Aethernea : Soulbound [Book 1]

Episode 58 - Multicasting Exam Start

Previously:

Kiel and Elaru took their spell casting exam and had a picnic while waiting for their second exam of the day. Arion was once again glued to the duo, joining them in their picnic.

* * *

After a while of trying to shoo Arion away, Kiel gave up and instead concentrated on reading the books he bought yesterday. No matter how he tried to politely tell Arion to get lost, he seemed completely oblivious to it. Kiel even suspected that the guy was just playing dumb and was actually a shameless, cunning bastard.

However, at least he wasn't the kind of a person who would annoy Kiel to death with pathetic attempts to suck up to him. Arion didn't seem to be interested in ingratiating himself to Kiel at all.

Perhaps he stuck around them because he found them amusing in some way. Perhaps he just preferred being with them instead of being alone.

Even though the idea of enjoying other people's company sounded alien to Kiel, he was aware that most people weren't like him. That most people didn't prefer being alone.

That thought distracted him.

What about Elaru? Does she prefer being alone, or does she prefer having company?

Was she like him, or was she more like Arion?

On the first glance, she seemed to enjoy having company, but at times, she had a desolate air about her.

That feeling of being surrounded by people, yet feeling completely alone. The feeling when being with others only makes one feel more lonely.

It was a feeling that he recognized.

A feeling that was very familiar to him.

When his mind reached this train of thought, Kiel's pupils couldn't help but involuntarily shrink. For he realized, that he hadn't felt that feeling for a while.

Several days to be precise.

Being with Elaru was infuriating, irritating, unpredictable, and often humiliating and awkward.

Yet out of all the emotions it evoked within him, loneliness was not among them.

* * *

Elaru and Arion's second test of the day was in the last timeslot allocated for the second test, right before the start of the written test. (No doubt it was the doing of Deora and Zerel who thought Elaru would break their equipment.) The written test was the last test of the day which everyone had at the same time to prevent leakage of exam questions.

Kiel's second exam started earlier, so he was the first one among the three to leave.

Once again, he waited in front of the designated classroom for several minutes, surrounded by the horde of people licking his boots and wagging their tails.

Once again, he smiled and politely conversed with them, displaying his noble and elegant bearing.

Once again, he inwardly cursed and grumbled, wanting nothing more than for all of the people to shut up and go away.

Once again, he was unable to speak the truth, unable to discard his kindhearted and dignified image, unable to just be himself.

For the first time, he wished nothing more than to just go back to that sunny clearing, on that soft blanket under the tree where he sat a few minutes prior. He wouldn't even mind Arion's and Elaru's presence.

Oh, how low he had fallen that he wouldn't even mind the annoying duo.

Luckily, it didn't take long for the doors of the classroom to open revealing Rau Eryey who invited them in. His dark hair that looked like silk was still as neat as it was this morning and his face showed no signs of fatigue.