Chapter 65: Golden Eyes And Crimson Blade
Before she could fully comprehend what had just happened, giant snakes and more orcs charged, snarling at him, and just like before, he moved at a lightning speed, slaying them with powerful precision, as if he had turned into an indestructible killing machine.
Eve stood there awestruck and shocked all at once as she watched Ivan move so effortlessly, so gracefully. ’He is so powerful...so this is why they fear him. Or perhaps... he is someone who deserves to be feared.’
[Music recommendation: PIXIE-T - Ashtray]
Her heart raced in her chest, not with fear. Not a single ounce of fear, but with excitement...and something else. Watching him move with such fluidity, it was as if her very soul was stirred awake. Heat coursed through her veins, her vision sharpened, and suddenly her eyes turned golden; recognition flashed in their depths, watching him with intense familiarity. Then ever so slightly, her lips curled up in a faint, knowing smile.
Ivan, who felt a slight shift in the air, glanced back mid-air towards Eve, and saw her glowing faintly with a faint smile on her beautiful face as she stood still, her ponytail swaying with the wind, and a sword still firmly gripped in her hand. She looked so breathtaking that he felt his heart skip a beat. He was pulled towards her by an irresistible, maddening force, especially when she was in this state. As if her very soul was calling out to him.
Watching him look the other way, one of the giant beasts spotted an opening to attack. However, Eve noticed it immediately, and her faint smile vanished; her eyes turned fierce, and her body began to radiate a bright golden light. She raised her hand and unleashed a blinding beam that obliterated the beasts before any of them could touch him.
Ivan’s eyes widened in surprise at her sudden use of power. The truth was, even if he was looking at her, he was very much aware of all the beast’s movements around him. However, it seemed like she had been triggered before he could act. Landing on his feet, he turned to see that half of them had been wiped out, leaving barely ten of them. Their scorched bodies had melted into the ground, steam rising from the charred path carved by her beam.
Just like her, he was mesmerised by the display of her incredible power, and all he wanted was to go over to her and kiss the very breath out of her again. The air crackled with electricity, as tension thickened between them.
But the remaining beasts didn’t wait and charged at him, thunder rolled in the sky as Ivan’s desire to end the exam quickly sharpened into resolve. He wanted to finish it so that he could get back to her. His expression hardened, and in the next second, he vanished into a blur of motion. His sword all but disappeared from sight as he cut through the creatures relentlessly, slaughtering them without so much as a blink.
Pulling his sword free from the last beast, the clearing resembled more like a beast graveyard than a forest. He turned around, his intense gaze held her rooted to her place, her golden light had faded after unleashing her powers, yet her eyes still glowed golden as she watched him unblinkingly.
With slow, purposeful steps, he walked towards her and stopped before her. "Didn’t I tell you I’d take care of them?"
Hearing him, her lips pulled up in a radiant smile, one so disarming it made his heart stumble in his chest. He stepped closer and brushed the back of his fingers along her cheek tenderly. His voice dropped to a husky murmur as his crimson eyes locked with hers, "Don’t smile like that in front of others."
The world seemed to fall silent around them as the gentle breeze caressed them, pressing them closer. His face drew closer to hers, and his warm breath fell against her lips. For a heartbeat, it felt inevitable, as though he was seconds away from claiming her mouth with his. As she slowly shut her eyes at his touch and parted her lips in anticipation, thunder roared across the sky, jolting her out of her reverie.
When she opened her eyes, they were back to being her beautiful, clear blue colour again. Suddenly aware they were standing exposed in the open, she cleared her throat, "W-We should find the blue stone, I think we have already used up a couple of hours."
Colour rose to her cheeks under his burning gaze, and when he didn’t lower his hand from her cheek, "Ivan?" she whispered softly.
"Hm?" Seeing him look a little dazed, she pursed her lips and tried a different approach, "Do you want a zero in two subjects?"
That got his attention, and he frowned slightly. He finally lowered his hand and sighed, "Fine, let’s go."
She stifled the chuckle forming within her at the thought, the most feared vampire prince would let nothing jeopardize his grades. Shaking her head lightly, she sheathed her sword and began walking next to him, leaving the mess behind.
Fifteen minutes later, Damien arrived at the spot and let out a low whistle as he took in the carnage, the beast’s body parts scattered all across the ground. "Looks like I was late to the party." He narrowed his eyes as he studied the dismembered remains, "Yup, this is definitely my cousin’s handiwork."
Wandering further, he stopped at a stretch of scorched ground, with melted flesh fused into it. His grin widened, "Well, well, well... look at that...seems like sister in law did her bit too."
He released a dramatic sigh, shaking his head, "By the gods, what a terrifying couple..." Then, with a shrug, he muttered, "Ah, now where’s that damn stone?"
Still mumbling to himself, Damien sauntered off in search of more entertainment.
While Damien, Ivan, and Eve were back on their hunt for the blue stone, far behind, at the spot where Ivan had hurled Eve’s jacket like a speedy fireball, it struck an unfortunate target. It smacked against the back of a certain lady with red hair, knocking her off balance and sending her flat on her face to the ground. "Ow.." she groaned in pain, "What the hell, just hit me?" she spat furiously.
Her head snapped to her partner, who stood frozen beside her, making no move to help her. She glared at him and barked, "What do you think you’re doing? Get over here and help me!".
But he stood trembling like a dried leaf, with his eyes wide in horror, staring in the direction from which the ball of jacket had come. When he didn’t move, she yelled again, "Hey! Did you hear me?"
"L-L-Lady Leah..." he stammered.
Irritably, she snapped at him, "What?! Why are you just standing there, shivering.." She was about to say more when she heard a low growl behind her. She froze in her motion to get back and slowly turned behind, her eyes widened in horror at the sight of dozens of wolves advancing towards her. Before she could run, they lunged at her. "Ahhhhhhh!" her scream pierced through the forest, sharp enough to make the birds scatter into the sky.
Her scream was heard all the way where Eve was, making her stop in her tracks as she splashed water on her face by the riverbank they had found earlier. "Huh?" She turned to look behind her. Ivan glanced at her with a question in his eyes.
"Did you hear that?" she asked.
"I did, just ignore it," he replied and went back to fill water in his canteen.
When she continued to stare at him, he sighed, "You’ll hear a lot of screams in this forest. It’s probably just someone who is about to end up in the infirmary." He said nonchalantly.
Eve wondered if it was nothing more than injuries, but the doubt was still there in her mind, so she decided to ask. "This exam is pretty dangerous.."
"Hm.." He took a sip from his water canteen and gave her a look, silently asking her to finish her question.
"So..has anyone ever...ever died during the examination?" When Ivan didn’t respond right away, she let out a nervous chuckle, "That can’t happen, right?"
"I told you that these exams are meant to prepare us for the real world. They aren’t designed to kill us; accidents do happen."
When her eyebrows knit together at his grim response, he continued, "What you need to remember is that this academy has people from all twelve kingdoms...nobles, no less. Some come to study, but most come with an agenda, to make connections for power. And the lust for power is a dangerous thing, Eve. It can corrupt even the most innocent heart. Since they cannot harm someone directly, they may harm them indirectly, where no blame can fall on anyone."
"But...isn’t that a bit... extreme? To... to kill someone for power?"
"Extreme?" he drawled, then added, "I suppose it does seem extreme to those who haven’t lived that way. But now that you’re out of your palace life, you’ll get firsthand experience of how little regard most people have for others’ lives when they’re drowning in greed. So much so that they’re willing to offer not only their souls to the devil. But others as well. As long as they can fulfill their ambitions."
