The applause faded, and the elites began milling around, sizing each other up—or sizing me up. I stepped down, keeping my face neutral—no need to advertise that I'd just scored perfectly. Luna's stare, wide-eyed and gleeful, was more than enough acknowledgment.
Lisa Von Edelweiss drifted past, golden-orange braids swinging like a pendulum of precision. She whispered something to a tall boy with a glare so sharp it could cut glass. Her eyes flicked to me. Measuring. Smiling. Calculating. Nice. I'd file that under "friendly potential threat."
Caius Vermillion had already begun lounging near the windows before the classes would start, silver eyes glinting like he knew all the Academy's secrets before anyone else did. He was laughing at some poorly executed joke from another noble scion—obviously, it was calculated amusement. Definitely the type who'd enjoy watching someone else trip into a cannon rather than save them. Good to know.
Adrien stayed slightly apart, silent, regal, and infuriatingly composed. Observing everything, or at least pretending to. I made a mental note: he could be more dangerous than Lisa's subtlety or Caius' arrogance combined.
He then suddenly began walking... Towards me. It looked like he was finally about to make his exit from the crowd, only until he slightly tilted his head and glanced at me. The faint curl at the corner of his mouth suggested amusement—or evaluation. Probably both.
"Impressive," he said without turning it into a question.
"Thank you," I replied, letting my tone stay even, though the abrupt praise was unexpected.
With that, he continued walking until his cape whipped around the corner. Luna, not one for subtlety herself, leaned in and jabbed me with an elbow. "Truly terrifying when you think about it. That man could probably be the best or the worst thing that can happen to someone," she whispered.
I sighed, putting a hand against my temple. "Well. That is probably the best neutral comment you can make about him."
"Anyways," she continued, shaking my shoulder. "You notice anything interesting yet with the others? Dare I say, I think I already have a few candidates..."
"Too many names, not enough actual threats," I muttered. "Also, why do so many of them think they own the air around them?"
Her grin widened. "They are still royals at the end of the day, Elisha. Not that we're any different."
I smirked and let her drag me toward a small cluster of elites near the fountain. They were whispering in low tones, exchanging glances, and probably plotting who would stab whom first—figuratively, I hoped. One girl, with sharp violet eyes, nudged a boy with sandy hair and a grin that didn't match his polite bow.
"Darien," she hissed, "you better not trip during the tour again."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that already."
"Keep your voice down," Luna muttered, half-laughing. "If I wanted a commenter on school drama, I would make my way to the drama club."
Sandy-haired boy caught my glance and gave a polite nod. "Welcome, Lady Belmont. Congratulations on the perfect score."
I mentally thought about the response, but with a tilt and change of posture, I put my hand on my hip and began to look smug. What is the worst that can happen if I want to flaunt my scores a bit?
"It was nothing too difficult," I began. "Try not to trip anyone with compliments. It's bad for self-esteem."
Sandy-haired boy, by the looks of it, tried to muster up a polite smile, but his temper probably made him fight for it.
Lisa moved past, voice low but sharp. "Lady Belmont, I expect we'll see each other in duel practice. Don't get cocky."
"Noted," I said smoothly. Inside, I thought: Noted. And I hope you enjoy losing.
Headmaster Reynard's booming voice echoed down the hall, catching everyone's attention. "Elite students, the Academy tour begins. Follow your guides."
I tilted my head, letting my eyes sweep the room. Secrets, weaknesses, quirks—they were all there if I cared to look. Lisa's perfect braid? Overconfidence. Caius's lazy posture? Concealing meticulous skill, or rather boredom. Sandy-haired boy? He's friendly enough for at least now. Adrien? A wildcard who has already left.
The group shuffled forward, each step silent. Lisa fell into rhythm beside me, whispering, "Don't think scoring high will make this easy. It's a different battlefield here. Remember that"
I awkwardly smiled at her warning. This felt like a war propaganda poster wanting to recruit you. Though being honest was the best response I could give her. Not that I had anything to hide.
"I know," I said. "I'm not here to impress. I'm here to survive."
With her giving me a curious and then uninterested look, she quickly turned around and joined her clique. Rather than opting to enjoy the tour with me instead. Was that hurtful? Not really. It seemed that Lisa didn't quite find the spark with my response.
The tour finally began in full motion, winding through corridors lined with polished stone, portraits of rulers who had ruined—or saved—the kingdom, and rooms filled with weapons, strategy tables, and trophies.
By the time we reached the training yard, the first sparks of rivalry had ignited. Caius was already exchanging looks with other students. Violet-eyed girl muttered under her breath to Sandy-haired boy, who smirked back knowingly.
I silently groaned as I looked at the big clock tower resting at the top of the academy. It was still the beginning of the day, and yet my past high school memories were flooding in.
This will be a long 3 years.