Part II of II and unpolished.

Chapter 7 (Part II)

#

(Serenity)

#

In the morning, my friends left bright eyed and bushy tailed despite having slept only a few hours.

It wasn’t my problem if they fell asleep during class.

I chose to get out of bed later than usual, which meant I was up by eight a.m. rather than six a.m.

After a shower, I ate breakfast in the kitchen while sitting at the long counter that faced the living area.

I watched the morning news on a data-slate propped up on the counter.

There was a brief mention of a teenager arrested for sleeping naked in Monument Park.

I nodded to myself and continued munching on my cereal.

After breakfast, I set about cleaning the mess my friends had left behind, and stored away the food and drinks from the convenience store.

Takahiro let himself into the penthouse suite. That proved to me he had a secure access code into the place, but I wasn’t at all surprised.

I put away the last of the drink containers, and turned to face him.

He carried a data-slate in one hand.

“What do you want?” I asked flatly, feeling the lack of sleep weigh down my morning cheer.

“I came to inform of today’s schedule.”

“I read your email,” I replied, and stepped out of the kitchen, rounding the counter in the process. “I still have a good hour before my first appointment.”

“The next three days will be busy for you. You have a commercial to shoot, and six magazine spreads to take part in. You’ll also be doing a photoshoot with that boy band—what were they called—Justice Club.”

“Ah, Farolina likes them a lot. She’ll be green with envy.”

“Then remember to get her their autographs.”

I planted a hand on a hip. “Takahiro, I need time to train.”

“Regarding that, you’re access to Calista Academy’s underground facilities has been suspended.”

I ground my teeth together as I scowled up at him. “So where the Hell am I supposed to train?”

“Did last evening’s encounter bother you?”

“Of course it did. I had to summon all of Sigrún to defeat Derek’s Chevalier. Do you think that makes me happy?”

“How else did you expect to defeat him? He wields an Artifact just as you do.”

I held up a hand, stopping him. “Just tell me where I can train?”

“Well, from next week you should be able to train at the Lorian Pride’s facility under Galatea Academy. They recently reopened it for their attending Familiars.”

I peered up at him. “Recently?”

He gave me a subtle nod. “I’m certain we can arrange access to the facility for you.”

“And in the meantime?” I asked.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he replied but it was more of a self-addressed murmur.

I rubbed my forehead with a palm. “Is that all the bad news for the morning?”

“Not exactly. The Avenir Primogen would like a word with you.”

I swallowed reflexively. “He does? When?”

“This evening. And I believe it’s something I should help you prepare for.”

I lowered my hand to my side. “Takahiro, do you know why I wasn’t allowed to take part in Celica Desanto’s capture?”

“That is one question you should avoid asking.”

“Why?”

He swallowed. It was very discreet, but with my senses heightened by the Awareness-field emanating from my necklace, I was able to see very, very well. However, Takahiro gave himself away with the uncomfortable expression that slid over his face.

“Because he doesn’t trust you.”

I lowered my voice. “Why?”

“I don’t know. All I do know is that he doesn’t trust you. At the least, that’s the vibe I get from my sources.” He stepped up to me, and placed a hand on my left shoulder. “Which is why you have to play by the rules, and be very, very careful not to rock the boat.”

I touched my chest. “So even though I have the Seal-Regalia, and can control the Avienda, I’m still at risk from the Pride.”

Takahiro leaned down a few inches. “For now, play by his rules.” Then he leaned down a little closer. “But only for now.”

I noticed my heart was racing, and had a little trouble swallowing.

Despite all the power I wielded, I was invariably at the mercy of the Prides, and my life was in their hands.

I nodded faintly, and stepped around him as leisurely as I could.

“I’ll go get dressed.”

#

(Caelum)

#

It was no surprise Caprice’s new look attracted the attention of Class Two-Aye.

However, I was stunned by the positive reaction she garnered from the girls that rarely acknowledged her. As such, I had to wait near the back wall of the classroom because Caprice was surrounded by a dozen girls. This made it impossible for me to sit down at my desk. It was like getting past the walls of Troy without the Trojan horse.

Impossible.

So I waited and listened to the girls compliment her.

Then the real questions began, and the knives came out.

Allow me to quote a great many of them.

“…did you change your look for a boy…?”

“…is it that boy you were speaking to this morning…?”

My ears perked up on that one since I didn’t believe they were referring to me.

“…he was very easy on the eyes….”

“…much nicer than Pervert Desanto….”

“…I think he’s in Class Two-Dee….”

“…does this mean you’ve finally seen the light…?”

“…so does this mean you and Desanto are not dating anymore…?”

“…are you going to be moving desks…?”

“…it’s better if you move on….”

“…he’s really no good for you….”

“…the Vice-President has him wrapped around her little finger….”

“…you’re better off with someone that cares….”

“…he’s only interested in big breasts….”

“…how can he say something like that to you…?”

“…yeah that was rude…talking about boys not being able to walk straight….”

“…what an asshole….”

“…don’t you mean shallow…?”

“…a shallow asshole…?”

That triggered a round of laughter at my expense.

I kept my arms folded and waited patiently for them to leave.

Yet that was all a ruse as I was burning up inside.

“…such an insensitive prick….”

“…are you going to any mixers…?”

“…hey, we’re holding a mixer this Friday. You should come along….”

“…my brother has some really cool friends. They’d love to meet you….”

