Chapter 31 Valencia's Mindfulness (2)

Chapter 31 Valencia's Mindfulness (2)

My stomach twisted; gratitude and annoyance sat uneasily side by side.

The words "Can't we be friends" hung heavy in the air, an unexpected olive branch from a boy who, until a few days ago, I'd categorized as... well, let's be polite, non-friend material. My fist clenched, not in physical anger, but in a desperate need to reclaim some control. Before my brain could catch up, my hand shot out, knocking his away with a sharp smack.

The sound echoed in the sudden silence, a punctuation mark on the tension-filled room.

Slap!

His eyes, those same blue eyes that usually seemed lost in daydreams, met mine without flinching.

There was no spark of anger, no hint of hurt. His expression remained an unreadable mask, as impassive as a Greek statue.

The lack of reaction somehow ignited a different kind of anger within me. "I only stayed to say thank you," I hissed, my voice trembling with a mix of frustration and something vaguely like... disappointment.

Why did I care if he understood my reasons?

"Don't even think you have any right to ask such a thing."

He shrugged, a movement so slight it almost wasn't there. "Guess I did overstep... Acquaintances then, I suppose." His voice was flat, an empty echo in the space between us.

"Think whatever you like," I spat, turning on my heel and marching towards the library. [Pinnacle Academy: Library (Central)] n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The library doors swung open with a soft sigh, releasing me into the familiar hush of towering bookshelves and whispered conversations. My stomach still churned from the echo of Rel's offer, his impassive face a puzzle I couldn't solve. My gaze flitted down rows of leather spines, searching for the usual haven – Lyra and Camila's corner tucked beneath the giant window.

Sunlight streamed through stained glass, casting kaleidoscopic patterns on the polished floor. There, tucked in the sun-dappled corner, they were. Lyra, was a whirlwind of energy as always, her eyes lighting up like startled owls at my arrival.

"Val! Finally! We were about to look into this mana theorem," she announced, her voice bouncing off the shelves.

Camila, smacked Lyra's head to hush her up. "No screaming in the library." The ever-so-calm Camilia greeted me with a warm smile and a pat on the worn wooden table. "We saved you a seat," she said, her voice like a soothing balm.

Guilt pricked at me. I meant to join them straight after Rel, but the weight of his unexpected words had kept me adrift in a sea of confusion. Now, their familiar faces, their easy laughter, felt like a lighthouse in the fog.

Why would he want to be friends with someone like me?

I smiled at them and pulled out my copy of the tables for mana theorem, settling into the chair beside Camila. As Lyra's dramatic reading filled the air, my gaze drifted back to the window.

The Academy grounds were bathed in golden sunlight. Students meandered on the manicured lawns, their laughter echoing in the crisp summer breeze, creating an idyllic scene of peace.

For a while Lyra launched into a dramatic retelling of the morning's lecture, and my mind stumbled to catch up.

Mana Theorem, with its swirling formulas and perplexing principles, seemed a language from another world compared to the tangled emotions stirring within me.

"um, Lyra the formula you used for spell optimization you did it the other way around..." Yet, slowly, as the discussion flowed, the rhythm of their voices and the familiar logic of the theorem began to work their magic. Mana efficiency, the curse of most first-year exams, was the topic du jour.

"Maybe he wants to change his profession into a mage," Camila quipped, trying to stifle a giggle.

Their whispers reached Rel's ears. He spun around, eyes wide, brow furrowed. "huh? I could've sworn I heard someone."

We froze, and as we quickly moved out of the way of his vision we ended up in a bunched-up human ball. Rel, after a tense moment, scratched his head and mumbled, "I should've brought my glasses I can't read this." He glanced around, seemingly oblivious to our hidden presence.

I exchanged a relieved look with my friends. I couldn't help but be amused by his paranoia. He was lost in a library, looking for a book on the basics of mana, and he was convinced that he didn't see us. I can't tell if he was real or not.

We retreated to our corner, chuckling under our breath. The tension from the Mana Theorem eased, replaced by a lightness born of shared secret amusement.

[8:00 pm]

The afternoon dissolved in a flurry of diagrams, calculations, and heated debates. Outside, the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the floor.

"Finally!" Lyra stretched, her spine popping like a book unbent. "Mana theroem was an actual pain."

Camila snorted, gathering her belongings. "Yeah, pain like a cockroach you only stunned. We still have three more topics to cover."

"Tomorrow's another struggle," I sighed, shoving my notes into my bag. "We still have another in-class test to do."

Checking the time on my watch it was already eight. We left the library and outside the streetlights hummed to life, casting the cobblestones in pools of honeyed gold.

At the dorm, hugs were exchanged and mumbled promises made about breakfast at Allen's Cafe (Lyra's non-negotiable rule). Climbing the familiar stairs, silence draped over me like a cool summer sheet.

Moonlight streamed through the oversized windows, painting my room in silver stripes that danced across the plush carpet. The air, usually alive with the campus chorus, had finally settled, except for the soft whirring of the air conditioner, pushing the warm air into lazy swirls.

I collapsed onto my chair, exhaustion clinging to me like a second skin. But then, a realization sparked - two free hours stretched before me, a blank page in my week.

But I realised that today I had 2 more hours to myself so I had free time for the first time in weeks.

My gaze drifted to the VR Gaming Capsule beside my PC, a sleek, chrome egg that had been gathering dust since my father gave it to me as a present. It was a technology I never understood, so maybe now is the time to try it.

I stood up and walked towards my desk. I remembered a new free-to-play game that was released this month and switched on the capsule from its side. It powered on just like any other brand-new system.

Flick!

I sat down on the egg-like chair and felt my body relax as the chrome egg enveloped me. The headset slowly lowered before my eyes. I think the game was called Crownfall. Lyra had mentioned it was a famous PvP game that relied on real-life abilities. Maybe I should give it a try.

______

Authors Notes:

- Valencia's Dorm room was the biggest compared to any other first-year girl living in the women's dormitory - De jour is a French term meaning "of the day". In English, it refers to a dish served in a restaurant on a particular day.

- when Axel received a slap from Valencia he lost 2 health points. Ouch...