GLASS || The Catalysts Series, #1

VI || A Proper Welcome

"Oh, he is definitely going to kill you," Roen says as soon as Azalea steps out the door and her footsteps diminish.

Lena winces at the gravity of what she's done —simply proposing a partnership with someone she doesn't even know and might not accept while probably pissing off a high class student — but her entire body relaxes. She hasn't noticed her own tension. Despite not thinking everything through, she found a way to postpone her death. That's something.

But the real issue still persists. First things first, she needs clarification.

"He isn't really going to kill me, right?" Lena asks in a small voice hopefully. "Who exactly are we talking about here?"

Neesha's eyes dart to Roen, silently prompting him to explain, before letting them fall to the ground. Roen furrows his brows as he crosses his arms.

Before Roen answers, Reyes shouts, "Holy! A double duel between two top ranked students and..." He gasps as his eyes widen, and points at Lena. "You've just stirred a great civil war!"

And with that, off he goes, tapping his feet together, bouncing out of the class.

Neesha seems to understand what Reyes is getting at, and she glances at Roen, who, simply nods. "If he's involved, then..."

"Oh, it's going to be big," Neesha agrees.

"Wait, what's going on?" Lena wonders.

Roen turns his attention back to her. "You have no idea what you've just done." He sighs, shaking his head. "Oh, no. You have just made a huge mistake."

Their faces seem to hide some complex features as they hold in what Lena thinks to be a grave expression. Perhaps they don't want her to feel so hopeless.

"W-What mistake?"

Roen raises a brow. "You just requested for the number one student in Arcane Academy to be your partner."

He's far more superior than you.

Lena swallows. Oh.

What has she done? Made a one sided pact with an unknown demon that might devour her even without looking at the terms, that's what.

Of course Azalea felt threatened; if he's the top student in Arcane Academy...

Lena shivers. Azalea was enough to make her knees buckle. And what if he doesn't agree to help her? There's no what if. He will not. Hierarchy is obvious — the way Azalea acts so high before Neesha, Roen and Reyes is the answer. And if he's even greater — or 'higher class' — than Azalea, he isn't even going to glance in Lena's way, so much as help her.

Her heart sinks. Her new found hope is lost. He might even agree to team up with Lena just to betray her in order to teach her a lesson by humiliating her then crushing her alongside Azalea.

But why was Azalea so taken aback? Maybe...

Lena's thoughts are interrupted as before her, Neesha and Roen burst out laughing.

She blinks, uncertain. "Uh, did I do something wrong?"

"Did you do something wrong?" Neesha repeats, incredulous, unable to stop her giggling. She holds Roen's arm for support. "You should've seen yourself! You were amazing!"

A-Amazing? Now that, Lena never expected.

"You're truly something, Lena," Roen says, holding himself upright. "No one really walks up to Azalea and tells her off like that."