EVERYONE LOOKS AT ME. I didn't back down from their stare even though it feels like I was being preyed on.
"If the class believes that a change in leadership is necessary, then I shall not stand in opposition," I say calmly. I don't really care if I lose this position, I didn't even know I held such position until now.
"But before any of this begins, let me say one thing… I, Seraphina, from the Section of Elysium, step down as the class representative of the Fifth Year, First Section—the Elysium. Thus, I, as the former representative, now open the selection for the next class representative of Elysium. Witnessed by Professor Silver, the selection process is hereby officially open."
They went silent, a silence I can hear. It's defeaning becaus everyone must have expected something else rather than me accepting their terms of removing me from the position.
Seraphina, from what's happening right now...they didn't vote for you because they want you here to lead. You are accepted as the class representative to face this kind of humiliation.
For this day.
You must have felt everyone supports you during that time. You must have a wide smile.
I will not let them see what they want you to feel.
"I, Silver, member of the faculty, hereby announce the opening of the Elysium selection," he declares.
A faint smile appeared on my lips.
"What?" Si Diana.
"Class dismissed. Select your representative at the end of this week."
Craige, on the other end of the classroom, approaches me. He didn't ask anything. He just looks at me and say that we need to go.
"Let's go. We need to go there before her. She gives difficult punishment for all the late comers." I gave him a nodded.
"Sera."
I look up at the one calling me. the light pink-haired boy. His name is Calyx, if I'm not mistaken.
"Hindi ka sasabay sa amin?" he asks, tilting his head slightly.
I glance at Craige, who's standing a few paces away, arms relaxed but eyes fixed on me. His expression is unreadable, but the faint crease of his brow tells me he's waiting for my answer.
When he didn't hear me answer right away, he must have concluded that I will go with them. He's about to walk away when he heard me, he stops and looks at me.
"I appreciate the offer but I will go with Craige." I reply quickly, my voice steady. I turn on my heel and start walking.
Craige did not react, his face remains neutral, but I can say that he wants to say something because this is maybe new for him.
Naturally, I am not the real Seraphina.
Seraphina must've a different decision regarding it.
We reach the training area in no time. The courtyard smells of wet grass and damp stone from the morning mist. Other students are leaving their classes, water drips from their hair and robes.
"Looks like we're going to..." We watched the last students get out of the lake.
"need a spare of clothes." Craige comments, glancing around at the wet students. His tone is calm, almost bored, but I detect the faint edge of amusement.
"I think this training is made for you, Craige, you get to take a bath," I tease, letting my eyes sparkle with mischief.
"What the hell do you mean by that? Maybe you're the one who needs it." he snaps, though I catch a small smirk threatening to form at the corner of his lips.
"What do you think of me? A dirty bug like you?"
"No. You're a pig." That froze me but when my mind processes what he just said. I immediately pick my sandal, remove from my feet and throw it at him.
He laughs when I didn't hit him.
"I heard you stepped down from your position Miss Virel." That was quick, news here spread like a wildfire in a forest. Ngumiti ako sa kaniya, Mrs. Frost.
"I see that such trivial matters interest you, Mrs. Frost." She looks at me as if he hadn't expected me to respond.
I also catch the faint smirk on Craige's face.
"It must be true," she continues.
Pertaining to how I am a different person now because of the incident. That day we need to dive the river that is located inside the school, meant for this kind of physical training wherein we are trained on how to fight inside the water since some enemies make the river their battlefield.
"What enemy? Are we preparing for something?" I can't help but ask that question to Craige, he looks at me and pouted his lower lip.
"Dark magic?" He said, unsure of his own answer.
"Oh..." I didn't ask anymore, I stopped my curiosity there.
She's explaining everything about the training, she said we first need to understand the current of the water.
"Is dragon real Raige?" I ask out of nowhere.
He looks at me with a question on his face, like my question is not a question for a sane person here.
I rolled my eyes at him. His reaction feels like he's judging me and thinking "are you that stupi when you lost your memory?" something along with that line.
He didn't say that but I can feel how stupid I am for him right now.
"I know, I know that's a stupid question." I said like I was defending myself from his judgement.
Raige and I are partner for this battle. There's one crystal we need to steal and protect.
"Are you sure you want me as your partner? I have lost my memory, you know. I barely know any runes connected to water…" I crouch down to touch the water, my fingertips grazing the water. The water is colder than I expected.
"Do I have a choice?" He's at it again in his smirk.
"Amnesia or not…you're still stupid." Without thinking anything, I splashed a water on him. That caught him off guard.
When he regain his composure after that, he tried to splash a water on me. But before he even could do that, I distance myself from him.
Professor Frost stops us.
