Thank you..." she said, her voice like silk over glass. "It's a good thing my prince was here."
Elysian extended his right hand to help her up, oblivious to the malice shining behind that blue gaze. To him, she was just another student in distress.
"I was just doing the right thing," he replied simply. "What is your name?"
The girl took his hand. Her touch was cold. She stood up with an elegance that didn't fit someone who had just been "attacked." She gave him a perfect smile—one that didn't reach her eyes—but which Elysian, in his optimism, interpreted as gratitude.
"Yasmin," she said, savoring the name. "That is my name."
Elysian nodded, the name triggering no alarms for him yet.
"Nice to meet you, Yasmin. I'm Elysian. Be careful; this place is full of people who don't know how to play fair."
Yasmin let out a soft, barely perceptible chuckle.
"Oh, I know, Elysian. Believe me, I know that better than anyone."
Elysian checked his watch, wincing slightly as he moved his arm.
"Well, Yasmin, I'm glad you're okay, but I really have to go," he said with his trademark open smile. "I have a date and I'm already running a little late. I wouldn't want to keep them waiting any longer."
Yasmin tilted her head, observing him with curiosity that seemed genuine, though her blue eyes never stopped analyzing his every gesture.
"Oh, I understand. But I can't let you leave like this," she replied, softening her tone until it sounded almost sweet. "You saved me from a horrible moment. Let me accompany you at least part of the way; it's the least I can do for my wounded 'prince.' Besides, I'd feel safer if I walk with you a little longer."
Elysian, unable to say no to someone who seemed to need help, nodded.
"Alright, if it makes you feel better, let's go. But I'll have to walk fast."
They began to walk through the Academy grounds. Elysian, someone who naturally sought to connect with others, didn't take long to break the ice.
"Are you new here? I don't recall seeing that number eleven before," he remarked, pointing to her shirt.
"Something like that," she replied with an enigmatic smile. "Let's just say I like to keep a low profile. But you… you don't go unnoticed, Elysian. That bandage tells a story of someone who doesn't know when to quit. Did you do it for the same reason you helped me? That need to protect?"
Elysian chuckled, scratching the back of his neck with his right hand.
"I guess it's a factory defect. My father always said that if you have the strength to help, you have the responsibility to do so. I can't help it, especially when it comes to people I care about… or someone who is at a disadvantage."
Yasmin nodded, mentally noting that mention of his father and that sense of responsibility.
"It's noble. But in a place like this, nobility usually carries a high price. Who is the person waiting for you? She must be someone very special for you to run around with a broken hand just to see her."
"She is," Elysian said, his gaze softening, becoming warmer. "She's someone who has been through a lot. I just want her to know she can count on me, no matter what. Sometimes I feel like she carries the world on her shoulders, and I just want to be the one holding the umbrella when it rains."
Yasmin listened intently, subtly guiding him with questions that seemed innocent but went straight to the core of his life. Does she study here too? Has it been hard for you to stay focused with all these trials? Is there anyone else you trust that much?
Elysian, without realizing it, was letting go of pieces of his world: his blind loyalty to Nicol, the intensity of his feelings for Grecia, and that unwavering optimism pushing him forward. Yasmin didn't need to ask for names or surnames; each of Elysian's answers was a piece she arranged on her board. She was peeling back the layers of his personality, finding his pressure points and weaknesses, all while maintaining that facade of gratitude.
"You're a box of surprises, Elysian," she said finally, stopping as they began to see the meeting point. "I really like you. It's rare to find someone so… real."
"Same here, Yasmin. Take care of yourself, okay?" he said goodbye with an animated gesture before running off toward where Grecia was waiting.
Yasmin stood there, motionless, watching him walk away. Her expression changed instantly; the sweetness vanished, leaving behind absolute coldness. She took out her phone and typed a short message:
"I have everything I need now. The hero is much more predictable than we thought."
