After the game, it was lunch. I invited Vel to come with me to the trees we saw during training. It was usually open for students to hang out, and some, not all, like to go there for walks or picnic. When we got to a bench, we both flopped down with a sigh.

I gave Vel a wary glance.

"You seem tense."

"What! Oh, no..." Vel shrugged, stifling a chuckle. "Still pumped from training, that's all."

I eyed her suspiciously but didn't push her. Two girls walked past, chatting with each other. Suddenly, they turned their heads to look at us, smiling and waving as they did. I waved back and Vel didn't.

"Something's on your mind," I said quietly.

She looked startled, "I... um..."

"I can understand you don't want to tell me," I added, "but just so you know, I'm all ears if you do."

Vel's purple eyes danced. She pulled off her gloves, finger by finger. "I've been alone since day one, so I think it'll be good to have someone to talk to."

I didn't reply, willing her to continue. I was going to be a good listener.

"I was acting weird on day one, sorry," she said, unable to meet my eyes, "I was not being myself, but you really gave me a second chance today," a small smile bloomed, "most people would just think I'm weird and give up."

I let out a playful breath, "everyone's weird in their own ways! And that's an honest word."

She tilted her head, purple eyes blinking, "you're right, actually."

"If that's what you're worried about, don't worry about it. People just need to learn to mind their own business," I smiled, "everyone has their down days, even me-"

"It's not that," she sighed, "I never wanted to come to this school."

Her voice went quiet and I sat a little bit straighter; subtly though, I didn't want to startle her.

"I only came to this school because-" she released a sigh of frustration, her eyes giving an alert scan to the environment "-I need to find my brother."

Brother? Robin!

"Who?" I asked quickly, and sorry, it was for selfish intents – to feed my curiosity. "I could keep a lookout."

"That might be true. I don't really... move around a lot in school," she glanced to the deeper part of the woods, biting her bottom lip. "His name is Jaxton Dawn. Do you know?"

I grew rigid.

Know? Do I know him? DO I KNOW HIM! I literally... oh my god...

"I-"

"He hasn't been in contact with me, and I haven't seen him. I did go to his camp once... to find him, his friend said he wasn't in camp. In fact, they said he hardly stays in the camp. Sometimes it's hard to catch him even during evenings." She closed her eyes, pained, "at least I know he's alive."

"I'm sorry, girl," I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. God, Jaxton, why so cruel?

"Truth to be told, I think... I think he's searching for Robin."

What? I wanted to spit, but I held my tongue.

"I'm not sure if he actually is," Vel's focus was wandering, "he should be..."

"Robin's your...?"

"Oh, sorry, Robin, Jaxton and I grew up from the same orphanage," she said, and I stilled. I didn't know how to react to that back story. "Robin is not our biological brother, but we grew up together so we practically are. Some people say he went missing and some said he was on a solo mission. I heard it was part of the graduate program for seniors."

"Oh..." I furrowed. I heard differently from Marty's troop and haven't gotten wind on any other stories. So, I wonder...

"I'm worried about them both." She downcast her gaze.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

She offered a strained smile, "Jaxton's already on it, I'm sure... right?"

Her voice broke at the end and I felt a pang of ache in my chest. I had to tell her. "Look, Vel, Jaxton's fine."

"He is?!" Her violet eyes sparkled. "Where! Have you seen him?"

Yeah, dying on my bathroom tiles.

"Yeah, I've seen him around. I've seen him..." I paused for a moment. "I've seen him in class."

She narrowed her eyes, "are you tricking me to make me feel better?"

"No!" I exclaimed. "I would never do that! That would make the situation worse."

"Yeah, I was about to say," she shrugged, "sorry, I've been sceptical. I don't want to get my hopes up."

"I understand," I continued, "I can prove it – unless there are two Jaxtons then idk – but does he have dark hair and emerald eyes?"

"Emerald eyes," she slipped on a sly grin, "nice wording. I'm sure he'll be pleased if he ever heard that."

"It's very green, okay?" I laughed, "the greenest I've ever seen."

"That's true," she pointed at her own eyes and I laughed louder.

"Yes! You have the most unique, most majestic pair of eyes I've ever seen."

