The next day, Elysian was at the cinema with Fer, Grecia, and Nicol. When they stepped out of the theater, Fer was glowing, clearly thrilled.
"The movie was amazing!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "Didn't you think it was incredibly romantic how the guy risks everything for his beloved? It's just perfect."
Elysian shrugged with a skeptical expression.
"I don't know… it seemed a bit foolish to me."
Fer looked at him, feigning indignation.
"What do you mean, foolish?"
"Exactly that," he replied. "Risking everything for someone like that… it doesn't make much practical sense."
Fer crossed her arms defiantly.
"Do you really not believe that someone can give their all for another person?"
Before Elysian could counter, Grecia spoke up with her usual calm.
"I think that's exactly what love is about," she said. "Giving everything for someone who is worth it… even if that person is far from perfect."
Elysian fell silent, reflecting on her words. At that moment, Nicol checked the time on her watch.
"Well… Fer and I have to head out."
"That's right," Fer added. "See you tomorrow."
The two walked away, leaving Elysian and Grecia alone in front of the cinema marquee. Grecia smiled sideways, observing him.
"Well… it looks like it's just the two of us left."
Elysian scratched the back of his neck, feeling a bit awkward.
"I guess I should probably head out too."
But Grecia stopped him, gently grabbing his arm. Her fingers barely applied pressure, but it was enough to hold him back.
"Come on… don't be a bore," she said with a spark of mischief in her eyes. "Come with me, let's go have some fun."
"I don't know, Grecia…"
"I promise you won't regret it," she insisted, pulling his hand.
Elysian had little choice but to give in. And so, they began to wander the city, ending up at an entertainment center filled with lights and challenges. They spent hours playing bowling and billiards, trying out arcade machines, and competing in ridiculous little challenges where Grecia always ended up bursting into laughter whenever she won.
For a moment, the weight of the world vanished. Elysian forgot about Luna's illness, his responsibilities, and the suffocating atmosphere of the academy. They even stepped into a photo booth, capturing several pictures of themselves making silly faces.
When the photos printed out, Grecia carefully tucked a copy away.
"A memory of today," she said softly.
As the sun began to set, they ended up on a hill overlooking the entire city. The sky shifted from a fiery orange to a deep violet before surrendering to the night. There, the conversation turned real. Elysian told her why he was at the academy—about Luna, the disease consuming her, and how everything he did was for her.
Grecia listened in respectful silence. Then, Elysian asked:
"Do you have any siblings?"
Grecia sighed, staring at the starry horizon.
"Yes… a sister. I wish my relationship with her was like yours with Luna. She always overshadowed me; she was always the best at absolutely everything."
She paused, and her voice took on a bittersweet tone.
"I detest her… but that doesn't mean I don't love her. In the end, she's still my sister."
She also spoke about her father, who had died years ago, and how her mother had married an idiot who treated them poorly. Without thinking much about it, Elysian gently took Grecia's hand.
"You are an intelligent girl… and a good one," he said firmly. "You don't need to surpass your sister. Even though I don't know her… to me, you are number one."
Grecia felt a flutter in her stomach. Butterflies. They ended up lying on the grass, looking at the stars in a peace that seemed eternal.
Later that night, Grecia entered her house attempting to be as quiet as a shadow. However, a female voice intercepted her from the dimness of the living room.
"Where do you think you're going, little sister?"
Grecia froze.
"Come here."
Sitting on the sofa, wrapped in an air of natural authority, was Yasmín. Blonde, striking, and dressed in a rebellious elegance: ripped black jeans, designer boots, and a stylish hat that partially obscured her face.
"I lost track of the time and—" Grecia began, looking down.
"You know the curfew is sacred," Yasmín interrupted with an icy calm. "Where were you?"
Grecia improvised quickly.
"I was… you know… with Roy."
Yasmín tilted her head, scrutinizing her.
"You aren't lying to me… are you?"
"No… of course not."