Elysian disappeared around the corner, still wearing a smile from the conversation. As soon as she was alone, Yasmin's expression crumbled into a stone mask. As she rounded the next street, a figure waited for her, leaning against the wall with an elegance that radiated danger.
It was a boy of almost unreal beauty. His hair was a silver-gray that shimmered in the light, and his green eyes were as sharp as emeralds. He wore a black jacket with an imposing red shark stamped on the back, an impeccable white shirt, and dark trousers. He was someone who didn't need to speak to make it clear he was in charge.
"What are you planning, Yasmin, with that boy?" his voice was deep, calm, but charged with a natural authority.
Yasmin stopped dead, showing no fear, but with a spark of surprise in her eyes.
"Ah, Lior..." she sighed, regaining her seductive tone. "How long have you been there?"
"I've been following you since I saw how he defended a supposed 'helpless girl,'" Lior replied, pushing off the wall with slow movements, like a predator with no reason to rush.
"What can I say?" Yasmin shrugged, playing with a lock of her blonde hair. "I'm a girl who needs help sometimes. Don't you think?"
Lior let out a dry laugh, devoid of humor, as he approached her. His presence was overwhelming.
"Please... We both know you're no helpless girl. You're more like a queen wasp. Now tell me, why did you force those boys to make it look like they were attacking you?"
Yasmin kept her smile, though her eyes narrowed. She knew Lior couldn't be easily deceived. She had orchestrated the whole fight, used those students as pawns, just to see Elysian's heart in action.
"Nothing, I was just interested," she replied lightly. "You have nothing to worry about, dear. I'm just… studying the terrain."
Lior stopped in front of her, lowering his voice to a dangerous whisper that made her skin crawl.
"You'd better not do anything stupid. Otherwise, you'll receive a punishment. And you know I don't joke."
Yasmin gave a small, mocking bow, though deep down she knew the words of the boy in the red-shark jacket were no idle threat. No one in Maravilla Academy wanted to be on the Number One's blacklist.
"Of course," she said, stepping back. "I wouldn't dare go against Number One."
Elysian reached the small food stand, a bit out of breath and with his sling swaying slightly. Grecia was already sitting at a corner table, sporting that smile she always tried to maintain, though as soon as she saw him, she arched an eyebrow with lethal precision.
"Well, well..." Grecia said, crossing her arms and looking at an imaginary watch. "The hammer warrior is late. What's wrong, Elysian? Did you get lost on the way, or has the Academy fame already gone to your head?"
Elysian sat across from her, letting out a nervous laugh and scratching the back of his neck.
"I'm sorry, really. I got held up by a girl in the hallway..." he blurted out with all the innocence in the world.
The atmosphere at the table shifted in a microsecond. Grecia's smile didn't disappear, but it became... different. Her eyes narrowed and the aura around her grew heavy, as if the temperature had dropped ten degrees instantly.
"Oh... a girl?" she repeated, in a dangerously soft tone. "How interesting. Tell me more, Elysian. Was she very pretty? Or maybe she needed the great hero to explain how doors work?"
Elysian, who still didn't grasp the danger, nodded enthusiastically.
"No, no! Some guys had her cornered. There were five of them, can you believe it? I had to intervene. I couldn't leave her there alone, even with my hand like this," he said, gesturing to his sling. "I dispersed them quickly and then walked her part of the way so she wouldn't feel scared."
As soon as he mentioned the fight, Grecia's shoulders relaxed, and the "toxic mode" dialed down. Her eyes became soft again, filled with that concern she always felt for him.
"You're an idiot," she sighed, reaching out to gently touch Elysian's bandage. "You just destroyed your hand, and you go off fighting five guys for a stranger. You're going to turn my hair gray before the month is out."
"It was just a couple of kicks, Grecia. My legs work fine," he joked, relieved to see she no longer looked like she wanted to burn the place down. "But seriously, she looked so lost. Her name was Yasmin."
Grecia stiffened for an instant upon hearing the name, but quickly dismissed it. "Yasmin" was a common name, and in her mind, her sister would never let herself be seen in a situation of weakness.
