The Ultama

Chapter 8 (The battle begins)

For a moment, Luna seemed taken aback, but then her expression softened into something more cautious. "You know, not everyone's a fan of your family's work," she said, her voice low, as if she were testing the waters. "People talk."

Rin met her gaze, a knowing look crossing her face. "I'm aware." she said evenly, her tone calm but firm. "I don't want any trouble, though."

Luna's shoulders relaxed slightly, and she offered a small smile. "Neither do I..." she said, reaching out her hand. "No trouble here."

Rin took her hand and shook it, her grip firm but friendly. "Good to know." Rin replied with a smirk, the tension between them dissolving. There was something about Luna, something familiar and yet different. Rin felt the subtle stir of wolf blood recognition beneath the surface, though Luna didn't seem to realize it—or maybe she was keeping it to herself.

As Rin, Ahady, and Luna sat together, the conversation turned casual, punctuated by the clinking of forks against plates and the low hum of the cafeteria around them. Luna was mid-sentence, talking about some upcoming campus event, when a shadow suddenly fell over their table.

Rin looked up, her golden eyes narrowing instantly at the sight of Blaze. He stood there with his usual cocky smirk, hands stuffed into his pockets. His dark eyes locked onto hers with a predatory gleam.

"Getting popular, aren't we, Rider?" Blaze leaned in closer, his voice low enough for only her to hear. "But don't forget... you're not home anymore."

Rin's blood simmered at his words, her fingers twitching as the familiar surge of her wolf blood pulsed beneath her skin. Without thinking, she shot up from her chair and grabbed him by the collar, yanking him close until their faces were inches apart. Blaze's smirk didn't falter—if anything, it grew wider.

"If you know what's good for you." Rin growled through clenched teeth, her eyes flashing with barely contained fury, "you'll stay far away from me."

Blaze let out a soft, mocking laugh. "You're cute when you're mad, Rin. But threats? Really?" He tilted his head, his gaze flickering down to where her hands gripped his collar. "Let's be honest—you're just trying to hold yourself back, aren't you?"

Rin's jaw clenched, the temptation to punch him flashing across her mind. For a moment, her grip tightened, but then, she forced herself to let go. She released him with a push, sending him stumbling back slightly.

Blaze just chuckled, straightening his shirt. "See you around." he said with a casual wave, his voice dripping with arrogance as he sauntered away, disappearing into the crowd of students.

Luna's eyes were wide, her fork frozen midair. "You shouldn't challenge him." she said softly, her voice full of concern. "It's not worth it."

Ahady, on the other hand, leaned in, his eyebrows raised in amusement. "You want to beat him up, don't you?"

Rin let out a sharp breath, her pulse still racing from the encounter. She shook her head and sat back down, trying to regain her composure. "It's not worth my time." she muttered, brushing off the tension with a wave of her hand.

The others exchanged glances but seemed to take the hint, letting the subject drop. Rin's shoulders eased as the conversation shifted to safer, more mundane topics. But even as she laughed at one of Ahady's jokes, she couldn't fully shake the lingering frustration that Blaze had stirred within her.

Rin trudged through the rest of her day, doing her best to ignore Blaze's irritating presence. Unfortunately for her, almost all of her classes overlapped with his, making it nearly impossible to avoid his sneering looks and occasional jabs. To make matters worse, every now and then a classmate would approach her, their eyes widening as they asked if she was really Akhella Rider's daughter.