Chapter 168
DON'T MOVE (2)
"Okay… now," the voice continued, sultry and almost playful, "be a good boy and… don't move."
A heavy silence followed, as if the entire world took a breath and held it.
Reuel's mouth fell open—literally. He wasn't even trying to hide it. The mixture of disbelief at her words and awe at her presence was written all over his bruised face.
Henry blinked twice, his brows furrowing with confusion, then straightening as realization dawned on him. Even Yohan, stared wide-eyed, clearly thrown off.
She was… stunning. That was the only word that came to mind.
She was a descendant of the Sorcerer. Her skin was the color of milk chocolate, it was smooth and glowing. Her lips were naturally pink, curved in a way that suggested she was always on the verge of saying something wicked.
She had a delicate gold nose ring, and hazel eyes—droopy, soft, and hauntingly seductive. There was something dangerous in how gently they studied Blaze, like he was a pet... or prey.
Her hair was dyed in streaks of gold, woven into her natural brunette curls that framed her face like a crown.
The official Student Council uniform clung to her like it had been tailored with only her in mind. She wore sheer black tights beneath the skirt that highlighted her toned legs, and heels that clicked softly against the pavement—emphasizing the length of her already long legs.
She leaned in close, her face only inches from his bloodied, half-pinned one.
Then, with fingers far too gentle, she brushed her hand through his hair, almost lovingly.
"I don't know…" she murmured, her voice low, velvety, and far too amused. "You kind of look cute like this."
Blaze's eyes narrowed, his face flushing with a mix of irritation and something else .
"Shut up and get this fucking shit off me—"
But she didn't even blink.
She just smiled wider, placed a single finger gently on his lips.
"Shushhhhh," she cooed sweetly, but the her tone made it clear she wasn't asking. "I'm talking."
And then, without breaking eye contact, she gracefully lowered herself into a squat beside him—like this was a casual conversation, like none of the tension in the air existed at all.
"Are you guys okay?!" Snow shouted as she ran toward them, coming to a halt when her eyes landed on Blaze. The worry in her expression was clear, and she quickly turned to the others. "I tried my best to get her here as fast as possible—"
"And who exactly is she?" Reuel asked, his voice hollow, almost zombie-like, as he stared in the woman's direction without blinking.
Snow looked instantly annoyed. She groaned. "Seriously? Can you focus? And whatever the case is… she's not for you. So get rid of whatever weird thoughts are swimming around in that head of yours—unless you've got a death wish."
"D-Death?!" Reuel clutched his chest dramatically and muttered to no one in particular, "Even the prettiest rose has horns…"
Snow rolled her eyes. "Her name's Ari Amarin. She's a member of the Student Council."
"She must be pretty scary for you to be the one to call her," Henry said as he stepped forward cautiously, his eyes flicking toward Ari with clear wariness.
Snow gave a small shrug. "Well… she's scary in her own way."
Ari, still crouched beside Blaze, gave no indication she'd heard them.
Ari had her attention solely on Blaze. "Now, you're going to sit here and look pretty for a bit. I'm going to get someone else to come over, okay?"
"Just push the damn cart away!" Blaze barked, glaring at Ari. "I know you can literally do that!"
Ari placed a hand over her mouth in mock offense. "But can't you see? I just got my nails done. So… no, thank you."
Blaze gritted his teeth so hard it was audible.
"And besides," Ari purred, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, "you're so much cuter when you can't move... Just the way I like it."
She gave Blaze a playful wink.
Blaze audibly gulped. A flush of red crept across his cheeks despite his best efforts to keep a straight face.
Ari leaned in closer, cupping his face between her hands as if he were something precious—or a toy she wasn't quite done playing with. Her smile turned teasing, and her voice dropped into that singsong tone people used for babies.
"You must be so tired after all that, hmm?" she cooed. "Used up all your energy, didn't you? You probably need some rest, right? Don't worry... I'm going to take real good care of you."
Then, without hesitation, she kissed him.
It wasn't a peck. It was a deep and slow kiss to lips.
Blaze's eyes fluttered closed, and for a brief second, he looked like he was melting into it—like the humiliation, and the audience had all disappeared.
When she finally pulled away, she stared at him with an affectionate gaze, like he was the only person in the world.
Then, smoothly, she turned toward IAM.
IAM had already dismissed KASSARA, he had slid KASSARA into the holster strapped across his back once he saw Ari arrive. He met her gaze without flinching, then said dryly, "You guys took your time…"
"Not really," Ari replied, smiling faintly. "We got here just in time to see the one with the mullet get launched across the field... Poor thing."
Reuel, realizing she was talking about him, blushed instantly. He straightened up, puffed out his chest in a weak attempt at salvaging dignity.
Yohan leaned in and whispered from the side of his mouth, "Did you not just see what happened? She and that guy are obviously a thing. And I promise you don't want to deal with a pissed-off Blaze on your own."
Reuel deflated instantly.
Henry gave Snow a slightly accusing look. "Then what exactly were you waiting for? We could have used some help."
"I—" Snow began, but was cut off.
Ari interjected smoothly, her voice calm but edged with amusement. "I saw the situation, and after being told the details, I didn't see any problems. Blaze promised not to use Path methods, and this is supposed to be a punishment for you guys anyways… so honestly, it was fun watching you boys get pushed around. But… you actually managed this," she added with a sideways glance at IAM, "impressive."
A brief silence settled over them, no one speaking for a moment.
Then Ari clapped her hands together lightly. "How about we go back inside and smooth things over… okay?"
"How about him?" Reuel asked, gesturing toward Blaze.
"He can stay there a bit longer… to cool off." Ari squatted down beside him again with effortless elegance, leaning close to whisper something in his ear.
She straightened slightly, tilting her head with a teasing smile. "Would you like that?"
Blaze nodded frantically.
Ari rose gracefully, turning to face the others. "Okay, then. Let's go."