Chapter 121: The Arena Awaits
"And you already know that, don’t you...my Eve?" he whispered.
With that, he leaned down and captured her lips, wrapping his hands around her body. Feeling every curve of hers and Eve melted under his touch as he deepened the slow kiss.
A soft whimper escaped her lips when he nipped her lower lip, then lapped up the blood that seeped out, savouring every single drop.
When he finally pulled away, her breathing was erratic, and her face crimson. He traced his fingers across her warm cheek as she lowered her gaze, unable to meet his smoldering eyes.
"Always so shy..." he murmured.
He then shifted to lie down beside her, resting his head on the pillow, and pulled her close to him before drawing the blanket over them.
She asked softly, "Am I...sleeping here today?"
He looked down at her face and said, "Do you want us to shift to your room?"
’Us,’ she repeated in her mind, realising he had no intention of sleeping separately in their respective rooms. For the past couple of days, he had been training her at night, and always ended up sleeping in her room. But today, when he suggested practising in his room, she had agreed, thinking she would have to leave later. Yet, he proved her wrong again. So she could only shake her head.
He continued studying her, and his expression softened, "I like having you sleep next to me...do you mind?"
She shook her head gently, and a small smile tugged at her lips. "No...I feel the same," she whispered. With that, she buried her face in his chest, letting herself relax completely, and closed her eyes, savoring the quiet closeness between them. She offered a silent prayer, may this peace between them last forever.
She felt him press a gentle kiss on her head before tightening his hands around her waist, and then drifted off to sleep.
....
The next morning, all the students of Eve’s batch stood on the academy grounds for their PE class. Professor Leo and Professor Seira stood before them as Leo announced, "I am glad to see you all back in good shape for this class. As you’ve already heard from the headmaster about the dangers outside the academy premises, we’ve decided to train you further by adding an extra hour to hone your skills."
Professor Seira added, "In today’s class, we’ll be evaluating your individual abilities and then assigning you to special training programs that target your weak points."
Leo continued, "So today, we’ll be having one-on-one matches between students. On the table before you are two jars filled with chits; the one with black chits is for the male students’ names and the one with white chits is for females."
"One pair at a time will step forward and pick up a chit according to their gender. The name on your chit will be your opponent for the day," Seira explained. "You are free to use hand-to-hand combat, magic, and a weapon of your choice. Once you pick your chit, call out your opponent’s name and head to the arena for your match."
"But remember," Leo added, his tone sharp, "any funny business and you’ll be sent straight to the Headmaster. Matches are to be played fairly here, so make sure to choose your weapon wisely. Each round will last ten minutes. If you manage to defeat your opponent within that time, you’ll earn a perfect score."
He paused briefly before continuing, "However, if neither of you can secure a win in ten minutes, the match will be declared a draw, and the points will be split."
One of the students nervously raised his hand, "P-Professor Leo, what if we’re defeated before the given time limit?"
Professor Leo raised an eyebrow, "Do you really need to ask? Don’t waste my time with silly questions. Stand tall and prepare for battle." He barked sternly.
Most of the students immediately straighten their backs, their faces tense with nervousness. Leo’s lips curved into a smirk, clearly enjoying their discomfort, while Professor Seira released a soft sigh beside him, knowing how much he enjoyed at the student’s expense.
She then moved her gray eyes back to the students and said, "Please step forward one by one with your partner and pick up your respective chits. When one match is over, the next pair will do the same."
Some students looked like they might pass out from sheer anxiety, praying their opponent wouldn’t turn out to be Ivan, Damien, or some powerful Lumens like Edward or Oliver.
While the women were the complete opposite. Many looked positively eager to the match, hoping to get their desired opponent so that they can exact revenge for their past grievances.
Damien sauntered up first, his grin stretching ear to ear as he pulled out a chit from the jar and announced, "Ed."
Eve’s eyebrows furrowed. ’Ed?’ The name rang a bell. She glanced at Ivan, who had that knowing glint in his eyes and a faint smirk that made her suspicious.