They spent the rest of the afternoon eating and talking. Although they weren't officially boyfriend and girlfriend, the connection was undeniable. They shared childhood stories; Elysian talked about how he always wanted to be someone who made a difference, and Grecia, more cautiously, spoke of how music (or anything that made her happy) was her refuge when the world grew too dark.
For a moment, between laughs and confessions, they forgot about the trials, Lior, and the shadow of Yasmin lurking outside. They were just two kids trying to be happy in a place designed to destroy them.
The sky collapsed over Salem out of nowhere. The droplets were heavy and cold, lashing the pavement with force. Elysian, despite the throbbing pain in his hand, didn't hesitate. With a clumsy but determined movement, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around Grecia's shoulders.
"Elysian, no! You'll get sick, and you need to recover," she protested, trying to give it back.
"I'd rather have a cold than have you get wet," he replied with that optimistic stubbornness that disarmed her.
They ran, drenched, to the shelter of a small, closed shop. The only sound was the pattering of water against the glass. Grecia moved closer to him, shivering slightly, and hugged him tightly. It was a real hug, no shields.
"You know... when I'm with you, I feel like I can finally be myself," she whispered against his chest. "Thank you for coming to this academy, Ely."
Elysian felt his heart beating harder than the pain in his hand. Grecia began to close the distance, her eyes fixed on his; the moment of the kiss was imminent... until a strident horn broke the magic.
An elegant car stopped in front of them. As the window rolled down, a man of about thirty appeared. He had warm brown eyes and a charming smile that radiated immediate peace.
"Don't you want a ride? The rain looks like it's getting stronger," the man said in a kind tone.
"Oh, professor..." Grecia seemed to recognize him immediately. "Actually, no, thank you. We're fine here."
Elysian frowned. Professor? He didn't remember seeing him in any of his previous classes.
"Please, I insist," the man continued, laughing softly. "I couldn't leave two teenagers out here. Besides, Grecia, you know that if your sister finds out I left you in the rain, she'd kill me. Get in, at least let me take you somewhere more comfortable."
After hesitating for a second, both accepted. But when Elysian tried to climb into the back with Grecia, the man stopped him with an apologetic gesture.
"I'm sorry, kid, better sit in front. I spilled a milkshake on the back seats and it's still sticky. I wouldn't want to ruin your clothes."
Elysian sat in the passenger seat. During the ride, the man, Víctor, didn't stop talking. His energy was incredibly peaceful, almost relaxing. He asked Elysian about the trials, congratulating him on his bravery with the hammer. He seemed genuinely impressed.
Upon arriving at Grecia's house, both got out. The water was still falling, but the warmth of the car still surrounded them. Before Elysian closed the door, the man looked him directly in the eyes with a spark of benevolence.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Elysian. My name is Víctor, I'm your Philosophy professor," he said with an impeccable smile before driving off.
Elysian adjusted his sling and said goodbye to Grecia with one last smile, ready to face the rain to return to his dorm. But before he could take the first step off the porch, a feminine voice, soft and dangerously familiar, stopped him.
"Leaving so soon?"
Elysian turned. From the gloom of the house emerged the girl with the green "11" t-shirt. Yasmin.
Seeing her, Grecia turned deathly pale. The air seemed to escape from her lungs. Her older sister had just found out; the secret she had tried so hard to protect was standing right in front of her, with a broken hand and an optimistic look. Yasmin had strictly forbidden her from getting involved with anyone, and now she knew everything.
"Oh! It's you," Elysian said, genuinely surprised and with his usual kindness. "I didn't know you lived here."
"It's my family's house," Yasmin replied with an innocent, almost angelic calm. She glanced at Grecia for a second, a flash of victory crossing her blue eyes, before focusing back on Elysian. "You shouldn't leave now. Look at the sky; the rain is too strong for you to leave alone, and especially in your condition."
