Ears, Fears, and Almost Kisses: A Teenage Love Saga

…

Arion arrived at the widest hall in the academy, which was filled with students.

A few stood or leaned against the walls, their faces etched with grave expressions.

Others sat with their hands tangled in their hair, while some appeared to have just finished crying, mourning the loss of someone close.

 It was clear that many were still reeling from the traumatic events of the previous day.

It was no wonder, really, since none of the students had ever experienced such a horrifying situation before, including Arion himself. Life felt as cheap as grass on the side of the road, easily trampled underfoot.

They had never been taught about the true horrors the Weavers faced; their lessons focused solely on the Weavers battling enemies.

Most of their education on those fights only revolved around the frontline battlefield located in the 11th Realm, Aetheris – a realm rumored to contain the source of Ether, the core of all magic.

That was until Arion discovered that there existed an energy even more overbearing and unreasonable than Ether itself.

He speculated that for those who had faced the Void Spawns for the first time, it must have felt like a "life or death" situation. He speculated, that even the newbie Weavers, from Cadets to Initiates, would have been terrified in the face of last night's chaos.

If not for Shera, Arion believed he would have been a lifeless corpse by now, even if he had managed to attune himself to Ether during the ceremony.

He barely caught a glimpse of the trajectory of the Void Spawn's claw before it punctured him to death.

Suddenly out of nowhere, he felt someone approach from behind. There was no malicious intent, though.

The person then patted him on the shoulder, prompting Arion to turn around.

It was Nesa, known throughout the academy as "The Brute Beauty." She had a reputation for being as tough as nails but somehow still managed to look like she just stepped out of a fashion magazine.

Facing Arion, Nesa exclaimed, "Wow, I thought you were dead! What a lucky guy!"

Her shock was evident, yet she wore the same expression she always did – equal parts smug and bully-like, even after the harrowing events of the previous night. It was as if she had just found out that her favorite snack was still in stock at the cafeteria.

Arion rolled his eyes internally. 'What's with the look as if you never expected me to be alive? Do you have that little faith in me, girl?' he thought to himself.

"Oh, how are you, Nesa? I see there are a lot more girls around. What happened in the women's dorm that night?" Arion asked, genuinely curious.

He was particularly interested in the female teacher who had been present that night, who Shera claimed was as strong as the man in the black robe whose name he didn't even know, much like the unimportant side character he was.

She was also the reason Shera had covered his face with a mask made from his own aura.

Arion knew her too; she was the most, cough, beautiful female teacher according to the polls in the male student journal at the Academy of Moonsong.

Her name was Arabella Finch, though most students, including Arion, referred to her as Teacher Bella or Miss Bella. Their earlier conversation had made him aware that there was something more to that female teacher, and he was eager to uncover the truth.

"Our side was luckier than yours," Nesa replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Not only did the headmistress arrive just in time last night, but the conference room where the teachers and a few academy guards were in meeting was the closest to us. So, most of us in the female dorm managed to evacuate while being protected. It was like a scene from a movie – except with fewer explosions and more screaming!"

She paused for dramatic effect, then continued, "And do you know? Miss Arabella – the one teacher you all male students drool over – she is actually our mysterious headmistress! Can you believe that? No wonder the vice principal once told us that our principal always watches closely over the students' progress here. Turns out, she's been pulling a fast one on us all along, disguising herself as a teacher! Nice move there, I tell you! It's like she's playing hide-and-seek – but with our grades!"

Nesa leaned in closer, her eyes wide with mock seriousness. "But honestly, it kinda unhinged me a bit. I mean, how can she be so young? I thought our principal was a dirty old man! I was ready to start calling him 'Gramps'! Guess I was wrong; she's just an amazing woman in disguise! I mean, who knew the secret to being a headmistress was just wearing a pair of glasses and a cardigan? Next thing you know, I'll find out the janitor is actually a retired superhero!"

Arion burst out laughing, shaking his head in disbelief. "So, you're telling me that all this time, we've been drooling over the headmistress? What a plot twist! I guess from now on, I should start practicing my 'respectful student' face!"

Nesa burst into giggles, and for a moment, the weight of the previous night's events felt a little lighter.

'Oh, I see,' Arion thought, his conjecture confirmed. 'So Miss Bella is indeed the headmistress.'

He looked at Nesa, amusement dancing in his eyes. It was the first time he had heard her ramble on and on like this. He had always thought she was the type of girl who preferred to communicate with her fists rather than her words.

"Hey, by the way," Nesa said, suddenly tiptoeing closer to Arion's face. Her unexpected movement sent Arion's heart into a chaotic drum solo inside his chest – as he contemplated the situation.

'We barely know each other. Is this fine? Maybe she's still shaken from last night's attack. A kiss or two wouldn't hurt, right? It would be better if it was a French kiss. Wait, no – what am I thinking? There are so many people watching right now!'

Despite being single his entire life, Arion found it hard to refuse such an enticing experience, especially since Nesa was undeniably beautiful. He knew that many boys at the academy had crushes on her, and if it weren't for her brutish way of thinking and behavior like a battle-hardened warrior, Arion doubted he'd even have the chance to stand this close to her.

Back in his glory days – before the ceremony that had turned his life upside down – Arion had been one of the most popular boys in the academy. But even then, Nesa would have been out of reach.

In this academy, the boys who worshipped their goddess or love interest like Simps were always on guard against one another, especially against someone like Arion, who had once been the biggest threat. They would go to great lengths to hinder each other, and secret fights could easily break out, all while ensuring the girls remained blissfully unaware. It was a complicated dance of teenage romance, caught between horniness and love.

But now? Now, Arion was a nobody. With his eyes closed, Arion, a complete loser in the romance department, waited for the kiss he had been anticipating.

He couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement bubbling inside him, as he was inches away from Nesa, who was leaning in so close that he could feel her breath

His heart raced as he closed his eyes, bracing himself for what he was sure would be his first kiss. 'This is it,' he thought, his excitement reaching a fever pitch. 'I'm finally going to―'

"What are you doing?" Nesa raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled as she looked at him.

She then took hold of his ear, pulling it closer to her mouth while complaining, "Gosh, you boys are getting so tall. It's so unfair. I mean, seriously, do you guys just wake up one day and decide to grow a foot overnight?"

Arion winced as she tugged on his ear, his dreams of romance crumbling into dust. "Uh… what?"

Arion's heart sank as he realized he was about to miss out on a kiss yet again. 'Oh, come on!' he thought, feeling the weight of disappointment settle in.

But then, Nesa leaned in and whispered into his ear.

"Hey, did you see last night? Some kind of blinding white light appeared. It was really wide and big. If you didn't see it, then never mind. Forget I said anything."

Arion, dazed and grappling with his ruined day, was at a loss for a moment. That was until her words finally sank in.

Abruptly, his body stiffened, and a chill ran down his spine. He swallowed hard, trying to suppress the urge to jump in fright. He looked at Nesa, flabbergasted and unable to act normal.

'She… she saw it. Shera, what's happening?' he thought, his mind racing.

"Interesting," Shera chimed in his mind, her voice dripping with surprise.

"Never once could I expect two people who hold important keys for the future, by sheer coincidence, end up in the exact same region and the exact same place to study. What are the odds?"

…