AT THE SAME TIME
XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:
The ground shuddered, and before I could blink, I felt it. The roar. It hit like a wall, rattling the Academy, echoing through the halls, filling the courtyard with a low, menacing rumble. I couldn't even see the damn thing yet, but I felt it crawling through my bones. The B-rank monster was here.
Students screamed and scattered, pushing each other in panic to get to the gates. The air thickened, a charge of terror hanging over everything. My instincts kicked in, I should've been in the front, but my feet wouldn't move. Every part of me screamed to act, but I was frozen. And then I saw him. Villiam Blackstone.
He wasn't running. He wasn't afraid. He stood there, in the middle of the chaos, staring down the beast like it was some inconvenience he'd have to deal with. His bow was already in hand, and he wasn't shaking. Not even a little. I knew he was good, but this? This was something else.
"Villiam! Get back!" Someone shouted.
A student, probably the one with the most sense, is trying to pull him away. But he didn't flinch. He just pulled the string back, slow and steady, eyes locked on the beast's charging form.
"What the hell is he doing?" Ren muttered beside me, his voice sharp with panic.
I didn't have the answer. I couldn't even think clearly. My mind raced, trying to process why he was the one in control here. Why wasn't I the one stepping up? Villiam didn't answer. Instead, he took a deep breath, steadying his aim. The air seemed to stretch out before the shot.
"Move it, or you're going to get trampled." He barked at the students as he got ready to shoot.
Then, in a flash, the bowstring snapped. The arrow flew like lightning, sinking deep between the beast's eyes before it even had a chance to scream. For a second, everything went still, then the monster's body jerked, and it collapsed with a sickening thud, the impact shaking the earth beneath us.
"Holy shit..." Karl whispered, his voice low with awe.
The courtyard went silent. The only sound was the slow drip of blood as it pooled on the stone floor. And Villiam? He lowered his bow with the same casual ease as if he'd just flicked away a fly. The students stared at him, like they had just witnessed a god walk among them.
"Is it over?" Someone stammered. "Did yo-"
"Yeah, I did." Villiam's voice sliced through the air, rough and direct, as if the beast wasn't even a challenge. "Now get moving. Clean this up before we attract more."
The students scrambled, some not even bothering to thank him, just rushing around in a frantic haze to follow his orders. But not all of them were running. My sister, Isabella, was standing there, frozen. Her wide eyes were glued to him.
"Villiam, that was... that was incredible." She breathed, her voice barely a whisper, as though she couldn't quite believe what she'd seen.
Villiam didn't even look at her. He didn't need to. He was already turning his back, moving toward the wreckage.
"It's not over yet. Get to work."He said.
I felt a twist in my gut. Isabella looked at him like a hero. Like a legend.
"Xavier?" Ren's voice cut through my thoughts. "Are you alright?"
I snapped my attention back to him, fighting to keep my voice even.
"Yeah."I said.
But inside? I was boiling. That shouldn't have been his moment. Not like this. I wanted to step forward. To do something. But the words were stuck in my throat.
And then I saw Villiam again, walking away with that same unshakable confidence. He wasn't supposed to be the one they were looking to for answers. He wasn't supposed to be the one they were worshipping.
"Villiam!" I snapped, taking a step toward him. My voice barely held back the storm of frustration. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
He stopped. Just for a moment. His back was still to me, but I could see the muscles in his shoulders tense. Then, with a slow turn, he faced me, eyes cold, almost... amused.
"Me?" He tilted his head slightly. "I'm the one who just saved your ass."
My jaw clenched.
"You didn't-"I started.
"I did." He interrupted me, the words sharp as knives. "You should be thanking me, Xavier. You should be on your knees, grateful."Villiam said, annoyed. "Isn't it right a golden hero?"
I wanted to snap back, to rip into him with everything I had. But the words didn't come. Because, deep down, I knew what he was saying was true. He'd done what I couldn't. And the academy had just seen it.
"Blackstone." The headmaster, Celvin, appeared.
He walked toward Villiam with that same cold, measured expression he always wore when something truly important happened. His eyes flicked from the beast's lifeless body to Villiam, clearly sizing him up.
"How do you know how to kill something like this?"He asked.
Villiam didn't seem bothered by the question. He didn't even hesitate before answering.
"I've killed worse."He said.
There was no boasting in his voice. No arrogance. Just cold, matter-of-fact confidence that made me grind my teeth. Villiam, of course, didn't think much of it. He was beyond confident, even as Celvin raised a brow.
"Really?" Celvin's voice was filled with disbelief, though his face remained unreadable. "And how, exactly, do you acquire such experience?"
"You grew up in places like I did, Headmaster. You either learn fast, or you don't survive."Villiam said.
Celvin looked as if he was digesting that answer, but he didn't press further.
"We'll talk about this later. But for now..." He nodded towards the students. "Everyone, get to work. Make sure there's no more damage."
The students slowly began to move, but my attention was elsewhere. It was impossible to tear my gaze away from Villiam. He was... untouchable. I couldn't even compete. And then I saw her. Isabella. My sister. Standing there, eyes wide, fixed on Villiam like she was seeing some kind of living legend. Her lips parted, her chest rising and falling as she watched him walk away, completely unfazed by the attention he was getting.
The realization hit me like a slap in the face. She was already gone. She had already fallen for him. The same way I had. The way I still... did. I tried to swallow it down, but the taste of it, jealousy, was bitter in my throat. My fingers twitched, and for a second, I wondered if I might do something stupid. Tell her to stop looking at him like that. But I knew I wouldn't. I couldn't. She turned toward me, and I forced myself to look at her, trying to hold onto my composure.
"Xavier?" Her voice was soft, gentle, like she was trying to figure me out. "Are you alright?"
The question, as simple as it was, nearly made me snap. No, I wasn't alright. I took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto my face, though it felt like it might crack at any second.
"Yeah. I'm fine." My voice was tight, too tight. I couldn't even look at her for too long without feeling the pressure in my chest.
Her eyes softened, but I could see it the same adoration she had for Villiam, reflected in her gaze. She didn't even try to hide it.
"That was amazing. What Villiam did... it was incredible."She said.
I could hear the way her voice wavered, like she was trying not to let her emotions spill over. But it was obvious. She wanted him. She was already taken by him. And that hurt more than I cared to admit. I crossed my arms, trying to fight the burning jealousy inside.
"Yeah, I saw." The words left my lips with more bitterness than I intended, and Isabella didn't miss it.
Her brow furrowed slightly as she looked at me, concern in her eyes.
"Xavier, what's wrong?" Her tone was soft, almost as if she were afraid to upset me.
"Nothing." I snapped, forcing the words out. "It's just..." I stopped myself before I said something I'd regret.
But I knew she could tell. Isabella's gaze flicked to Villiam again, just as he mounted his black stallion, Demon. The massive creature seemed to move with a strange grace, as if it too had been born for battle. And Villiam? He was already walking away, leaving us behind.
"Xavier..." Isabella whispered. Her voice had that tender quality to it, the kind I hated hearing when she was looking at him. "He's something else. Isn't he?"
I couldn't hold back my frustration any longer.
"You're just like me, aren't you?" I spit the words out before I could stop myself. "You're already falling for him, too."
Isabella flinched, but she didn't deny it.
"I... I can't help it."She admited.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to calm down. But there was no mistaking it. She wasn't just admiring him. She was in love with him, just like I was.
It was all I could do to keep my anger in check. And all the while, I couldn't stop thinking. Villiam Blackstone had taken everything. And I didn't know how to fight him.