Young Writers Society

‘I’ll have to go, and so do you,’ Gael said after a few minutes of them lying on the bed side by side, shoulders touching. ‘The priests would search for you by now.’ He shrugged. ‘I guess the same goes to Aleveri.’

Haka turned to the side and buried his face in Gael’s shoulder. He hummed. ‘I don’t feel like going with the church. I like being here with you.’

Gael sighed. ‘You don’t have a choice. Your parents have given them their permission. Like I said, don’t worry. You won’t be with them for long.’

They left Gael’s room and walked to Felaris’s. On the way there, Haka spoke. ‘Um, so, how do we do this? Are we – are we a couple now? Do we kiss?’

Gael chuckled. ‘You like me. I like you. Maybe that makes us a couple?’ He raised his eyebrow. ‘Do you want to kiss me?’

Haka stopped. Gael turned to him. He was staring at him intensely. ‘Actually, I do.’ There was a hint of growl in his voice. ‘I do so much.’

Gael shook his head, chuckling. ‘You’re horny.’ He did enjoy the thrill of hearing Haka, though.

They continued their walk. ‘I’ll do so much more if you let me,’ Haka said. Of course, he had to whisper it to Gael’s ear just to make Gael have goosebumps.

By Xesar’s fire did Gael have goosebumps. Haka was being a tease, unafraid to show what he felt – and wanted – in public. Gael wasn’t prepared for this. If he wasn’t in his right mind, he’d let Haka pin him to the wall and kiss him hard. He’d let him tear his clothes and take his virginity right there, right now. Damn it. He was horny too. He shook his head. Focus, Gael.

Once they arrived at Felaris’s door, Aleveri came out. She looked at Gael before turning to Haka. ‘It’s time. We have to go.’

Haka’s jaw tightened. ‘What if I don’t want to go?’

Aleveri sighed. ‘I don’t know. Something bad? Maybe you’d be expelled? Our parents have agreed to this. We have to go, Haka.’

Haka muttered how his parents didn’t want him to go this academy in the first place.

Gael was too surprised with Aleveri’s sudden exit to hear it. ‘Is the meeting over?’ he asked.

She shook her head. ‘It’s not, but I’ve said my part. Ilami can fill you in.’ She touched Gael’s shoulder and took a deep breath. ‘I wish none of this ever happens. I really wish the church isn’t that bad. But that would be too naive of me. Be careful, Gael.’

Haka looked around to make sure there was no one watching them and quickly kissed Gael. Deep. He wrapped his arm around Gael and hugged him tight, sending sparks to his stomach. He couldn’t do anything but to kiss back. After a few seconds of eternity, Haka released him. Both of them breathed heavily before they realized Aleveri was watching.

She was wide-eyed and silent. ‘Wow,’ she said, finally, blushing. ‘I – that was too intimate.’

‘Yeah, well, we’re a thing now,’ Haka said, grinning. ‘Deal with it. Let’s go.’

When Gael entered the room, everyone was watching him. The atmosphere turned rigid all of a sudden. It was like Serra encased it with ice.

‘We need to talk about you and Haka,’ Veris said.

Felaris raised her eyebrows and folded her arms. ‘We do need to talk, but it’s just about Haka. Can you trust him?’

Gael frowned. ‘Why shouldn’t I? He’s my friend.’

‘You saw how he fought me. You saw how he fought Ilami. He wasn’t sane the moment he turned into that beast. The experimentation changed him for the worse.’

Gael clenched his jaw and looked at Ilami. She only looked back… reassuringly? He turned to Felaris. ‘I saw his fights, yes. I can see how he gets angry easily right now. But deep down he’s still the same Haka I know. If he doesn’t look as stable as he was before, it was because of what the experimentation did to him. Not literally, but emotionally. The things he went through…’ He gulped and took a small pause. ‘They planted an artifact inside him.’

Felaris tilted her head.

‘What?’ Seya said, frowning.

‘Are you sure about that, Gael?’ Ilami asked, finally.

Gael nodded, suddenly feeling tired. ‘It’s the only answer I could come up with. I don’t know how they put it in him, but it explains why he could drain someone’s energy. Farava’s Twin Bracelets, Life Taker and Life Giver, can respectively drain energy and provide it. They’re among artifacts that have another exact copy of them but with opposite ability.’

For once, Veris didn’t look interested with the knowledge. ‘Just be careful around him, Gael. For all we know, if someone pisses him off, he’ll give them no mercy, even if they’re you.’