She broke off into a chuckle with me, and before we've finished, I embraced her into a hug, "I'm sure your brothers are fine, they can take care of themselves. If I see him again, I'll tell him to come and find you – that Jaxton – and you'll get to ask him everything about Robin."

"Oh, actually," Vel's eyes wandered and I spared a glance over my shoulder. There was a group of friends who crossed over a stream and wandered back through the trees. "Actually, just let him know I'm fine. I was just thinking of him."

"Well, you two can contact through phone, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Vel stifled a chuckle, "just ask him to read my texts."

I nodded and leaned back on the seat. "For now, Vel, take care of yourself. We'll figure this out. Talk to me, okay? Don't hide everything to yourself."

"I'll vent to you, Cassie," she smiled sweetly, "when I need to."

"How about we meet up for lunch everyday?"

"H-here?"

"Yeah! Are you... worried about something?"

"No, not worried-" before she finished her sentence, she leapt from the bench and pulled me with her. "Cassie, someone's here."

I unsheathed my sword and snapped my head toward the voice.

"Lookie, it's the weakling," Lambert scoffed. He had his two followers trailing behind him like tails. "The loner has a friend, I can't believe it!"

"Leave Lambert," I straightened, my gaze flattening to a bored stare. "I don't have time to deal with you."

From Lambert's glance, he definitely looked like he wanted to leave, but the moment he took a step, he changed his mind. He turned, head-tilted, glaring at me with golden eyes. "Actually, why do you get to say when I should leave? I'm not leaving, you are. We want this spot, ladies."

"It's not yours," Vel spoke up and her voice was stronger than I remembered. "You don't own it."

Lambert waved it off with a laugh. "Oh, that same old defence. Boring-"

Before he finished, Vel waved her arm and struck one of his followers straight in the face with a pink, dust powder. It hit him with a full blow.

"If you find talking boring, then I hope you find this more entertaining," Vel slipped on her last glove and shot off the ground.

"Vel-ah... screw it," I zoomed forward, my fist connecting with Lambert's follower on my left. He replied me with a kick, except his feet swung the air, coming short inches from my stomach. He was already stumbling backwards into the water.

As I aimed for Lambert, he pulled his hand out from his pocket and forced me to stumble back.

"Vel, he's a blood manipulator!" I warned.

Vel was about to throw another punch, except the magic was directed back to herself. I watched in horror as the magic released itself. With a zap of yellow light, Vel flew back, hitting a tree.

"Shoot!" Vel wasn't moving.

I turned around, my face flushed. "That's it..."

I pulled out my sword, but Lambert smirked. "Bad move."

I was thrown back, my sword flying out from my hands. His followers recovered to a stand, one gestured to the back. "Yo, mate, I gotta uh..."

"Yeah, run along," he scowled and his 'mate' scurried off like frightened rats. One of them wiped the blood from the corner of their mouth and stayed.

"I'll stay with you, Lam."

"Knew you would, Randall."

I let my ice powers go and shot Randall in the face. Randall, no more.

Lambert clicked his neck and held onto me tighter. I wheezed, but I was unable to move. Lambert's glance shifted to Vel.

Oh, no he doesn't...

He kicked me in the side and then lunged me toward the bench. Before I could react, my ankle hit the edge of the bench and I toppled over to the side of the path. I slipped on the slope but grabbed on with an outstretched hand on a trunk.

"Stay away from her!" My feet reached the other trunk and I grabbed onto a nearby bush to pull myself up. Lambert raised his saber in the air.

"Don't worry, it'll be a nice little tattoo for her!"

No! Reflecta! Protect!

I threw myself to Reflecta, muttering a quiet chant without thinking much. Reflecta shone a green light, aimed straight for Lambert's saber in the air. I watched as Lambert turned.

Oh, shoot. Green is not my element.

"Reflecta, grant me the wind," a gust of wind blew up a pile of leaves, covering Lambert's vision. The green light struck the saber with precision, sparkling off with a trail of fire. The blade of the saber broke in half.

"Crap!" Lambert leapt away, startled. He watched his saber with a look of disbelief. "What the hell... no!"