Grecia, behind Yasmin, looked at Elysian with pleading eyes. She shook her head slightly, a frantic gesture of "no," imploring him to leave immediately before it was too late.
But Yasmin didn't wait for an answer. With astonishing naturalness, she stepped down the porch stairs, letting the rain soak her in seconds, her white t-shirt clinging to her skin. She approached Elysian and, with a firm, friendly pat on the back—right where he didn't expect contact—she gently pushed him toward the inside of the house.
"I insist, stay tonight," Yasmin said, smiling at him as if she were his best friend. "It would be rude to let my savior get sick out there. Come in, we'll make you something warm. Right, Grecia?"
Elysian, confused by Yasmin's attitude and unaware of Grecia's silent terror, let himself be guided toward the threshold. He had just voluntarily entered the lair of the person who wanted to destroy him most, under the helpless gaze of the girl trying to save him.
Elysian held the picture frames with a mixture of melancholy and respect. The photos told a story the present seemed to have devoured. In the first, a young Yasmin smiled with a purity that seemed extinct today, embraced by a man with a noble gaze; their father. In another, from Halloween, the hierarchy was reversed: Yasmin was the delicate princess and Grecia the little warrior. They were a team against the world.
But the last photo was the beginning of the end. A teenage Yasmin, her gaze already hardened, next to a new man who cast a dark shadow over the family. The sisters' smiles had evaporated.
"That was my real father. We were a happy family," Grecia whispered, her voice broken by the memory.
"We still are, or don't you think so, little sister?" Yasmin's voice cut through the air like a silk whip.
Elysian looked away instantly, feeling his face burn. Yasmin not only walked with a predatory confidence, but her outfit was a direct provocation to his instincts. The mini-skirt left her bronzed, firm, and powerful thighs exposed, while the white t-shirt, still a victim of the rain, clung to her torso like a translucent second skin, revealing the contours of her figure with a sharpness that made the air in the room feel thin.
Yasmin sat down in front of him, crossing her legs with a calculated slowness that defied the gravity of her skirt. She handed him a hot chilate, "accidentally" brushing her fingers against his.
"Could you please change?" Grecia snapped, her jaw clenched with rage and jealousy.
"Why? I'm in my own house, I can wear whatever I want," Yasmin replied, swinging a foot nonchalantly. "I'm not bothering anyone. Am I, Pretty Eyes? Tell me, do I bother you?"
Elysian, caught between courtesy and suffocation, stammered:
"Ah... no, of course not. You can wear whatever you want."
Grecia's glare was a dagger. The debate escalated quickly: Grecia defending female dignity and Yasmin using freedom as an excuse for her game of seduction.
"Look at your boyfriend," Yasmin mocked with a feline smile. "He's respecting you by not looking at me. He's such a gentleman."
"He is not my boyfriend!" Grecia exploded, but Yasmin was already launching her poisoned arrows, mentioning names from the past: Walter, Max, L. Names that were open wounds for Grecia.
The impact was sharp. Grecia, consumed by a fury born from years of manipulation, threw a punch that knocked Yasmin down. Elysian intervened immediately, trying to curb the chaos.
"Grecia, calm down!" he exclaimed, holding her.
"Are you on her side?" Grecia shouted, tears of frustration streaming down. "She's a cheater! She could have dodged my punch, she's not weak!"
Grecia ran up the stairs in a fury, leaving a dense silence in the living room. Elysian made a move to follow her, but Yasmin's hand stopped him, gripping his arm with surprising strength.
"Let the baby have her tantrum," Yasmin whispered. With an audacious and brazen move, she shed her skirt, standing before him in lingerie that left nothing to the imagination, directly challenging Elysian's morals. "Let's do something fun instead."
Elysian looked at her. His eyes scanned the scene, processing Yasmin's physical beauty, but his expression wasn't one of desire, but of deep disappointment. He pulled away from her grip with a firmness that made Yasmin blink in surprise.
"Sometimes..." Elysian said, his voice quiet but sharp, "...some people respect the person they love. And I respect Grecia."