Yasmín smiled slightly, though her eyes remained cold.
"Good. I believe you. Go to sleep. If you're late for the academy tomorrow, we'll be in trouble."
Grecia hurried up the stairs, muttering under her breath:
"More like I'll be in trouble… you're the academy's favorite."
"What was that?" Yasmín's voice snapped like a whip.
"Nothing!" Grecia replied, almost running to her room.
Once the door was closed, Yasmín pulled out her phone and made a call.
"Ethan," she said when he answered. "I want you to investigate who my dear sister was with today. Right now."
Meanwhile, in her own room, Grecia was already in her blue pajamas, lying in bed. Her phone vibrated. A message from an unknown number.
"Good stuff, right?"
She frowned. "What's good stuff?" she replied.
The second message arrived instantly. "Good thing you answered me. Haha. It's Elysian."
Grecia stared at the screen, then let out a small laugh. "What a silly way to send a message," she thought. But deep down, she was glad he had written to her.
The next morning, the first-year students were gathered at the back of the academy. It was a massive testing ground, filled with rocky areas, metallic structures, and strange obstacles. Surrounding the field were stands filled with upperclassmen and professors, all waiting for the show.
The freshmen wore athletic gear: black t-shirts and white shorts for the boys, black leggings and white tops for the girls. In the center of the field stood an elevated platform.
"Good morning, young ones," Director William's voice boomed across the field. "Today is a special day… because we will choose the First-Year Captain."
The students paid close attention.
"Being Captain has its benefits," he continued. "You will be above any other first-year student. You will be on the same level as the other captains… though below the Top Ten and the Director."
"And if that isn't enough motivation," William added with a slight smile, "the Captain will receive fifty thousand dollars."
The field erupted in murmurs of greed and ambition. Fifty thousand dollars was a life-changing fortune.
"There will be ten trials in total. I recommend you use your heads, your instincts, and your creativity. Any questions?"
"Director… what are the trials?" a student shouted.
"You will find out soon enough," William sentenced. "Now… go!"
The students marched to a flat, rocky area. Ahead of them was a starting line, and in the distance, a metal structure that marked the finish line. A giant screen flickered to life, and an electronic voice spoke:
"The trial is simple. You must reach the room at the end of the field. But beware… one wrong step could be a grave mistake. You will be divided into twenty teams of five."
Then, a riddle appeared on the screen:
"Individually we are a drop, but together we form an ocean. Without me, success is difficult, but with me, the burden becomes light. What am I?"
A timer appeared: 5:00 minutes.
"Five minutes to start the trial."
Confusion reigned. Nicol was the first to react.
"They aren't going to assign us teams," she told Elysian. "We have to choose them ourselves. Quick!"
Elysian's team was formed under pressure: Nicol, Luz (a girl with yellow-streaked black hair), a boy with a bowl cut, and a dark-skinned boy. When the clock hit zero, the alarm blared, and the teams lunged forward.
Elysian led with staggering speed, followed closely by the bowl-cut boy and a girl with violet eyes and a ponytail. Suddenly, chaos broke out. A student stepped wrong and fell into a hidden pit; another was caught by a net that surged from the ground.
"Traps!" Elysian warned.
In that moment, he triggered a mechanism himself. A giant log swung toward his head, but Nicol pushed him just in time.
"Remember to watch where you step!" she yelled.
In the stands, Yasmín ate nachos with total indifference while Grecia watched with her heart in her throat.
"Do these rookies have potential or not?" Yasmín asked.
Grecia didn't answer. Yasmín smiled.
"We'll see if they fall for the real trap Lior set up. The Director gave the Top Ten the task of designing these trials. This will be fun."
On the field, the boy with the bowl cut pushed another student into a pit full of crabs.
"There are no rules!" he laughed. "The goal is to reach the finish. That doesn't mean we can't have a little fun."
The dark-skinned boy tried to shove Elysian, but he dodged, spun, and delivered a roundhouse kick that sent the boy backward before he kept running.
