"Are you certain his name was Zion? Perhaps you misheard," Luke asked while munching on his food.
Chast rolled his eyes and clamped his hands over his ears. Ugh. Seriously? How many times do I have to hear this?
"Luke, didn't we talk about this last night?" Ronnie said, his tone sharp with annoyance.
Chast had had enough of hearing about Zion. All through the night, Ronnie and Luke had bombarded him with the same questions, over and over.
Here they go again, he thought as Luke and Ronnie started bickering. The two had even argued last night about whether Professor Zion was real or just a fake. "Can you just eat peacefully?" Chast snapped, shoving the last mouthful of food into his mouth.
Luke and Ronnie nudged each other's elbows, shooting daggers with their stares. "He's mad," Luke mouthed.
"We'd better get ready. We have class to attend." Chast pushed his chair back and stood, ready to head for the bathroom. Since I was unconscious for two days, my team was probably relieved I didn't attend class.
"The class was postponed," Ronnie said flatly.
Chast froze mid-step and turned to him. "Why?"
"We got a notice—no classes until further notice," Luke answered, still savoring his food.
Chast dropped back into his seat, his eyebrows furrowing. "Why?" he asked again, sharper this time.
"It's probably because of the incident," Ronnie muttered.
Now that it was brought up, Chast felt his curiosity flare. "What happened after the storm?" The last thing he remembered was being with Zera. Everything after that was a blur.
"All were ordered into the Academy. We were sent back to our dorms while the professors veiled the Academy in layers of protection. Beyond that, we knew nothing," Ronnie said, pausing to catch his breath. "The thunder raged for what felt like ages. And then, the next day, everything appeared normal again—except for the notice that classes were postponed."
"Now it's your turn…" Luke leaned closer, sliding into the seat beside him. "What happened when we all left?"
Chast was in a daze, trying to remember everything. He inhaled and then said, "I helped Zera—"
"What!? Zera? What happened to Zera?" Luke immediately panicked and impatiently waited for Chast's answer.
"You know Zera?" Chast asked, dodging Luke's question.
"Ughh!" Luke growled, clenching his fist. "Answer my damn question!" he enunciated, every word sharp with urgency.
Chast stared at Luke, annoyed. Why is he acting like this? Does he… like her? He pursed his lips. This idiot is a damn lover boy.
"She's fine. More than fine," Chast said, watching Luke's reaction closely.
Luke felt a wave of relief, his eyes brightening instantly.
"Who's Zera?" Ronnie asked.
Chast turned his gaze on Luke, waiting for him to explain. Who even was that creepy girl anyway? As far as I knew, she was just some teammate.
"She's a Valyrianth. The Valyrianth" Luke answered.
"What do you mean Valyrianth?" Chast asked with furrowed eyebrows.
"A princess," Luke whispered. Though his voice was soft, Chast and Ronnie heard it clearly.
"A princess!?" Ronnie and Chast exclaimed together, both trying to process what they'd just heard.
A princess? That creep is a princess!? Chast couldn't believe it. He never expected that.
"And a Seer," Luke added, his face flashing with a mix of pride and joy.
"What!?" Ronnie yelped, his eyes widening as his jaw dropped. He couldn't take this barrage of revelations anymore. What next!?
"What do you mean, Seer?" Chast asked, puzzled.
Luke snorted, while Ronnie shot Chast a pitying look. This boy is hopeless.
"It's an ability to foresee—"
"What?!" Chast exclaimed, cutting him off. Realization struck. I get it now! "That's why she was so creepy, always spouting riddles." He shivered, remembering the way Zera's eerie eyes had pinned him. "Ugh! That was scary. I need to avoid that creepy princess!"
"What? Don't tell me she…?" Ronnie stammered, hugging himself. "She didn't, right?" He curled up on the couch, scooting closer to Luke.
"Yeah. I didn't know back then. I just realized it now when you said she's a Seer." Chast muttered. He pictured Zera in his mind, her face blank and her eyes glowing like she was possessed by demons.
Ughh! Chast shook his head hard, trying to shake the image away.
"Tell me… tell me what she said to you!" Luke shook Chast by the shoulders, eyes blinking fast, a wide grin spreading across his face.
