Celebration with Fury

Chapter 18: Celebration with Fury

Dressed in a simple white shirt and wearing the same silk necktie, Lunar Invel had no other accessories anymore in his entire outfit except for that wristwatch that he wore back then. He moved forward, and the cheering from the selected participants followed.

Moon kept his gaze onto Lunar Invel momentarily. He began hating his face.

Now, he wore classic eyeglasses that suited his manly face. His features have gotten matured since the time Moon had seen him with his mother at the cliff years ago. But he hasn't grown that much. His face remained recognizable, and irritating to Moon's sight.

Doll, upon hearing Moon whispered Lunar Invel's name, took a peek at the man. She could clearly remember what Moon had told her. Lunar Invel was one of the adopted children of his parents. Now that the man he used to know was sharing faces with this evaluator, what would Moon do?

She looked over at Moon and she witnessed his fury. He was doting at Lunar Invel and sizing him up. His aura was cold and dark.

As the students' applauses continued, Moon and Lunar shared a mutual gaze. It was full of furiousness. Lunar continued walking and faced the crowd, and after some time, walked away and sat beside some evaluators; becoming unfindable because of the crowded hall.

Moon can't understand, but his feeling started to overpower him. He has gotten so sentimental these days after he had fallen sick. Too bad for him, because if he let himself be outwitted by his emotions, he would fall into the same route as Lucas. He didn't want to be as reckless as him.

It took him time before he had focused himself on the other evaluators that were on the platform by that time, and being applauded by those unaware participants.

Principal Lyns was holding onto her microphone stand as she was welcoming every evaluator that was entering the scene.

"…here we go for Sherry Heartly!" Principal Lyns continued. Doll, shocked, tried to gaze into that unknown evaluator's name.

That name was familiar to her. If she hasn't forgotten it already, she would hear that name back then in their hometown. Sher Heart, her childhood friend that she used to visit always when she started studying at White Day High, but now became a memory since she had a very busy schedule.

But who was this Sherry Heartly then? It was like a spun into her friend's name, but can also be a legit name. She glanced over the elevated platform and happened to look at multiple people standing over.

But one girl stood out in comparison within all of the evaluators present there. She was this young woman, age-wise around her who wore pink hair in a bob cut with bangs right above her eyes, along with purple circle-shaped eyeglasses attached to the sides of her ears like an added accessory.

She also wore some silver cross-shaped earrings. Her standard style of dress shows off some fronts of her body. She wore something akin to that of a gold-colored, and a low-cut shirt showing her huge bust and a golden fancy coat with purple-indented flower patterns across its design, along with purple fur around the collar.

By looking at her, she would be mistaken as a model. Doll was shocked to learn that she was one of her evaluators, along with Mister Vacio in respect. "She was the one…" Doll's heart quickly pumped. "That judge was intriguing."

As the audience started clapping over the appearance of Sherry Heartly, the girl smiled happily and revealed her almost perfect teeth, those that were paper white in color. Some selected girls started to glance at her as if envying her beauty, but Doll just started to inspect her. She was not as this intrigued her whole life. She has to know her.

Sherry spotted Doll —may be because the girl wouldn't retrieve her gaze onto her— as she stood in front of all the people. She narrowed her vision, and with a cold voice, she said, "Stop looking at me, you peasant."

Doll was left shocked, as Sherry Heartly pointed her with her right hand. She was petrified, and felt like all of the people inside the conference hall were looking at her. She bowed her head and started to hear footsteps going nearer towards her.

Seeing only her shiny, purple sandals, she didn't have to raise her head to know that it was this Sherry Heartly that was messing with her. What was with this girl's mind?

She can't lookup. It still felt like she was being stared at, and now the cynosure of this celebration. She suddenly felt her hair was being caressed slowly, as the hand that was holding her head hardly pressed her scalp that made her whine and look up.

She was about to shout at Sherry Heartly, but she was stoned as she saw that even the rest of the evaluators were looking over them. She held herself back.

"You left an impression on me…" Sherry spoke with some class as she continued to caress her blue hair. Winter and Ghaile that were an inch beside her were also frozen with the sudden event.

Suddenly, she tossed Doll's head away with the smallest skin she can ever touch her, making the girl turn her head involuntarily. Doll's lips were pressed, as her messy hair hid her face from the crowd. She tried to control her temper.

"I have selected you so you can leave me alone. Don't stare at me that way again, or else…"

Doll was left dumbfounded. She just went frozen again, until Sherry Heartly was the one who left instead, climbing up a few steps, before reaching the elevated platform and sitting with her co-evaluators. She crossed her legs and had her hands clasped as she sat in sophistication.