Near the finish line, an explosion of debris trapped a student under heavy stone columns. Other students ran past, ignoring his cries. Elysian stopped dead. His mind struggled: if he helped, he'd lose time. But if he didn't…
He gritted his teeth and ran toward the student. He tried to lift the rubble, but it was too heavy. He grabbed another passing student.
"Help me!"
"Everyone's on their own here!" the boy shouted, pushing him away.
Nicol arrived and joined Elysian. The girl with the violet eyes also stopped to help. As they worked, Nicol remembered the riddle.
"The teamwork!" she exclaimed. "That's the riddle! The trial is about cooperation."
Some teams, hearing her, hesitated and returned. Even Elysian's teammates reluctantly helped lift the columns. Together, they freed the trapped student.
Meanwhile, the teams that had run ahead reached the finish line and struggled with the door. It wouldn't move. It was sealed shut.
The timer hit zero. On the wall, a massive word appeared in blood red: FAILURE.
The ones who had arrived first were stunned. In that moment, the student who had been trapped stood up calmly, brushing the dust off his clothes. He looked at Elysian and those who had helped him and smiled.
"Congratulations," he said. "You passed.
The student who had been supposedly trapped shook the dust off his clothes and looked at everyone present.
"Congratulations, you passed," he said firmly. "The real trial wasn't reaching the finish line; it was seeing how much you were willing to sacrifice for someone you don't even know. Well done, young man."
Elysian scratched the back of his neck, feeling a bit awkward.
"I… I just did what I thought was right," he said sincerely.
"Yeah, yeah, he's the 'good guy.' That means we passed," the bowl-cut boy said, sighing in relief.
The student who had been trapped simply nodded calmly. Suddenly, the teams that had failed approached, visibly furious.
"What the hell?! You said reaching the goal was the objective!" some shouted, while others hurled insults and demands.
The violet-eyed girl crossed her arms and smirked confidently.
"Whatever. You lost, and we passed. Deal with it, idiots."
"What did you say?" one of the students asked, stepping closer.
The student who had been trapped raised a hand, keeping his cool.
"Those who failed, clear out and head to the stands."
One student tried to swing at him, but his fist was caught mid-air by someone else.
"Didn't you hear him, moron? Move," a firm voice said.
It was Connor.
"I am in charge of supervising the trials. Anyone who attempts to delay them… I will deal with them personally," he added. "Now, those who passed, head to Circuit Two. Those who didn't, to the stands. Now."
The failed students left, annoyed but obedient.
"What are you waiting for? Go!" Connor ordered the winners.
As they walked toward Circuit Two, Nicol approached Elysian.
"Hey… did you help that guy because you had already figured out the real trial?"
Elysian shook his head.
"No. I did it because it was the right thing to do."
"But why?" Nicol insisted, curious.
Elysian smiled faintly.
"My sister told me once… that when you do a good deed without expecting anything in return, life finds a way to help you back."
The violet-eyed girl just watched him, intrigued.
Upon reaching Circuit Two, Elysian stopped to look at a massive cube. Its walls were made of dark, nearly opaque glass, and every now and then, a light would flicker on and off inside.
There was a giant metal door on one side, and a large screen on the wall began to project bold letters, pulsing as if they were breathing:
AGILITY AND SPEED TRIAL — PHASE ONE: BLIND START
Below, a smaller message blinked slowly:
Time limit: 70 seconds.
Your goal: Reach the final door. Every step and every decision counts.
Observe. React. Overcome the impossible.
A metallic clang echoed from the cube, and another line appeared:
The path will not be what it seems. The light will show clues… but only for an instant.
Your memory, your reflexes, and your wits will be put to the test.
Trust your instinct.
Finally, a last message appeared in flashing red letters:
EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW CAN DECEIVE YOU. ONLY THE ATTENTIVE WILL SURVIVE.
