GLASS || The Catalysts Series, #1

XXII || The Test

For a very long pause, Lena only frowns, her mind running in circles.

"What? Wait, really?"

Perhaps she's heard wrongly. He's helping her? Caelus, who ignores her, pretends not to recognise her over the skateboard issue — still unsolved! — and not to mention threatens her numerous with his intimidating stare, his skateboard, and his absolute control over the very air Lena breathes?

Impossible.

But he's looking at her, expecting an answer. She stares at him with her mouth agape.

"Do you or do you not have a date for the duel?"

"A date?"

"Exactly. When is it?"

"Umm... I don't know."

Caelus eyes her skeptically. "You really are clueless. Hopeless, too."

"Hey!" Lena argues, feeling her face heat up. "Wait. You're helping me? Really?"

He casts her a final look before throwing his Academy coat he has been wearing loosely over one side of his shoulder. He shrugs. "Maybe."

She just can't seem to figure him out. It's infuriating — but that's a start. He begins to walk away, and Lena sighs, having to again be the annoying one to try and get him back into the infirmary, when there is an eerie sound. It's like a soft clink, followed nearly instantaneously by a flash of white-blue light. Lena is suddenly knocked to the ground by an impact.

She looks up, confused, to find a girl. Was she here a minute before?

The girl throws her arms over Caelus, and he stumbles.

"Ouch, hey, stop!"

"Sorry," she says as she pulls away, but still holds on to his arms, scrutinising him up and down. "You're back."

The girl who has just materialised out of nowhere kisses Caelus softly on the cheek, and he flushes so red Lena might have made fun of him if it isn't for the chances that he might completely leave her alone for her duel when he's already agreed to help. She's not going to take that chance.

Caelus pushes her away with difficulty. He tries to advert his gaze. One second later, all affection from the girl is gone when she has done surveying him. Her eyes turn solid and angry as she takes a step back from Caelus.

Then chaos begins.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD?!" the girl shouts so loud, even neighbouring chatters begin to hush, and some students look over. Several even peek their heads into the hallway they are in. "I REMINDED YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN TO COME TO ME FIRST, REMEMBER?!"

Caelus winces, still not looking at her. He backs up to the wall. "Celeste, you're —"

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU'D COME BACK!"

"Sorry —" As soon as Caelus apologises, Celeste is only growing more furious. He immediately realised his mistake and adds, "I had to deal with Lucifer. Then speak with that old man."

Celeste opens her mouth, then frowns. She crosses her arms. Her next words are an octave lower, a diminished sound as compared to her previous angered words. She speaks like she normally will, "Right. That."

Caelus still doesn't look Celeste in the eye despite her hostility dropping by a landslide. His gaze is darting elsewhere, far away, just not into her demanding eyes. Whoever she is, she is capable of intimidating Arcane Academy's top student, something Lena has never seen. This is different from Roen and Neesha, who stands at the same friendliness level as Caelus. This is also different from Arcana and the school's doctor, who simply teases Caelus as they are comfortable.