"Pelagius Vox," she said, showed us a rune.
The words seemed to hum against the air, sinking into the water as if the river itself swallowed them.
"That rune," Craige explained, his tone softening for once, "allows you to breathe underwater. But only for a short while. Abuse it, and you'll drown the moment its hold slips."
My brows furrowed as I repeated the chant under my breath.
Pelagius Vox.
I smiled when I was able to chant it without a problem. He also teaches me how to study the current of the water, a runes that gives you analysis of the water.
"Repeat after me," he said quietly, "Aqua Sententia."
I obeyed, and in an instant, ripples unfolded in my mind like a map, mas napangiti ako dahil naaamaze ako. I can see the water, what's inside like x-ray. Every swirl and hidden motion revealed before my eyes.
"This is exciting. One more." I said to him. He shakes his head, but still, he teaches me another rune.
This one forms a shield we can use underwater, and then another spell meant for attack beneath the surface. He's only teaching me the basics, runes that I can easily manipulate and remember.
We were given minutes to prepare before finally starting the two-hour training. After the given time, we started immediately.
Calyx and Sierraia are partner.
Elric and Fiona is their enemy.
"Raige, what kind of spell Sierra has unleashed to get the plants under the water moves?"
"Binding runes. It allows you to transfer your energy and magic to control the living things around you, Sierra uses one of the basic runes but still powerful, anyone can wield it but still, no one has gained fully control of living things. Plants are alive—they have their own rules and binds with nature so you must need a mana that will fit with nature, not everyone have it."
In an instant, Elric stops the plants that attack them.
"The caster lends their magic to the plants, but the plants decide how much they'll listen since they only move according to what the caster can give. Sierra has already proven her worth when it comes to controlling nature, she understands them most. She's good at it."
And in no time, the plants move again and are able to listen to Sierra and continue to attack the two, although they were able to avoid it, but in the end, Fionna wasn't able to get away from it despite their attacks and counter.
But in no time, Elric able to free Fiona using a spell.
Elric smirks.
"Nature answers to no master, Sierra." He said, we all heard it since we are all watching them using the magical screen that is floating in the air.
While I was watching, I couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable, like someone was staring at me. I looked around, but there was nothing unusual. Everyone else was busy watching.
"Something matters?" I shake my head as a response to Craige question when he saw me looking around.
I don't know exactly how it happened, but all I know is Elric was able to counter-attack Sierra's spell, breaking her control over the water and plants. Fiona, now freed, took the chance.
She dashed like lightning. Calyx's roar followed, echoing with frustration as he chased her down, his steps heavy, his focus locked on the crystal now glinting in Fiona's hand.
"Times up. Winner. Elric and Fionna." That's it, the shout and announcement from our professor roared.
Calyx is a few inches away from stealing it. He looks frustrated, he must be.
Now, our turn, and I find it funny how playful fate can be, I look at the Princess and the Great heir of the duke who were against.
Craige looks at me, amused with my smile and reaction to this.
"This is gonna be exciting…" I whisper, I can't help but smirk at this event. My mind can't help me stop but laugh.
"You're losing your mind." Craige whispers.
"I am. I hope my body can keep up with me." I said as I wear remove my cloak.
I turned and looked at the two who were talking. I tried to hide my grin by pressing my lips together, but when I really couldn't stop myself from laughing anymore, I turned away and faced Craige...where no one else was except him.
I bent down a little and covered my mouth. I didn't want them to see me laughing.
"This is all so funny," I said between laughs, my shoulders shaking. After letting it out, I pinched my cheeks to wipe the smile off my face. I even tapped them lightly with my hands.
"Remind me to take my meds later, okay?" I said, using a type of humor that Craige wouldn't understand since that kind of inside joke was something I used with my friends back when I was still on Earth.
I miss them even more.
"Oh yea… sure." Craige replied, unsure why I was even telling him that. I shrugged and turned to face them.
Keeping a serious expression and trying not to smile, I looked at Raiven, stared straight into his eyes, trying to read his emotions. He looks manly, with his sharp nose and deep eyes, his jawline becoming more defined whenever he grits his teeth.
I kind of understand why Sera likes him. Handsome. Rich. Serious. Masculine-looking.
But he is too cold.
He's rude to Sera, so I don't get why she still pursues him.
I turned to Mrs. Frost, who was now talking about the do's and don'ts, saying the crystal is now placed in the deepest part of the lake. The two men quickly dived into the water to retrieve the crystal ball, leaving me behind because of how fast they moved...and even the Princess dived in after speaking such unbelievable words.
"You're still that girl, huh? Attention seeker..." I look at her. The way she controlled her expression… if you looked at her, you'd assume she was being nice, but her lips were saying the opposite.
