Chapter 130: The Weekend Trip [1]The alarm buzzed like an angry wasp trapped under a glass.

    Kyle groaned and blindly reached out. His hand smacking the nightstand until his fingers finally landed on the alarm clock.

    With a tired slap. The buzzing stopped. Silence returned to the room, thick and still.

    He didn’t move at first. His face was half-buried in his pillow. His body sunk deep into the mattress like it had fused with the bed.

    Every inch of him felt heavy, but not in a bad way. It was that deep kind of tiredness that came after finally getting a good night’s sleep.

    Something he hadn’t had in days.

    The last few days had been chaos.

    First. Long hours digging through books in the academy library. Trying to uncover anything about Zalrielle.

    Then came Mira and Lila, and everything that followed. It had all caught up with him.

    And last night. His body had finally given up. He’d collapsed into bed and hadn’t moved since.

    Slowly, with great effort. Kyle pushed himself up.

    He rubbed his eyes. Yawning so wide it felt like his jaw might pop out of place.

    The sunlight pouring through the window was way too bright. Stabbing into his skull like tiny needles.

    "Too early," he muttered under his breath. Even though the clock clearly said it was almost ten.

    Dragging his feet. He made his way to the bathroom, each step feeling like it took real effort.

    He turned on the tap, splashed cold water on his face, and gasped. The shock of it hit him like a slap. Snapping his mind awake.

    He leaned over the sink. Water dripping from his chin as he blinked the sleep from his eyes.

    He brushed his teeth next. Scrubbing away the awful morning breath. Then splashed more water on his face. Just in case he started dozing off again.

    Still in his wrinkled sleep shirt and a pair of old shorts. He wandered out into the hallway, barefoot.

    The floor felt cold against his skin.

    The apartment was quiet. Peaceful. The only sound was the soft flip of a page being turned.

    He turned the corner and found Aurelia curled up on the living room sofa.

    A cup of steaming coffee in one hand and a fashion magazine in the other. Her legs were tucked under her, and she looked completely at ease.

    She didn’t even glance up when he entered.

    "Morning," Kyle muttered, voice rough.

    Aurelia finally looked at him. Her sharp blue eyes scanning him from head to toe.

    Her lips curled into a smirk. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Decided to wake up, huh?"

    Kyle let out a groggy grunt and dropped onto the couch beside her. Without asking. He reached for her coffee and took a sip.

    Then he nearly gagged.

    "Ugh. Bitter," he muttered, scrunching up his face.

    Aurelia rolled her eyes and took the mug back. "It’s coffee, not a milkshake. Grow up."

    Kyle wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and gave her a look. "Tastes like dirt."

    "It’s called black coffee," she said. Flipping another page. "Some of us have taste."

    He opened his mouth to fire back. But stopped when she reached over and ruffled his already messy hair.

    Her fingers tugged through the tangled strands.

    "Vice Principal told me what you did. For Mira Farrow and her sister," she said quietly.

    Kyle looked away. "Wasn’t a big deal."

    Aurelia gave his hair one last pat. "You did good."

    He didn’t know what to say to that. So he just stood up and stretched. His back popped, loud and satisfying.

    "What do you want for breakfast?" he asked.

    Aurelia set her coffee down and leaned back. A slow, thoughtful smile crept across her face.

    "Actually... let’s go out. Mall breakfast. Shopping. And while we are at it," she said. Pointing to his head. "We’re cutting that mop."

    Kyle blinked and grabbed a strand of his hair. It had grown longer than he realized. The tips brushed past his ears now.

    "Didn’t notice," he said.

    "It’s bad. You look like a stray."

    "Thanks," he muttered dryly.

    "Go get dressed," Aurelia said, waving him off. "And try to look like a human being, for once."

    Kyle grumbled but headed back to his room.

    — [One Eternity Later] —

    When Kyle finally came back out. Properly dressed and mostly awake.

    Aurelia was already waiting by the door. Her arms were crossed, her foot tapping like a ticking clock.

    The second she saw him, she narrowed her eyes.

    "That took you ten years," she said flatly. "It’s just pants and a shirt."

    "I had to find something clean," Kyle said. "You don’t want me walking around smelling like a corpse."

    Aurelia sighed. "Unbelievable. Girls get ready for dates faster than you."

    "I’m not trying to impress anyone," he said. Slipping on his shoes.

    "Clearly," she muttered. Grabbing her keys. "Let’s go before I regret this."

    They stepped out into the morning sun.

    The air was cool. But not cold, and the sky was a bright, soft blue. The academy parking lot was mostly empty. Weekend mornings were slow. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    They were halfway to Aurelia’s car when someone called out behind them.

    "Hey! Wait up!"

    Kyle turned around and spotted Seraphina jogging toward them.

    Her long pink hair bounced behind her. And she looked way too energetic for this early in the day.

    She had car keys in hand and a smile on her face.

    Aurelia blinked. "You’re up early."

    Seraphina grinned. "Heading to Victoria Mall. You?"

    Aurelia hesitated. "...Same."

    Seraphina beamed. "Perfect! Let’s go together."

    Before either of them could stop her. She marched over. Opened the passenger door of Aurelia’s car, and hopped in like she owned it.

    Aurelia stared. "Did you seriously just—"

    Seraphina buckled her seatbelt and gave a bright, innocent smile. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

    Aurelia exhaled slowly. Her patience wearing thin. "I hate you."

    "No, you don’t," Seraphina said sweetly.

    Kyle chuckled and got into the back seat without saying a word.

    ———