Rimholm University: Clandestine

Chapter 34

Their training week is now over and hopefully, it goes on smoothly. Today, Mira was left alone by her friends so she can rest a little. Mira started her day only with Ellistal; her familiar.

"Ellis, we're leaving now! Leave Freddy's flower there! They won't leave that spot." The girl said after she wore her boots. The spirit stopped from looking at the flowers and smiled, "On it, Lady Mira!"

"Are you feeling better now?" Mira watched the man by her peripheral vision who's leaning on the wall like a dashing prince. She turned in another direction to ignore him and walked away, remembering what happened that day.

"Hey, Mira." Mira's face get red like a tomato after he placed his hand on her shoulder. The girl immediately walks away when she realizes there's an odd feeling that grew inside her. The heart is pounding inside her chest insanely and it scares her.

"Are you alright?" Her eye widened on realization. Zachary is attending to her and won't stop keeping an eye on her out minute by minute. Not just by that, her days won't be normal like what they used to be before. It won't be like that again after that day.

"Zachary, it's you." Zachary's eyes narrowed and leaned on her, scanning her face. He held both of her cheeks just to sniff her hair, "Nothing is wrong. You're not in distress or pain either. Are you alright?"

"Of course. Haha, I'm completely fine. I just didn't notice you earlier." She walked slowly to escape from the alpha in front of her. Zachary noticed her sudden movements and immediately caught her between his arms.

"Why are you still embarrassed by me? There's nothing wrong with it."

"But--"

"Trust me." He planted a kiss on her forehead then escorted her to walk into their classroom where Lady Selene and the others are waiting.

"I thought that both of you are not going to attend." Lady Selene said with a grin. She's half-sitting on the table while the five other participants are waiting on their seats. Mira went straight to the vacant seat between Kellion and Mattheo.

"I reserved that for you. What do you feel now, Mira?" The boy asked.

"I'm feeling well now." She replied with a smile. Kellion nudges her shoulder, "Come on. It's not what I'm talking about." Mira's eyes get widened and immediately looked away. Mattheo glanced at him before turning to Mira.

"Don't ask her too much. She's still nervous."

"Have you claimed someone before?" Mattheo leaned at the chair before stealing a glance at Salem, "Ask your sister if it's alright if I did that." Kellion's expression dropped and his cheery smile fades away. He looked at the shifter with a scowl.

"Rot in the human world, Leonory."

"Come on, you know that we will. Don't say that, Selene." Zachary said, making everyone aside from Kellion and Salem look at him in disbelief. Lady Selene smile despite the annoyance stirring inside her, "Go to your seat now before I hang you upside down, Zachary Johannes Beaumont Levine." Zachary chuckled and waves his hand to annoy Selene more. He glared at Mattheo, causing the other alpha to move into another chair before he seated beside her.

"This week is the start of Lutheran Games. Since the games lasted for two weeks, the schools that participated are staying at the dorms of their races."

"They're coming today so please be nice and peacefully celebrate the Lutheran Festival. That's all, I'm going leave this room now to seven of you and also, have your tour around. Don't forget to have fun." Lady Selene exits the room, leaving the seven students in silence.

"What's your plan for today?" Julius looked at them, waiting for their response.

"Nothing much. I'm playing with Florentine and Fauna."

"..."

"What about you two?"

"I'm going to wander around. The celebration seems like fun." Mira replied. Zachary nonchalantly steals a kiss on her cheek, "You don't need to ask, I'm going with her."

"Wow! That's a quick answer and without hesitation, Zachary Johannes Beaumont Levine! This shifter is shameless." Julius laughs. Zachary grins and gives him a high five. Kellion and Salem stood up, "You coming?" Mira heaves a deep sigh at Zachary's action before standing and motioning Mattheo and Freddy to stand come with her.

"I'm going to walk around with them, are you going with us?"

"Yes," Zachary stood up and tapped the vampire's shoulder as an invitation. They exited the room and watched the students on the school grounds. The whole place below them is covered by the glistening color of gold and deep as ocean blue.

"Wow," Mira whispered before running away and sliding to the stair's guard rail to have easy access to the floor below.

"You don't need to run, Mira." Zachary chuckled.

"I can't help it, it's beautiful and I.....I haven't seen things like that before." She smiled awkwardly. Zachary's gaze never leave her as she looked through the glass just to have a close view. A smile cracked on his lips without him knowing. Seeing Mira being excited to see things that she hasn't laid her eyes on before is enough. He placed his hand where his heart is and whispered, "This is starting to get crazier than before. The goddess of love and the moon goddess is very unpredictable."

"Zach! Look the griffins!" Zachary sprinted towards her to check it too.

"You can have a better view on the school grounds, come on!" He said then grabbed her hands and run through the halls. Every post they passed, the halls are revamping into the hallways of the lower floors of every establishment beside one another like stairs.

Meanwhile, the tension between the five other participants is getting worst. Salem is away from the group while strolling in silence. Mattheo and Freddy are walking between Julius and Kellion who doesn't want the vampire to get near to him.

"Do you have any ideas which schools are joining the games?" Freddy asked, trying to break the ice.

"Philestonean from the southwest, Herishlee in the west, Juinstye in the south, Marinelle on the southeast, and last but not the least, Kramishna on the east. They'll arrive any minute from now." Kellion replied.

"Kramishna you say? As in those students who have a fascination with sand? Them?" Julius asked in disbelief. Kellion turned at him with an annoyed expression written all over his face. Only if the two younger students are not walking between them, Kellion might probably strangle the vampire after he loses the smallest drop of patience he got.

"Sorry, I just can't believe that."

