Chapter 47: Breaking the Ice

(Cadel POV)

“Mira?” Kaede called, waving a hand over her face.

“Looks like she’s out again. Let her rest,” Ms Reina directed.

I watched as they moved around the room while I sat up on the bed in the infirmary. Though I felt alright, Ms Reina had insisted I stay for observation. One of Soren’s attacks had caused sudden nosebleeding—likely the same cold shock that had knocked Jonah out. Thankfully, I’d fared better.

Soren had proved to be a challenge. Without a doubt, he had been the toughest opponent that I had ever faced. Although he hadn’t outright revealed his Ability, I had a good idea of its nature. It was clearly tied to intense cold: ice, freezing, even hypothermic effects. When I first charged at him, I’d immediately slowed down upon entering his dome-like field. The chill was intense, and I was certain I would’ve frozen if not for the plasmic energy that Kaede supplied me with.

This meant he wasn’t an ideal opponent for me. The colder it got, the less energy there was available in the environment. If I had a weakness, that was likely it. Had I found myself trapped in his ice dome without any stored energy, what—

“Cadel? Hey, you okay?”

I snapped out of my thoughts to find Kaede next to me, her expression filled with concern.

“Are you still dazed over what happened? You’ve been seeming out of it,” she continued.

“I’m fine, just reflecting on the battle. Anyway, you should get some sleep,” I replied.

It was well past midnight, and I had just learned that the camp had been cancelled with immediate effect due to Soren being on the loose. Security measures had been ramped up, and the remaining students had been rushed to pack up. They should have returned to their dorms by now, as the school was under lockdown until further notice.

I sighed. This was a troublesome situation to be in. Not only would we be the focus of attention, but we were also bound to be grilled with questions by school faculty and police officers. I wished I could be back in my dorm now like the other students, probably relaxing with some hot chocolate and a good book before bed.

“Um, there’s no way I can go back to school without you all! Besides, I think they want to keep us here for questioning for now…” Kaede mumbled shyly.

“Right now, Dr Connor and some of the higher-ups are in a discussion with people from the Administration. Obviously, a 6-Star breaking into a school camp set alarm bells ringing everywhere,” Ms Reina noted. “Please don’t worry too much—we’ll try to get things sorted out. Of course, your safety is our utmost priority.”

She continued,"For now, I’d like you to rest. We have another room adjacent to this one with additional beds where you can sleep. There are guards stationed around this area to ensure your security.”

Kaede nodded, taking in the information. “Okay, that sounds good. I guess I just need to unwind for a bit.”

Ms Reina smiled reassuringly. “Good. In the meantime, I’m gonna have to join the talks with the other adults. If anyone needs anything, don’t hesitate to call me. You can access my number from the class chat.”

Kaede stifled a yawn before turning in my direction. “I’ll be in the next room then. See you tomorrow!”

As the two of them left, I plopped back down on my bed. Sleep came easier than I expected.

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“Psst. Hey.” I stirred to find a familiar face hovering above mine.

My eyes widened in recognition. “Scarlette, what are you doing? You shouldn’t be out of bed!” I exclaimed, a mix of concern and irritation in my voice.

Scarlette flashed a grin, though I could tell she was trying not to wince. “What’s the big deal? I feel fine… just a little ache in my back. By the way, I had no idea you drool in your sleep!”

The memory of my prank on her from the second morning popped into my mind, and I couldn’t help but smirk. “Nice try, but that’s not something I do.”

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She pouted playfully. “You’re no fun.” With that, she shuffled back to her bed and gingerly climbed onto it. “So, what went down? Why are you even in the infirmary?”

I proceeded to fill her in on the events that had occurred last night, keeping my voice low to avoid waking the others.

Scarlette’s face turned grim. She looked over in Mira’s direction, who was still sleeping innocently. “I see. I don’t think I can thank her enough.” There was a slight quaver to her voice.

I wasn’t present to fully witness the whole healing process as I was busy with Jonah, but based on Kaede’s account, it seemed that Mira had poured everything she had into healing Scarlette. The decision to add a healer to our team had paid off massively.

The door opened and Ms Reina, along with an officer, stepped in. Our teacher had huge eye bags—it was clear she had barely slept last night, if at all.

“Scarlette! How are you feeling?” Upon noticing her awake, Ms Reina rushed over to her side.

“Hi Ms Reina! I feel fine, actually,” Scarlette replied with a bright smile. It was amusing to see how polite she was with the teachers compared to her more brash demeanour around her peers.

