Chapter 193: Senior Squad
Kai followed Asher to a small camp nearby.
His eyes traced the ground, and his heart inside was pounding hard.
Just the sheer mention of the Aurelian Academy made him incredibly nervous—more so than he was about going to tackle the Sky Gate with the seniors. He placed his hand against his chest as if he didn’t believe that his heart was pounding, and he was proven wrong instantly.
And it seemed someone else had taken notice of his reaction.
"Do you know someone from the Aurelian Academy?" Bree asked, leaning forward to invade Kai’s vision. "You seemed distraught after Asher mentioned that academy."
"N-Nothing. It’s nothing," Kai scratched the back of his head—and offered an assuring smile, but he quickly changed his mind as there was no way he could lie to Bree. She could smell it like a shark in water. "Just one of the academies participating in my Blood Rite. I know some of them, but they probably forgot about me by now."
Bree’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
It was hard for Kai to keep a straight face under her probing gaze.
Fortunately, she didn’t press further.
"There are other students in the Aurelian Academy. I doubt you’d meet familiar faces."
"Yeah, I guess so."
Kai looked forward again, but his mind was still a mess.
I would be lying to say that I’m not nervous about encountering Layra. It had been several months, and she hadn’t visited even once. She already moved on. I am sure about it. But what is this warmth inside my chest? Am I still hoping that she hadn’t moved on?
Even though the time they spent together was fleeting, it feels organic.
He remembered how desperate she was to be saved when he met her for the first time.
Remembered the genuine happiness in her gaze when she saw him passing the Blood Rite.
And also remember the smile she gave him after watching Mount Dam Anlan together.
Considering how bright she was at the hope of meeting him again made him doubt that she’d forgotten about him quickly, but he knew that people could change. Even Bella changed from the bright young girl she was to a sensitive and depressed one after the accident.
As an Angel, there are many accidents that could happen to Layra.
He didn’t wish her to be mentally harmed. Not in the slightest.
But accidents could happen, and she can change because of them.
Change doesn’t always mean change for the worse.
But nevertheless, she changed—and with that came countless new variables.
One of those variables might cause her to forget him entirely.
Of course, the thought ached in a place he couldn’t reach, but Kai knew he had to move on, too. No need to keep his mind trapped in the Blood Rite. Trapped in the past. Right now, he needs to look ahead.
I wish you well, Layra. No matter what, you’re a strong person. Always was.
Asher brought them to a small camp composed of a few tents for them to store their equipment and for them to sleep. Four other seniors were there, bantering near the food pot that they were cooking.
Inside is a blue porridge that has an amazing smell.
"Look at these young bloods. Juniors of the Eventide Academy, welcome to the Second Sky!"
"Strong-looking ones, too."
"Meet my squad." Asher pivoted his body and cast a proud smile. "My family."
Since they were going to work together, Kai decided to take the initiative to introduce himself.
"My name is Kai, a Supernal of Moros. I’m a Lesser Angel."
"Bree, a Supernal of Eileithyia. High Angel."
"Greetings, seniors. I’m Barbara. High Angel. Supernal of Atalanta."
Asher also used this chance to introduce the squad members.
He pointed at a man with short, curly blonde hair wearing a mask with vertical stripes and a pair of slanted eyes that seemed to always close.
"This is Angel Rob, a Supernal of Diomedes, the King of Argos. He’s our main support, so stay close to him at all times."
"I’ll make sure your first experience will be eventful but safe," Rob said in an assuring manner.
Asher moved and pointed at another senior, a hulking man with a big nose and bald head.
"Angel Makos, a Supernal of Minotaur. Just as he looked, he could take a punch."
"A punch? Hah!" Makos exhaled strongly through his nose; the warm air blew out of his mask. "If anything came charging our way, I’d wrestle it down!"
Again, Asher moved and patted another senior with long bluish hair that fell to his shoulders, still eating and drinking without a care in the world.
"This lazy drunkard right here is Angel Fimos, a Supernal of Dionysus. Though he’s lazy most of the time, he’s surprisingly dependable when it comes to battle. Don’t underestimate him."
"You guys want to drink?" Fimos asked, trying hard to keep his heavy eyelids up as he lifted a flask.
"What drink?" Asher slapped the back of Fimos’ head. "All of your drinks would kill them."
Lastly, he walked over to another senior with reddish skin and slitted pupils like a reptile.
He was stirring the food pot.
"And this fine-looking man is Damas, a Supernal of Prince Cadmus. Like me, he’s the one who is going to be the one to deal the decisive blow."
"Nice to meet you."
Bree then fixed on Asher again, remembering that he hadn’t told them about his Patron God.
"What about your Patron God?" She asked bluntly. "You haven’t told us."
