TOURNAMENT: PART 1

***

THE LOUD cheers, appreciation and claps filled the arena as students heard the surprise announcement of their headmaster Carsillion.

While everyone was cheering and applauding, Evelyn wasn't happy. She knows now why the headmaster made a deal with her.

'So becoming one of the top four representatives wasn't enough but he also wants me to fight with the Elites. What does he want from me?'

Evelyn pondered his intention for dragging her into the academy's affair.

"So you're going to participate in that...?" Silvester questioned which made Evelyn snap out of her thoughts.

"Y-yeah... I guess."

Gab and Silvester stared at her. "Are you alright?" The two said in unison.

"I'm fine," she replied to both of them.

***

The Elite force enters as well as the representatives for each year. Evelyn saw her brother walking in tow with the other sophomore representatives. His face was the same as usual. Stoic, out of emotions, and as cold as the glaciers.

He was wearing a different kind of uniform, perks of being one of the representatives. He wore a navy blue blazer and a polo shirt of white with a few buttons up until his neckline, paired with raven lock pants.

"I admit that our bloodline produces some good genes though it has some nasty side effects when it comes to attitude." She paused for a bit to take a good look at her brother before she continued. "So he's one of them huh?" She said to no one in particular as she squintef her sunset eyes to see the other representatives.

"Look there... Is that the Prince? Kyah!!!"

"Goodness! Lord Cabel is also part of the Elites!"

The loud noise of the young noble lady gathered the attention of the onlookers and they shifted their gaze to the Elites Force that was at the top of the stadium where a room was made for them to have a special view of the fight.

"So he's part of that group." Gab was the one who broke the silence between them as his golden eyes glowed dangerously.

"So what will you do?" Sylvester asked Evelyn.

"Well... I'll just fight then," she stated.

'But why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?' She thought before she saw the pink haired girl entering the arena below.

"What's she doing there?" She mumbled as she pondered. She suddenly clapped her hands together as the memories came to her again.

Silvester and Gab looked at her in bewilderment and she dismissed their observant eyes before she continued her thoughts.

'Right! The novel! It's one of the events where my brother will start to fall in love with the 'heroine' Elise! How could I forget it?!' 

She hides her smirk on her face with her hands. She was interested in finding out how the stoic brother of hers will change his attitude when he meets Elise.

'I know that my brother is trash but I can't help to anticipate how he will react. It's still the promising love at first sight as said in the novel.' She stared intently at her brother and Elise simultaneously while she tried to hide her laugh.

Evelyn's sunset eyes sparkled in amusement and the guys beside her followed her gaze and stared at the same direction where her brother was. The two guys alternatively thought...

'So she still cares for her brother,' Gab thought.

'Hmm... I thought the rumors said that her brother and father don't care about her. Maybe it was just a rumor,' Silvester thought as he looked at Evelyn's pleased eyes.

Amidst their thoughts, Evelyn was planning to use this as a counter-attack for her brother.

***

"Lady Elise from the house of Count Acker wins the fight!"

The host said as he announced the winner for the nth time.

Elise fought with all her might while brandishing her light power to everyone.

Evelyn scoffed as her thoughts wandered. 'Yeah! We know you're a light magic user!' Evelyn was indifferent.

But what came next surprised her. Her brother was talking to Elise while he escorted the tired lady away from the arena and to the lounging area at the back of the stadium. As they entered the passageway, Evelyn saw her brother. He was… smiling?

"What the f*ck? Is that really my brother?!" It was the first time she saw her brother smile. Though she knew the charisma of the heroine, it was still a terror for her to see how her indifferent brother changed just like that.

"The powers of a heroine really are something! To attract that emotionless guy. What a feat!" Then she looked at the guy sitting at her right hand side.

'Is this guy going to become like that too?'

She pushed down her thoughts as Silvester caught her stare.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

"I'll be going down... I'm next!" She stated.

"Okay! Break a leg!" 

Silvester cheered while Gab menacingly stared at him. Evelyn just shook her head.

"What?" He asked in bewilderment as the reaction he anticipated was different.

***

-Swish!

-Baam!

The opponent was knocked down after ten minutes in the fight!

Evelyn was standing at the stage, looking like a dashing lady full of thorns.

She wore a crimson slim-fit cotton shirt where the v-line of the neck was stitched with a ribbon and the end was cut in an empire waist. She paired it with white fitted slock pants that ended at her knee and was also wearing black leather knee cut boots.

"Woah! I didn't know that Lady Evelyn also knows how to wield a sword!" The audience murmured when the host announced her victory.

"Maybe it was luck!"

"Oh, right! Isn't it said that Lady Evelyn will fight Sir Vallen?"

"I heard that they made a deal because Lady Evelyn's lover went berserk on Sir Vallen!"

*gasp* "How unladylike! She's such a shame to the nobility."

Gab turns his head around to see the gossipers who dared to slander his master.

"Stop doing that Gab," Silvester said.

"And what's this got to do with you?!" He retorted.

"I'm just saying that don't do things in a rash decision... It will be Evelyn who will clean up your mess." Silvester advised him.

Gab clicked his tongue. "I know that! That's why we're in this situation! Tsk!" He scratched his bright red hair in frustration.

"I just want to knock out that Vallen and kill him!" He continued, his voice growling dangerously.

Silvester shook his head. "Eve will be shocked when she sees you in that state... She'll wonder where her innocent Gab has gone," he teased but at the same time he was giving a warning.

"I wonder how long you can keep that innocent facade that you made for Eve," he continued.

Gab's golden eyes flicker like a dangerous beast. "Don't you dare warn me with that! I know fully well what's best for Eve. And don't call her with her pet name!"

Silvester just laughs at the raging Gab. "She permitted me, Gab! You can't do anything about it," he said teasingly.

The two stared at each other menacingly.

While her friends were having a heated argument, Evelyn was sheathing her sword.

She didn't even sweat and just defended herself to prolong the fight.

"Fighting those monsters a year ago really paid off." And when Evelyn said 'monsters', she also meant Shiek because he was one of them.

She didn't know that Shiek was using a considerable amount to hold back against her. That when he began to take her seriously, she always ended up on the ground.

Thank goodness she already saw a monster in the shape of a human, her master, Shiek.

"No one can be as scary as him."

***

Evelyn wanted to go back to her seat by her friends when she saw Adley in the passageway. The torched that hung from the walls illuminates the dark hallway.

"Your highness... Greetings!" She did a curtsy that the second Prince dismissed.

"Lady Evelyn, I thought that we had a deal to not call each other with titles," he said while Evelyn scratched her face lightly in embarrassment.

"You did well on your first match."

"Yes... Sir, Adley" 

He smiled at her flushed face.

"Oh by the way... This is Ishid, my aide, he's also one of the representatives." He beckoned and his aide, Ishid, came out from the back.

"Greetings, Lady Evelyn. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"It's also my pleasure..." She said and Ishid came up to her and kissed the back of her hand. He stared at Evelyn while doing so. His long silky smooth hair tied at the back of his head shone like night but upon closer look, she noticed that it was a crimson red.

He stared with his abyss like eyes that sent shivers down Evelyn's spine as his hand was also cold like ice.

"I hope to see the lady again some other time."

"Huh?"

He smiled and let go of her hand.

"We need to go, your highness," Ishid said while he led the way for Adley.

"You're right. Anyway, congratulations again on your win." Adley said and they left Evelyn alone in the desolate hallway.