Suddenly, the metal door slid open, inviting them in. Some students hesitated. Others charged ahead; the violet-eyed girl was the first, followed by the rest.
Elysian took a deep breath and stepped inside the cube. The interior was shrouded in near-total darkness, barely illuminated by intermittent flashes of light tracing across the floor. Each time a beam of light flickered for two seconds, it revealed:
A glowing path on the floor.
Panels floating in the shadows.
Obstacles emerging from thin air.
Suddenly, the metal door slammed shut, and an alarm blared.
The trial has begun, Elysian thought. This challenge would be more dangerous and complex than anything he had faced so far.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Grecia watched the second trial. Suddenly, someone spoke to her.
"How is your day going, Grecia?"
It was Brad, standing next to a girl of Chinese descent. She wore a red floral skirt and her hair in two buns. Brad sat down next to Grecia.
"I can't wait for them to reach my trial. I enjoyed designing it—I hope they enjoy it too. Haha."
Grecia just stared at him.
"Come on, why so quiet? Are you worried about your little friends? I bet they won't even pass Yue's trial."
"Hey Brad, excuse me, but you're sitting in my seat," said Yasmín, who had just arrived.
Brad looked at Yasmín.
"Ah, Yasmín. Don't worry, I was just chatting with your sister. Anyway, I'm leaving." Brad stood up. "Come, Yue, let's go somewhere else." The Chinese girl followed him.
"I really hate that guy," Yasmín said.
"He's very tedious," Grecia agreed.
"What did I miss?" Yasmín asked.
"Nothing, they just started Trial Two. Where did you go, by the way?"
"Ah," Yasmín said, raising a hand full of popcorn, her mouth already stuffed with it.
Inside the cube, as Elysian took his first step, he felt the cold metal beneath his feet and heard the echo of his movements bouncing off the high walls. Bars emerged from the sides like metallic branches of a strange forest, forcing him to duck or jump; some were fixed, others moved perfectly in sync with his momentum, as if the cube were playing with him.
The floor was uneven. Illuminated panels indicated where he could step, but some were fakes. Stepping on them triggered a small metallic click, a reminder that one mistake could be fatal. Gaps appeared suddenly along the path, forcing him to adjust jumps and change directions instantly.
Elysian could hear other students crashing into obstacles. Suddenly, a light turned on for two seconds, revealing all the hazards. Elysian tried to memorize the path. When the light died, he ran, but suddenly he crashed and fell to the floor. He didn't understand; he was sure there were no obstacles where he was going.
The light flickered on again. Elysian saw that the obstacles were no longer in the same place. He understood: the obstacles were shifting.
Among the flashes, a pattern became clear. The bars always emerged from the same side, the gaps remained on the other, and the safe panels almost always stayed in the center. It was a secret only the sharpest observers could notice. Elysian saw it. Suddenly, the light went out again.
Relying on his instinct, Elysian moved quickly and finally reached the exit, stepping out of the cube. He felt a wave of relief, but saw the violet-eyed girl had already arrived. Was she the first? he wondered.
Students trickled out. Elysian didn't see Nicol and grew worried. As time was running out, he finally saw Nicol exit the cube. He smiled at her. Nicol ran toward him and hugged him.
"Oof, I thought I wasn't going to make it," Nicol said, relieved.
"Were you the first to arrive?" she asked Elysian.
"No, I wish. When I got here, I think that girl was first," Elysian said, looking at the violet-eyed girl.
Suddenly, a voice boomed from the speakers on a nearby post:
PLEASE PROCEED TO PHASE TWO OF THE SECOND TRIAL.
Upon arrival, the students found an open area filled with obstacles demanding extreme agility, balance, and coordination. A staircase invited them up to the platform where the challenge began. A giant screen projected glowing letters:
AGILITY AND SPEED TRIAL — PHASE 2
Below, the list of obstacles appeared:
Swinging Catwalk
Spinning Logs
Hanging Swing Ropes
Unstable Floors
???
