Legacy In Fire (Book 1)

Beware Core (Chap-10)

I had seen eyes like those before, shades similar to that of the people that sat before me, only on whom I saw this rare hue wore it with an intrinsic grace. Something so exquisitely natural that no one had the choice but to notice and admire.

I don't know if it was a collective effort or a singular aberration on an individual's part, but I was unnerved. They still sat looking at me like robots; no emotion, faces apathetic.

Until their visages began acquiring human characteristics. A slight smile from the boy who I had thought was a preteen, but with some scrutiny, I could decipher that he was around late thirteens to early fourteens. Don't ask why, I'm just good with ages.

The ginger's face looked like it had begun scrutinizing mine but I had no time to inspect her closely because the boy who sat next to her simply demanded my attention. His face was bereft of a single blemish; not one imperfection. His golden locks were short on the sides, and then heaven swept in his face, and that face held a smirk that would melt a girl to nothing.

"Miss Hawthorne will be joining the evaluation today." I had forgotten that Dr. Carter was still here. "Though this means she will be omitted a week's course EVAs."

She gestured to the table. "Select a tool, sit, and do to it your liking."

I ambled to the table and couldn't help but notice that the boy's eyes were following me. I could almost feel his eyes on my back; it was a presence I welcomed. I grabbed a pen and a couple sheets of paper and I considered taking a seat beside Hotty Unnamed but decided otherwise and sat beside the boy who had smiled-not smirked- at me.

I put down my material and sat and wondered what to do, I deliberated on the idea of doing nothing, but then Dr. Carter said

"Please educate Miss Hawthorne on the repercussions of being recalcitrant." She gave me an appraising look, turned, and then exited the room.

The moment she left-and I mean the exact moment-the ginger turned to the blond boy and began having an unperceivable one-sided conversation with him, though he gave the occasional nod, or one-worded response, and with that, she seemed to be assuaged. He looked past her and my eyes locked with his for a nanosecond and electricity-no flames-passed, but I looked away before it could consume me-or him; I didn't even want a chance to be charred. In the glimpses of their conversation that I had picked up accidentally-or not-so-accidently- I had learnt that, the boy's name was Aaron and the girl's, Sadie.

The boy that sat beside me touched my arm and I looked at him; he was small, with light brown skin, and is face was brightened with a smile. My eye caught a glimpse of his drawing, but then it became a cynosure, I had to see it.

It was striking; it beheld a childish theme woven by a professional hand. A tree that was almost tangible, alive, like a living and breathing-do trees breathe? No, they respire, but anyways-tree. The leaves were singularly drawn; each with its own signature; a curve, a twist, a crack. The branches and trunk were sketched with the imperfectly perfect shtick of nature. I achieved a vague sense of reminiscence from it, as if I'd seen it somewhere before. It was like a drop of lemon juice on a particularly dry tongue, the tang was horribly diluted but it was still devastatingly tantalizing; I was astounded and I was staring.

"Wow." I looked at him, I suspected with wide eyes. "That's amazing."

He visibly blushed. "It's nothing really; it's not all that good."