SHADOW || The Catalysts Series, #2

IX || Encounter

"So, where are we going?" Lena asks happily, skipping beside Caelus as they weave through the corridors. He pointedly ignores her overly energetic attitude, striding on as if they aren't acquainted.

Well, she's been expecting no answer from Caelus. Guess she'll find out when they arrive.

Lena had been reluctant to leave that backyard at first, but Caelus had tugged at her curiosity. She follows him now, somewhat excited. Caelus initiating something himself is enough to pull Lena out of that temporary fantasy. Though Lena hasn't known him for long, she knows for sure Caelus isn't someone who takes the first step for anything easily—he is the kind of person who goes along with the flow, ignoring things that doesn't seem to fit into his own picture. And he only gets involved in things whenever necessary.

Now that Lena thinks about it, that's probably why Roen and Neesha are his closest friends—Roen with his overly friendly attitude who is able to pull just about anyone close including someone as reserved as Caelus; and Neesha with her strict and precise decision making a her reliable friend. They seem extremely dependable, and she wonders if someone like Caelus ever falls back to them if he has any troubles. During the Aerotrain incident they faced previously, while Neesha and Roen both backed Caelus up in a way he never fathomed or realised, Caelus himself never seemed to ask for their help to begin with—he handled the demon and the authorities alone until Neesha took over for the entire group.

Currently, as she walks beside him, Lena can't help but feel like a little pestering fly around Caelus. Perhaps she should be embarrassed, but she holds in her laughter; she wonders how someone like him perceives of this situation, to be associated with a nobody in Arcane Academy like her, and wonders how people around them think of this.

Lena flinches slightly despite her excitement at the thought. Thankfully, she is able to shake it off because there are now less students in the hallway since classes ended around half an hour ago. The students are probably on their way home, or are currently elsewhere either for extracurriculars or simply to hang around for duels.

Since Caelus has decided to ignore her, Lena tries to think of the possible answers herself. Where could he be taking her? This Academy is enormous, but there shouldn't be anything too extreme. She reminds herself that on her first day of arrival, the demon activity on Academy grounds was abnormal. Besides, however cold a person Caelus is, he isn't a bad guy.

They take several turns in the Academy that seems—more than ever now—like a labyrinth when there are less students milling about. Even after settling down in Arcane Academy for weeks, Lena still hasn't grasped the entirety of this place.

"We're nearly there—"

Caelus stops abruptly when a flash of black bumps into him just as they are about to turn the corner. He doesn't flinch, but he does look shock for a brief, passing moment. His reflexes guide him, his hand is already holding up the girl's arm to keep her from falling—the girl who bumped right into him. "How..."

He hesitates, his words dying when the girl flinches, rubbing her forehead. Caelus steadies her, then supports her back to steady footing. "Are you hurt—"

"Um, I—" The girl has pale skin, making her redden cheeks all the more obvious the moment she looks up and meets Caelus' eyes. She startles at their sudden contact and immediately breaks their momentary glances, the proximity of their exchange slowly but surely causing not only her cheeks but her entire face to turn red. The girl looks about to say something else, but then thinks better of it, her eyes still cast downwards and unable to meet Caelus' ones again. She escapes from his grasp and hurries off past him, leaving with, "I'm sorry!"

Caelus, while still impenetrable, looks rather stunned for a moment. His hand is froze in midair, where he caught the girl's arm. The girl has long gone, the hallway once again deserted. But more than anything, Lena finds herself as dazed as Caelus—she herself had once been in that position. Though the memory is vague and will continue to fade over time, she will never forget it, even if Caelus refuses to acknowledge their first meeting. If only she remembers, so be it. Because that's all it takes to remind her of the first beauty she experienced in the City of Leatia. That's right, she reminds herself—the people here aren't that bad after all. Humanity still plays a huge role in maintaining this City, however advanced it is.