As though he recalled something, Atticus suddenly turned and walked back into the building, startling Isabella who had been watching him leave.
"Did you forget something?" Isabella approached and asked.
"Ah yes, since I only have until tomorrow, I would like to meet some people."
He had almost forgotten that only the first year's Ravenstein were with him. He would need help to meet the others.
…
It was just a bit after 9, and the morning rays were still radiating down from the sun at full force.
In the middle of the bustling campgrounds, just beside the imposing black terminal, was a round building.
It was akin to a large coliseum. It had no roof and an expansive and elegant interior with a grassy landscape.
In one corner of this building, with her back resting on a slanted part of the grassy landscape, was the figure of a purple-haired girl who seemed to be in some sort of debate.
Just in front of her was the fluttering figure of a petite and tiny fairy-looking being. They were none other than Zoey and Lumindra.
"I should have just told him yes, Lumi," Zoey said, her voice tinged with regret.
Lumindra suddenly stopped moving, her petite figure turning to face Zoey. In a light, high-pitched voice tinged with exasperation, she spoke.
"I've told you countless times, that would make you seem cheap! You always have to respond with a 'I'll think about it.' It's the law!"
Zoey turned her gaze away from her petite spirit, her expression morphing into a cute pout. She suddenly picked up a pebble from the ground and threw it into the distance.
Lumindra couldn't help but sigh. 'I actually prefer the denying-her-feelings Zoey,'
"I heard that!" Zoey snapped.
Just as Zoey was about to throw a pebble at Lumindra, her movements suddenly paused.
'How?' Zoey thought, baffled.
She had just suddenly felt a presence, a presence that she shouldn't be feeling considering the fact that she was in her division.
Zoey snapped her gaze to the side to see the figure of Atticus standing just a few meters away, his back resting on the wall.
Atticus currently had a cheeky grin on his face, one that, as Zoey saw it, she couldn't help but panic, swiftly getting up from her seat.
"A-Atticus? What the hell are you doing here?" Zoey inquired, trying hard to maintain her composure.
'Please tell me he didn't hear our conversation!' Zoey thought frantically but then she seemed to realize something, 'Lumi!'
Zoey turned towards where her spirit was supposed to be, surprised to find out that she wasn't there. This surprise turned to relief, thinking that she had been able to hide.
But that notion was destroyed in the next second as she heard Lumindra's high-pitched voice.
"So you're the boy making my Zoey so confused, huh?"
Lumindra's small figure fluttered around Atticus slowly, her tiny hands stroking her chin as she scrutinized Atticus from head to toe.
"Lumi! What the hell are you doing!" Zoey exclaimed, throwing her petite spirit a glare.
"Oh please, it's only a matter of time before you introduce me to him. Why not now?"
Lumindra didn't turn to look at Zoey; instead, she kept on staring at Atticus, as though trying to assess him.
Meanwhile, Atticus was utterly baffled. "Um, Zoey? Why is… she circling around me?"
"Hmm, I guess you're not so bad. You have good taste, Zo," Lumindra didn't seem to care about Atticus's confusion, fluttering close to his face.
"Lumi!" Zoey swiftly closed in and grabbed her spirit with both hands before she would die of embarrassment.
Lumindra tried to scream, but only muffled sounds came out, Zoey's hands clenched hard. Lumindra eventually gave up. With a sigh, she suddenly turned ethereal before entering into Zoey's body.
Zoey let out a sigh of relief, turning towards Atticus. She just couldn't understand why Lumindra had done this.
She had been there observing her and Atticus's interactions and had seen him literally every time she saw him. What the hell was she assessing?
"Who was that?" Honestly, Atticus had a rough idea about what that thing was, but not who. Zoey had told him countless times about the Starhaven bloodline, so he was able to instantly tell that she was a spirit.
"Ye-" Zoey had unknowingly tried to answer before she suddenly shook her head. "Wait, forget that! How are you here?"
"I teleported here," Atticus answered succinctly with a smile, earning an eye roll from Zoey.
Feeling her intense stare, Atticus smiled slightly and walked closer to Zoey. He decided to suspend the spirit matter for now.
"I'm-I'm leaving soon."
"What?" Just as he had expected, Zoey was completely confused. She still hadn't gotten an explanation as to how he was here, and now he had said something she couldn't completely understand.
However, Zoey was perceptive. The fact that Atticus was here and that he hesitated in his speech, coupled with the words he had just spoken, made reaching a conclusion not hard.
Zoey's gaze widened, her eyes focused on Atticus, silently demanding answers.
Atticus didn't waste any time and immediately explained everything to her. Atticus, of course, left out a lot of things, especially those that didn't directly influence his leaving the academy. In conclusion, he was leaving the academy in order to train and battle the other races in the Verietega Nexus.
At the end of his explanation, a palpable silence enveloped the whole space.
Zoey's gaze momentarily lost focus, a myriad of thoughts flowing through her mind. She currently had no idea how to feel.
Atticus was leaving for the betterment of the human domain; it should be something that she would be proud of. But no matter how she thought, she couldn't bring herself to be happy.
'Why am I feeling this way?'
It wasn't only about her missing Atticus; it was mixed with another feeling. One that she didn't like in the slightest: jealousy.
Even she had to admit that both Atticus and her becoming close happened incredibly fast, so fast that she couldn't understand it.
She remembered Lumindra's warning about how strong he was, and she also remembered every overwhelming display of power he had ever shown.
Her dream had been to leave the academy as fast as possible, join the war, and eradicate the Zorvans, but seeing Atticus leave way earlier left a bad taste in her mouth.
It was utterly weird, but at the same time, it was a feeling that enveloped her. Zoey was jealous.