When she thought a little deeper, her eyes slowly widened as it dawned upon her. ’Oh my!... It’s that guy!’ The same man whose name she’d heard back when she was drugged and hiding behind a tree while he was... busy entertaining himself behind the bushes with a lady.
Heat rushed to her face so fast, and she quickly averted her gaze from the now pale, human man who was sweating bullets at the sight of grinning Damien, who looked like a lion ready to devour his next prey.
Ivan leaned in and whispered only for her to hear, "Remember something?"
Eve tried not to squirm, "N-no, why would you ask that?" She tried to keep a straight face, but the colour in her cheeks gave it away, making Ivan bite back a smile threatening to break.
He leaned in slightly, his voice dripping with amusement, "Really? You look a little flushed, though."
"It’s just hot!" She blurted out a little too quickly.
She screamed inwardly, ’This little devil catches on faster than lightning. Now he’s going to tease me for the next century. Why did I even look at him?’ She let out a sigh and looked ahead, while Ivan decided to stop teasing her.
Damien’s match ended within seconds, leaving him with a dissatisfied expression for someone who had just won. He came to stand next to Ivan and complained, "You should pray that you get a tougher opponent than someone who couldn’t last for a minute."
Surprisingly, Ivan seemed to agree, "Maybe a strong lumen or a vampire might last longer."
Eve glanced at the two of them, thinking that maybe this was what happened when people were too strong for their own good. Their biggest struggle was finding someone who could survive long enough to make it interesting.’ She sighed softly.
Soon after, it was Cece and Edward’s turn. Their matches were nothing short of a spectacle to see. Cece fought against another vampiress, who wielded daggers, while Cece herself used her morning star with a chain, dodging the other woman’s attacks effortlessly. One well-aimed strike from her weapon sent her opponent flying. Despite that, her match lasted a solid five minutes, while Edward faced another lumen and defeated his opponent in four minutes.
When it was Evelyn and Ivan’s turn, they stepped forward, looking completely unfazed, and picked up a chit from their respective jars.
Ivan unfolded his chit, making every other man hold their breath, waiting to see which unlucky soul would be slaughtered by him today.
"Oliver," he announced flatly.
A few gasps broke out, and Eve’s lips twitched in pity. ’Poor Oliver,’ she silently sent him her condolences, knowing no one in this academy could stand against Ivan.
Then she opened hers. "Leah," she read.
Ivan’s brows furrowed slightly as he read the name over her shoulder, and his expression darkened. He didn’t like that her opponent was a woman who harbored no good feelings toward Evelyn.
But when Evelyn lifted her face to meet his, her blue eyes burned with fire, and the faint, almost predatory curve of her lips told him everything. That she wasn’t intimidated one bit but ready. Her fierce gaze said that she had finally caught her prey.
For a heartbeat, a surprise flickered across Ivan’s face before he gave her a slow, approving nod. Both of them turned to face their opponents.
Oliver and Leah stepped forward, their eyes locked in a tense staredown with Evelyn and Ivan. Damien, Cece, and Edward, who were watching from the sidelines, smirked at the lineup.
"These matches are going to be a sight to see," Edward murmured.
One of the students nearby overheard and added, "Well, we all know Lady Leah is going to win, but His Highness’s match should be entertaining."
Cece and Damien glanced at the man, and Cece asked, "You think Princess Evelyn cannot win?"
The student shrugged, "Lady Cece, we understand that Princess Evelyn is your friend, and she may have some powers. But come on, the person she’s up against is Lady Leah, a vampiress. And we all know the odds are in her favor."
Cece, Damien, and Edward smirked at the man’s assumptions and the other students who seemed to be agreeing with him, and she simply replied, "Well, I guess, we’ll just have to find out, right?"
The man was taken aback at their confidence and thought for a moment, if they were truly not worried for their friend. All eyes turned back to the arena. First was Ivan versus Oliver. Both men picked a single sword and stood facing each other.