The celebration had stopped with that sudden commotion, and all of the selected participants present there cannot continue what they were doing and looked like all of them were instantly petrified. It created a sudden awkward ambiance within the conference hall.

Doll gazed at the people behind her and she saw them looking at her in contempt. She almost teared up and decided to sulk on her seat as Principal Lyns initiated and continued the ceremony.

Announcing the next evaluators, few or almost none of the selected participants gazed over at them. Some would clap, but as time passed by, the applause has gotten fewer and fewer.

Lucas had spotted the table that Doll was sitting at, and saw that the girl was still in complete shock, and he asked, "You know her?"

He held her shoulder and gave her a comforting hug. Doll did not respond a word, but she just turned her head as if saying yes.

"She was from Aspho High, don't you know?" Lucas informed, as his vision wandered within the circles of chairs around their table. He saw Winter and Ghaile. "By the way, where is Moon?" he wondered.

Doll was dazed and unable to reply. She shook her head and tried her best to tilt and find Moon. She was too shy that she can't move properly. After what happened, she felt that her knees and voice had weakened. "He was right there not so long ago…"

Her vocal cords have dried up.

Suddenly, shoes clicking were heard going towards Lucas and Doll. Doll held Lucas' arm as she inspected the surrounding. If it was Sherry Heartly again, she cannot face another embarrassment.

"Blaze Harper…"

Lucas looked back to witness Mister Vacio coming. He gazed at him with his cold demeanor.

Rather than be relieved, Doll felt like Mister Vacio was worse than she expected on who that upcoming person would be, and began feeling that this light and happy celebration will be tarnished with Aspho's dark motives.

Mister Vacio kept his gaze at Lucas, as he started to fix the fold of his sleeves, standing before his previous student. "Look how Godly you were."

At the same time, Moon happened to find Lunar Invel and confronted him in a secluded place. He witnessed Lunar Invel going out into a walk, but he had beat him into it and decided to corner that man that he started to hate. It wasn't a reckless move, and he was just confronting him for a talk.

Lucas and Mister Vacio stare at each other. With smirks on their faces, they share an intense gaze. While this was happening, Lunar Invel and Moon stood in a secluded area. With intense gazes shared and a moment of rage enveloped the hall, Principal Lyns stood holding her microphone stand.

"Students, one of our evaluators wanted us to partake in their celebration." Principal Lyns' statement stopped Lucas, Moon, Lunar, and Mister Vacio from brawling while the celebration was happening. Respecting the school at least a little, they suddenly ceased and listened. "There will be Lamia High's Fiest!"

Lucas narrowed her stare while looking at Principal Lyns. Lamia High? It wasn't a powerful school as he had heard. As Lucas knew, it was one of the schools that will partake in the upcoming Tournament. They were wealthy instead.

Back in his Aspho life, this school suddenly rose into stardom and had gotten so much attention with their wealth that even Aspho cannot level. What kind of wealth does this Lamia High have? Were they a threat to Aspho?

"Do you all accept their invitations?" Principal Lyns asked with a smile on her face, as all the evaluators wandered the whole room, partying.

"YES!" said the students.

Sounds of buzzes from other selected students were heard. The evaluators started to get themselves some glasses of wine. Rather than just sitting behind Principal Lyns, they scattered and mingled with the selected participants.

Lucas did not turn very much attention to happenings but rather turned his focus back at Mister Vacio. In response, the Aspho Principal had tightened his lips and had his hands clasped as he look back. Doll was left worried.

"Vacio," Lucas whispered in rage. "What are your subordinates planning? You all are dominating our school as time passed by. What was this?"

Mister Vacio started to smirk. "We don't have plans at hand, to begin with. C'mon, Lucas. Stop overthinking too much!" he maniacally replied and laughed cockily at him. "After all, I went here as an evaluator. You're so much into defenses already."

Lucas watched him speak his words. As time passed by, Vacio had developed much more lying skills. If he hadn't known him for so long, he may be deceived by this man.

"Blaze Harper, just be calm and enjoy the celebration. Not so long, we'll be at Lamia High before the sun started to set." Mister Vacio spoke before walking out and bursting an irritating, loud laugh. He got himself a glass of wine, and before drinking it, mouthed something to Lucas and laughed again.

Lucas stared at him in contempt. Aspho High was the highest issue here, not them, nor Lamia High. He was so irritating. Yet, he was glad that he was able to hold himself back and remained patient.

