Submerged: The Earth's Remains

Chapter 2

Cold Connections

A day after

Phoenix's POV

Phoenix stands inside the open corridor that presents the opening to the school's beautiful garden. Proudly, she stares at the leaderboard, located right beside the entrance to the garden. She received both the titles of 'MVP of OPCA' and 'Queens of the Border' as their team beat everyone else's kill count of Vicese, including sophomores and seniors. It was their first border patrol of the school.

Amethyst turns to look at Phoenix's expression and notices that she isn't smiling.

"Are you not happy that we are in the best team at the moment? Moreover, you are the MVP." Phoenix turns to look at Amethyst confused as the morning sun beams on the two.

"What do you mean? I'm proud that we achieved the titles. Do I not look happy?" Phoenix touches her face filled with scars from battle wounds and wonders if she looks angry or disappointed.

"Ah never mind it's okay. I sometimes forget you're usually expressionless, even at happy times. You know, sometimes you just need to try smiling!" Amethyst brushes her brown hair styled into crown of braids, away from her face.

Phoenix tries forcing a smile. It doesn't look pretty. Amethyst watches Phoenix trying to force a smile with her teeth.
"On second thought, I think I'd rather keep your face expressionless."

Annoyed, Phoenix hits Amethyst's arm lightly. Instead of being angry, Amethyst simply laughs and has fun teasing her even if Phoenix keeps a straight face. They both bond for a moment until someone interrupts the two.

"So you're Phoenix?" The Student Body President walks towards them from afar in an elegant and orderly manner. Her dress flows from being pushed by the wind. But for some reason, while she walks, she glares at them with her serious purple eyes.

"Yes." Phoenix replies, from afar with a single word.

"Hm... So it's you who received MVP out of all the teams." She says, her voice echoing as she gets closer. Amethyst starts to receive goosebumps, obviously being afraid as Aluna is angry for no apparent reason.

"Next time, I'll let you die." Without stopping, Aluna passes by Phoenix shoving her in the process. Phoenix stands ground and plants her feet on the concrete floor.

"I don't need you to protect me." In a serious tone, Phoenix states.

What's with her...?

Aluna does not stop to look back at the two. She clenches her fist as she goes out of sight.

________

Callista's POV

In order to prepare for the next border patrol, Callista practices archery outside of the school where the shooting practice is located. She practices during noon, where the sun is actively present and so, no one usually comes out as it is usually scorching. But luckily for her, since she can manipulate the wind, she can easily cool down without anyone knowing that it was her doing.

She takes an arrow from her brown quiver and aims at the moving target practice, aiming for the yellow middle. She focuses and flawlessly shoots. As she shoots, she blows out a gust of wind with her mouth. The breeze from the arrow carries her remaining hair into the air that was not tied up.

Taking another arrow from her quiver, she loads her traditional bow and arrow and aims once again with full focus.

"Ah it's yo-" Callista suddenly misses the target as she is interrupted by someone's voice. She turns around with a shocked face and feels her heart race like a drum. A dark brown haired man with green eyes appears, holding a dark blue crossbow.

Xander...

"I-I didn't expect you to be here... Sorry, I must be disturbing you." She stutters, not knowing what else to say. Her ears become red as she remembers her past with him. Hurryingly, she picks up her sharp arrows and accidentally grabs the sharp side and cuts herself. Callista winces from the pain of her cut. Xander notices and rushes towards her.

"Are you okay?" With a genuinely worried expression, Xander drops his crossbow and holds Callista's pale hand where the cut is located.

Without warning, Callista shoves Xander away, making him fall backwards onto the grass.

"What was that-" Before he could finish his sentence, Callista starts tearing up, her eyes turning red as her cheeks burn with embarrassment. The wind around her starts moving rapidly, making her clothes move erratically.

"Don't act normally around me. You rejected me, remember?" As she cries, she notices that the wind is moving around her uncontrollably. She takes a deep breath in order to calm herself down. As she wipes her tears with her fingertips, she picks up her remaining arrows and places it in her quiver.

After finishing, she wipes the grass off of her white sleeveless dress and takes her leave, leaving Xander on the ground, contemplating on what had happened.

________

Oasis's POV

Oasis sits on the fountain located in the middle of the school's garden. As the country, Virescent is known for its luscious and green places, the garden inside the school lives up to its name by containing one of the rarest flowers on Earth. With a blue flower on her hand, she twirls it around as the sun sets above her.

"One day, I hope everyone can be at peace knowing that the Vicese are extinct. And for that day, I will fight so I can be at peace knowing that everyone I love will be okay." With a serious expression, she mumbled as the flowers sway around her.

"And that's the only reason why I will accept being born into nobility. To protect everyone I love." She turns around, wondering who it is. To her surprise, she watches Lucian walking past the flowers around him, heading closer to her. Oasis wonders to what deed she did in order to get his attention.

"To what do I owe your presence, Lucian?" Respectfully, she asks as Lucian's dark brown boots tap on the stone floor. Lucian stops directly in front of her as Oasis sitting down. She lifts her head up in order to look at him in the eye.

"I know you, don't you?" With a clear tone, he speaks making sure he is heard. Oasis remembers that she recognized him a day ago as he had errands to run with her teacher.

Oasis thinks hard and tries to go back into her memories of her time in Mayhem Junior High. Suddenly, she remembers him and smiles.

"Yeah, you're the student I helped a year ago aren't you? You are the guy who was attacked by a person who had fire abilities."
As she explains her memory, he kneels down in order to look at her face more clearly.

"I owe you my thanks. I would've been boiled if it weren't for you. Literally." As he smiles charmingly, another voice comes out from the distance.

"Oasis." She turns her attention away from Lucian and notices Jian leaning on a grey pillar with his hand that supports the open corridor. She notices his dark expression as he stares at her.

"Now, isn't it time to go Lucian? It's already dark. The boarding patrol is starting soon." His expression changes into a smile though a tint of annoyance is placed into it. He speed walks towards Lucian and grabs his arm. "Let's go." Jian waves a goodbye at Oasis and disappears into the school.

I guess it's time for me to meet up with my teammates.

The boarding patrol ends well. No casualties for the night.