The Leviathan's Rose

Chapter 9 - Waves Between Ribs

a/n - Hello! I hope you all are doing well today. I wanted to let you all know that updates might be delayed by a day or two since life is picking back up again BUT I will always try my best to keep updating consistently! 

Lottie struggled to breathe when Haru tapped her shoulder. The hallways were incredibly grand and open, yet they seemed to close in with suffocating pressure around her. 

She tried the best she could to relax, but the tightness in her chest pulled harder and harder as her seconds standing with Haru dragged on. 

"Would you like to walk to class with me?" he asked, his usual summer breeze facade drenching his entire body. 

Lottie nodded, blue eyes looking into Haru's chocolate browns pair. 

The halls were mostly empty as they walked alongside each other. There were only a few students scattered here and there. Ivy, Stratus, and Conch colors passed them by. 

"I couldn't find Jamie-Kun's room. I assumed it was the only one with the intricate locks on it." he said distantly. Lottie gulped, the lump in her throat making it hard to breathe. 

"The King and Queen of Maradova wanted him to have locks on his door since we learned that Leviathan made him their top target." Lottie replied quietly. 

Haru's lip twitched as he spared a quick glance to the smaller girl. 

"I understand that. Leviathan must want him badly if it meant your parents paid money to put modern technology into such a historical building." he said. 

Lottie's steps faltered when he called the king and queen her parents. 

Calling your parents by royal titles sounds weird! A voice chided in Lottie's head. 

"Jamie is very close to my family. He's been... protecting me since birth. His protection is important to me and my family." she said curtly. She scanned the hall ahead of her, anxiously waiting for Professor Devine's class to magically appear three hallways and two corners early. 

Haru hummed in response. 

"He's a fascinating person, truly. Though seeing him saddens me sometimes." Haru said truthfully. 

Lottie's eyes snapped to Haru's face. 

"What do you mean?" she asked too quickly, too panicked. 

Haru shrugged. 

"I don't know. He just doesn't seem to have the freedom he so obviously longs for." he said, warm eyes sliding down to Lottie's. 

She opted to avert her gaze to the sharp curve of his jaw. 

"Care to elaborate?" she asked too quietly. 

Haru let out a chuckle drenched in melancholy. Warm eyes were washed away with sadness. 

"He's always putting himself in front of others. He never does things for himself, you know? He trains for your family, puts his own interests aside in the name of being a Partizan. He internalizes everything and feels like it's a crime to let anything slip out." Haru said sorrowfully. 

Waves of overwhelming sadness crashed in Lottie's chest. 

"I've heard about his love for music and that he's incredibly talented. He had the option of taking musical courses at Takeshin Gakuin. He took my class instead. And he always risks himself for the sake of others. When he ran after Ingrid during the festival, he didn't think twice. When I saw him j- ... when I saw him jump ahead of himself... I had to focus on you and your friends. He's only a teenager and yet he treats himself like a machine. He locks everyone out, like he's afraid of hurting them while simultaneously being afraid of getting hurt."