"Expect the unexpected, Mr. Trouveré. This school is the largest among the six universities in this world, of course, the game's venue is here." Kellion replied in sarcasm before sitting on the floor near the couple. The two other males follows while Salem leaned on the other window; away from them.

"I never thought that this will be beautiful," Mira commented as they sat at the window from the tenth floor where the whole view of the school's plaza can be seen. The couple comes back to their building after they bought food.

"The other players from other five schools is coming today, better be careful on showing off," Zachary said before handing her candy that he bought from the stall.

"Speaking of," He remained stoic while Mira furrowed her brows after she faced the direction where Zachary is looking at. There were a group of male students wearing a green cloak making their way to the plaza. Some female students squeal for attention when the two alpha from the group waved and smiled at them.

"Who are they?" Mira asked.

"They're the players from Herishlee. Four of them are the guys who play with every girl's heart. Do you know? The usual popular guys from other schools." Zachary replied. Julius and Kellion both laughed at the idea.

"Three of them are royal vampires that's why they have magic and two shifters. The remaining two are elves." Julius explained.

"The Philestoneans are here too," Freddy said while his hands, also his face, were pressed on the glass like a child on the candy store. He watched in admiration as the seven graceful women walked past through the playful men from Herishlee.

"Philestonean is beautiful as ever," Freddy murmurs, making Mira chuckle and tapped his head, "Do you have a crush on one of them?"

"Haha, of course not. I always saw them when I was on Alora."

"Attention for the representatives of Rimholm University for Lutheran Games, please proceed to the school grounds."

"Okay, rules are simple those who went there late smell like livestock's crap," Julius announced before running. Freddy and Mattheo came after him also the couple, leaving the siblings behind. Salem looked at Kellion who opened the window.

"I'm not doing this." She declined. After having a staring contest she groaned in annoyance and opened the window beside her, "Happy?"

"Come on!" Kellion yelled before jumping. She shook her head and closed the window then walked in peace on the hallways.

"No magic, Mira!" Mira raised her hands in submission.

"I won't!" She yelled and was about to catch up with the three males running when Zachary offered her a ride on his back, "This is not cheating. Let us teach those fellows who smell like that." Mira hesitantly hop on his back and screamed in panic after Zachary run through the halls that changed their routes.

"Wait! Where's Salem and Kellion?" Julius asked as five of them met on the ground floor.

"They're waiting." Salem walked past through him and pulled Mira away from Zachary. Both of them walk towards the crowd where the students with their familiars are.

"Them?"

"They got two pretty girls on their group."

"Rimholm seems different this year."

"Trust me, they're not tough like those from Philestoneans."

"Newbies."

"Porcelain dolls." The gossip flew around the school grounds while their eyes never leave the two girls walking nonchalantly. Some of them threw disgust but got stiffened after meeting the five males walking behind them.

"Are we late, Zachary? The opening ceremony seems like starting before we arrive."

"Just in time."

"I thought we are." Mira sigh in relief before averting her attention at the front where Lady Marionette is.

"Greetings to all students from five universities. I, Marionette, the principal of this school want to give all of you a warm welcome. This school wholeheartedly welcomes all of the students who are participating in the Lutheran Games as part of the celebration for the Mother goddess. That's all, you may now go to your appointed places." She stepped down to the podium and leave the stage. A round of applause filled the whole school grounds and make it like they're inside the four walls. On their way to their classroom, they meet the seven students from Herishlee walking next to them. Mira and the others never threw their gazes at the four fellows but they overheard what they're saying. None of their group tried to have an interaction with the Herishlee's.

"I heard that Rimholm has two nightmares." The vampire said before combing his ruddy hair backward then stealing a glance at Mira. He smirked and turned her attention to his colleagues, trying to look enticing to her. Zachary noticed his simple glance on Mira, making him let out a low growl.

"Calm down," Julius whispered.

"Seriously, Jeremiah? Do you still believe in that?" The blonde elf beside him sarcastically asked.

"Of course, Everett." Jeremiah grinned.

"The Rimholm representative is walking next to us, why don't you save your conversation later?" The shifter with a muscular body asked them.

"They said that it's a phoenix shifter and the black wolf, Gilbert." Another shifter interrupted them with a mischievous smile crept upon his lips.

"Kane says it all." The vampire named Jeremiah averted his attention at another two vampires,

"What you can say, Kevin and Leo?"

"Both males, hate that."

"I agree with Kevin."

"We're here to be our school's representative, not for that." Another elf told them.

"Well, what a surprise River. Since when did you get serious?" Kevin mocked him.

"Stop acting like the four of you are not looking at the tall brunette at the corner," Peter whispered. Julius and Zachary looked at Salem before covering their faces as they grin. The girl crackled her fingers in annoyance, silently threatening the two older males at the front.

"Hello, can we ask for something?" Mira looked at them emotionlessly. Salem, Zachary, and Kellion stopped walking and wait for Mira who walks before them. This also halts the three of their teammates from taking another step. They looked at the seven guys as if they're giving them a piece of good luck.

"You're already asking." The girl deadpans. Jeremiah and the two other vampires laughed at the remark.

"It's not like that, we're asking if you know about the rumor about the two infamous yet mysterious shifters?" Leo asked with a smile---Doing his best to attract the girl in front of him. Mira looked at them in hostility, especially to thevampire who was in front of her. She glanced at her teammates.

"Oh! Pardon me, my lady. I'm asking if you're aware of the existence of the phoenix and the wolf?" This time, the shifter named Kane asked. Mira leaned on him then stared directly into his eyes.

"For a man, you're a nosy one." She whispered and walked towards Zachary. Salem and Zachary looked at them with golden eyes, intimidating the seven men.

"Their eyes....are gold."