She leaned closer, her voice barely a whisper—soft enough for only me to hear.
"Everyone knows you're faking it just to get close to him."
She didn't wait for my response, she quietly dive in witj grace like a mermaid.
I grimaced and rolled my eyes before diving in after her. With the knowledge from my previous life about how to swim, I used that while chanting the spell that would allow me to breathe underwater.
"Sera…" Craige called out to me, so I turned to him.
"Behind you," he added quickly, making me turn, only to see a whirlpool forming inside the lake and rushing toward me. I tried to get away, to swim fast but it is too late.
The whirlpool is twisting violently inside the lake, rushing straight toward me. The pull is so strong that my body jerks forward, my limbs dragged by the spiraling force.
I swam quickly, every kick of my legs fighting against the pull. My vision shook with the spinning water, the force threatening to drag me toward its center. The whirlpool immediately pulled me into its twists. I tried my best to breathe using the spell I cast, but the whirlpool was making me dizzy and causing me to lose focus.
"De puta!" I feel Craige's hand grab mine, yanking me out of the whirlpool. He uses a spell to move into the vortex without being affected. Once I'm safe, he glares at me, worry mixed with the urge to scold.
"Stupid, stay behind me. I'll try to steal the crystal. Focus on her. Use whatever spell you can remember." He growls.
I nod and turn my gaze toward the princess, now in what looks like a mermaid costume—or maybe it isn't a costume. I give her a sharp glare, sensing the flow of water around us.
"By the curve of water, shield and strike, flow as I command," I whisper under my breath. The water forms in my hands, forming an arch and a bow. I grip it, translating my sports training into precise posture and control, as I chant the final line:
"Flow and freeze at my command, from gentle wave to icy hand. Water bend, ice ascend. Arcus Glacius."
The spell moves fast. I see her smirk, thinking it's just ordinary water she can toy with using her mermaid-like skills. But as the arch nears her, it strikes sharply. Raiven blocks it with his hands, but I quickly release another bow, and again, it grazes his cheek as he turns his head, testing his defenses.
Craige on his immediate response, he swims towards them without wasting anytime to steal the crystal.
As I release more than ten water bow, I copied her spell to create a whirlpool but as soon as I chant the spell of creating one, Raiven, defending themselves, releases a massive wave that disrupts my formation.
Avaelyn, uses one of the mermaid skills, voice.
Raige is pushed back by the force of Avaelyn's attack, which also affects me, and I'm caught off guard when, in an instant, Raiven appears beside me, trapping me inside a shimmering bubble.
I can't get out.
Craige who immediately swim towards me but was stopped by Raiven and they started to clash with their magic.
Raiven raised his palm and spoke softly.
"Frigidis Vincula, bind in frost!"
Chains of ice form with his hand, wrapping tightly around Craige's hands and feet. Craige growled, forcing one chain to break with his strength. His eyes glowed as he shouted a spell.
"Ignara Flamma, burn it all!"
A strange flame, mixed with water and fire, burst out, fighting against the ice. He looks at me as he shouts one spell I can use.
"Don't move too much. It will suffocate you. Use your own bubble spell to break it."
He shouted. I followed his instructions but I struggled too much to create my own bubble to break it since it is shrinking too much.
I am losing my breath. It is suffocating me.
When I was able to break free from it, Avaelyn attacked again, her voice struck me like a wave and slammed me hard against the lake wall.
I felt the stung of pain in my back, Craige who can't even get away from his fight with Raiven.
I create one bubble to make me float while I struggle to catch my breath. When that bubble wrapped me, my rune that allows me to breath breaks.
Once I casted it again, I went back.
Again with my spell to create my arch and bow, she tried to disrupt me so I swim away before the thunder of sharp waves reach me.
If I can't steal it, I will break it.
I released arrows from my bow, shooting them in different directions.
But she is able to dodge or even destroy it. So, I wasn't imagining her smirk a while ago when Raiven catches the arrow for her.
Stupid mean-girl.
But since she's too focused on dodging it and destroying it, I release as many as I can. She's not protecting the crystal anymore, napangisi ako do'n.
When I stopped, she smiles again. She's again with that little smirk of hers.
"You're tired now, little archer?" she said. I noticed that every time she releases her voice-thunder-waves, she puts the crystal down a little bit.
Before it could hit me, I shot two arrows again, but they didn't even reach her. She only grinned wider. When I fired the third one, she looked like she already expected it to fail. But before the wave could strike me again, I saw it hit the crystal instead.
Then I heard a faint cracking sound.
"Times up. No winner. Draw." When I heard Mrs. Frost, I smile.