The Awakening Of The Dormant Princess -Epic Comeback-(ON-HOLD)

Chapter 48: (Unmasking Deception; Impostor of Princess Crystal)

(Third Person's P.O.V)

Lucio sat at the top of the main building of Adarakira, perched on the edge as he looked over the campus. From his vantage point, the students below seemed tiny and insignificant. He gazed out with a faraway look in his eyes, lost in thought.

Ever since Valerie arrived and Darklight became engrossed in finding Crystal's body with her, Lucio felt increasingly sidelined. Despite his open hostility towards Valerie, Darklight always took her side. Lucio no longer felt like Darklight's best friend; he felt isolated. Even within Angelica's group, he felt like an outsider—because he was. Lately, it seemed he was becoming nothing to them, especially to Darklight. Lucio questioned his own identity, unsure if he truly was his own person anymore.

For days, he had been avoiding them. He wanted to attend the meeting when Agatha reappeared, but he was excluded. He didn't go; he was hiding.

Yesterday was the last straw. He felt the protection from his amulet vanish, forcing him to conceal his own power. He was almost exposed—no, he was sure his power and aura had slipped out, but fortunately, it wasn't enough to raise alarms. The school was open to everyone for a few weeks due to the tournament, so even if his power and aura were detected, it wouldn't be immediately alarming. If anyone noticed, they'd likely assume it was from the Dark Academy.

Absentmindedly, Lucio fidgeted with the dark purple oval device in his hand, contemplating whether to call him or not. He was supposed to report, as it was mandatory, but at that moment, he didn't feel like facing or talking to him.

"You're like a needle in a haystack." Lucio nearly fell off the edge at the sudden voice behind him, startled.

He whipped around, eyes wide. "You're hard to find when you don't want to be found."

Lucio forced himself to recover and immediately slipped the small device back into his pocket. "Agatha!" he gasped, then shook his head. "Ah no, Princess Crystal."

Agatha, who was floating in the air, gently levitated down to sit next to him. She shrugged. "Either works," she said casually.

Lucio was wary of her sudden appearance but then relaxed. "Okay. I prefer Princess Crystal, so I'll call you Princess Crystal."

"You can drop the 'Princess' part too," Agatha suggested.

Lucio smiled. "Well, don't mind if I do then, Crystal." He casually called her name, not hesitating to drop the formalities.

Agatha smiled back. "Finally. Someone who doesn't question and hesitate to just address me casually without worrying about my title and all."

Lucio shrugged. "So what brings you here, Crystal?" he asked.

"To find you, duh. Why else would I be here?"

Lucio furrowed his eyebrows. "Why were you looking for me?"

Agatha stared at him for a moment, then turned her gaze to the overall view of Adarakira. "Nothing really. I just noticed that you haven't been sticking to Darklight's side like glue anymore. Usually, you would, or you'd be with Angelica's group."

"Oh, that. Well, ever since Valerie showed up, it seems all Darklight can see is her, so I didn't bother sticking around when I'm obviously not needed anymore," Lucio responded.

That didn't seem like a lie, Agatha thought.

"I know Valerie is his guardian and all, but he barely pays attention to me anymore. With Angelica and the rest, I don't feel like I belong with them anymore."

That didn't sound like a lie either, Agatha thought. But she studied his face. "Do you? Or are you just feeling guilty?"

Lucio stiffened as a chill crept up his spine.