CHAPTER 93: CONFESSION [2]

Maya’s POV :- (Some Scene may be different from the cannon one since this past is about the reseted timeline Maya, in the OG timeline not the novel timline but In Lyrium’s timeline Maya didn’t exist)

*****

Today... today was one of the most exciting days of the year.

Freshman admission, the Obelisk Trials, the physical assessments... the whole academy buzzing with energy.

Every corner of the campus seemed alive, students rushing, practicing, testing their skills, the air practically humming with mana.

I couldn’t help but feel a little giddy.

New faces, new talent... the next generation of elemental sages was arriving.

Some of them would be strong, maybe even stronger than anyone we’ve seen before.

Some would have powers we’ve only read about in the ancient records.

The thought made my chest tighten with anticipation.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to see the future of our world unfolding right in front of them?

And then... I saw him.

It was like the world slowed down for a fraction of a second.

White hair that shimmered almost like sunlight on snow, tall, slim, and his presence... there was something about him that drew my eyes instantly.

I don’t even remember his name at first, I just remember feeling my heart skip a beat, that strange pull like I had known him somewhere, somehow, long before.

His crimson eyes, yes, they were blood-red, looked calm, yet something fierce glimmered beneath them.

And his posture... he walked with this quiet confidence, the kind that made people notice him without even trying.

I swear, I could feel it... like the air around him just shifted, pulling everyone’s attention toward him.

And me? I... I don’t know. I just... I couldn’t look away.

Love at first sight? Maybe.

But it wasn’t just his appearance... it was something deeper, something about him that made me want to know him, to understand him, to be close to him.

For a moment, I just stood there, heart hammering in my chest, completely forgetting the chaos of the day.

New students, trials, assessments... none of that mattered.

All I could see was him.

And in that instant... I knew my life was about to get a lot more complicated.

Just as I was still staring, completely lost in my thoughts, the faint sound of footsteps echoed behind me. I turned slightly and saw... Rihana.

Her usual composed expression was there, but there was something in her eyes, a tiny smirk, the kind that immediately made me feel like she knew exactly what I was thinking.

"You’re... giggling,"

She said calmly, almost teasingly, tilting her head just enough for me to feel exposed.

I froze.

"W-What? No, I’m not—"

"Mm-hm,"

He interrupted, voice smooth, almost amused.

"Sure, Maya. You’re not staring at him, completely mesmerized, with that ridiculous little smile on your face."

I felt my cheeks burning.

"I-I’m not! I just... he’s... different! I’ve never seen anyone like him before!"

Rihana chuckled softly, crossing her arms.

"Different, huh? Interesting choice of words. You do know who he is, right?"

I blinked at her, confusion written all over my face.

"Uh... not really. I mean... I just saw him for the first time. He’s... incredible, but I don’t even know his name."

Rihana’s smirk widened.

"Maya... that’s my little brother you’re looking at."

My eyes nearly popped out.

"W-What? Your little brother?!"

"Yes,"

She said, her tone calm but with a faint teasing lilt.

"Lyrium. And judging by that smile, I can tell you’ve... taken quite a liking to him."

I scrambled to cover my face, heart hammering in my chest.

"I-I didn’t mean, I didn’t even know! I mean... love at first sight or whatever, it’s... it’s nothing!"

Rihana’s chuckle turned into a soft laugh.

"Maya... love at first sight, huh? Well... that explains a lot. Just... remember who he is. He’s my brother, so don’t go overboard, alright?"

I swallowed nervously, my mind racing.

"Y-Yeah... I... I’ll... try."

Rihana’s eyes twinkled faintly.

"Good. Just... don’t faint or scream when he looks your way, alright? That could get messy."

I could barely nod, still flustered, watching Lyrium from across the hall.

My heart wasn’t listening to reason, it had already made its choice.

*****

The Obelisk Trial had already started, and one by one, the freshmen demonstrated their abilities.

Fire blazed, water surged, wind whipped, each display precise, controlled.

I watched intently, my excitement building as new elemental sages stepped forward.

Then... it was his turn.

Lyrium stepped into the arena, tall and striking as ever, white hair glinting under the light.

His crimson eyes scanned the Obelisk, a flicker of determination crossing his face.

My heart thumped, I couldn’t look away.

He raised his hands and summoned his element... lightning. But something about the way it crackled and sparked looked slightly off.