Chast rolled his eyes. "I don't remember," he said honestly. To him, Zera had just been spitting nonsense, and he hadn't paid attention to any of it.
"Jeez! Useless!" Luke huffed, jabbing Chast's shoulder before flopping onto the couch across from him. He needed to put some distance between himself and Ronnie, who was still clinging to his arm. Tsk. Scaredy cat.
"What if she cursed you?" Ronnie asked, concern glinting in his eyes as he looked at Chast.
Chast froze, his breath caught in his throat, eyes widening. A cold breeze seemed to brush against his skin as sweat slid down his spine. He turned to Ronnie stiffly, like a robot. "I… uh…"
Damn! He couldn't force the words out. It felt like a lump had lodged in his throat, choking him. He swallowed hard.
What if Ronnie's right? What if that creepy girl cursed me? Is that why disaster keeps following me around? Did she brand me with some bad omen?
The thoughts spiraled through his head, each one heavier than the last, pounding until his skull ached. They ticked like bombs inside him, threatening to explode at any moment.
When Chast froze, Ronnie realized what he'd just said might actually be possible. He clung to Chast, shaking.
Seeing both of their reactions, an idea lit up in Luke's mind. A smirk tugged at his lips as he snapped his fingers at the floating orbs, and the room suddenly dimmed. Chast and Ronnie panicked in their seats.
"There's a rumor that Zera is a witch…" Luke's voice dropped low. He paused, sneaking a glance at the two boys across from him.
Chast and Ronnie exchanged looks, disbelief flashing in their eyes. She's a witch!?
"They say she's already cursed a few people. Some died… and some went insane." Luke took a deep breath, biting back a laugh.
Shit! What kind of curse did that girl put on me? Chast thought, his hands gripping his jeans.
"Damn!" Ronnie clenched his jaw, wiping at the cold sweat on his forehead. Then he chanted, "Umyaka si galey." A blanket appeared on his lap. He flapped it dramatically and ducked beneath it like it was a shield.
Chast pulled his legs up onto the couch and hugged them tight. What kind of spell did she cast on me? Am I dying? Or just going insane? Do I need a psychiatrist?
Luke burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the room as he clutched his stomach. "You… idiots!" he managed between gasps, pointing at the two.
Ronnie and Chast glared at Luke furiously, their fists tightening. All their fear and panic instantly turned into rage.
Ronnie slammed his blanket onto the table and stood up, his face flushed red with fury.
Chast rose too, rolling up his sleeves and shooting daggers at Luke with his eyes.
Luke froze mid-laugh, sensing the heat of their anger. "Uh-oh…" The orbs started to flicker in different colors.
Shit! Luke leapt over the back of the couch to escape.
Ronnie lunged at Luke as Chast sneered in delight.
"Get back here, idiot!" Chast barked, sprinting around the couch while Luke darted the other way.
"Stay away!" Luke flailed his hands as if shooing them. "It was a joke! Just a joke!" he pleaded.
"Joke, my ass!" Ronnie growled, circling from the opposite side.
They trapped Luke in the middle. With a wild grin, Chast lunged and tackled him, sending them both crashing to the floor.
Chast twisted Luke's arm behind his back, pinning him down. Luke groaned, patting the floor in surrender.
Ronnie crouched beside them and started jabbing Luke's stomach with light punches. Luke burst into helpless laughter, writhing as if the blows were tickles.
"Sorry, I'm sorry!" Luke apologized between his laughs, pounding the floor like a beaten wrestler.
"Sorry your ass! You need to suffer!" Chast pounced on Luke like a wrestler going in for the final slam.
Ronnie stopped then stretched his hands. Groaning, he grabbed Luke by the hair and playfully slammed his head on the floor.
"Get off! Enough!" Luke roared. He was still laughing, but the wince on his face betrayed the sting of pain.
"I'm wrong! I won't do it again!" Luke pleaded, but the two boys ignored him, piling on with their harassment.
"I'll be your slave! I'll be your slave here in the dorm for a week!" Luke gasped, struggling to catch his breath.
Ronnie and Chast froze, then exchanged glances. Their eyes gleamed with the same wicked idea. Slowly, their winning smiles flashed on their faces.
"One month," Chast said slyly.
"Deal!" Luke blurted, instantly regretting his own proposal.