"Oh, me?" Asher turned towards her and smiled brightly. "I’m a Supernal of King Atreus."
Almost instantly, the air was suddenly charged with tension.
Kai’s brows immediately dropped into an evident frown when he heard this.
King Atreus is one of the most well-known Patron Gods who was placed in between the categories of Heroes and Lesser Gods. Not because his power was sought after, but because he’s one of the most wicked bloodlines that a Supernal can possess.
From what Kai remembered off the top of his head, King Atreus was vengeance-filled.
His beautiful wife was seduced by his own twin brother, and in revenge, he killed his wife, his twin brother’s wife, and also his sons. He cooked them all and fed them to his twin brother in a grand feast.
Zeus, angered by this barbaric act, sided with his twin brother and cursed him.
For a decade, Atreus was placed in Tartarus, a prison beneath the underworld.
In there, he was bound in a pool of godly water beneath a tree of golden apples. The curse that was bestowed by Zeus rendered him in a state of unquenchable hunger and thirst. And while being surrounded by delicacies that even the Gods deemed luxury, Atreus lost his mind.
He went mad in Tartarus.
But in the tenth year, something happened.
Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld, opened a portal directly into Atreus’ prison.
Not because she wanted to, but because Hera, the Goddess of Marriage and the wife of Zeus, asked her for this. After an argument with Zeus, the spiteful Hera visited Atreus in silence and freed him.
Zeus intervened and struck him down through the hands of Hades, the God of the Dead.
It was taught in schools, and for the longest time, Kai believed that was the end of Atreus.
However, around his second-year, there was a booming moment when a leaked record from Lower Olympus circulated on the internet. And in it was the story of Atreus. Zeus didn’t strike him down.
Atreus survived.
At the moment, Kai was so busy with Bella that he didn’t really care.
From the pieces he remembered, he was quite sure Atreus sought vengeance against Zeus.
He didn’t know what Atreus did.
But he remembered hearing someone saying that Atreus ascended to Godhood.
Atreus went from the King of Mycenae to the God of Hollow Feasts.
In the aftermath, the Supernals of Atreus gained attraction—and one of them confessed about a side effect of being in a perpetual, gnawing hunger and thirst that could never be satisfied, and that confession confirmed the leaked document’s truth.
Of course, Lower Olympus denied this.
And that Supernal also retracted his confession, saying that he only liked the attention.
But many still believed that the leaked document was true.
Noticing the change in their gazes, Asher quickly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Don’t look at me like that." He smiled wryly. "I’m an Angel with only three Divine Locks. I don’t inherit much from Atreus."
"It didn’t matter, Senior Asher," Barbara assured. "As long as you’re strong and can perform for mankind, then your Patron God and power source don’t matter. I’ll be in your care."
Later, Kai and Bree were inside a tent, gearing up.
Considering that they were only porters, their gear was minimal. Just a full set of enchanted dark red leather armor, which was all grade-zero. They were also given an earpiece so that they could communicate in case they got separated.
"What do you think about the seniors?" Bree asked while wearing her leather boots.
"For seniors, they’re surprisingly welcoming," Kai answered as he fitted the leather vambrace on his left forearm. "Some of them commented about me being a Lesser Angel, but I thought they would treat me worse than this."
"Mn. Is that all?"
"Hmm... They also seemed to like Barbara—more than us. But why are you asking? Are you suspecting them of something?"
"Not really. Just that they’re too welcoming, and that’s making me uneasy."
"I’m not planning on trusting them entirely." Kai shrugged—he was not going to do that from the start. It didn’t matter whether the seniors were welcoming or not. He didn’t know them, and that’s all the reason he needs to be alert. "Just stay close and be aware."
"I’d like the sound of that." Bree nodded as she stood up, fully geared up.
Her silvery hair and the glowing mark on her face stood out perfectly against the dark red.
Kai complimented her inside and then headed out of the tent.
But Bree caught his hand, stopping him before he could leave.
"What is it?"
"Please don’t eat that porridge."
"Really? Because he’s a Supernal of Atreus, you think he’d put human meat in it?" Kai let out a chuckle and then placed his hand gently over hers. "Relax. I’m not touching it. I am hungry, but not that hungry. Besides, we’re only with them for a day. I’ll manage."
Outside, Kai and Bree immediately saw Barbara sitting with the seniors.
She was eating the porridge while bantering with them like they were old friends.
Kai exchanged a look with Bree, and then they shook their heads.
Seems like Barbara is trying to get close to the seniors to secure her future. I commend her effort.
Just then, Kai paused when he saw something approaching from his periphery.
He turned and saw another group in the distance approaching the camp.
It was the students from the Aurelian Academy.
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