Atticus nearly choked, coughing a few times as he quickly tried to regain his composure.
Around them, the other youths cast envious glances, watching the duo intently. They tried to eavesdrop on the conversation, but no sound escaped the few meters around them.
Lirae was very beautiful, and not only that, she was an apex. Many of the males wanted a chance to speak to her.
Atticus's mind raced as he pieced together what had just happened. 'She got me.'
By kissing her hand, he had already implied that he found her attractive.
His thoughts drifted to Seraphina, recalling her parting words, 'She's watching…'
After a brief pause, Atticus replied, "Yes, you're… pretty," while keeping his tone even.
Lirae's smile widened. "Hmm," she said, resting a hand on her chin as if lost in thought. "Do you have a girlfriend, Atticus Ravenstein?"
Atticus nearly lost his composure again. This is the last thing he expected her to ask here. But he quickly collected himself, about to answer, "Ye—" when he stopped himself.
'That's right, she didn't say yes.' His thoughts had instinctively gone to Zoey, but she had turned him down before he left the academy. He was, technically, single.
"No, I don't," he finally answered.
"Do you want to be mine?"
Atticus felt his stomach flip, his gaze narrowing slightly. 'What the hell is going on?'
Atticus wasn't an expert when it came to women, but he wasn't so clueless as to miss that he was being hit on. The real question was, Why?
'Sure, I might be handsome, but still…' The humans were at the bottom of the power hierarchy. Even his victory at the Nexus couldn't change that, and he knew the superior races held their pride high.
Even if the reincarnated apexes had a different outlook, he doubted it would change much.
Then he remembered something Magnus had told him. 'A honey trap? Is she after my bloodline?'
Magnus had mentioned Lirae's use of abilities of the Angel race during her fight. Reaching a conclusion wasn't hard, she had the ability to absorb the powers of others.
The thought made Atticus wary, but he still decided to answer.
"I have someone I like," he replied cautiously.
Lirae raised an eyebrow, clearly unbothered by the pause. She seemed amused. "Oh? So… are you asking me to join your harem?"
Atticus blinked, caught completely off guard. He was starting to doubt all his previous assumptions.
"I'm not asking you to join anything."
He took a subtle breath to steady his expression, but Lirae burst into laughter, clearly satisfied by his reaction.
"You're so fun to tease," she said, grinning. "I wasn't sure before, but now I'm certain—you're a virgin, aren't you?"
Atticus froze, inwardly cursing. 'This woman…'
"Well, I'm only sixteen,"
Lirae laughed even harder, clearly entertained by his response. It was obvious that handling women wasn't his strong suit.
"Don't forget who you're talking to, Atticus Ravenstein," she teased, still chuckling.
Atticus stayed silent, his expression darkening slightly. He knew exactly what she was implying—they were all reincarnated, which meant he had been a virgin in his past life as well.
"Aww, you look upset. Are you mad?" Lirae teased, inching closer to him.
"I'm not," he replied evenly.
Lirae tilted her head, clearly aware she'd struck a nerve. "Hmm… How about this? Ladies love it when their man has experience," she whispered, her smile shifting to something more mischievous. "How about I help you with that?"
Atticus cleared his throat, giving her a deadpan look. "I think I'll pass."
"Harsh," she pouted, though she was clearly enjoying his discomfort. "Looks like you won't be losing that virginity anytime soon," she teased, breaking into laughter.
Just as she seemed ready to make another comment, a young Vampyros youth approached them and bowed deeply. "Lady Lirae."
Lirae sighed, sending a reluctant look toward Atticus before offering him a parting smile. "I'll see you later," she murmured, her gaze lingering before she turned and walked away.
Atticus's eyes couldn't help but follow her as she left. That had to be the most awkward conversation of his life. An apex, a being from a different race who was supposed to be his rival, had just flirted with him.
'No, it's definitely a honey trap,' he thought. Atticus just couldn't think of another reason apart from that. Maybe she was trying to get him to fall and then take his powers?
After the encounter, Atticus continued his walk through the hall. Now, however, he noticed hostile glares from other youths, especially from those of the Vampyros race.
None of the superior race apexes approached him, choosing instead to ignore his presence entirely. In fact, they each seemed to keep their distance from one another as well, interacting only with their respective circles.
Not long after, Atticus was approached by another apex—this time from one of the mid races, Ae'ark.
Ae'ark approached with a friendly smile. "To think I once drew against the Apex of all Apexes," he said, extending his hand.
Atticus smiled, accepting the handshake without saying anything. He appreciated Ae'ark's lighthearted approach.
Ae'ark kept the conversation polite and casual, steering clear of any serious topics. Still, Atticus felt he owed him gratitude.
If not for Ae'ark, he would have entered the Nexus competition without knowing what the other apexes were capable of. Ae'ark had been the one to reveal that they were all reincarnated beings.
As they talked, another mid-race apex soon joined them—Draktharion, the dragon race's apex.
The encounter was slightly amusing. Draktharion simply stood in front of Atticus for a full minute in silence before suddenly extending his hand for a handshake, which Atticus accepted without hesitation.
Then, Draktharion's face turned crimson as he averted his gaze, muttering under his breath, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Atticus replied.
Though Draktharion looked completely embarrassed, Atticus didn't hold it against him. Dragons were proud beings, thanking someone even though they saved their life was difficult.
Just as Atticus began speaking with Draktharion, the gazes of all the apexes in the hall flashed as the atmosphere abruptly changed.
They each felt an irresistible force act upon them, one that left them powerless to resist. In the next instant, they vanished, leaving the confused and murmuring youths in the hall behind.
…
Atticus saw only darkness at first before feeling a sudden charge in the air.
Then, an intense light flooded his vision, and he found himself in the center of a circular hall, intense lightning crackling around him.
All around the hall sat the paragons of the various races, each watching him with piercing gazes.