The Secret of the Maiden (#1 Witch academy)

Chapter 6: Life is war

"Gimme all of you lovin'
Gimme all that you got
Every bit of it"  

Armadgeddon it - Def Leppard 

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The large gym was filled to the brim with people. The hard wooden bleacher was filled with fans, fanatics, family and friends. Their clapping and shouting filled the space to the high ceiling. And the tensions started raising, between the different supporters. Between the sports teams.

Not only a heavy competitive tension but also the nervous energy crepitated in the air. Not even Leonardo was immune to the energy and was nervously fidgeting with the black belt of his uniform.

His sensei was talking to one of the judges, and the competitor was sizing Leo up. Observing him for any weakness. While he was trying to find the girl he saved from the slime incident. A girl that tried to be invisible. Not wanting to be seen, and live her life in peace as a wallflower. In her world.

And as the punchline of the joke, he didn't even know her name. She was a girl that felt like a phantasm, the way she always hid from the crowd. He shouldn't worry about her, but he couldn't help it. The fear took him by his throat when she couldn't see her shining black hair inside the gym. Only the mass of fans greeted him and the cinderblock walls.

He found the twins in his source. They were whispering to each other, probability up to no good, while all the other children were running up and down the bleachers. He recognised someone else, someone everyone knew. And someone who would know the girl's name.

"Jana!" He shouted at her while jogging towards her, his sneakers squeaked on the shiny floor. His sensei yelled a warning at him to keep himself out of trouble. Leonardo knew he was a massive flirt, but he would never destroy his chances for a girl.

"Leo!" She waved at him with a bouncing step, her face cleared up from the joy of receiving his attention. "Good luck." She smiled lovely at him, her dark eyes seemed to simmer in the harsh lights. She leaned closer to him, a quiver filled his stomach when he smelt her strong parafume. 

He smiled back, a bit uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck and stepping back. "Thank you. I'm looking for someone," he started. Her expression fell.

"Who are you looking for?" Her sour expression assorted the harsh tone of her voice.

"The girl in our class, with black hair." He looked distracted around the space, not being able to focus on the girl before him.

"Runa?" she said lifting a single eyebrow. The moment she told him her name, something clicked. "Why do you want to know that?" Her sour mood become outright scary, and she looked at him with an evil glare that fitted for the face of a villain.

Leonardo ignored the glare and kept impatient bouncing on the balls of his feet. The nervous energy made it so that he couldn't stand still for even a second, his mouth becoming dry from the adrnalline. The announcer's voice boomed over the sound system, counting down the minutes until the start of the match. He glanced at the scoreboard and jury.

"She promised that she would come and watch the tournament." He answered automatically, his focus remaining on the crowd surrounding them. Watching the people enter and increasing the nervous energy. It seemed to raise and raise, building up. In the same way, his heart rate kept on raising.

"What? Why?" She asked. She touched her fingers to her red parted lips. Leonardo needed a minute to remind himself what the conversation was about, her name kept circling in his mind. Runa, Runa. It made sense. He felt the pull the moment their eyes met. 

"Because she is nice, and I asked her." His mind seemed to slow down while his heart sped up.

"You never ask anyone."