Roommate Badboy - Wicked Academy

24

As Stella and Jason stepped out into the hallways, the exhaustion that had weighed on them moments ago seemed to dissolve into the air. The academy had transformed in the hours between lunch and dinner, when the world felt caught in that quiet in-between.

Fairies darted through the air, weaving strands of golden light, while dwarves worked with quiet precision, arranging flowers in a breathtaking display of faction colors.

Blaze's bold crimson roses stood striking against Ember's deep green ivy. Glow's vibrant yellow marigolds spilled along the pathways, their petals catching the fading light, while Shade's cool blue orchids hung elegantly from the archways.

Vines and blossoms draped from the ceilings, swaying as if whispering secrets to the wind. The academy had become something out of a dream-a wonderland in the making.

Stella took it all in, her breath hitching as she turned in awe. The world shimmered around her, colors blooming into magic itself.

Jason, walking just behind her, caught the way her previous unease faded, the weight on her shoulders lifting with every step. And for a moment, he didn't care about the ball, the factions, or the academy. He just cared about this-the way she was looking at the world, as if it had given her back something she had lost.

A slow smile tugged at his lips.

Without thinking, he reached for her hand. A simple touch, a pull-twisting her gently, effortlessly, into a spin.

Stella gasped, her breath catching as she twirled, the air around them alive with movement. Butterflies, drifted past in soft bursts of color, their wings catching the glow of fairy light. The fairies themselves lingered, watching with knowing smiles as if they had orchestrated the moment.

Jason's hand found hers again as she stilled, her heartbeat unsteady, matching the flutter in her stomach. She barely noticed the world around them anymore-not the flowers, the lanterns, or the distant laughter of students. Just Jason, standing there, watching her. Wonders unfolded around them, yet his gaze remained on her.

As if the real magic had never been in the academy's enchantments, but in the way she existed within them.

And for the first time that evening, Stella wasn't sure if it was the academy's magic that had sent butterflies through her chest-or something else entirely. Specifically, a certain someone.

Jason's hand, still lingering on hers, faltered for a moment as he seemed to realize where they were. The soft glow of the lanterns and the enchantments surrounding them weren't enough to drown out the awareness that they were in the middle of a hallway, exposed to the eyes of anyone who might pass by.

His gaze flickered away from her, almost imperceptibly, as if something shifted inside him. His fingers loosened, the warmth of his touch fading just as quickly as it had appeared. He pulled his hand back, and in that instant, the magic of the moment seemed to dissipate, as though the air had grown cooler.

"Dinner's waiting," he said, his voice abruptly shifting to its usual cool, controlled tone. His eyes avoided hers, instead glancing toward the hallway as if he was already distancing himself from the connection that had just been there.

Stella blinked, still standing where he had just held her, her heart racing in her chest. Her mind tried to catch up with the sudden change in his demeanor, confusion twisting in her gut. Just moments ago, there had been something real between them, something different. But now, it was as if nothing had ever happened at all.

Jason ran a hand through his hair, straightening it in one smooth motion as if to wipe away the trace of the moment. Without looking back, he turned and started walking ahead, his stride confident and familiar. His usual air of indifference settled back over him like a cloak.