Meeting Riya

[An Unwritten Event is happening.]

Arin halted in his tracks as the notification appeared before his eyes. He knew exactly what it meant. It wasn't the first time he'd seen it, but today was different. This time, he recognized the specific event that was about to unfold.

A smirk tugged at his lips as his mind briefly cleared. "Looks like "he" is finally making his move." His voice carried a hint of amusement.

The system screen blinked out of existence, and within moments, the familiar fog returned to his mind, clouding his thoughts.

Before he could resume walking, he caught sight of someone darting toward him from the corner of his eye.

"Arin!" Lina's voice rang out as she waved frantically, trying to catch his attention. "It's me, Lina!"

A soft smile formed on Arin's face as he turned to her. Moments later, Lina reached him, her chest heaving from the effort of running.

"Good morning," she greeted between breaths, her usual cheerful expression lighting up her face. "How was your night?"

"Fine," Arin responded, lightly patting her head before they began walking toward the cafeteria.

Though he smiled, Arin's mind was a battlefield. His thoughts felt sluggish, weighed down by an overwhelming fog that refused to lift. 'Damn it... I need to figure out what's wrong with me.'

He knew something was off—seriously off—and whatever it was, it was only going to get worse. The sooner he figured it out, the sooner he could fix it.

They arrived at the cafeteria, finding a table after ordering their food. Arin had specifically chosen to come here today, knowing it would likely be the last time he'd enjoy the simple pleasure of eating, and the taste of food.

"Here you go," a waitress said, placing their trays on the table with a polite nod before walking away.

Lina immediately started eating, her pace quicker than usual as she tried to keep up with Arin. The last time they ate together, he had left her behind in a hurry, and she didn't want a repeat of that.

But something was different today. As she ate, Lina couldn't help but steal glances at him. Arin wasn't himself.

For one, he was eating slowly—uncharacteristically so. And while his body sat across from her, it felt like his mind was somewhere else entirely.

"Arin," Lina called out, knitting her brows in concern.

No response.

"Arin... Arin... Arin!" she called again, her voice growing louder with each repetition, yet still, there was no reaction.

Frowning, she reached across the table and touched his hand. The sudden contact startled him.

"Huh? What?" Arin blinked, rubbing his eyes as if trying to shake off the haze clouding his mind. "Is something wrong?"

Lina squinted at him, her worry deepening. "I've been calling you, but you seemed lost," she said, leaning in slightly to get a better look at his face.

"Oh..." Arin chuckled awkwardly, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Guess I was too caught up thinking about today's Weapon Training class."

Lina pursed her lips but nodded slowly. "Okay, if you say so."

Internally, Arin cursed. 'I didn't even hear her... what the hell is wrong with me?' He exhaled softly, trying to focus.

"I guess it's my win today," Lina chimed in, her tone playful as she looked down at her empty plate. "Hehe, you're still not done."

Arin smiled weakly, glancing at his own tray of food, barely touched. "Looks like it." He began eating faster, though the taste seemed to evade him. Meanwhile, his mind raced, trying to make sense of his current condition.

**********

Tessa hurried toward the main Academy building, her eyes scanning the area for Miss Riya. Her stomach let out a loud growl, and her cheeks flushed red as she quickened her pace. 'Please tell me no one heard that...'

She hadn't eaten anything yet, having skipped the cafeteria in her rush to find Riya before class started. Meeting her seemed more important than breakfast.

Suddenly, her gaze locked onto a familiar figure near the entrance. "Ah, there she is."

Without wasting a second, Tessa rushed over to a tall woman with long, flowing black hair. The woman held a book in one hand, already on her way into the building.

"Miss Riya! Miss Riya!" Tessa called out, waving her hand.

Riya stopped and turned, her expression unreadable. Tessa quickly caught up to her, panting lightly from the exertion.

"Tessa," Riya said, folding her arms. Her tone was indifferent, as always. "What do you need?"

Tessa hesitated, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. "Uh... well, I was wondering if you could... um..."

Riya narrowed her eyes. "If you don't speak up, I'm leaving."

"Okay, okay," Tessa hurriedly replied, her eyes widening slightly. "I was wondering if you could tell me which students in my class use the Water Element."

Riya's expression didn't change. "Why?"

Tessa bit her lip, fumbling for an excuse. "I heard that Water Element users have better Mana flow."

"That's nonsense," Riya shot back, her voice sharp. "Mana flow isn't dependent on your Element."

'Damn... I should've thought this through,' Tessa berated herself.

"Oh... okay," she mumbled. "I just thought I could learn something from them."

Riya studied her for a moment, then sighed, opening her book. "Fine. Hector, Rey, Tina, Verne, Celine, Gil, and Arin."

Tessa's face lit up with a smile. "Thank you so much!"

Without another word, Riya turned and walked into the Academy, leaving Tessa behind. A triumphant grin spread across her face as she watched Riya disappear through the doors. 'Perfect. I'll meet them in the Weapon Training Class.'

**********

Upstairs, near the classrooms, students mingled in the hallway, chatting and waiting for the teachers to arrive. Alex stood off to the side, leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

Beside him stood a blonde-haired boy with piercing blue eyes, a smirk on his lips.

"Alex," the boy, Arthur, began. "How's it going with Tessa?"

Alex grinned. "Well, I think she's into me."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. "You think?"

Alex chuckled, waving at a few passing girls who giggled at him. "Yeah, but we'll get closer with time. I'm sure she likes me."

Arthur scoffed. "Love's five minutes of pleasure for a lifetime of pain."

Alex glanced at him. "That your definition of love?"

Arthur shrugged. "Just saying."

Alex smirked, but before he could respond, Arthur leaned closer. "Forget about that for now. I've got something interesting to tell you."

Alex's curiosity piqued. "Oh? What is it?"

Arthur smiled mischievously, unaware of what would soon unfold.

Today was one of the day's written on Arin's jotter... One of the days to cause.....

Chaos.

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[A/N]

Hey guys! Y'all can add "personality" to the characters in the character tab. It'll make me know what you think about them. Thank you!!