"Serves you right," I said with a clench of my jaw. Now let's just hope he didn't see that slip. I raised my sword. "Leave, Lambert, I already warned you."

Lambert looked at me with pure rage. He charged at me like a mad bull. I could already feel my control on my limbs slipping, but I managed to draw out my ice powers. A glacier pushed Lambert to the side, but he recovered with a dodge.

I felt my knees buckle and I was kneeling. Shoot, he's going to land a hard one on me.

His fist was cutting through the air, but before he reached me, Vel's fist reached him first, connecting with his cheeks. Next, Vel threw up her leg and booted him in the stomach. She watched him tumble over with death in her eyes. She drew back her fist again, throwing him another on the nose.

"The next one's mine, Vel," I got up and landed another kick on him. I looked to the side, "someone's coming, could be a teacher on-duty, let's roll."

I gave a gentle shove, urging Vel to run in front of me. We both sprinted across the school grounds and only slowed when we were near a few troop caves.

We bent down, panting but grinning.

"That was-" I laughed "-Vel, you are brutal."

"He deserved it."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"Same here," Vel chuckled, "full-on revenge in your eyes, Cassie."



***



Vel and I separated on our ways; she had rushed back to her dorm, for some reason, while I had study break and I decided I was going to 'book an appointment' with a certain someone. I walked past Target Practice and slowed to a stop.

I watched James take three shots, each ending with a disappointed sigh.

"James, practicing your shots now?" I teased when he finished firing three bullets.

He breathed a scoff, "yeah."

He swung his gun around, his index finger in the trigger hole. I watched with an alarmed look. Forgive me, I'm not a person with guns.

James noticed I was staring, except I wasn't staring at his gun anymore. I was staring at the far side of the wall. There were no bullet marks on the target hung there.

He groaned, "I know what you're thinking. I'm just trying to train myself to master it..."

"Master what?"

"I created it myself. I just don't know if I'll be able to... get it."

I raised both brows. Did he create his own original skill set?

"Wow, that's amazing! Have you named it?"

He shrugged, his eyes looking to the distance. He was actually thinking of a name now.

"Three shots," I offered.

He gave me a flat look. "How about three shatters?"

"Well, it matches your powers," I grinned. "Uh, do you know where the Phoenix camp is?"

James furrowed and gestured, "it's there. You looking for someone?"

"Yeah," I said and before he could ask, I gave him a wave and jogged off.

I found Phoenix's camp with no trouble. The flag had a brown backdrop and the phoenix was the colour of golden, spreading its wings in flight. I walked inside the camp, and my eyes immediately settled on the familiar blonde. He sat on a wooden bench, writing up an assignment with his leg hooked on his other knee. He did a double-take and his hazel eyes lit up when he recognised me.

He gestured, "hi! You're the girl who versed Jaxton!"

I rubbed my neck, "ha, you still remember me."

"Yeah, yeah... um... Cassandra, right?"

"Yeah!" I replied, excited. "Sorry, you are?"

"Yoan, nice to meet you," he stood up, biting on his pencil to give me a handshake. "You looking for Jaxton?"

"Actually, I am," I gestured at the dorms, "is he here?"

"Ah, no..." he said sheepishly, hazel eyes narrowing from his smile, "he's often not here. I don't see him often these days either. That lad..."

"I know," I admitted, earning a curious glance from him. I cleared my throat, "could you let him know I've been here?"

"Of course."

"Ask him to come and see me when he can. I need to talk to him."

"Sounds serious." He furrowed. "Is it urgent?"

"Kinda is, kinda not. I'm sure he'll respond quickly."

Yoan looked even more confused. With his mouth agape, he glanced to the side uncertainly, "I can't promise that but I'll pass it on. Where and when do you want him to-"

"Oh, he knows," I threw the sentence with a smug look.

Yoan tilted his head and laughed, "I don't know what's going on between you two, but alright... I'll quote your words, exact."

"Thanks loads, Yoan," I said and left the camp as swift as an easy summer breeze.







***

A/N

Yoan: She knows, he knows... huh, these two are definitely flirting.

Author: *nodding at the screen* good deduction, Yoan.



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