Celeste~

With that, I'd left. I was too focused on the challenge ahead to even realise how fucking drained I felt. My body felt as if it weighed a thousand tons and my head felt so cloudy I could barely think straight.

I noticed that not everyone had finished at the same time, people were leaving but not in the crowds they came here in. I messaged both Chloe and Rain but they didn't reply, I assumed that they were just still finishing off their Trial so I went about my day. That was until I saw him.

"Celeste?"

This time, instead of his attire that I saw him in before which consisted of shorts and no shirt, he was in a simple black shirt and black jeans. The two at the top which were unbuttoned added to his bad boy persona and made him look that bit sexier.

"Yeah, hi." I tried my best to formulate a good response all while trying not to seem as unnerved as I actually was.

"Are you okay? the fight was kinda rough and then we had the whole Angel thing after."

"Yeah i'm good, just kinda beat down but that's expected."

He took a moment to himself, analysing me. It felt like that moment in the ring all over again, like he was looking through me. "Yeah, can you keep a secret."

That changed though because this time it was like he was looking into my soul, trying to find answers.

"Depends on what the secret is."

"You will keep this to yourself, it doesn't cause any harm to you."

That was more of a deceleration than anything. Not that I wouldn't abide, if what he was saying was true then it was perfectly fine and I would keep his little secret. Or maybe i'm just more intrigued by this whole thing than i'd like to admit.

"Sure."

Not a yes, not a no. I really wasn't gonna say a word but for some reason I felt an urge to not let it seem like I was just a doormat in this encounter and that I would just listen to his every word.

"There's a good chance the Angels are gonna attack again, I fight was intense so your gonna stick with me for the next few days."

Well, that wasn't what I was expecting to hear.

"Just until we make it to the actual academies of course, they have better protection there."

He said everything so matter of factly, It was like a steel wall between his outer exterior and whatever was going on in there.

So, the Angels are going to attack again it seems. I didn't really know what to do with that information but take it in. I was gonna tell Chloe because I knew that she would protect this with her life. I knew why he'd wanted to keep this on the low, this was obviously something he found out from the career that he's destined for. Still assuming Judias is the one he's close with i'd be right in that belief.

So he was planning to protect me because he felt bad because of the fight. I mean he did really put his all into it.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Oh, thank you for the offer, that however, won't be necessary." I wasn't disagreeing for no reason. I just simply didn't see the point in having protection when I could defend myself perfectly well by myself. It was better to be alone then have an incoherent team, you could really end up in a power battle within a power battle if your not careful. Powers already added an extra layer of instability, that didn't need to be emphasised by a lack of coordination because of a lack of trust. It just wasn't needed, I wasn't in that bad shape and I was strong enough.

His face held his same stern, neutral look it had the whole time. There wasn't a pause in his stride, not an emotion on display.

"You're going to need to reconsider." Again, he spoke as if it wasn't even an option for me to disagree, like the idea of him being wrong or this conversation not going in the direction he desired was an experience that could only take place outside of this universe.

"Sadly, I don't think that's going to happen."

I stayed nice, I wasn't going to poke the bear for just any reason now was i.

"Then you'd be a very stupid girl, are you a very stupid girl?" And just like that I take back what I said. who the fuck was he talking to. I leaned against the cool stone wall of the hallway, I was getting tired even just standing there and I needed to brace on something.

Arms crossed tightly over my chest, I tried to project confidence despite fatigue weighing me down. "You think calling me stupid is going to change my mind?" I stayed calm, I didn't wanna be seen as emotional unstable right now. I would never let him know he could get to me with such childish tricks.

Caspian stepped closer, his intense gaze piercing through the dim light of the corridor.

"It's not about changing your mind, Celeste. It's about keeping you alive." He sounded more serious this time, I didn't even know that was possible but it was.

"Alive?" I scoffed, a bitter laugh leaving my lips. "You think I can't handle myself? I've been training for this just like you have. We all bleed the same and we all have the same amount of protection here. They would never let anyone just die here, even if they didn't care about me as an individual, their reputation is their life. "

He shifted, his posture rigid, almost challenging. "And yet you could have gotten beaten up in your last match. You think the Angels care about your training? They're not here to play fair."

"You don't know that first of all, secondly you could very much say the same thing about you, they don't care about your training."

I rolled my eyes, pushing off the wall when his face didn't seem to be reconsidering his position like he should have been. "I can't just hide behind you. That's not who I am. I won't be a damsel in distress."

"Oh we can definitely continue the match if you believe that, i'll hold you to that." He grinned and I think something on my face showed my regret towards the sentence I just spoke because the amount of amusement he got from challenging me was indescribable.

Continuing on he said. "Damsel or not, you're not invincible," he shot, voice low but firm. "You need to understand the stakes here. You want to survive this? You're going to have to trust me."

"Trust?" I echoed. "You're asking for my trust after being in a ring with you? I barely know you, we both know that's not gonna work. One of us would of had to of been a naive idiot for this dynamic to work and considering you eye everyone, including me, like a threat to your very lifeline that could harm you at any chance, I don't think your taking one for the team."

Caspian's jaw tightened. "I'm not saying your weak. You're stronger than most, but even the strongest can fall. I'm trying to help you."

His expression hardened. "There's a war brewing, Celeste. We're not just fighting for reputation here; it's life or death. You need to see beyond your pride."

I swallowed, feeling the weight of his words in the pit of my stomach. I don't know what it was about the tone of his voice but I couldn't help but be inclined to listen to him.

"So what's the plan? You protect me, and I just follow you like a lost puppy?"

"Not a puppy," he said, an edge of frustration creeping into his voice. "A partner. You fight with me, not for me. But put aside your stubbornness for a moment."

I raised an eyebrow, weighing my options. The stakes had never felt so high. "Fine. But I'm not going to be your sidekick, Caspian. We fight together, or not at all."

He nodded, a flicker of something,

respect? crossing his face. "Deal."