Orphans, Outbursts, and Overdramatic Eye Contact

…

A week later, the group scheduled to travel to the capital of the Moonglade Kingdom gathered in front of the academy, anxiously waiting for their transportation to arrive.

The air buzzed with excitement and a hint of nervousness as students chatted amongst themselves.

"Arion…"

Arion looked up, spotting Nesa waving at him from a distance. He raised his hand in response, a smile spreading across his face.

As Nesa approached, her eyes were immediately drawn to the dark circles under Arion's eyes, which resembled a pair of oversized black bags hanging precariously on his face.

Despite his tired appearance, Arion greeted her with the same soft, calm smile he always wore.

Nesa playfully punched his shoulder while her gaze still lingered on his eyes.

"What's up with your eyes? You look like a panda who just pulled an all-nighter binge!"

"Yeah, right…" Arion rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Actually, it's nothing. I'm just excited! You know, I never expected to be attuned with Ether in the end. Now, I'm no loser anymore!"

Hearing that, Nesa whispered under her breath, which only Shera managed to hear.

"Even if you weren't attuned with Ether, I still think you're no loser. Just a bit of a dork."

"So, who is this?" Arion asked – curiosity piqued as he noticed a girl standing behind Nesa.

She had shoulder-length blonde hair and brown eyes, alternating her gaze between Arion and Nesa, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"This," Nesa said with a happy, mischievous smile, wrapping her arm playfully around the girl, "is my mom."

"Who is your mom?" Rhea rolled her eyes, then continued, "No way I'll be your mom. That would be way too much hassle for me. And hello there, Arion! My name is Rhea. I'm in B class, so basically, I'm a mortal being with average scores – not like you in A class, known by everyone as the God of Study."

"Hahaha, you overestimate me," Arion chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, now that you've claimed back your godly status, I hope you'll take care of us later," Rhea said, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Uh, it's just studying at the academy. Who knows if I actually have talent in magic arts?" Arion shrugged, trying to downplay his newfound status.

"Aren't magic arts just a bunch of formulas, symbols, and patterns that require a lot of intelligence?" Rhea shook her head, continuing her lecture. 

"There's a reason why those who score high are upheld everywhere in our society. Once they prove to be attuned to Ether, their learning in magic basically skyrockets. You're just like the rumors say – really humble. But that's better! People like you usually have the best potential."

"Uh, I'm just lucky, you know," Arion said awkwardly, touching his nose as he felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. 

He had never been comfortable with praise, no matter how often he heard it.

In truth, Arion had been feeling a bit uncomfortable lately, especially with how many others looked at him with regretful eyes. 

'Bet they don't want me to be attuned after all,' he thought to himself. 

He hadn't expected jealousy to be such a powerful force in changing opinions about someone. 

Or perhaps, they were just uncomfortable because they had jeered behind his back when he had been deemed unattuned previously.

As the group continued to chat, Arion couldn't help but wonder if he should start wearing sunglasses to hide his panda eyes. After all, if he was going to be the "God of Study," he might as well look the part – preferably without looking like he had just emerged from a cave after a week-long hibernation! 

Talk about hibernation – his eyes were the result of the devil's training in a hellscape inside his mind. That's pretty much how he sums it up.

…

Subsequently, four people approached the three who were locked in conversation. The one leading the group had his eyes fixed on Arion, a smirk plastered across his face.

"Well, well. Who is this?" he exclaimed, his voice dripping with mockery. 

"I heard you managed to sense Ether after all. What a dumb luck!" 

The man walked with a rich gait, exuding a pompous, arrogant attitude, while his three underlings trailed behind him, wearing expressions that could only be described as munchable.

His chin was slightly lifted, and his gaze looked down upon everyone else as if he were royalty surveying his subjects.

His name was Richard, known as the richest son of a businessman in the region. A merchant with connections to the imperial family, Richard leveraged his father's influence to become a notorious bully at the academy. 

He had a particular knack for always trying to torment Arion all the time with no reason whatsoever, and another favorite target of his was actually Nesa.

As Richard made his remark, Nesa couldn't help but cringed hard. 

"Here we go again," she muttered under her breath. "This trash is everywhere in the academy. Get a life, would you?"

Richard chuckled, his laughter echoing through the air. 

"I was wondering for three days why you are so close with this poor guy. Guess it was expected since the two are the same. One poor guy from an orphanage, and two – wait, the girl is also the same! Hahahaha!"

As Richard laughed, he playfully tapped one of his underlings with the back of his hand, prompting the three of them to force themselves into boisterous laughter. 

It was hard to blame them; Richard, the young master, was generous with his entourage. Money was no object for him, and as a result, their pockets were always filled to the brim.

Suddenly, Shera's voice resonated inside Arion's mind. 

"This guy feels bitter when she insults the girl. I guess he secretly likes her. It's no good, Arion. You need to be fiercer from now on. It seems a lot of boys like Nesa."

"Really? Wait, how do you know something like that?" Arion thought, shocked. 

He had never imagined that this avatar of the Goddess of Nature could perceive someone's feelings. 

"Aren't I doomed then? Not only can she read minds, but she can also guess someone's deepest feelings. Add in reading memories, and oh boy, my life privacy is going up in smoke!"

"That's why you need to get stronger faster," Shera replied. "Find what I need, then create a strong enough vessel for me, so I don't have to stay inside your mind forever."

After receiving her reply, Arion felt a fiery determination ignite within him. "For my privacy. For my life!" he declared silently, his resolve hardening.

Meanwhile, Shera felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. In truth, she could block her own perception and avoid hearing Arion's thoughts, but she couldn't resist her curiosity. It was like a car crash; she just had to look. 

Besides, she got bored easily. 

Among all the Celestials, Kyshera was the embodiment of a night party woman – just without anything illicit or messy, only wanted to have fun with others.

Nesa, hearing Richard's comments about her and Arion, felt a rush of indifference and coldness wash over her, quickly followed by disgust and anger. She didn't know why, but hearing him speak about the orphanage as if it were something shameful to come from filled her with rage. 

It was more infuriating than the time her name had been smeared all over by those ex-friends of hers.

"What's wrong with an orphanage?" Nesa snapped, her voice rising like a kettle about to boil.

"It's not some dirty place, is it? If not for that place, there's no way I'd still be alive right now! You arrogant bastards act superior all the time just because you have capable parents!"

"As expected, you really are a loser," Nesa resumed, her voice dripping with disdain like a leaky faucet. "Get out of here before I kick you in the face. You are really disgusting."

Richard's bravado was met with a moment of silence – as if the universe itself was holding its breath. Then, suddenly, a pang of pain shot through his chest, as if a hammer were repeatedly pounding away at him. It felt so intense that he was just a second away from coughing up blood.

He couldn't help but direct his reddened eyes at Arion, who was now caught in the crossfire of this confrontation.

'Oh hell, why do you look at me like that, bro? I'm not gay!!!' Arion thought, his lips twitching in speechlessness.

...