EQUINOX || The Catalysts Series, #3

XIX

When Lena lines up for the first event, she isn't ready. Not physically, and certainly not mentally.

Her entire morning has taken a different—worse—route, and it's really all because of her. Because of her arrogance and all her assumptions. Looking back, it makes her all the more guilty. Sure, Lena had the right to know whatever plot Arcana and Caelus devised for her... but Caelus also should have gotten a chance to convey his message.

It makes her all the more anxious as she eyes the vast screen hovering before the students standing in the stadium now, looking at Caelus' emotionless face. It's enough to make her forget they are in a wide room space, preparing for their live appearance for the City of Leatia.

Lena closes her eyes, forgetting the circular white, vast room filled with students with a screen expanding across one side of the room that displays the live feed from the panelists this morning. She drowns out the chatters and the sound around her, including Neesha's, who's trying to tell her not to worry.

Not long after Lena left Caelus to that corridor earlier, she backtracked. She swallowed her own stupidity, her pride, and went after him. Mere seconds passed between what transpired and for her to feel guilty, but when Lena burst through the hallway, it was empty. Caelus left as fast as the wind.

She'd returned to the classroom once again, her eyes empty. Roen took one look at her and then shot her a strange look, before taking off after his friend. It's as if Roen and Caelus has a spiritual sort of connection—Roen knowing whenever Caelus needs a hand. And the former never ever gives up on the latter, constantly trying to radiate his own heat toward his coldness.

Their friendship makes Lena feel worse—for not being able to be someone like that to Caelus, when all he's done for her is to help her.

Caelus' impassive mask doesn't slip on screen. He wears the suit jacket Roen gave him properly, and it looks a little loose on him. Lena wonders if Roen had gotten to him before he went back to the panelists—she hopes he did.

It pains her, the conversation with Caelus. And yet, seeing him, Lena finds herself needing to apologise. She surprises herself; she's not known to back down from situations. The moment she'd turned back to the hallway she left was when she knew she's no longer the same person she was back when she first met Caelus. From furious and impatient to emphatic and forgiving, Lena wonders if it's a positive improvement.

She steels her will to apologise later.

For now, she forces herself to focus on the present. In a few minutes, the whole world will be watching the students of Arcane Academy.

After reporting to their homerooms earlier, students are now gathered into a metallic, empty room behind one of the academy buildings. Not all of the students are here, Lena notices. It's a mix of all years of students—years 1 to 6–and seems to be a randomly sorted. Lena recognises some first years, and some seniors.

A wide enough screen of the room is currently broadcasting the live footage of the panelists introduced in the morning. As Lena watches the holographic screen, the panelists and the host—Azrael—announces that the first game is an open obstacle maze. Lena almost jumps at the familiarity of a maze obstacle course concept; she's been going through the practices in Precision. It seems an easy enough simulation to conjure, and one that can easily knock out the losers. As Neesha was explaining earlier, the first round is up for everyone's standards. The first hundred who makes it past the stage will proceed, but the rest will be dropping to the backup round. Whatever that round is, Azrael doesn't mention it to the public. He only emphasises that the top 150 students clearing the objectives will be able to proceed to the next stage.