CHAPTER 31: JEALOUS TEEN

Once the weekend was over, Godfrey, dressed in his deep-blue school jacket, ascended the broad staircase leading to the third floor where his classroom was located. He carried his backpack in one hand, his ocean-blue eyes slightly narrowed as he noticed freshmen casting more glances at him than usual.

"Isn’t he the one who made Dale and the other sophomore elites get suspended?" a fifteen-year-old freshman girl whispered to her friend, her voice a mix of awe and disbelief.

"His name is Godfrey. He also beat Nexus Club Number Thirteen. He’s like some kind of bully-bane. The school feels calmer with him around," someone else said reverently.

"Tch! He’s going to be put in his place soon," a boy muttered darkly as he strode past the girls and disappeared into the second-floor hallway.

Godfrey paused mid-step, his eyes locking on a scene below: a brown, curly-haired boy crouched on the ground, arms raised to shield himself as two fellow freshmen, a boy and a girl, kicked at him while spitting insults.

"I’m sorry, I’ll—!" Isaac’s voice broke off when he caught sight of Godfrey’s cold glare from the corner of his eye. That chilling look sent ice crawling down his spine. "Get off me!" he suddenly screamed, and in panic, he launched a web strike that latched onto the girl’s wrist, pinning it to the wall.

Shoving aside the boy’s next kick, Isaac sprang to his feet and instinctively caught the boy’s panicked punch. His fist flew on its own, slamming into the boy’s cheek with a sharp sound. Both froze, the boy clutching his face in wide-eyed shock, and Isaac staring in disbelief that he had done that.

The girl ripped free of one strand of web, turning her delicate fingers into three-inches long claws, but Isaac moved faster. Another web shot pinned her arm to the wall, another bound her other hand, and a final strand sealed her mouth before she could curse. Her eyes widened in terror. The boy fled immediately, leaving Isaac standing frozen in the aftermath, stunned at himself.

Those who had long grown used to Isaac being treated like a slave for the past month were equally stunned. Yet when their eyes shifted back to Godfrey, he simply resumed climbing the staircase, leaving the scene behind him as though he were nothing more than a distant observer.

The moment Godfrey entered his classroom, silence rippled across the room. Conversations halted mid-sentence. Students in their seats and those huddled in groups all turned to look at him, the quiet stretching long and heavy.

Godfrey’s eyes swept over the class. Dale, Siegfried, Maldred, and Orwen’s seats were empty. Tilting his head, he noticed Snow scrolling casually through his phone, pointedly ignoring him. That didn’t bother him, but what did was Isolde’s brief glance in his direction before she turned back to the window. Her cold dismissal stung.

She was clearly unhappy that he had skipped their morning jog, and Godfrey knew he owed her an apology or risked being snubbed by the only friend he had.

As he made his way to his seat, a girl from the Press Club leaned toward Cecil and whispered, "I didn’t have the courage before since you were under Dale, but now... you have to admit, Godfrey’s looks are only beaten by Snow’s. Just look at him walk."

Cecil’s eyes flicked to Godfrey. Indeed, he wasn’t bad-looking, but admiration rubbed her the wrong way. To her, that face deserved to be stepped on, not praised.

A sharp harrumph escaped Isolde, reaching Godfrey’s ears as he sat down. He grimaced, turning toward her with pursed lips, a crease in his brow, and a meek expression, the very picture of apology.

"Tch!" Isolde clicked her tongue, though her coldness quickly melted. Seeing her soften, Godfrey seized the chance. "I’m sorry. I tend to fall asleep during meditation... foolishly. I’ve never lasted over twenty minutes awake."

"I met Jon this morning, so I didn’t jog alone. But don’t miss another day. It wasn’t the same without you."

The rest of her words barely registered. One name alone echoed in his head: Jon. Godfrey’s mood soured instantly. Of all days, it had to be the one morning when he wasn’t there that Manhattan’s so-called King showed up to jog with Manhattan’s Queen.

He hadn’t spoken to Jon before, but he’d seen the way Jon looked at Isolde. He was definitely into her.

"We’ve been jogging together since middle school, but it felt different today. I could tell he didn’t even like Shooting Star’s music and yet—" Isolde kept talking, but Godfrey barely heard. His chest tightened with unfamiliar jealousy.

For a moment, he considered distancing himself, but instead, he rose abruptly, wrapping his arm around Isolde’s head and drawing her cheek against his chest. The entire classroom froze.

Isolde’s porcelain face flushed crimson, her already large golden-orange eyes widening further. Her thoughts shattered beneath his steady scent and the warmth of his body.

"Knock on my door if I don’t show up," Godfrey said calmly. He didn’t promise not to miss again, he knew his flawed meditation habits too well.

"Lazy bum," Isolde scoffed, trying to hide her fluster as he returned to his seat. Godfrey blinked innocently at the stunned class. For the first time, he noticed Snow glaring at him with enough venom to kill.

"He just wrapped a Pendragon, and she didn’t resist? Godfrey, of all people! What’s wrong with Isolde?!" Gasps and whispers erupted around them, loud enough for him to hear. His cheeks warmed as he realized the implication of his impulsive act.

Just then, Teacher Edwin strode into the classroom. Surprised by the hush, he quickly decided to take advantage of it.

"Ahem!" He cleared his throat. "I hope everyone here is prepared for the field trip. Tomorrow, we leave for a two-week stay in the Undead Desert. This is your chance to grow stronger and compete for the top three positions by year’s end: Best Summoner, Best Summon, and Best Academic. Points accumulated during the trip will carry significant weight, so give it your all."

His gaze swept the room before he continued. "Today, we’ll discuss a particular Adaptive Skill called Elemental Infusion. Godfrey’s summon demonstrates it best, but there are numerous sub-skills attached to it. ’Advanced Skill Set’ is the term often applied to those that develop from Elemental Infusion. Now..."

***

Later that day, Edwin strolled the hallway during break with a bottle of water in hand. His steps slowed when he noticed a crowd gathered around the school board. Curious, he approached. Students scattered at his presence, but not before he caught sight of the notice pinned at the top, highlighted in red.

His eyes darkened.

The paper claimed that Manhattan harbored a King-tier student hiding his true power, an anonymous figure dubbed The Shadow King. And the writer had chosen to remain anonymous.

...

A/N: Another Chapter coming soon. I need sleep and food.

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