Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

15. Minerva

Elaine felt the coldness of their glares as they sliced into her like invisible blades of a storm. A piece of her wanted to submit to that hesitation, that fragile intimidation. Had she been herself a year ago, Elaine might have feigned ignorance, might have exerted guilty obliviousness. But she was different now. More importantly, however, these students were bothering her friend.

One of them turned to face her, arms crossed defiantly, as she scrutinized Elaine with a look of utter disdain. The expression on her face suggested that what she saw was as repulsive as a dead rat rotting on the side of the street or a once-elegant dress marred by an unsightly ink stain. Elaine couldn't help but wonder how she was perceived through those rich, forest-green eyes—were they mocking her, or simply judging her appearance? 

The noble girl stood there, her ivory skin almost glowing in the dim light of the hallway, with a slender, triangular face framed by her grayish-brown hair that cascaded over her shoulders like shimmering silk. A tiny mole rested just beneath her right eye. She noticed that the girl was slightly taller than her, perhaps just a few inches, but it felt like a significant difference as she towered above her with an air of superiority. Though she had on her Glyph uniform, no different than any other student, she also wore striking ruby-red earrings, and a polished silver ring adorned the middle finger of her left hand.

The girl didn't flinch as Elaine approached. The dull glint in her eyes suggested she was unimpressed, perhaps even disappointed by the interruption. No, it was clearer now—she was simply bored. The wide yawn that escaped her lips only reinforced that notion. "And who's this?" she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she leered at Fearne. "A friend of yours?"

"...I...err..." Fearne stammered.

It was then that Elaine noticed her roommate had already shed a few tears, tiny droplets glinting on her flushed cheeks. "Yeah, I'm her friend," Elaine declared, her voice tinged with anger, her brow furrowing deeper with each word. "And I demand to know what's going on here. What are you doing to Fearne?!"

"Hey, watch your tone. She's the one who ran into us," said the lanky student with dark hair. He stalked in front of her with a raised chin, aiming a scowl that made his triangular-shaped face stretch. So it appeared that he bested her in both height and attitude. "We just wanted an apology, then she had to go start squirming and making noises."

Elaine frowned at him. "And just how did she wind up on the floor?"

"Like I said," he smirked, "the fault was her own. She should have watched where she was going. If you ask me, someone as clumsy as her needs to pay better attention. One of these days, she might bump into the wrong person."

"Fearne, is that true?" Elaine asked concernedly. Her roommate's posture was stiff as she stared at the floor beneath her feet, unwilling to meet Elaine's gaze. "Well, I don't buy it," Elaine continued, shaking her head. "Even if she really did trip into you, it was a simple accident. It could happen to anyone. And honestly, I don't care whose fault it was—what matters is that you could have helped her. But you just laughed, right? That makes me question the reliability of what you've told me."

"This is pointless," the girl with grayish hair said as she yawned. "It seems Father's presumptions were accurate."

"Yeah, he was right on the money," the boy nodded. "Jeez, and after all the contributions our family has made to this academy. These days, I've got to wonder if Glyph Academy is purposefully trying to sully its reputation."

"There were a few notable standouts at Orientation," remarked the other girl, her topaz blue eyes sparkling while her chestnut hair, neatly pulled back into a sleek ponytail, swung gently as she spoke. Her complexion was soft, reminiscent of rich cream. "However, from what I've gathered so far, it seems quite common for a few...undesirables to slip through the cracks in such large groups. Case in point."