‘We get it, Veris,’ Ilami said, staring at him. ‘It’s not as if you don’t have a volatile friend. I remember how one of you locked me as a target the moment I entered this academy.’

Seya laughed and pat Felaris’s shoulder. ‘That’s a good one, can’t lie,’ she said, wiping her tears. ‘We have to focus on the plan, though. You’re late to the party, and I’m too lazy to repeat things, so Ilami will fill you in.’

He wasn’t in the mood to think, anyway, not after these people who didn’t Haka like he did doubted him. It reminded him how the real friends he had in this room was Ilami – even Veris was biased when it came to Haka. For Serra’s sake, how was he going to break the news to him? That they couldn’t mess around any longer now that Haka and he were a couple?

If he has the same understanding of the relationship you have – which is ‘messing around’, as you said – then he would be fine. But from what I can see, he sees it as something more, Serra said. Nonetheless, I do believe it is best if you end your fling with him. It will bother you when it should not be.

Easy to say, Haka said, unaware of the conversation going on. You aren’t in my position. Are you Naturals even have romance? From what I know, you might as well don’t have the capacity to love.

Serra laughed. Far from it. Xesar prefers both women and men while Lio is boring – he likes women and women only. Wermin strictly desires on women while I – well, let us just say I love whomever I want regardless of their gender.

Oh my Natural, Haka said, in awe. And the Church dares to think love between men is sinful.

Or women, Serra said, her voice sorrowful. It disgusts Lio. His downfall, I might say.

What do you -

Felaris slapped him in the face.

He blinked, then turned red. ‘What is that for?’

‘Your mind’s somewhere else,’ she said coolly. ‘I’m just putting it back to where it belongs.’

‘Don’t do that to my friend again,’ Ilami said coldly and stepped closer to him. ‘You blanked out, Gael.’

‘Oh,’ he said, then smiled. ‘Sorry.’

‘Don’t apologize. The meeting’s over. Let’s go,’ Ilami said, glaring at Felaris. She grabbed Gael’s hand and dragged him out of the room. No one stopped her.

‘Who does she think she is?’ she said as they passed a group of students at the hallway. ‘It’s like she thinks she can do whatever to you.’

‘Maybe it’s because I don’t look like I’d fight back,’ Gael said dryly. They arrived at Ilami’s room. Thankfully, it was empty.

‘That’s one thing I’ve been wanting to ask you,’ she said as she settled on her bed and gestured him to sit next to her. ‘Have you been practicing your fighting skill?’

Gael shrugged as he was reminded about what he had lost by losing in the Test. The plan he had agreed with Serra was to use the artifact he had won against the Church. It would take a while to master it, but it was better than having nothing. Now that he lost, he didn’t get the artifact and his friends were taken away.

‘I’ve been studying for the Test,’ he said. ‘I didn’t make time to practice my fighting skill.’

‘As expected,’ Ilami said, nodding and frowning. ‘That is bad news. I also was too focused on winning the Test that I forgot to learn advanced spells. We don’t have much time for that now. The current plan is to have half of us infiltrate the laboratory and the other half to wait.’

‘Wait? Why do some of us have to wait?’ Gael said, frowning.

‘To keep watch,’ Ilami said. ‘Felaris, Seya and I will check the laboratory. We won’t be long – we just want to find evidence that the experimentation did happen. Veris and you will keep watch. That way, we can alert each other if we’re in trouble.’

The plan didn’t sound foolproof at all, but Gael couldn’t think of something better. Well, he could, but he didn’t think Serra would approve. ‘Is that it? I just have to… look out for you?’

‘Practice your blood magic,’ Ilami said. ‘We think it’s better if you learn more effective stealth spells. Felaris and Seya will find the right magical triggers for that. It shouldn’t be hard for Felaris – she comes from a Great House, after all.’

‘So do you,’ Gael said, raising his eyebrow. ‘Why don’t you check if your family has magical triggers?’

Ilami sighed. ‘Too risky. Mother is involved in this experimentation, I’m sure of it, and after what we did at the Restricted Area, I’m pretty sure she’s secured the magical triggers tightly.’ She laid on the bed. ‘I’m just – I’m too tired to think about her right now. Am literally tired. Let’s talk about this later.’

‘Um, okay,’ Gael said, rising.

‘Also, you’re going to tell me what happened with you and Haka. Do avoid lying. I know there’s something going on with both of you. I’m just not sure what.’

‘Will do, mistress.’ After he left, he wondered, Am I that obvious?

Yes, Serra said.