GLASS || The Catalysts Series, #1

XLI || Make It Double

If there is such an award for dramatic entrances, Lena will never hesitate to vote for Caelus. This Ace of Arcane Academy sure does know how to make his arrivals, and just in the nick of time when Lena needs help. She fumes to think she might need help from him, but still shuts her eyes in frustration—and embarrassment—anyway.

First Lucifer's incident, now this. Seems like Lena will never stop owing Caelus. Not that she'll admit it, though.

Caelus steps away from the thin ledge he stands approximately two stories high, and as he lands gracefully on the field between Azalea and Lena, he sends a powerful storm of air over the entire expanse of the academy so strong Azalea has to back away and nearly falls to the ground. Lena is already on the ground, but she still is blown away slightly.

When Caelus turns his eyes on Lena, she thinks of all the things she can yell at him to take out her anger—at what though, she isn't quite sure of herself. But when they lock eyes, purple against brown, she doesn't find any words.

She also believes he's going to throw some snide comment at her for being so pathetic. She might not even deny it, because she deserves it. Maybe part of her wants him to confirm that she looks like an absolute loser right now. But of course, if he really does say something, she will very likely refute despite her speechlessness now and they will start arguing again—mostly, Lena discovers, because of her quick temper. The additional fact that Caelus is unbothered by nearly everything—including her wrath of emotions—makes Lena all the more irked, wanting to explode more. Lena will eventually regain her snarky tongue and confidence when Caelus is involved.

Nevertheless, Caelus' features soften as he bends over and offers her a hand. "Quite a spectacle. I must say I'm impressed, Lena. Can you stand?"

And just with this small act of kindness, Lena feels that this place isn't at all hopeless. Her heart flutters with newfound possibilities. It's just like how he'd offered her a hand when he knocked her into the building when she'd nearly believed that this city was only full of demons, with most of which that take the form of humans. Caelus has shown it to be otherwise. For a top tier ability user, he's different, and Roen and Neesha were right.

Still, Lena thinks it all too good to be true. He has arrived for her duel. She flushes as she thinks about it, her cheeks going red as she takes his hand and stands up with shaky legs, more so because she is confused.

"Why...?" she chokes, barely a whisper.

Caelus hears her uncertainty all the same. When Lena is back on her feet, he replies, "What do you mean, 'why'? I'm your partner for the duel, am I not?"

Lena swallows, blankly staring at him. Yes, but why would someone like you help someone like me?

When she doesn't answer, he asks: "Are you ready to do this?"

Again, Lena feels unworthy. She only raised Caelus' presence to fend off Azalea—she never meant for all this to happen. She'd had a hard time getting Caelus to be her partner, and they don't exactly get along. He doesn't even show up to classes, which makes it harder for her to get to know him. But he shows up anyway, at the very desperate moment, and saves her all the same.

"Great," Azalea answers instead, very spitefully, eyeing the two with evident jealousy at their partnership. "Now where the hell is my partner?!"

As if on cue, a loud explosion shakes the entire courtyard, quaking even the buildings as colourful sparks light up the sky. Instead of feeling more smug, Azalea only groans in frustration as Nova arrives, yelling.

He appears not beside Azalea, his supposed partner, but instead before Caelus, his proclaimed long time rival. This further enrages Azalea for all the attention unreceived, who stands with her arms crossed impatiently.