The lecture hall was packed to the brim, the air thick with nervous energy. Students fidgeted in their seats, their eyes darting toward the front of the room where Orion stood, holding a single sheet of paper. His usual smug grin was wider than ever, a telltale sign that he was about to deliver news that would either thrill or devastate the class.
Cain sat slumped in his usual spot, his arms crossed over his chest, his head tilted back as if he were on the verge of falling asleep. His expression was one of utter indifference, though the faint dark circles under his eyes betrayed the toll the midterms had taken on him. He had survived, barely and that was enough for him.
Selene, seated beside him, poked his side with a sly grin. "Nervous?" she teased, her voice dripping with mock concern.
Cain yawned, not even bothering to look at her. "Nope."
I already survived the damn thing. That's enough.
Orion cleared his throat dramatically, silencing the murmurs that had begun to ripple through the room. "Alright, students," he began, his voice carrying an edge of theatricality. "Your midterm results are in."
The tension in the room spiked. Cain could feel the collective anxiety radiating from his classmates, but he remained unfazed. He had done what he needed to do, and that was all that mattered.
Orion's eyes scanned the paper in his hands, his smirk growing even wider. "And in first place…" He paused for effect, drawing out the moment as if he were announcing the winner of a grand competition. "Astra Nightveil."
The class erupted into murmurs, heads turning toward Astra, who sat a few rows ahead of Cain. She leaned back in her seat, a self-satisfied smirk plastered across her face. Her crimson eyes glinted with mischief as she turned to glance at Cain over her shoulder.
"Tsk, tsk, Cain," she said, her voice dripping with mock disappointment. "Second place? I expected more."
Cain blinked, his brow furrowing slightly. "…Wait, second?" he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.
Orion nodded, his smirk never wavering. "Indeed. Impressive, considering how lazy you are."
Cain shrugged, his expression returning to its usual state of apathy. "Huh. Neat."
Astra's eye twitched, her smirk faltering for a fraction of a second. "Neat? That's all you have to say? I beat you."
Cain waved a hand lazily, as if swatting away a fly. "Yeah, yeah, good job. You want a medal?"
Astra's lips pressed into a thin line, her crimson eyes narrowing. "I was expecting you to be at least a little bothered."
Cain chuckled, the sound low and lazy. "Why? I barely studied."
Astra groaned, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "This is unfair."
Mira, who had been lounging nearby with her feet propped up on a desk, smirked. "Cain, I think you just made an enemy."
Cain yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "Yeah, well, she can take a number."
As the murmurs in the lecture hall died down, Orion clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Now that midterms are over," he began, his tone shifting to one of mild authority, "you have one week before classes start again. Use it wisely."
Cain stood immediately, his chair scraping against the floor. "Cool. I'm gonna nap," he declared, already turning toward the door.
Selene, however, was faster. She reached out and grabbed the back of his collar, yanking him back into his seat. "Oh, no you don't," she said, her voice firm. "You have faction duties."
Cain groaned, slumping back in his chair. "We have what now?"
Mira, who had been half-asleep in her chair, let out a long sigh. "You see? This is why I don't join things."
Cain shot her a glare, though there was no real heat behind it. "Thanks for the support," he muttered.
Selene ignored his protests, pulling out a list from her bag. "We have a backlog of tasks that need to be completed before classes resume," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Inventory checks, equipment maintenance, and most importantly, cleaning the hideout."
Cain groaned again, louder this time. "Cleaning? Seriously?"
Mira smirked, her silver-blue hair falling into her eyes as she tilted her head. "Sounds like a nightmare."
Cain shot her a look. "You're part of this faction too, you know."
Mira shrugged, her expression one of utter indifference. "I didn't sign up for chores."
Selene rolled her eyes, clearly used to dealing with Cain's antics. "You're both part of this faction, which means you're both responsible for helping out. No excuses."
Cain slumped further in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest. One week of freedom, and I already regret it.
As Selene began delegating tasks, Cain couldn't help but glance at Astra, who was still smirking in her seat. She caught his eye and raised an eyebrow, as if daring him to complain. Cain simply rolled his eyes and looked away.
Great. Not only did she beat me, but now I'm stuck doing chores. This week just keeps getting better and better.
But as much as he wanted to grumble and complain, Cain couldn't shake the faint sense of satisfaction that came with knowing he had secured second place without even trying. And if that annoyed Astra, well… that was just a bonus.
For now, though, he had more pressing matters to deal with like figuring out how to get out of cleaning the hideout.