Chapter 182: The Great Departure
Several days had passed since the incident with Cassian. The Velles elders along with the other family members were completely shocked upon hearing the news, but due to Auri’s testimony, nobody seemed to blame Drai and he wasn’t given any punishment or reprimand.
During this time, Max had been too preoccupied with various matters, so he didn’t have time to visit Drai, who spent most of his time training. Drai had been given a temporary room on the first floor of Auri’s residence—a deliberate arrangement by a meddlesome elderly duo. Neither Drai nor Auri had any problems with it though, as this made it easier for them to meet and chat in the evening after Auri was done with her daily obligations.
Meanwhile, due to the gardeners’ pleading, Horsie had been relocated to the stables, where he reluctantly occupied a large space that used to house an exotic mount that had died quite a while ago. Despite feeling restless due to the new restrictions placed on him, Horsie didn’t make a fuss since he was fed with premium food he seldom enjoyed during his time with Drai and Max.
The sun had set, and Drai was lazing on the back porch, fiddling with the new comm he received this morning. He had finished copying most of his contacts and had also taken care of his old comm.
Unlike what he had expected, he hadn’t received many messages while he was off the grid. His inbox was mostly filled with texts from his close friends, asking about his safety, whereabouts, and when he’d return. There was also a text from the academy’s administration asking him to report to his faculty’s office at his earliest convenience. However, to his dismay, he hadn’t received a single message from his parents, Ravi, and Zar.
Just then, the back doors opened, and Auri walked out. Following her was a well-built woman clad in a similar attire to what Cassian wore, her chestnut hair woven into a thick braid that flowed down her back. Her fair looks contrasted with her stoic expression.
Upon seeing their emergence, Drai hastily straightened his posture along with his clothes. His fingers also raked his hair that had grown a bit too long for his liking, almost completely covering his eyes and nape if left to drape.
Auri took a seat near him, rolling her eyes upon seeing his actions. Her gaze then shifted to the woman standing guard nearby, who she believed to be the main cause of Drai’s unusual demeanor since he started behaving like this whenever they met after the sturdy woman took over Cassian’s duty.
After Auri waited for a moment, Drai still hadn’t greeted her, causing her to pop a vein as she turned to her new aide and said, "Angel, you can leave us."
"No," the guarding woman sternly replied with an unchanging expression.
"Come on, there’s no one around but us. If you’re really worried, just stand behind the back doors," Auri pressed.
Still, Angel simply replied, "No."
Auri clicked her tongue and gave up persuading her aide, turning to her half-dazed friend instead.
"Oi, Drai. Draaii... DRAI VARZ!"
Auri’s sudden bark finally jolted Drai awake, who looked at her and said, "Oh—hey, Auri. What’s the matter?"
Clenching her fists, Auri replied, "Don’t stay up too late tonight. You need to wake up pretty early tomorrow."
"Huh? Why?" Drai asked curiously. Apart from the scheduled meal times and occasional meetings with several family members, he’d been entirely free to do as he pleased during his stay.
"You and I are heading out."
"Oh? Are we going to the campus?" Drai guessed.
"That and a few other places if we’re not pressed for time."
"Oh, okay. That’s fine—I need to report to the faculty anyway."
"Right, the staff likely aren’t aware of your situation. If your classes have been going on as usual, you could end up failing most, if not all, of them if the staff don’t accept your reason for being absent."
After a brief pause, Drai said, "Honestly, Auri, right now I couldn’t care less about my grades—or my studies, for that matter."
Upon hearing this, Auri raised a brow and asked, "Are you planning to drop out?"
Drai shrugged. "I’m not sure. But I don’t see much reason for me to attend any more classes, especially the practical ones. If they move me to the advanced ones meant for final-year students or even special classes catered to my case, maybe I’ll consider attending them."
Listening to Drai, Auri couldn’t help but sigh. After seeing Drai’s renewed prowess with her own eyes, she felt that an endless chasm was now separating him from the rest of his peers, including her and the others of their friend group.
Although Drai’s show of strength hadn’t made Auri depressed or insecure like it previously did to Natalia, Auri no longer felt worthy of standing beside Drai as an equal. She also doubted the need for him to stay in Mango Seekers. After all, what use would he have for his first-stager friends when he could already one-shot a peak third-stager so nonchalantly? And how could the rest of them feel any enjoyment or challenge themselves if most of their problems were dealt with by Drai alone?
Therefore, Auri’s biggest wish right now was merely to not lose such a remarkable friend, no matter how far she’d be left in the dust.
"Drai... Whatever you end up choosing or doing, I’ll always have your back, okay?" she eventually reassured.
