True God In Another World (Tensura x Tbate)

Chapter 59 - The Beginning

Lina POV

The ancient stone walls of the Academy's west wing loomed over us, their rough surface cool beneath my fingertips. I traced the grooves absentmindedly, my mind a whirlwind of worry and regret. The corridor was eerily quiet, save for the soft crackling of torches that cast long, dancing shadows across the worn floor.

"I can't believe you, Loid," Anna hissed, her voice barely above a whisper but somehow managing to echo off the walls. "You just had to show off in Alchemy, didn't you? Now look where it's got us." Her words were sharp, but I could hear the underlying fear in her voice.

I glanced at Loid, noting the way his shoulders slumped under the weight of Anna's disappointment. His usual confidence was gone, replaced by a mix of guilt and defensiveness. Part of me wanted to defend him – after all, his intentions had been good – but I couldn't deny the mess we were in because of his actions.

Loid shuffled his feet, the sound grating against the stone floor. "Come on, Anna," he pleaded, his eyes darting nervously between us. "I was just trying to impress Professor Stein. How was I supposed to know the potion would react like that?" His voice cracked slightly, betraying his own fear and regret.

"Oh, I don't know," Anna shot back, her words dripping with sarcasm, "maybe by actually reading the assignment instead of winging it?" She paused, then added more softly.

I winced at the harshness in her tone, but I understood where she was coming from. The tension between my two best friends was palpable, and I felt caught in the middle, unsure of how to diffuse the situation.

"Guys," I started, my voice wavering slightly. I glanced nervously around the dark hallway, my eyes scanning for any sign of onlookers or authority figures. "Maybe we should-"

But before I could finish, the sound of footsteps echoed from around the corner. We all froze, our hearts pounding in unison. I held my breath, hoping against hope that it wasn't a DC officer.

"Well, well," a smooth, arrogant voice cut through the silence. "What do we have here?"

My heart sank, a cold dread washing over me. Of all the people to catch us out after curfew, it had to be Stefan and his cronies. I watched as he rounded the corner, flanked by two of his friends, their expressions a mix of smugness and curiosity.

"The commoner trio," Stefan drawled, his eyes glinting with malice in the flickering torchlight. "Out for a midnight stroll?" His voice dripped with condescension, each word carefully chosen to inflict maximum damage.

I felt a surge of anger at his words, my fists clenching involuntarily at my sides. The constant jabs at our backgrounds never seemed to stop, no matter how well we performed in class. It was like a festering wound that Stefan and his cronies couldn't resist picking at.

Anna, always the bravest of us, stepped forward. Her eyes blazed with a mix of fury and determination. "This has nothing to do with you, Stefan," she spat, her voice low and dangerous. "Just keep walking." I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she held herself ready for a fight if it came to that.

I admired Anna's courage, but my stomach churned with anxiety. This confrontation was the last thing we needed right now, not with the mess from the Alchemy class still hanging over our heads.

The girl behind Stefan – Elara, I think her name was – chimed in, her voice sickly sweet like poisoned honey. "Oh, but it seems like quite the show," she said, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. "We wouldn't want to miss out on the entertainment now, would we?" Her eyes sparkled with malicious glee.