Then, a rule message appeared: "Your goal is to reach the end without falling. If you fall, you lose. You must complete the course before the time runs out."
Silence filled the area as students looked down at the obstacles. No one could guess what Number Five meant, and the uncertainty made their hearts race. Elysian knew this would be tough, but he trusted himself; he used to hang out with a parkour group.
The alarm blared. Students began to tackle the first obstacles. Wooden planks were suspended in the air. Some students fell—the planks were terribly unbalanced. Every false step was a grave error, and even the wind was a hazard.
Elysian cleared the obstacles with difficulty until he reached the last one: Number Five.
Ahead lay a short platform, barely a few steps away from the next.
"Is this really the last obstacle? It's too easy!" a student shouted, taking a leap. But as he landed on the other side, the platform gave way, and he fell into the water below. Others didn't understand and jumped anyway, meeting the same fate.
"So that's it," whispered the violet-eyed girl. She jumped, but as she landed, she didn't stop; she kept moving forward, and the platform held.
"What's happening?" Elysian asked.
"You haven't figured it out, have you?" Nicol said.
"What do you mean?"
"Anyone who stands still falls, even for a second," Nicol explained.
"That means..."
"Exactly. The key is to cross as fast as possible," Nicol said as she jumped and sprinted across.
It was Elysian's turn. He jumped and crossed at full speed. Once safe on the other side, the bowl-cut boy suddenly shoved him from behind with a kick. Elysian was about to fall back onto the platform, which meant falling into the void.
"Elysian!" Nicol's scream tore through the air, filled with pure panic.
Elysian's body was already tilting over the edge, overcome by the momentum of the betrayal. But before gravity could claim its prize, gloved fingers clamped onto his wrist with the strength of steel. It was a sharp, violent yank that anchored him back to reality.
It was her. The violet-eyed girl.
"Come on, don't be a bore... you should have let him fall," the bowl-cut boy muttered with a scowl. Without warning, he threw a punch directly at the girl's face. But she moved like a shadow; she dodged the blow with a minimal tilt of her head and, in the same motion, delivered a side kick to the aggressor's stomach that sent him reeling back, gasping for air.
Seeing his partner hurt, the dark-skinned boy lunged at her like a rabid animal. He didn't get far. Elysian, recovered and with his blood boiling, stepped in his way. His fist connected squarely with the attacker's face, sending him to the ground with a dull thud. However, the boy stood up almost instantly, wiping blood from his lip with the back of his hand.
The air vibrated. An imminent two-on-two was about to break out on the platform. But then, the blaring of the speakers cut the tension.
"ATTENTION. PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TO TRIAL NUMBER THREE."
"Well... I'd love to continue this, but I have a Captain's spot to win," the bowl-cut boy said with a cynical laugh, catching his breath. "See you later, 'hero'." He hurried off, followed by his dark-skinned partner.
The violet-eyed girl turned to follow the flow of students, but Elysian, driven by honest gratitude, gently caught her arm.
"Wait..." he said, catching his breath. "Thank you for helping me."
She looked down at her arm and, with a firm but slow movement, pulled away from his grip. Her expression returned to that characteristic mask of indifference.
"That doesn't make us friends," she stated coldly.
"Wait," Elysian insisted as she walked away. "At least tell me your name."
The girl stopped dead. She turned her head over her shoulder, and for the first time, her violet gaze seemed to soften.
"Xiana," she replied. Her voice, previously icy, sounded strangely sweet—like a melody out of place in that metal hell. "That is my name."
She walked away without another word.
"I'm Elysian! Nice to meet you!" he shouted after her, though she didn't look back.
"Wow..." Nicol intervened, approaching him with a sigh of relief. "Lucky for us she decided to step in."
"Yeah," Elysian nodded, watching where Xiana had disappeared. "You're right. Let's not waste any more time. Next trial."
