The Unknown

It had been two days since Zeira's suspension, and as soon as she left, something immediately happened to Gaia. She was attacked by Lily. Two days had passed, and Lily's group was happily chatting as they headed to the mini garden for their activity. Lily led her friends ahead, mentioning that she needed to go to the restroom to freshen up first.

"Girls, go ahead. I just have to make sure I look good in front of Zhyke," Lily quipped with a smirk and a wink to her friends. They cheered before leaving Lily.

Since they were already on the Academy grounds, Lily opted to use the restroom nearby, located at the back of the mini garden. While Lily was on her way, she grinned upon seeing a trash can, reminding her of the 'trash' she had punished two days ago. She was infuriated with Gaia for being just an ordinary friend of the three royalties.

"Serves her right," Lily muttered to herself, remembering what Gaia had experienced. For Lily, she had merely taught her a lesson.

"Really?" Lily turned in surprise when someone responded to her. Lily chuckled at the strange figure in front of her – a girl with a black half mask covering her mouth and nose, thick glasses, and a black hoody jacket on her head. Lily couldn't identify her.

"What is it, weirdo?" Lily teasingly asked the mysterious figure. She could only see the girl's eyes. Lily could tell it was a girl based on her clothing and physical shape.

The girl in front of her remained silent, just staring at Lily. Lily raised an eyebrow, growing impatient with the girl's silent treatment.

"Look, if you're messing with me, I'll entertain you later. But now, I need to look beautiful for my King. Okay, weirdo?" Lily shot a last glance at the girl before sneering and turning away. However, she was abruptly halted when she couldn't move her feet. Her eyes widened as she saw vines slowly wrapping around her legs.

'Vine control?' Lily thought, confused. Lily didn't know any student with an ability like hers, making it challenging to identify the girl behind her. Lily was sure she was the one responsible for this.

"What the hell? Look, miss, I don't want to waste time! I'll give you a chance to leave before I turn you into a cocoon with my vines," Lily irritatedly warned. She was confident in herself as her ability was in the Supreme Tier.

"Your vines that I also have too," the girl behind her calmly said. Lily wondered where she had heard that voice before. But she was more puzzled by what the girl said. "What are you talking about?"

Lily couldn't move because she couldn't see where the girl was standing. Lily gained some courage when she felt the girl behind her. But Lily was taken aback when the girl suddenly appeared in front of her and choked her.

She couldn't move as vines were also clinging to her hands. The anger and hatred she felt seemed to extinguish like a dying fire. It felt like she couldn't breathe when she saw the light emanating from the girl's eyes.

'A God Tier!' Lily exclaimed in her thoughts. She didn't know there was another student in the God Tier aside from Zhyke, but the question remained: Who was this?

Lily just stared into the eyes of the girl, which shone with a golden color. The chokehold on her wasn't too tight; it seemed like the girl was assessing her.

"W-who are you? Y-you're a God... God..." Lily stuttered in her question. She couldn't see the girl's reaction, but Lily became more thoughtful about what she said. "What are you talking about?"

Lily couldn't do anything as she couldn't see where the girl was standing. But Lily was relieved when she felt the girl behind her. However, Lily was surprised when the girl suddenly released the chokehold. But her relief vanished when she felt the vines slowly rising towards her neck again.

"L-let me go! I-I haven't done anything to you!" Lily pleaded, tears forming due to the lack of air. It seemed like it was the end for her.

"Don't tell anyone about me. If you want to live..." the mysterious girl said coldly. The vines gradually loosened from every part of Lily's body until they disappeared. Lily collapsed onto the Bermuda grass and gasped for breath.

"I-I promise," Lily quickly replied. She remained bowed down, still gasping for breath. "And next time, don't challenge me again."

Lily could only watch as the girl walked away slowly. Until she lost consciousness due to the mix of emotions, the pain in her hands and neck.

A few minutes after the incident, Gaia was heading to the mini garden for their activity. She passed by Lily's friends, who were currently carrying her. Gaia just smirked at what she witnessed. Thanks to Lily, she spent a day in the infirmary. She was in bad shape, but fortunately, the Academy's advanced potions allowed for faster recovery. Caiz and the others visited her the next day. They bombarded her with questions about who did that to her.

"Karma hits her," Gaia commented when she noticed Fier looking at her seriously from behind. She was with Caiz, Fier, Zhyke, and Rania. Gaia saw her for the first time, usually alone and always with an expressionless face.

"Good for that girl. You don't need to seek revenge against her, Gaia," Caiz commended. She even clung to Gaia and gave her a mischievous smile. Gaia frowned at Caiz because she was being too clingy.

"Let's go, Caiz. You're just wasting time," Zhyke interjected sharply. He pulled Caiz away from Gaia, and they walked ahead. Rania followed them, leaving Gaia with Fier.

Gaia raised an eyebrow when she noticed Fier's serious gaze on her. "Don't let yourself be swayed by—" Gaia immediately cut off what Fier was about to say.

"I know what I'm doing, Fier. Don't dictate to me," Gaia firmly stated and left Fier looking at her back, still gazing seriously at her.