He walked up the stairs without looking back, leaving Yasmin alone in the gloom of the living room. She remained motionless, staring at the ceiling as a grimace of annoyance crossed her perfect face.
"Ah, how boring," she whispered to herself, adjusting her clothes. "I'll have to change tactics. The hero is harder to break than he calculated."
Elysian closed the bedroom door gently, leaving the echo of Yasmin's mocking behind on the floor below. Grecia was sitting on the edge of the bed, her shoulders hunched and her face hidden in her hands. Her sobbing was silent, but it made the air in the room feel heavy.
"Grecia..." Elysian whispered, approaching slowly.
"Go away, Elysian," she replied, her voice broken. "She's right. I'm just a disaster full of ghosts. You heard the names… Max, Walter… everyone left because I'm not enough. She is perfect, she is beautiful, she is… what a man like you should have."
Elysian knelt in front of her, forcing her to look at him. His eyes—those "pretty eyes" that Yasmin had tried to bewitch without success—were filled with an unwavering truth.
"I don't care about them, and I care even less about what Yasmin wants to pretend. I chose you."
Grecia looked at him, and in a surge of fear and desperation, she stood up. Her hands trembled as they reached for the hem of her own t-shirt.
"If you chose me... then take me," she said, her voice shaking, trying to take off her clothes with a painful urgency. "If I do this... if I give you what she offered you downstairs, will you stay? Will it be enough so you don't get tired of my problems?"
Elysian reacted immediately. Not with lust, but with the firmness of someone protecting a treasure. His hands caught Grecia's, stopping her movement gently but with a strength that brooked no argument.
"Stop," he said, lowering her hands and covering them with his own. "Don't do this. Not with me."
"Don't you want me?" she asked, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"I want you so much that I don't need you to break yourself to prove anything to me," Elysian replied, taking a step forward to stand face-to-face. "You are not an object of exchange, Grecia. You don't have to 'pay' me with your body for me to stay. I'm staying because I want to be here, even when you cry, even when you're afraid. Especially then."
Grecia froze, processing his words. No one had ever looked at her with such purity. The tension she had accumulated over years of her sister's abuse and manipulation seemed to break. She slumped against Elysian's chest, wrapping her arms around his neck, but this time not to offer herself, but to seek comfort.
Elysian wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair, which still smelled of the rain from the street. They stayed like that for a long moment, letting their heartbeats synchronize.
Slowly, they separated by just a few inches. Grecia looked up, seeking confirmation that everything was real. Elysian cradled her face with one hand, his thumb wiping away the trace of a tear.
He leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull back, but Grecia closed the distance. The kiss began softly, a shy caress that tasted of salt and relief. But soon it transformed into something deeper: a silent promise that, in the midst of the darkness of Maravilla Academy, they had found their lighthouse.
Months later, Elysian had lost the captain's position to the violet-eyed girl, Xiana.
Grecia and Elysian walked through the hallways with their hands joined, enjoying a brief moment of peace. However, as they rounded a corner, they stumbled upon a crowd of students surrounding a scene that no one dared to interrupt.
"Don't get involved in my business, Xavier!" Brad growled violently. He had a girl by the hair, forcing her to shrink away. Just behind him, Yue watched everything in sepulchral silence, her gaze icy.
"It is my business because you're hurting a lady," replied Xavier, the boy in the brown hoodie, planting himself in front of Brad without a hint of fear.
"Haha, don't get involved if you don't want to die," Brad threatened. The moment he raised his hand to strike the girl, Xavier reacted, catching his arm mid-air.
"Don't touch her," Xavier said, his voice laced with contained fury.
Brad, with a cynical smile, threw a brutal punch at Xavier's face. Xavier managed to block it, but the impact was so powerful it knocked him to the ground. Yet, Xavier didn't stay down; he braced his wrists with agility and, in a flawless gymnastic move, launched a kick directly at the back of Brad's neck.