The next few hours turned into a whirlwind of activity. Nurses came in for quick checkups while breakfast was served, and more officers began questioning us about our accounts of last night’s incident. Fortunately, both Mira and Jonah eventually woke up, and Kaede joined us as well to share her perspective.

While everyone tried to keep the atmosphere light-hearted and relaxed, it was impossible for us to just forget the shock of what happened overnight. However, I suddenly received a text message that I found curiously interesting.

“Tell me what happened last night.” It was Kazen.

I mulled over a suitable reply. The details of the incident were classified, and we were instructed to keep it that way, so there was no way Kazen would know about his brother’s sudden attack on us.

“We got attacked by an outsider,” I texted, keeping it short and vague.

“Who?” His response was almost instant.

“I’ve been told to not share it with anyone.”

After a short pause, my phone buzzed again.

“Meet me when you’re free.” Man, was this guy persistent.

“We’re under lockdown.”

“They just told us to not leave our dorms. Doesn’t mean we can’t meet in the dorm itself.”

Part of me wanted to let Kazen know more, hoping he could provide insight about his brother, but I hesitated at the thought of involving anyone else in this mess. Yet, if anyone had a right to know, it was Kazen.

“Fine, I’ll let you know when I’m back at the dorm. We’ll talk then.”

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As night fell, we were finally allowed to leave the infirmary. However, we were advised not to sleep alone for the next few days, a precaution none of us minded. I doubted my friends could sleep alone anyway.

We were escorted back to the dormitory. After dropping us off, Ms Reina sent us a message: “Take care of yourselves. I’ll keep you updated if there are any new developments.” She followed it up with another message: “I’ll allow you guys to visit each other’s rooms, just try not to be too obvious about it.”

A sense of relief washed over us. Just seeing each other would be vital in keeping our spirits up.

“Sooo, let’s all wash up first, then go to Cadel’s room?” Scarlette suggested. The team readily agreed, brushing aside my objections.

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After a refreshing shower, I began emptying my camp bag as I waited for my friends to arrive. As I rummaged through the contents, I suddenly froze when I spotted my lunchbox. I wondered about the state of the egg inside.

Carefully, I peeled open the cover. There was a visible crack in the egg, but somehow it remained whole. I pondered if this still counted as ‘intact’. Would it even be edible now?

My thoughts were broken as my doorbell rang.

“Hey bro,” Jonah cheerfully welcomed himself in.

“Make yourself at home,” I greeted him as we dapped up.

“You really saved us out there. I wish I was awake to see it,” he grumbled.

I shook my head. “From what I heard, you were the one who sacrificed yourself for the girls. Quite the gentlemanly move.”

I watched as his face turned red. “I mean, it was the right thing to do, yeah?” he babbled.

“I’m just glad you’re okay, man,” I assured him.

We made light talk while waiting for the girls to show up. Shortly after, the three of them arrived at the same time.

“Excuse me,” Scarlette said as she placed her slippers neatly by the door.

“Welcome, ladies,” Jonah greeted with an exaggerated bow, ushering them in.

“Glad you seem well,” Scarlette rolled her eyes.

The five of us settled into our usual spots on the floor. It was unfortunate but there still weren’t enough chairs for five people. I was about to suggest that they buy their own cushions to sit on considering how often they ended up in my room, but Jonah kick-started the conversation.

“So, uh… what are we doing here again?” he asked sheepishly.

Kaede, who was sitting closest to him, smacked him in the back of the head.

“Isn’t just being together enough?” she began. “But it’s also the first time the five of us can just chill together since the camp started,” she added quickly, as if realising how sentimental she sounded.

“Exactly,” Scarlette agreed. “But first…”

Without any warning, she lunged at Mira, pulling her into a tight hug.

Mira squeaked in surprise, but slowly, she wrapped her arms around Scarlette in return.

“I haven’t properly thanked you yet, so I wanna say thank you for saving me,” Scarlette whispered, her voice cracking.

As the two girls embraced, I noticed Kaede trying to hide her sniffles. Even Jonah seemed captivated, his usual grin softened. Personally, I wasn’t good with emotional outbursts, so I continued sitting awkwardly, patiently waiting for them.

“I… I have something to say to you too,” Mira confessed. She bowed her head in Scarlette’s direction. “I’m sorry I’ve been pushing you away ever since your fight with Kazen. It just… triggered something on a personal level. Some memories that I haven’t overcome. But I think—I think I’m ready now. Is it okay if I share it?”