toshiro’s roommate says.

Good for combat, but terrible for friends.

"Maybe you guys are judging him too harshly. He can’t be that bad - we just spoke with him."

The guy shrugs again.

"Maybe I’m wrong, but anyone who tried to be nice to him always ended up with PTSD, no exaggerating. It’s not rumours."

"We aren’t trying to make friends with him".

Toshiro runs a hand through his hair, looking distant and lost in thought.

Sometimes, I wish he would just tell me what he is thinking. I try to be as open as possible, on my part. He is just so... stubbornly reserved.

I guess this is what I get for asking a One-man-squad-ish guy for a partnership.

"Who the heck is Mrs. Val?"

Toshiro’s roommate immediately throws the book he is reading on the ground and jumps off the bed.

"It is the one seminar that everyone hates, but cannnot miss. Not even Spatial Domain. And you can’t be late. Not even by a second. I can’t believe I forgot. I knew I was forgetting something". He says while skimming through the drawer on his reading desk for a hard cover notebook and a pen.

With that, he dashes out of the room.

We exchange looks.

"Are we expected to attend?"

Toshiro lifts his shoulders nonchalantly.

He picks up a pen and a jotter and heads for the door in quick strides. I follow him.

"Do you even know where the seminar is being held?"

He shrugs, which infuriates me further.

When we reach the main hall, we see a lot of students queueing up to enter the auditorium. Most girls are grouped on one side, chatting while they wait for their turns. The guys don’t really seem to care if it’s their turn or not - at least, most of them don’t look like it.

There is one guy standing apart from the queue. Everyone forms an arc around him, because they are afraid to pass too close to him. The arc should span about two and a half metres.

He is leaning against a pillar, his hands in the pockets of his well-pressed pants. His shoes are polished and impeccable. One leg is braced against the pillar he is leaning on.

I watch him with curiousity. People avoid meeting his gaze, like he is the very devil.

His black tie is loose around the starched collar of his shirt. His vest fits his lean torso perfectly. The only flaw in his dressing is the edge of his shirt poking out beneath the vest. But instead of subtracting, it only adds to the aura that emanates from him.

His diamond studs glimmer in the sunlight, making it look like two tiny lightbulbs on his ears. His gold hair glints in the sunlight, giving him a celestial look. And not to mention his eyes that seem to bore into your soul.

Once it is his turn and his name is called, everyone hurries to make a path for him.

The queue parts into two. A whole uproar erupts as everyone starts moving away from the centre - away from Spatial Domain. People bump into each other and tumble to the ground in an effort to put as much distance between themselves and the devil walking through.

A sly smirk rests on his features. His hands never leave his pockets.

I and Toshiro watch from our position apart from the crowd.

The fear in the eyes of even the most intimidating students is real. That kind of fear can only be earned.

What in the world did this guy do to earn the fear and loathing he is receiving from these people?