His movements weren’t perfectly smooth, not like the other students who had practiced endlessly.

There were hesitations, slight misfires, a tension in his stance as if he were wrestling with the power rather than commanding it.

And then... it happened.

From him, out of nowhere, dark matter began to seep and swirl.

It wasn’t lightning, this was something else entirely.

Thick, shadowy tendrils of energy formed around his arms, almost alive, twisting unpredictably.

The crowd gasped, stepping back instinctively, and the instructors leaned forward, eyes narrowing.

It was raw, chaotic, and dangerous, but controlled enough not to spiral out of his command entirely.

My chest tightened, my pulse racing as I realized... this wasn’t just elemental energy.

It was something else, something anomalous, something that shouldn’t exist.

Lyrium’s lightning flashed alongside the dark energy, sparks scattering, arcs clashing with shadows in ways I couldn’t comprehend.

The Obelisk trembled slightly under the force, and a hush fell over the audience.

I gripped the edge of my seat, wide-eyed.

"What... what is that?!"

I whispered, almost unable to breathe.

"I’ve never... never seen anything like this before..."

Even in the chaos, there was a strange beauty to it.

The lightning that was imperfect, erratic, and the dark energy that shouldn’t exist... together, forming something powerful and terrifying.

And he... he was the center of it all, completely unaware of how much it drew every eye toward him.

From that moment on, I knew: he wasn’t like anyone else.

The academy would never feel ordinary again.

And for me... my heart had already been stolen.

*****

The hallway was packed, students crammed shoulder to shoulder, some standing on tiptoe, others craning their necks just to get a glimpse.

The giant LED panel on the wall streamed the live broadcast from the arena: Lyrium’s match.

The arena itself was huge, but even on the screen it felt suffocating.

There he was, Lyrium, facing off against one of the most powerful professors of Deviants Academy.

A man known for crushing arrogant first-years and reminding them of their place.

I leaned forward, my heart pounding.

The fight began.

The professor’s strikes were brutal, calculated, and impossibly fast.

Lyrium dodged the first blow, barely.

Sparks of his lightning flickered around him as he tried to retaliate, but his movements were ragged, not perfectly honed like a veteran’s.

Crack.

A shockwave rippled across the arena floor, dust flying.

Lyrium stumbled but stayed on his feet.

"He’s... he’s holding on."

Someone whispered behind me.

The professor pressed harder, summoning a massive burst of energy that split the ground.

Lyrium countered with his lightning again, erratic, imperfect, but desperate.

It lashed at the professor, exploding against his barrier.

The crowd gasped at the impact.

I bit my lip.

He’s getting overwhelmed... but he’s still... still standing.

Blow after blow landed on him.

He skidded back, his knees buckling, his uniform torn and scorched.

Another strike, and he slammed into the arena wall.

For a heartbeat, the crowd went silent.

Then he pushed himself up.

Slowly.

Painfully.

His hands trembled, blood dripping from his lip, yet his eyes burned with defiance.

"He’s not giving up..."

I murmured under my breath, my chest tightening.

"Why isn’t he giving up...?"

The professor’s expression shifted, just slightly, from arrogance to interest.

Lyrium charged again, this time faster than before, lightning crackling wildly around him.

It wasn’t a perfect technique, it wasn’t clean, but it was raw, unyielding willpower made visible.

Beside me, someone shifted.

I turned and realized, Margaret Windsor, the Ice Princess herself, was standing only a few steps away.

She wasn’t watching the professor.

Her sharp, elegant eyes were fixed entirely on Lyrium.

And then... they flicked to me.

For a split second, our eyes met.

Margaret Windsor, perfect posture, perfect hair, perfect everything, was glaring at me.

Her gaze was cool, unreadable, but it carried something heavy.

I looked away quickly, my stomach twisting.

Why is she... staring at me like that?

Back on the screen, Lyrium took another blow, his body trembling as he rose once again.

Bruised, battered, but never bowing.

My fists clenched at my sides.

This boy... this boy won’t stop.

Even against someone that strong.

And in that moment, I realized something.

He wasn’t just strong.

He was dangerous, not because of his power, but because of that relentless will.

The kind of will that made people watch, hold their breath, and forget to blink.

I wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Margaret Windsor’s eyes never left him.

*****