Elion led the four heirs through the hallway and into one of the tall buildings in the school grounds. He couldn't help but feel chills run down his spine.
Was it because of their presence?
" Elion?" Raelen called, making Elion turn to him, that was when he saw it.
The chills weren't from the heirs presence, it came from the stare of one in particular. Raelen.
"Yes Lord Raelen?" he answered.
" Ambrose. Is he always like that?" Raelen asked.
" Seeking trouble." he added
" Ah! Don't pay heed to him." Elion said, laughing softly.
" How strong is he?" Raelen asked again.
" Why? You want to fight him?" Dorian asked,almost mockingly.
Raelen hummed, the sound vibrating through the walls of the building.
Lorian rolled his eyes, scoffing loud enough for them to hear.
" Don't spread wings that won't make you fly." he said.
" Are you worried about me?" Raelen asked, wrapping his hands around his arm.
" Don't be disgusting." Lioran said, irritation in his tone as he pushed Raelen away.
" Lord Raelen, I apologize on behalf of Ambrose. Don't take his actions to heart." Elion apologized.
Raelen laughed heartily.
" But that's what I'm good at. It makes me remember my enemies." he said.
Soren let out a loud exhale, boredom visible on his face.
" Can you save your discussion for later?" he asked, his eyes staring coldly at each of them.
" Yes, of course." Elion said, smiling softly.
"Please this way." he added, gesturing for them to the flight of stairs.
Soren was the first to proceed, ascending the stairs with fluid grace, his head held high. This action somehow made Lioran disgusted.
" What the hell is wrong with him?" he asked, leaning to Dorian's side.
Dorian looked at him blankly, snorting as he walked away. Lioran trailed behind, huffing softly with his chin raised.
Raelen took a step forward but then he stopped in front of Elion.
" Tell him….I look forward to our next encounter." he whispered into Elion's ear, a playful smirk lingering on his lips before ascending the stairs.
Elion hesitated at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes watching Raelen go up. Something tightened around his chest. Anxiety? Curiosity? Or was it fear?
He wasn't quite sure but one thing he was sure of was that Raelen meant trouble.
The heirs being here meant trouble.
He followed behind them quietly, eyes flickering from one heir to the other. His mind flooded with thoughts and questions he was tempted to ask but remained silent.
" Are you scared?" Soren asked, looking at him from over his shoulder.
Elion blinked, confusion spread across his face.
" Pardon?"
" Raelen is a loud mouth" he continued, not minding the fact that the person he was referring to could hear him.
" Don't listen to him."
Raelen scoffed. An amused smile forming at the corner of his lips.
" Is that how you see me, Soren?" he asked but Soren didn't spare him a glance.
" I'm quite displeased."
Elion let out a nervous chuckle, nodding his head for no reason in particular.
" I will ensure that Ambrose personally apologizes to you lord Raelen with the hope that you will forgive him." Elion said, patronizingly but Raelen's smile grew wider.
Not giving him a yes or no.
" Just keep him sealed up in a dungeon." Dorian suggested.
Raelen pouted, looking innocent. Too innocent giving the type of person he is.
" This is bullying, don't you think?" he asked.
" Soren thinks I'm a loud mouth and you want me to be thrown into a dungeon like a criminal."
He peeked at Lioran through the corner of his eyes, pouting even more.
" Who knows what Lioran would have you do to me."
" I really don't care about you or whatever you do. Don't flatter yourself." Lioran said flatly.
" Lord Raelen, I will have Ambrose apologize to you." Elion said subduing how nervous he was to sound firm.
Raelen gave a lazy shrug, making his way past the last few stairs.
" We'll have to wait and see." he said, the corner of his lips lifting slightly.
Elion exhaled, walking ahead of them once they had ascended the stairs. His thoughts were all over the place. How would he be able to manage all four heirs? And then there was Raelen who was a threat himself.
" What were the clan leaders thinking?" he muttered.
Their walk turned quiet as they passed the hallway. On each side of the walls were doors carrying the academy's crest and their respective room numbers.
" Welcome to noxwell tower. Here you will meet others just like you and hopefully get along." Elion started, giving the introduction.
" Just as the academy has it's rules and regulations, noxwell tower has rules too."
Dorian scoffed loud enough for all of them to hear.
" I guess this is something you all do."
Elion glanced at him, not sure what he was referring to.
" And what is that if I may ask lord Dorian?" Elion asked but Dorian simply placed his hands into his pockets acting like he didn't hear the question.
" He is referring to the introductory speeches." Lioran said, clearing Elion's confusion.
" That old vampire did the same thing. Going on and on about principles and alliances that will never be formed." he added, irritation filling his tone.
" Are you whining again Lioran?" Soren asked mockingly, glancing at Lioran from the corner of his eyes.
Lioran sucked in a breath glaring daggers at Soren but he didn't say a word, giving Soren a small victory.
" The old vampire you're referring to is dean Erevan?" Elion asked, his eyebrow furrowed.
" Who else is it? He is quite funny if you ask me." Raelen answered.
Elion raised an eyebrow, his curiosity spiking. He has known Erevan to be many things but funny was not one of them, but then again Raelen was not like everyone.
