The Threadbound series : Unraveling

Vengeful Beasts

Alex

As I stood there, watching Sashelle Dantes revel in her victory, I couldn't help but crack a smile. Her uncharacteristic, triumphant punch in the air was a stark contrast to her usual poised and controlled demeanor. It was a refreshing sight.

However, that smile froze on my face when the reality of the situation hit me. The final battle, the election, was drawing near, and it would pit us against each other. The nobles would vote, and I was certain I would emerge victorious, because of Elder Lark and Lionel Stride.

The voting would take place in the Senate Hall, and while the nobles would appear to cast their votes, the outcome was already predetermined. Nobody would have a real choice in this matter.

I would win the elections but I would lose her.

Soon, my name was called, and I joined Sashelle on the Arena grounds. We both stood there, knowing that our fates were intertwined. The Scholar Master's announcement of the election's date, just a week away, snapped me back to the present, where the inevitable collision of our ambitions loomed large on the horizon.

As the crowd slowly dissipated and I made my way to the gallery, Tara launched herself at me for a congratulatory hug. Tristan, on the other hand, decided to offer a shoulder punch, which elicited an "Ouch" from me, courtesy of the lingering effects of the fight. Lukas, being the practical one, immediately began using her healing powers on me, while Tris handed me a bottle of water.

From my vantage point, I could see Srushti and Nafaela engaged in conversation with Sashelle. Every so often, Nafaela shot me with death stares, and I responded with my most disarming smile, dimples and all, which seemed to irritate her even more.

Soon, Srushti and Nafaela left, and that's when Moderich Dantes, Sashelle's father, appeared on the scene. I watched as Sashelle's demeanor shifted from a jubilant and carefree girl to a serious and ambitious individual in her father's presence. Her fathers stern countenance resembled that of a seasoned war general, a fitting image for a man known for his shrewdness. Sashelle had clearly inherited her father's cunning, as evidenced by her victory in the arena – "The Last One Standing." She had bent the rules to her advantage.

"Oh, Alexie..."

Tara, with a coquettish tone, teased me,

I stopped staring at Sashelle and inquired,

"What?"

Tara shrugged mischievously, and Tristan, not quite grasping Tara's implication, chimed in,

"She cheated. What Sashelle Dantes did wasn't fair."

Tara enthusiastically defended Sashelle, explaining,

"What do you mean? It was brilliant! She fought without magic for twenty minutes and only used it after the bell tolled. And last I checked, portaling is also considered magic. She won fair and square."

Tristan retorted,

"I was merely stating my opinion."

Lukas chimed in, supporting Tara's perspective,

"Well, your opinion was garbage. I think it was a brilliant move. Just like that time Rachin Sol destroyed the defense of the Shadowveil Serpents..."

Before Lukas could continue, Tris, Tara, and I interrupted him in unison, shouting,

"Oh, shut up, Lukas."

After Lukas had patched me up and had given me a history lesson on the Drakmoor Reavers vs. Shadowvale Serpents match, I found Sashelle Dantes preparing to portal out. As her portal began to close, I plucked a Lunar Lily from the bush growing beside the Arena walls and impulsively jumped into the closing portal.

"What in the Threads and Looms!" Sashelle exclaimed in surprise as I suddenly appeared in her bedroom back at her mansion. I tucked the Lunar Lily I plucked behind her ear and said,

"How come I've never seen your bedroom while you're always in mine?"

Then quickly added,

"And don't even think about trying to push me into another portal like you did with Bhama."

Her bedroom was a study in minimalism, with a table neatly arranged with parchment and quills, a bookcase filled with well-organized tomes, a wardrobe, and a neatly made bed – a complete opposite of my own room.

I couldn't resist teasing her further, asking,

"Also, where did you portal him - the Arcanara desert? Tell me he's lying face first on a desert dune and eating sand?"

Sashelle relaxed, responding smoothly,

"No, sorry to disappoint you. There's an abandoned pond at the edge of our estate – a heart-shaped pond full of filth. I portaled him there. He's probably drinking scum and trying to get out of the vines and weeds."

"You could never disappoint me, Dantes," I laughed out loud.

She quickly choked me with her air power, and I gasped for breath.

"Silence, Alexander. My dad is downstairs," she warned before letting go.

I took a deep breath and pleaded,

"Please don't do that again, especially when there are so many creative and enjoyable ways to choke someone."

She rolled her eyes in response.

"Why the pond, though? Because his heart is also filled with filth?" I asked.

"He called me a scum," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh, you vengeful beast," I whistled.

Then , I added with a wistful smile, "You always have gone after what youve wanted. Its the thing Ive loved and hated about you most."

The weight of my admission and the looming standoff in the trials hung heavily in the air, filling the room with a palpable tension. Dantes plucked the Lunar Lily I placed behind her ear and played with it between her fingers.

"Well, if you're fishing for compliments... What I love and hate most about you is . She posed as if she's thinking. That hobby of yours - jumping off cliffs and climbing rocks," she said with a playful glint in her eyes, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

"Oh, please," I responded, sitting on the edge of her bed. "What you love and hate most about me is my smoking habit."

"I do not love anything about that habit," she retorted.

"I remember you saying that I was like a mansion", I said in a fake offended voice

"I compared you with chimney of a Mansion - An entirely different simile, Alex"

The exchange felt dangerous, almost like a relationship banter, the kind you could only engage in when there was an unspoken connection, a shared history, and a tangled web of emotions between you. It was a rare moment of vulnerability and familiarity amidst the chaos that surrounded us both. For a moment it made me think that the vengeance could wait.