Upon reaching the center of the circuit, Elysian and Nicol were met with a blood-chilling sight: a cold metal table and, upon it, a construction hammer. There were no obstacles, no light traps—only the weight of a violent decision. The screen flickered on with a sadistic pulse:
TRIAL 3: THE SACRIFICE. "Choose whose hand you will break with the hammer. If time runs out and no one has been marked, everyone fails. There are no rules, only one condition: someone must break their bones."
The silence that followed was sepulchral. Students looked at each other, searching for a sign of weakness or betrayal in their neighbor's face.
In the stands, Yasmín chewed her candy with a scowl. "Brad has no limits. He enjoys other people's pain far too much," she commented, tossing another treat into her mouth.
"Is this atrocity Brad's work?" Grecia asked, her stomach churning.
"Who else?" Yasmín shrugged. "Either him or some other psycho around here. Let's get something to drink; I need to get this bitter taste out of my mouth."
As the sisters descended from the stands, they crossed paths with Brad and Yue. The professor walked with a smug smile, unaware of two figures watching him from the corner of their eyes. One wore a worn-out brown hoodie, hands hidden in his pockets; the other was a boy with silver-gray hair and green eyes that exuded a dangerous calm.
"If those idiots don't eliminate him, I'll take every cent they have," Brad muttered to Yue. "I told you those two siblings were useless."
In the arena, chaos erupted. The bowl-cut boy, seeing the timer ticking down implacably, raised his voice: "Listen! If we don't choose someone, we're all out. I propose we pick the weakest girl and get this over with. A woman is only good for the kitchen, not for leading."
A murmur of indignation ran through the group, but fear caused some to nod. Elysian stepped forward, fists clenched.
"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Elysian snapped, his voice cutting through the air like a knife. "The women here are as strong and intelligent as any of us, or even more so. If anyone here is useless, it's you."
Elysian's praise did not go unnoticed; in the stands and on the field, the girls looked at him with renewed respect. Even Yasmín, in the distance, smiled: "I like this kid."
"Enough preaching!" the bowl-cut boy roared, grabbing a girl from his own group by the arm. "I'll decide for everyone."
Nicol tried to lunge at him, but a wall of students blocked her path. "You're not passing," they warned. Nicol didn't hesitate; a calculated right hook sent the first one to the ground bleeding. Beside her, Xiana moved with the elegance of a panther, taking down two more before they could react.
"Damned animals," Xiana spat, as a group of girls joined them to form a battle front.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Elysian propelled himself with the agility of his parkour years. He crossed the tumult and, with a flying kick, struck the bowl-cut boy's face, forcing him to release his victim.
"Enough," Elysian decreed, standing before the metal table.
"You're an idiot!" the traitor screamed from the floor. "If we don't do it, we all lose!"
"Then so be it," Elysian replied with a calm that unsettled those present. "But I won't let you touch anyone else."
Elysian stretched his left hand over the cold table and, with his right, raised the heavy hammer.
"I'll break mine."
The impact was brutal. The sound of bone shattering beneath the metal echoed throughout the room—a dry crack that stole everyone's breath. Elysian let out a harrowing scream, a howl of pure physical agony that pierced the students' ears. He doubled over the table, teeth gritted, as his left hand lay deformed and trembling on the blood-stained steel.
The atmosphere shifted instantly. The contempt of the other students turned into a silence of absolute respect. They had seen an 18-year-old destroy himself for others—something that, in the Maravilla Academy, was almost mythological. Xiana stood petrified, looking at him with a new intensity, as if processing that someone had finally broken the rules of selfishness in that place.
Nicol ran to him, her face pale, trying to hold him up before he collapsed.
"Ely!" Grecia cried out, letting the name escape by pure impulse and worry.
That cry was a mistake. Yasmín turned her head slowly, fixing her eyes on Grecia and then on Elysian. A cold smile appeared on her face as she connected the dots: that was the boy Grecia had been seeing in secret. The secret was dead.