Doll stared at Lucas and was also relieved that Mister Vacio had left them already. It was a release of tension since the source of all the problems decided to leave them alone in here.

Lucas just inspected the surroundings. Moon was nowhere to be found still. The hall was neat and Principal Lyns had left the platform and started drinking some wine with the evaluators of the same age as her.

The momentum that was interrupted by Sherry Heartly earlier had luckily returned back into being normal and the participants can do normal things they usually do for the second time.

As the students partied, remarkable faces were seen drinking their glasses of red wines also. They laughed their hearts out as they tossed their wine glasses midair and began drinking their wines like drunkards. Nath, Steel, Scottie, and other unknown students were all happy, treating the wine as their booze.

Despite the happiness returning and the ambiance healing, Moon and Lunar continued their unfinished talk. Lunar cleaned his specs with his right hand and placed it back again as if teasing Moon. He pushed it more and became satisfied with his eyeglasses' position, as he put his hands inside the pocket of his pants.

"From the time I saw you at the evaluation room, I sensed that it was you, Mister Moon Martin…" Lunar slowly uttered his piece. Cold and mysterious, with some underlying malice mixed with his words as he spoke.

Both standing in an area not too crowded, Moon replied with a shout. "Me, too. As I saw your ugly face, I'd already been fired up!" He clenched his jaws and heaved a sigh as he continued, "Seeing a face like that, I'd be better into staring at a scavenger than you! Your whole being sucked, you know that?"

Moon had decided to continue his teasing with Lunar until a man already beat him to it—

"Mister Moon Martin… Mister Lunar Invel… Do you remember me?"

Shoes clicking of a black-haired man were heard. It was Shad Cagney, going towards them! He greeted the two of them with a smile.

"You looked the same as before, Lunar Invel… I am happy that I was also an evaluator in here."

Lunar Invel was relieved. Shad Cagney was his friend, not a foe. "Oh, it was my pleasure, pal. It's been a while."

Moon became furious than before, seeing them before him.

"To think of it— Oh, Moon." Shad Cagney continued, staring at Moon with an obviously fake smile. "I would give my greatest condolences to your parents. I was sharing your despair…" he added. "Your Mom was so nice and loving, ain't she?"

"Shut up!" Moon had gotten mad!

Shad Cagney… and with Lunar Invel… The two men standing in front of him— they were the children that his mother and father have adopted from before. They were now in front of his very face, talking about how loving they were.

"Don't talk unabashedly using my Mom with your sentence, you freak!" Moon was at his best trying to control his temper. But his hands were slowly shaking, and his chest had gotten heavier than before.

Shad gave him a sarcastic laugh. "So what?"

"Be glad that I have the shame, so you better keep quiet." Moon coldly uttered. "But don't you know?" he lifted his head to look at the two men in front of him.

Moon recognized the excitements that were marked on the face of Shad Cagney and Lunar Invel as real and not forced. If they were to play with him, it would be his pleasure to spare some time with those two.

"There was only a type of person who can be quiet forever…" he added, as he smirked. He hasn't seen Lunar and Shad's face this close. It was thrilling and irritating at the same time.

He started to turn his back, and decided to walk away in a rage. Maybe that was enough. His sentimentality was consuming him and he can't afford to mess in this special event. But there was something inside him that was pushing him.

He turned to look again at them. "It was only dead people who were quiet forever. Remember that!"

Moon finally continued his exit, walking out and leaving the two. Shad Cagney and Lunar Invel shared a mutual stare, and then laughed as if mocking Moon from afar.

"As if it will scare me." Lunar Invel laughed and faked a gasp as if shocked with what Moon had told them. "Oops, I would be sued. Might as well die. I messed my whole life!"

Shad laughed with what Lunar had said and decided to drink his wine and tapped his comrade's shoulder before leaving him also. Lunar waved at him, as he started to push his glasses with his index finger to fix their position.

Lucas and Doll have spotted Moon walking towards them. He noted Moon's cold look. What had happened to him? He never wore that sour face for so long.

"Moon—" Doll greeted, but she was shocked that Moon remained lukewarm and ignored her completely.

Moon did not reply, and instead tapped Lucas' shoulder, standing an inch away from him.

Staring at his cousin's face, he knew that there was something that happened while he was away. "What's the problem? " Lucas asked.

Moon bowed his head, and with his fist closed, he started to grow his nails sharper. The skin surrounding his hands had developed scales, but he quickly controlled his anger and returned it back to normal.

He opened his mouth, and directly said to Lucas, "We shall get out of this burning hell!"