Succubi Chapter 141. Side Effects
Evelyn smiled faintly, clearly already caught what I meant. "Well… Lilith said it's normal."
I looked at her. "Normal?"
"Sometimes," Evelyn said gently, "our powers awaken because of emotion."
I looked up from my perfectly grilled meat. "Like a panic button?"
She shrugged. "Sometimes. But not fear. Not always. It's deeper. Messier." She glanced at me and gave a faint smile. "We. Especially you."
I frowned. "Me?"
She nodded, eyes steady.
"Why especially me?"
She didn't answer right away. Just looked at me like she was scanning something behind my eyes. Then finally.
"Your trait…" she said slowly. "Pride."
I blinked. "So?"
"Pride isn't like the others," she said. "It's not direct. It doesn't punch things like Wrath. Or charm like Lust. Or twist like Envy. It... reacts."
I tilted my head. "React to what?"
She leaned forward, her voice soft but firm. "To you. To how you feel. How you're seen. How you see yourself."
She tapped the side of her temple. "That's what makes it powerful. And dangerous."
I raised an eyebrow. "You're being weirdly poetic right now."
She ignored me. "Sometimes Pride triggers random things. Spontaneous skill growth. Sudden boosts. Power. Levels. Passive skills activating early. Or…"
She held up a finger.
"Status."
My smirk faded.
She added another.
"Attention."
I glanced around. And yeah… people were looking.
Not directly. Not obviously. But here and there. Little stolen glances from other students, some first years, some second. A couple whispered when I caught their eye. I turned away, pretending I didn't see it.
She held up a third finger.
"Charm," she said simply.
I groaned. "You're saying I accidentally seduce people when my aura flares?"
She laughed. "No, Evan. I'm saying they notice you. They remember you. That's charm."
"And?" I asked warily.
She held up another finger.
"Respect."
"…okay," I said slowly. "That doesn't sound too bad."
Then she added the last finger. The one that made her expression shift.
"And... enemies."
I blinked.
Looked down at my tray.
Back at her.
Then slowly glanced to the side, toward a Valor table not far from us.
Right there.
Ares.
Same usual spot. Still seated. Still quiet. Still staring.
Our eyes locked.
And he didn't look away.
My stomach twisted, not from fear, just… something heavier.
Evelyn followed my gaze. Her voice was calm, almost sweet.
"You can feel it now, right?"
I swallowed. "Yeah."
Her lips curled into a half-smile. "That's what Pride does, Evan. It brings attention."
I turned back to her. "And you know this?"
She leaned back and rested her chin in her hand.
"I'm Envy," she said softly. "I feel it. Every time someone looks at you the way I wish they didn't."
That last part hit different.
She said it with a smile.
But the silence after?
That one stayed.
I didn't know what to say.
The table felt quieter than before. Or maybe the noise from the rest of the cafeteria just faded into the background. My fingers drummed the edge of my tray. I didn't touch my meat again.
I looked away. Not just because I was overwhelmed. But because I felt it now. Not pride. Not fear. Just... the weight. The attention.
That weird pull in the air when someone's watching you with too much curiosity. Too much intent.
And right on cue…
Ares moved.
He stood from his table, calm and composed. No dramatic aura burst. No intimidating mana pressure. Just walked like a guy who had somewhere to be. And that place?
Was right in front of me.
He stopped by our table. Tall. Serious. Quiet.
Leon instantly tensed beside me like someone had just unsheathed a blade near his ear.
Ares nodded once. "Do you have time for me before class starts?"
I blinked.
Looked up.
No smug smirk.
No mocking look.
Just calm.
Measured.
Polite.
It threw me off.
Leon? Oh, he was glaring. Hard. Like really hard. I think the table was absorbing the pressure. If glares were weapons, we'd have been arrested for carrying illegal mana-grade explosives in a public eating area.
I tilted my head slightly at Ares. "What? You wanna make a love confession to me or something?"
I expected a reaction.
A sneer. A snort. Maybe a classic Valor eye-roll followed by some sharp-edged insult like "in your dreams, trash."
But Ares?
Didn't even flinch.
No twitch. No scoff. Not even a smirk.
He just stood there. Calm. Steady.
Eyes locked on mine.
Okay. That was… weird.
Weird in a what dimension did I wake up in this morning kind of way.
I blinked slowly.
"Okay," I muttered under my breath. "So we're skipping the sarcasm today. That's new."
He looked toward the cafeteria doors, then back at me.
"West Wing battleground," he said evenly. "I just want to test how strong I am now."
I raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Straight to the point."
"I won't take long," he said. "If you're not up for it, that's fine."
I chewed the inside of my cheek. "You look different than before."
He nodded. "I am."
I waited.
Then he added, "I was too confident. Arrogant. I'm trying to make up for that now."
Something about the way he said it didn't feel performative. It wasn't about proving anything.
It was… sincere.
Which, frankly, was scarier than him being smug.
Leon muttered under his breath, "He's baiting you."
Evelyn just watched Ares with a calm expression, but I could tell her body was alert. Shoulders slightly back. Subtle tension in her fingers. Classic Valor readiness.
I leaned back in my seat, folded my arms. "You sure you're not still salty over losing?"
Ares met my gaze. "No. You were stronger than me. That's why I want to try again."
He didn't raise his voice. Didn't try to puff up.
He just said it.
Like a fact.
I couldn't even tease that.
For a moment, I didn't say anything.
Then I pushed my tray away and stood. Stretched.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "You're going?"
Leon whispered, "Don't fall for it."
I smirked. "C'mon. I'm not that easy."
Then I gave a lazy wave. "Lead the way, Romeo."
Ares turned and started walking.
I followed.
Mostly out of curiosity.
Partially because I wanted to see what changed.
And maybe, just maybe, because part of me wanted to test myself too.
Because after last night?
After the barrier?
After Evelyn said what she said?
I was starting to wonder.
Just how much power was hiding in me…
Waiting for the right emotion to set it off.
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