"Really? Then..." Drai suddenly leaned closer, his voice turned to a whisper. "...can you arrange a private chat with Angel? She’s still single, right?"
Auri’s chair flew and crashed into the lawn as she abruptly stood up and stormed inside. Angel quickly followed her in without sparing Drai a glance, her expression completely unchanged.
Watching the doors close, Drai murmured, "Uh... Auri? My back’s right here..."
***
A gleaming black sedan descended from the sky, landing near Soluna Academy’s front gates. After a short drive with several brief stops at the academy’s new security checkpoints, it slowed to a halt just before a wide pathway.
The sedan’s doors opened, and an imposing woman stepped out, followed by two youngsters.
"Call me when you guys are done. I’ll be hanging out at the closest coffee shop," the middle-aged driver said before driving away.
Treading along the familiar walkway, Drai and Auri noticed traces of that night’s attack, such as felled trees, dirt patches on the grassy lawns, various marks from skills or physical attacks, and crumbled spots on buildings.
"Looks like our academy is lacking manpower," Auri muttered.
"Or maybe they intentionally kept it this way so everyone remains vigilant," Drai added.
Auri shook her head. "I don’t think so. I bet most students would rather forget about the incident and not be forced to walk through all this mess."
Drai didn’t refute her. He was aware not everyone could ignore such unkemptness the way he could.
Beyond the damage from the invasion, they also noticed that the number of people roaming the area was significantly lesser than usual, and those they passed wore none of the studious or bright expressions commonly seen prior to the attack.
"You know what, maybe my private classes aren’t that bad," Auri remarked after observing the passersby’s faces. "I’d probably get depressed too if I still lived here."
"What if our group were still around?" Drai asked.
"I don’t think it would change things much. Our time together wasn’t really that much compared to the time we spend for our personal activities."
"...Yeah, you’re right."
Drai didn’t really realize it, but he was starting to miss hanging out with his friends. For a solitary person like Drai, his small gatherings were prized social anchors in his otherwise detached life, like rare bursts of warmth amidst a lengthy storm.
Had he not experienced this ever, he wouldn’t have harbored such a longing. Alas, the taste of genuine connections had left him with a muted yet persistent hunger. And this feeling was further amplified by the current situation of his friends.
From his talks with Auri, Drai had become aware that the only person left in the academy among his friends was Flo.
Christo had left the academy without notifying them, presumably returning to his family. After considering the difference in power between Liam and Cassian, Drai deduced that Christo’s mysterious family was even more powerful or influential than the Velles, or Christo’s familial position was much more important than that of Auri, deeming such service necessary. Therefore, Drai wasn’t really taken aback by the news of Christo’s departure aside from him not notifying them and the fact that his comm had gone dark.
Likewise, Jian had also left. However, unlike Christo, he texted them all, albeit with a vague and cringe-inducing message to the girls.
"The wind whispers my parting. Know that this young master seeks higher peaks, where destiny unfurls like a silken scroll. Fear not the empty space I leave, for a carp must trudge the relentless current to defy the Heavens. Farewell, nascent blossoms. Until our paths intersect once more beneath a jade moon..."
In comparison, Jian’s parting words to Drai were notably shorter.
"If fate wills it, may we clash again, Heaven’s Chosen."
When Drai first read the message, his initial thought was that his absence had caused Jian to revert to his old mannerisms and perhaps outlook, followed by the unsettling possibility that their awful last interaction had influenced Jian’s decision to depart.
Drai had attempted to reach out to Jian, but although his texts and calls went through, Jian didn’t respond at all. After Drai mentioned this to Auri, she said that Jian had also ignored all their attempts to reach him.
In the end, Drai decided to shove his worry aside, thinking that Jian must have a valid reason for acting this way. After all, if Jian really intended to part ways forever, he could’ve just blocked their contact IDs.
Meanwhile, Natalia’s situation was similar to Auri. She had been recalled by her family and was now being home-tutored. Drai had sent a short message to her yesterday, saying that he had returned and was looking forward to meeting her. Natalia’s reply to this was a string of various emojis that Drai failed to decipher.
The duo kept strolling across their campus, quietly reminiscing on the bustling yet peaceful past scenery that felt so recent. Trailing them by two meters or so, Angel walked silently. As usual, her expressionless face completely masked her thoughts.
Upon arriving at a major junction, a small figure clad in green came to sight, darting toward Drai with rapid footsteps.
Cushioning the harmless pounce, Drai’s eyes turned gentle as he muttered, "Flo..."
Flo’s tearful face looked up at him, and almost immediately, an ear-piercing wail erupted, disrupting the pervasive somberness that hung over the once-most prestigious academy of Rivideria.
***
