Purple Eyes & Wave Of Mana

Arin stared at Tessa, his expression unreadable. Not one for small talk, he decided to get straight to the point.

"Something is going to happen tonight," he said, starting to walk forward slowly.

Tessa's brow furrowed at his words. "What is it?"

Arin glanced at her as he continued walking, his hands clasped behind his back. "I need you to do something."

Tessa let out a sigh, turning away to face a nearby tree. "Chaos, seriously? Even after what we talked about?"

Arin paused for a moment, watching her carefully. "Who said I wasn't going to tell you?"

She turned back around, crossing her arms as she glared at him. "It just felt like you were going to keep me in the dark again."

"I see..." he muttered, his gaze holding hers for a beat longer than usual.

"So, are you telling me or not?" Tessa demanded. "Because you're still yet to te—"

Her words trailed off into a rant about how he always kept secrets, about why he knew a lot of things, about the strange encounter with Seraphine in the forest, and the mysterious small orb he'd retrieved from her head.

"Tessa..." Arin muttered, but his voice was so low that she didn't hear him. She continued talking.

Suddenly, everything started to blur. Tessa's voice became distant, and he felt like he was losing himself.

'What... What is happening? No... I have to do something...'

He felt as if he were on the verge of slipping into unconsciousness, needing to snap himself back. There was only one thing he could think to do.

"TESSA!" Arin roared, his voice echoing through the forest.

[WARNING!]

*WHOOSH*

His eyes glowed a deep purple as a wave of energy surged from his body, sending a shiver down Tessa's spine. She froze, her breath caught in her throat, as fear gripped her.

Arin's eyes returned to their normal color as he turned away, grasping a tree trunk for support.

"Give me a minute," he muttered, his voice steady this time.

Tessa nodded, still shaken by what had just happened. She watched as he leaned against the tree, catching his breath.

Arin had screamed to wake himself up, but he had no idea why his Chaos element had surged like that.

Tessa closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them. "So, why are we leaving this time?" she asked, deciding to ignore what had just happened for now. She could ask about it later—if she dared.

Arin let out a scoff, turning to look at her. "We're not leaving the Academy."

Her eyes narrowed, curiosity mixing with caution. "Then what do you want me to do ?"

She had expected him to say they were leaving the Academy again, so this was a surprise. Still, she was ready to listen to whatever he had to say.

---

Tessa stood silently, processing everything Arin had told her. It was a lot to take in, and she needed a moment. Arin waited patiently, his arms crossed as he leaned against a tree.

Finally, she looked up at him. "So, that's all I have to do?"

"Yes," Arin confirmed, nodding slightly. "Then we let him do the rest."

Tessa sighed, feeling a mix of relief and apprehension. At least he had told her something this time, not just left her in the dark.

"Okay," she said. "I understand."

"Good," Arin replied. He pushed off the tree and began to walk away. "You should start now. Later might be too late."

Tessa nodded. But before he could leave, she called out, "Chaos."

Arin halted but didn't turn around. She knew he was listening—he wouldn't have stopped otherwise.

Tessa hesitated, glancing down as she fiddled with her fingers. "I just wanted to know... What are you going to do after we finally get rid of Alex Whiteheart?"

Her voice was soft, almost unsure. "I mean, that's the current goal, so what happens after that?"

Arin stared ahead, his eyes narrowing as he focused on a tree in front of him. He had expected her to ask about his eyes or the burst of energy, not this. He let the silence stretch for a few seconds before he spoke.

"I don't know," he admitted, his voice unusually gentle. "But I won't know if I don't achieve what I want first."

He paused, glancing at the ground. "Once that's done... then I'll figure out what comes next."

Tessa watched him quietly. It made sense, in its own way.

With that, Arin continued walking. Then, suddenly, he stopped again. Tessa raised her head, looking at him curiously.

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "How are you feeling now?"

It was an unexpected question, and Tessa felt a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "That was... unexpected."

"Tch..." Arin clicked his tongue. "Just answer the question."

She chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand. "Calm down. I didn't expect you to care, that's all."

"I feel better now," she added, her smile fading slightly. "At least better than last night."

Arin muttered something under his breath, turning back around and walking away, leaving Tessa alone in the forest.

She watched him go, feeling a mixture of emotions swirl inside her. "Just like he said, it's better to do it now."

With a resolute nod, she exited the forest and headed toward the main Academy building. Her mind drifted back to what Chaos had said would happen tonight, making her frown. 'Of course, he's serious. He wouldn't joke about something like this.'

From the time she had spent with him, Tessa knew one thing for sure—Arin was always right. She didn't know how or why, but he always was.

Her thoughts flickered to the incident with his glowing eyes and the wave of energy. 'I'll think about that later,' she decided. She had to focus on her current task.

'It's still early, so I'm sure he's still inside.'

Tessa entered the building and made her way up the stairs, reaching the hallway where students still milled about. She walked briskly, scanning the crowd until she saw Alex talking to a girl with long brown hair.

The girl was pretty, though not quite as stunning as Tessa herself. Still, she was the type boys would be falling for left and right.

"Tch..." Tessa clicked her tongue in annoyance, though it wasn't directed at Alex this time. Instead, it was aimed at the girl. They had history—an interesting one.

Tessa moved toward Alex, who was holding the girl's hands as they laughed.

Alex noticed her approach and quickly let go of the girl. "Oh," he muttered, starting to walk toward Tessa. "Edith, I'll talk to you later."

Edith glanced at Tessa, her eyes narrowing. She knew exactly why Alex was leaving and it made her roll her eyes. "Of course. Only Tessa can make him act like this."

She didn't want to stick around and witness whatever was about to happen, especially considering her complicated relationship with Tessa.

Alex finally reached Tessa, a sweet smile on his face. "Tessa, how are you?"

Tessa forced a smile, keeping her eyes fixed on him. "Oh, I'm fine."

"Hmm," Alex murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to read her. "I actually want to talk to you about something... a lot of things, actually."

"Oh," Tessa replied, her voice flat. "I also want to talk to you."

"Great," Alex said, his blue hair catching the light as it fluttered softly, accentuating his handsome features. "Let's go somewhere quieter, like the field."

"Okay then," Tessa agreed, nodding slightly.

She was tired of this facade, but she had no other choice. 'This has to work.'

Meanwhile, Arin had arrived in his room and shut the door. The day wasn't over yet, so there was still time before the show began.

'I should be done with this before night falls,' Arin thought as he removed his uniform and headed to the bathroom.

After a long shower, longer than usual due to his unstable mind, he sat down in a lotus position on the floor.

It was time to complete his new spell, but first...

'I think I know what's wrong with me now...'

'It's because of...'