" How so?"
" Mmm….that doesn't concern you now,does it?" Raelen answered, a small smile on his lips.
Elion gave a stiff nod, not bothering to continue with whatever rules he had wanted to say earlier. It was pointless anyway.
" Even if you don't want to know the rules, there is one I must tell you." he said waiting for a response but none was forth coming.
" Everyone must be in their rooms by the eleventh hour. That's the curfew."
Soren frowned in displeasure.
" Are we babies now?" he asked
"Why do I have to abide a dumb curfew?" Dorian asked agreeing with Soren.
"It's for everyone's good, your lordships." Elion answered.
" And what happens if we don't abide by this so called curfew?" Lioran asked, giving Elion a scornful look.
Elion smiled lightly. He had expected that question, he had expected the heirs to disagree with the curfew.
" Anyone who disregards this rule will be sent to the hollow grounds."
His smile widened as he glanced over his shoulders to catch the curious looks on their faces.
" The hollow grounds is a place of punishment" he answered before they asked.
" Although you don't need to know in details what it looks like because I trust you will all avoid trouble." he added.
The heirs remained quiet. They were all still disgusted by this curfew but their curiosity about the hollow grounds surpassed the disgust.
" Where is the hollow grounds located?" Soren asked after a long silence.
Elion's steps faltered slightly, clearing his throat almost dramatically.
" That is not something you should concern yourself with" Elion replied.
Soren's eyes narrowed, his gaze boring into Elion's back. Dorian's attention settled on Soren as if sensing his arising suspicion.
" Why? If it's a place of punishment there is no need to keep it's location a secret." Soren pressed on.
" If he doesn't want to tell me it's location then something else must be there." he thought.
" Yeah, that's true. Tell us it's location." Raelen joined in.
Dorian furrowed his eyebrows. His face remained stoic and emotionless but his mind was racing with questions.
" Why is he fussing over such a little thing?
Why is he even suspicious in the first place?" he thought.
Elion fisted his hands, taking in deep breaths, his eyes shifting unsettlingly. He had never felt so much pressure all at once like this.
" You really don't need to know." he said trying and failing to sound firm.
Soren watched him closely. The slight tremor in his hands, the way his jaw tightened and his posture stiffened.
He let out a long sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
" You don't know where it is,do you?" he asked and Raelen laughed maniacally, hands clutching his stomach with sheer delight.
" It's a good thing I am not your roommate." Lorian said eyeing Raelen.
Raelen's laughter seized abruptly, straightening his posture but a small smirk still tugged at the corner of his lips.
" It's funny, isn't it?" he asked, amused as he stared at Elion.
" How is it that you don't know where it is? Aren't you among the elite students here?"
" Your lordships, please just follow me to your dorms. I have other important duties to attend to." Elion said and without waiting for any of them to say word, he turned and continued walking.
Raelen snickered as he followed behind, Lioran let out a scoff and Dorian took one last look at Soren who still stood in place. A frown evident on his face.
" Please keep up lord Soren." Elion called and only then did Soren start moving but he still beared his suspicion and curiosity.
Meanwhile, Kaelen, Corin and Eryndor trailed behind Ambrose in complete silence. Ambrose steps were hurried and sharp, like he wanted to get away from them as quickly as possible.
" Uh…. Ambrose?" Corin called but Ambrose remained quiet, only hastening his strides.
Corin smiled lightly, matching Ambrose's pace.
"Ambrose?" he called again, firmer this time.
" It's rude to ignore someone, you know?"
Ambrose exhaled loudly, coming to a halt and turning to face him.
" If you noticce you're being ignored…why not shut up and just follow?" he asked, frowning just enough to show annoyance.
" I just wanted to talk to you." Corin insisted.
Ambrose scoffed taking a step closer towards him, their eyes locking in an intense stare.
" And I don't want to talk to you." he said, giving all three of them a disgusted look before walking away.
" Wait…." Corin said trying to catch up to him but Kaelen quickly held him back, shaking his head lightly.
" You should leave him alone and just follow quietly."
" But…it's not wrong to try to start a conversation." Corin whined.
" He doesn't want to talk and that is something you need to respect." Kaelen said patting his shoulder as he proceeded to follow Ambrose.
Corin sighed still standing in place, his head bowed and a slight pout forming on his lips.
" Was it really necessary to be rude about it?" he muttered.
" Why do you try so hard?" Eryndor asked, staring blankly at him.
" Huh?" Corin said confused, lifting his head to look at Eryndor.
" What do you mean?" he asked.
Eryndor stared a little longer in silence before walking away finally.
Corin blinked, still staring at the spot Eryndor once stood.
" What?" he mumbled, turning around to see Eryndor's back as he walked away.
" Hey!! You guys should wait for me!!" he called, running towards them
" It's not nice to just leave me on my own"
" You're the one that chose to stand there on your own." Kaelen said, chuckling.
" Still.. don't leave me like that. We should stick together."
Ambrose rolled his eyes wanting to be anywhere else but here, Kaelen and Corin laughed softly while Eryndor watched them.