Zaviel sat in the middle of the class, slouched slightly in his chair, eyes half-lidded and bored.
The teacher's voice still droned on, becoming dull as time flew but Zaviel's senses were far from dull.
He felt it....the familiar pulse of danger, sharp and cold, whispering just beneath the surface.
They were finally here.
He could feel her presence again. The woman from last night. She was good, better than most, but she didn't know the rules of this game. Not with him.
A small smirk crept across Zaviel's face.
"They really don't learn."
He muttered it low, just loud enough for the air to catch it, and the girl beside him flinched slightly, casting him a strange glance. A few others turned their heads. Whispering followed.
"Weirdo."
"What's with that freak? Always talking to himself."
They'd always avoided the freak as they didn't want bad luck. Some called him a jinx button whom when pressed will jinx anyone. They didn't wanna trigger that.
He didn't care. Their voices were always too loud, too judgmental, too hollow. He didn't belong here, and everyone knew it....even the ones too scared to admit it.
The bell rang, a shrill noise cutting through the room like a blade. Students rushed out, a mess of bags, laughter, and stomping feet.
Zaviel stood up slowly, eyes scanning the windows and corners instinctively. He adjusted his black blazer, not bothering to smooth it down.
Then.....
"Zavie!!"
He froze. His body didn't twitch, but his soul groaned. He knew just whom this voice belonged to and now wasn't the time for her antics.
From the side hallway, a blur of white and lavender barreled toward him. Lyra. Light brown hair bouncing behind her, her innocent, wide, cat-like eyes glimmering with excitement.
She threw her arms around his arm, hugging it tightly with a giggle.
Zaviel just kept a straight face even as her massive boobs pressed his hands tightly.
"Oh my god, I missed you so much during the break! You never texted! Do you even check your phone? You're always so hard to reach....like a shadow or a ghost or...."
Zaviel blinked once. She didn't stop.
"And....and then I saw this dream where we were walking through cherry blossoms and I was wearing this beautiful white dress and you were in this sleek suit and there were these doves and....."
He kept walking. She clung tighter to his arm like a stuffed animal.
"Can we go on a date tonight? Please? Pretty please? I already picked out the place and everything and oh you'll love it...."
Zaviel looked down at her with a straight face, as if pondering. She looked back at him with puppy eyes
"...Fine."
One word. Dry as sand. Cold as his gaze. But it hit her like a lightning bolt of joy.
"YES!! Oh my God, you agreed! I can't believe you actually said yes!! Okay, okay, I'll go get ready, I need to plan everything....yaay!!"
She spun and bolted down the hall, bouncing like a bunny.
The others stared.
"How are they even dating?"
"She's like...a Disney princess. He's like...a corpse."
"Unusual couple, man."
Zaviel barely noticed. He simply walked forward, until the intercom beeped.
"Zaviel Nocturne. Report to the principal's office."
He tilted his head slightly. "Heh...where else could be the best place?"
---
The principal's office was large, over-decorated, and stuffy. Zaviel sat without waiting to be offered a seat.
The principal, a thin, balding man with sweat already on his upper lip cleared his throat and smiled too broadly.
"Zaviel, my boy. Good to see you. Always such a quiet student, but... so brilliant! Your performance this term has been nothing short of outstanding."
Zaviel didn't blink.
"Get to the point."
The principal chuckled nervously.
"Ah, yes. Right. Well, I'm pleased to inform you that based on your exemplary grades, the school board has decided to award you a full scholarship to the nation's most prestigious university! Fully funded! You'll be among the elite!"
Zaviel's gaze sharpened.
"Why me?"
The principal blinked.
"Well....your scores, obviously. You top every subject. You're a natural fit."
Zaviel leaned forward slightly, raising a brow.
"So other top students got the same offer?"
A pause.
"Ah. Well. No. Actually... there was a lot casting process. You know, to determine the winner among the eligible candidates."
"So it wasn't based on merit."
"No, no, it was! I mean, you were eligible. But the final selection was by lot."
Zaviel's eyes narrowed. The air chilled.
"Let me get this straight: I'm the top student, but you had to use chance to decide if I should be awarded?"
"It's... it's protocol, Zaviel. I didn't make the rules."
"Who did?"
The principal stuttered, searching for words.
"Whose idea was this award? Who instructed you?"
"I...I was simply told by higher-ups. I didn't ask..."
"You said it was based on my grades. Then you said it was a lottery. Now you're saying you don't know who arranged it. So which one is it, Principal?"
The man's face flushed. He opened his mouth but couldn't find words
But then the door opened.
Heels clicked in.
Agent Clove stepped in, her eyes locked on Zaviel's.
"The military did."
Zaviel leaned back in his chair, the faintest ghost of a smirk tugging at the edge of his lips.
"Of course they did."
He turned to her fully, ignoring the principal who was now wiping sweat with a handkerchief.
"You're not very good at hiding your steps. I could hear your men breathing two blocks away."
She raised an eyebrow, unfazed.
"And yet you came anyway."
"Curiosity."
He stood, brushing off his pants.
"So what now? You're going to arrest a high school student because he turned the military's offer down?
She stepped closer, not breaking eye contact.
"You're smart, Zaviel. You know this isn't just about the scholarship"
Zaviel's golden and violet eyes shimmered faintly under the light.
"You're right. It's about fear. And you're very afraid, Agent Clove."
Clove didn't respond.
But the look in her eyes said everything.
Zaviel smiled...thin, dangerous.
"Good. That makes two of us."