The trial ended. The timer hit zero and the doors to the next section opened. The students filed through, but as Elysian tried to take his first step, a firm hand landed on his healthy shoulder.
It was Connor. The instructor looked him up and down, stopping at the useless, bloodied hand.
"Not you, Elysian," Connor stated gravely. "You can't go on with that hand. You're out of the competition. It's suicide."
Elysian turned. His face was soaked in cold sweat and his eyes were bloodshot, but there was a spark of desperation that was terrifying.
"Please..." Elysian pleaded, grabbing Connor's uniform with his right hand, squeezing hard. "Let me go on. I can't stop now. If you take me out... all of this will have been for nothing. Let me participate!"
The desperation in his voice was so real, so raw, that Connor—a man made of stone—hesitated for the first time. He looked at the other students walking away and then back at the boy who had just sacrificed himself for his team.
"Fine," Connor whispered, letting him go. "Go on. But if you die in there, don't expect anyone to pick up the pieces."
The sound of the final timer marked the end of the fifth trial. Elysian could barely stay on his feet; his vision was a dark tunnel, and the pain in his left hand was no longer a sting, but a constant, burning throb that pulsed through his entire body. He had survived, but at a devastating physical cost.
He stumbled toward the makeshift infirmary tent. Inside, the air smelled of antiseptic and heated canvas. Nicol followed him in immediately, moving with silent urgency, looking for bandages and something to clean the dried blood from the metal of the table.
Seconds later, the canvas rustled and Grecia slipped inside. Before entering, she cast a frantic glance back, making sure her sister's shadow wasn't nearby. Her eyes were a mix of relief and terror.
"Ely..." she whispered, approaching the stretcher where he was trying to catch his breath.
But outside the tent, danger already had eyes. Yasmín stood a few meters away, motionless, watching the canvas close behind her sister. She didn't need to go inside to know what was happening. The missing piece of her puzzle had just clicked into place.
In that moment, Yasmín's phone vibrated in her pocket. It was Ethan.
"I know who the guy with your sister was yesterday," Ethan's voice said on the other end, sounding triumphant. "I have the name and..."
Yasmín interrupted him, her eyes fixed on the infirmary entrance, a cold smile curling her lips.
"You don't need to say it, Ethan," she replied in an icy whisper. "I think I have a very clear idea of who he was. And I also know exactly how I'm going to use him."
Elysian walked the less-traveled paths of the Academy, trying to get used to the dead weight of his left arm in the sling. The pain was a constant hum, but his mind was on his date with Grecia. However, the sound of insults and a dull shove stopped him in his tracks.
A few meters away, five students had a girl cornered against a stone wall. There were three girls with haughty gazes and two men following them like hounds. The girl had her back turned, but she looked small and vulnerable against them.
"Hey," Elysian's voice rang clear and firm, despite the cold sweat running down his neck. "Five against one doesn't seem like a very fair contest, does it?"
"Get lost, cripple," one of the guys spat, stepping toward him. "It's not your business."
Elysian smiled—that optimistic smile that usually disarmed people—though his eyes were serious.
"I'm sorry, but I have very little patience today."
The first attacker lunged with a clumsy blow. Elysian, without using his hands, pivoted on his right foot with amazing agility. He used the momentum to deliver a side kick that connected directly with the guy's solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him. The second man tried to tackle him, but Elysian took a short step back and, with a quick leg movement, swept his feet, sending him to the ground with a dry thud.
Seeing their protectors defeated so quickly by a boy with only one useful arm, the three girls recoiled, shouting curses before running down the hallway.
Elysian let out a sigh of relief and turned to the victim.
"Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, but my hands are a bit... out of order."
The girl turned around slowly. She had hair as blonde as wheat and eyes of a blue so deep they were unsettling. She wore a white t-shirt with a green "11" printed on the chest. Her features were almost identical to Grecia's, but with a coldness that Grecia did not possess.