Orison | Celeste Academy Series BK #3

Chapter Three ۞ Prelurésia's Guardians (pt. 1)

Valeriana never thought that she would dearly miss the academy. A lot had happened ever since they left that coming back never felt so . . . right. Yes, perhaps that was the word. She could not forget the times where she longed to leave the place, yet when she did and came back, she experienced rare happiness. It was then that she realized that maybe she enjoyed the life in the academy.

Like, yes, this was where she belonged. The fast-paced environment, high expectations, challenges, the adventure, the expectancy—the mystery. It was the only place where she felt she could truly improve and find out more about herself. At first, she assumed a good and famous college with a competitive system would do the trick, but this took it up to a whole new level. It was more than anything she could ask for.

Back when she was in high school, it truthfully felt like there was something missing. However, she had been devoid of that sentiment ever since she met Seraphina. Looking at the bright side of things, perhaps this was the best outcome that could've happened from all the countless possibilities that could've occurred instead.

Yet, even though it filled her now with a different impression, confusion tormented her more than it ever did. She was in that stage of her life when she found everything happening all at once. The troublesome mystery about herself, now, include what Zion had just stated before her. With mild reluctance, she forced her mouth to request the non-ranker's silence regarding the matter.

Although she was already in deep thought about, well, everything, he just had to add something else heavy to weigh her mind.

"You sound like you know Corvan like the back of your hand." She told him.

"I don't." He answered, bored stiff. "I know him like one plus one equals two. I don't really know the back of my hand." With that statement, he looked at his knuckles and was mildly surprised. "I never even knew I had a scar here."

"O . . . kay." Valeriana was weirded out by his strange antics, but did not comment on it. "Why is that?"

"I should know him that well." He lamented, exhaling loudly through his nose. "For lower nobles like me, I should know about the leader, right?"

"You're a noble?! But, you don't have a de or a von or a de la whatever in your name."

"What don't you get about lower nobles, Valeriana? Besides, my status is so low it's next to the merchants. Lord Corvan would become the boss of the boss of the boss of the boss—and multiply that by whatever number above fifty—of my boss and I'll have no choice but to do what he freaking wants me to do. That's the reason why he treats me no different from a commoner." He blew out his bangs sourly and crossed both his arms and legs as he leaned back. "I'm trying to avoid that. I don't really want to take the position of my late father and become his dog of some sort. I'm much better than that. If I somehow can finish my studies in the academy, I can become a Celeste. Then, we won't have to serve the nobles anymore."

"Then, if you're determined to change that, why don't you work?" She asked him.

"I am working my own way, but everything repeats all the time, it's boring. I don't attend history because it's boring." He then gave her a stubborn look. "And you can't say anything to me that will make me think otherwise."

"I wasn't planning to." Valeriana raised a brow at him in response.

"Whatever, I'm going to sleep. Wake me up when we're there."

Valeriana never felt so cold in the carriage that her body felt numb and stiff all over. However, she tried to show no signs of it and breathed loudly instead, choosing to push herself against the corner and lean against the wall to conserve some heat. She deserved it as much as she cared.