The blow dazed Brad for a few seconds. As Xavier moved in to finish it, Brad launched a straight kick that connected squarely with Xavier, sending him skidding several meters back down the hallway.
"Ah... Lior told him not to get into trouble," a voice drifted behind Grecia and Elysian. It was Ethan, who immediately sprinted toward where Xavier and Brad were.
Xavier lunged to attack again, but Brad simply stretched his arms and grinned. At that instant, Yue burst from Brad's side like a lightning bolt, executing a spinning kick. Xavier barely managed to block it with his forearms, but the impact was so great he crashed loudly against the lockers.
"You're dead, 'Hoodie Boy,'" Brad sentenced maliciously.
But Yue, out of pure instinct, had to retreat to dodge a kick launched by Ethan, who had just joined the fray.
"You were told not to get into trouble," Ethan said to Xavier while helping him up.
"Sorry, you know me... I love breaking the rules," Xavier replied with a forced smile.
"Now, let the action begin," Brad said, slapping his palm with his fist, ready to massacre them.
Brad took a few steps forward, but a lightning-fast kick met him squarely in the face. The impact sent him crashing to the floor immediately, bleeding profusely from his mouth.
"I told you... no fighting, boys," a calm voice said. It was Lior.
"Sorry, Captain, but..." Ethan started to say, but Lior cut him off.
"Don't worry about it. You love causing trouble, don't you, Brad?" Lior said, looking down at the giant on the floor.
"Son of a bitch... kid, you've always been a pain in the ass," Brad muttered as he stood up with difficulty.
Yue didn't wait and lunged at Lior with a flurry of punches and kicks. Lior blocked every move with astonishing precision. When Yue launched a final punch, Lior dodged it effortlessly, and she stepped back to regain her position.
"A three-on-two... interesting," Brad said, smiling despite the blood.
"What are you talking about?" Lior replied. "The way I see it, it's you two against me. Honestly, I can handle both of you. So, please, don't hold back."
Elysian watched the scene, impressed. Knowing Brad was a beast and seeing someone capable of inflicting such damage on him was incredible to witness.
"I'll wipe that confident smile off your face with a damn knife," Brad threatened, furious.
But before anyone else could move, an authoritative voice stopped them.
"You know fighting among the Top Ten is forbidden," Connor said, appearing through the crowd.
"Ah, relax, Connor. It'll only be a second, and I'll kill this kid," Brad said, advancing toward Lior.
"You'd be going against 'you-know-who,'" Connor replied dryly.
Brad stopped dead. Upon mentioning that person, his fury seemed to freeze, and he calmed down instantly by force. After a few seconds of silence, Brad began to laugh hysterically.
"What do you say, Lior? Shall we settle this in a betting fight? Your clan against mine. To decide once and for all which is the best: the Shark Clan or the Blood Clan. If I win, you give me the Number One spot. If you win..."
"When I win, you will give me something I ask of you," Lior interrupted with a confident smile.
"Fine. And what will you ask for?" Brad asked.
"You'll know when I win," Lior decreed.
Both shook hands to seal the pact.
"Tomorrow," Brad said.
"At dusk," Lior replied.
Brad retreated, followed by Yue, while Lior left with Ethan and Xavier.
"That was intense," Elysian whispered.
"Yeah, they're the best in this academy," Grecia replied.
So they are part of the Top Ten, Elysian thought. He felt a spark of ambition racing through his body. I want to be Number One. To earn enough money and be able to save my dear little sister. He remembered Luna. No... it's not that I want to. I will achieve it.
His thoughts were interrupted by the class bell. Grecia said goodbye with a tender kiss before leaving. The hours passed slowly until someone knocked on the door of Elysian's classroom. The teacher opened it and nodded.
"Mr. Elysian, you may step out for a moment," the teacher said.
Upon stepping out, Elysian found a fair-skinned boy with a sharp gaze. It was Lior, leaning against the wall.
"Hello," Lior said with that indecipherable smile. "You saw what happened today, didn't you?"