“…and they’ll walk straight because they don’t think with their—”

The first warning bell sounded. Ten minutes to the start of homeroom.

The girls began returning to their desks, leaving the trio of Haruka, Siobhan, and Alistair behind. The three gave me withering looks, their lips set in disgust.

Okay, I’ll admit I stepped over the line with that comment about guys not being able to walk straight after one look at Caprice.

That was a crass thing to say. I regretted it tremendously. But it wasn’t something I could take back now. I’d made my gaff, and now I had to live with it.

Before walking to their smartdesks, the trio patted Caprice’s shoulders as though reminding her she had their support.

Feeling multiple gazes on me, I noticed the guys were giving me looks of pity. However, a lot of them looked quite glad, as though relishing in my misfortune, and happy that one of the prettiest girls in school had escaped from my evil influence.

It was like the whole class had turned against me in the span of one morning.

I sat down at my smartdesk, booted it up and then set it up for the day’s classes. All the while, I didn’t look in Caprice’s direction.

While I stood waiting against the back wall, something had become quite clear to me.

As such, I decided to respond to Caprice’s opening move.

When homeroom ended, I sent a request to our teacher asking for permission to change to another smartdesk.

I only hesitated for a moment before sending the message.

Let the game begin.

#

When lunchtime broke out, I headed off to my secret rendezvous.

When I joined this Academy, Arisa had told me to treat every day like an adventure.

She should have said misadventure.

Using my Awareness-field to the best I could expand it, while enhancing my senses, I made sure I wasn’t followed as I walked to the clubroom buildings at the western end of the Academy grounds, the same building where The Society for the Promotion of Cultural Ideals resided – which was a front for the Girls of Galatea site management team.

According to the instructions in the letter, the meeting was scheduled in the clubroom allocated to the Sneakers Club, which happened to be on the third floor.

When I arrived, I knocked on the door four times, then three, then two, as per the instructions in the letter. A moment later the door opened, and I was admitted inside the room by a nervous looking girl.

“You are Caelum Desanto afil Lanfear?” she asked timidly.

“Yes. I’m better known as Pervert Desanto.” I pulled out the letter. “Are you the one that wrote this?”

“No. If you’ll come with me, I’ll take you to her.”

The girl walked to the back of the room, then climbed out the window.

I stared nonplussed at the scene, then followed her.

To my surprise, I saw that an emergency stairwell was fitted to the back end of the building.

We climbed up toward the roof, but entered an abandoned room on the fourth floor through an open window.

Once inside, I looked about at the dank room's interior, noting it hadn’t been used in a while. The impression that it was larger than a clubroom was complemented by the fact there were no furnishings.

However, I wasn’t interested in that lack of furniture, but in the girl standing in the middle of the room with her arms crossed and her legs planted shoulder width.

The girl who guided me here, asked her, “Are you sure this is fine?”

“Absolutely,” the other one said, choosing to plant her hands on her hips and greet me with a feral smile. From her uniform I could tell she was a second year high schooler like I was, but I didn’t remember seeing her before. My gaze swept over her quickly, and with my senses enhanced by the Awareness-field, I was able to clearly see the pin attached to her blazer’s left breast.

“You’re a Familiar,” I said. “Raynar Pride.”

“Oh, you have good eyes.” Her smile grew even more ferocious. “My name is Lidia Marie Geharis afil Raynar.”

“You don’t have a Fragment.”

Her smile faded as her eyes narrowed visibly. Either that or my enhanced eyesight caught the finer details of her reaction.

“Correct. Did you use your Awareness-field to determine that?”

“Yes.”

She humpfed to herself. “Well, that’s why I summoned you here.”

“Summoned me? It sounded like you were begging me to come.”

She laughed behind a hand. “Ho ho ho. Me? Beg? Hardly.”

“If you’re not begging then I’m leaving.” I turned around and started for the open window.

“Wait!” she called out. “I’m not begging but I do need your help.”

I kept walking, arrived at the window, and started climbing out.

“Okay. Fine I’m begging. I’m begging.” She dropped to her knees and palmed her hands together.

I stopped with one leg inside the room and one leg outside the window. “Now tell me why you’re begging.”

“Because I need your help.” Her tone wasn’t so haughty and confident anymore. “Because I’m tired of being like this.”

I sat astride the windowsill and glanced at her companion, the girl who’d led me here. The quiet timid girl nodded slowly. “Please listen to her.”

I looked back at Lidia, and took a deep breath. “What do you mean?”

Lidia’s body appeared to lose its strength, and she sat back on her calves, her head hanging low. I watched her shoulders rise and fall a few times before she regained her composure and looked up at me with weary eyes.

“I’m tired of not having a Fragment or Artifact. I’m tired of being a failure.”

“A failure?” I asked softly.

Lidia took a deep breath. “I want to have a Fragment of my own that I can unlock into an Artifact. I want to be more than stuck like this.” She shook her head. “I feel incomplete, like I’m missing out on what life as a Familiar has to offer.”

I hesitated, then climbed back into the room. “Why do you need my help?”

She grew quiet and thoughtful, though I saw conflict play out on her face.

Eventually, she gathered her composure and her breath.

“I want you to petition the Lanfears. I want to change my affiliation.”

My stomach clamped up. “Why?”

She took another very deep breath that pushed out her modest chest.

“Because I want the Lanfears to find me a Fragment that I’m compatible with.”