“Oh, I’ll stand up alright,” she snapped, her voice ringing out across the cafeteria. “Because Melanthius Shadowbane is a good friend of mine! And when he finds out you’ve been doing this to me, he’s going to kick your sorry ass straight into oblivion!”

The entire cafeteria fell silent, her outburst reverberating through the room like a thunderclap. Heads turned toward her, and even the bullies froze, their smug expressions faltering.

The boy opened his mouth to respond but hesitated, glancing nervously around as murmurs of “Did she just say Melanthius?” and “She knows him?” rippled through the crowd.

Anita stood tall, ignoring the soup dripping from her hair, her eyes locked on the bully with unyielding defiance. For the first time, the confidence drained from his face, replaced by visible unease.

“Shit, shit, shit! Why the hell did I lie?!” he muttered under his breath, panic seeping into his voice. “I’ve never even seen Melanthius!”

The boy tried to recover, his voice faltering. “Y-you’re good friends with him? That’s bullshit.”

Anita tilted her head, a sly smirk spreading across her face. “Not just good friends—we’re best friends.”

The crowd around them buzzed with murmurs, and another kid, eager to jump in, asked, “So, uh... have you seen his fox? The one that changes colors based on its mood?”

Anita flicked her hair back dramatically, soup and all, playing it off with exaggerated confidence. “Of course. I walk it sometimes,” she said smoothly, lying through her teeth.

In reality, Melanthius barely knew where the fox was most of the time. For the past seven months, it had been a mystery. It would show up unexpectedly, play with him for a while, then vanish without a trace.

The bully narrowed his eyes, trying to find a crack in her story, but Anita’s performance was flawless. The other kids exchanged impressed glances, clearly buying into her claims.

“Well, if you’re so close to him, why don’t you prove it?” the bully challenged, though his voice lacked the venom it had before.

Anita grinned, leaning forward slightly. “Prove it? I don’t need to prove anything. Melanthius doesn’t have time for people like you, anyway.”

The crowd oohed at her retort, and the bully shrank back further, unsure of how to respond. Anita wiped some soup off her forehead with a napkin and turned on her heel, walking away with the air of someone who had already won.

As she left, she couldn’t help but feel a small pang of guilt for stretching the truth. But then again, she figured, “It’s not like Mel’s fox is going to suddenly show up and call me out.”

“Oh, hey, Lance,” a girl called out, her tone casual. Anita’s heart plummeted. “But he might!” she thought in a rising panic, her mind racing.

Lance strolled over, munching on a banana, his gait relaxed but commanding. “What’s all the fuss about?” he asked, peeling off the last bit of fruit.

Anita felt the blood drain from her face. Her thoughts spiraled into ridiculous catastrophes. “What’s Melanthius going to do when he finds out I’m lying? Burn me at the stake? Eat me?!” Her imagination ran wild, conjuring images of Mel as some hardcore demon with zero tolerance for deceit.

In fairness, no one outside his inner circle—Elowen, Arid, Lance, Lumi, Caius, Sera, Renita, Lincoln, Shenelle, Rue, and Jake—had seen Mel for seven months. For all Anita knew, he could have turned into something even more terrifying.

One of the boys pointed at Anita, smirking. “Oh, Lance, this girl says she’s Mel’s best friend. Thought you’d know her, seeing as you’re his student or something.” He casually dapped Lance up, a smug grin on his face.

Lance raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to Anita. “Best friend?” he repeated, his voice laced with amusement. He was still catching his breath from his earlier test, but he didn’t miss a beat.

He turned to Anita, his expression unreadable. “Mel doesn’t have any new ninth-grade best friends. So... when exactly did you two meet?”

Anita froze, her mind scrambling for a plausible response. Meanwhile, Lance tapped on the screen of his wristband. Plates of food materialized on the table, and he began eating casually, as if he hadn’t just dropped a conversational bomb on her.

The group stared at Anita, their curiosity piercing through her shaky composure. She swallowed hard, feeling the weight of their expectations and her tangled web of lies tightening around her. "I uhh..." she stammered, desperately searching for an escape.

Before she could dig herself deeper, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. Relief washed over her as the group began to disperse.

Lance, still lingering, casually wiped crumbs from his shirt, his demeanor as nonchalant as ever. “Whatever,” he said with a shrug. “If you say you’re Mel’s friend, who am I to doubt it? He’s pretty easygoing and makes friends with just about anyone... though lately, he’s been more careful. Something happened with his old friend, Dorian.” Lance paused, licking his fingers before grabbing a towel from his bag.

“Oh, by the way,” he added, leaning down to dry her soup-soaked hair. “Mel’s birthday is always the day before school starts. Guess I’ll see you there, right?”

With that, he tossed the towel over his shoulder and strolled off, leaving Anita frozen in her seat.

As the room emptied, she slumped into a chair, burying her face in her hands. “I’m so screwed,” she muttered to herself. “Did you see how strong Lance was? He could probably snap me in half for pretending to be his master’s friend. What am I even doing?”

Her voice echoed in the empty room, filled with both regret and a lingering sense of dread.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, and the freshman students bolted from the building like arrows from a bow, eager to socialize and bask in their newfound freedom. Anita, however, lingered near the steps, gnawing nervously on her fingers. “Dammit,” she muttered under her breath, her stomach in knots. “I’m a white card—I shouldn’t be getting myself into stupid situations like this.”

Her bully approached, his expression unreadable. “Come on,” he said simply, his tone carrying an air of authority that made Anita flinch. Despite herself, her anxiety compelled her to follow him as he strode purposefully down the pathway.

They walked in tense silence until they arrived at the docks, the salty air mingling with the faint hum of distant waves. Anita frowned, crossing her arms. “Why’d you bring me here?” she demanded, her voice laced with suspicion.

The boy gestured out toward the horizon, where the shimmering city of Atlantis stood in all its glory. Sunlight danced off its spires, making the underwater kingdom visible even from the surface.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“That,” he said, pointing, “is Atlantis. You do know your ‘best friend’ is the king of Atlantis, right?”

Anita’s jaw dropped as she stared at the breathtaking sight. “H-he’s… what?” she stammered, her mind racing. How had she not known this? Sure, she’d heard rumors, but seeing it made everything feel so much more real—and terrifying.

The boy smirked, clearly enjoying her reaction. “You’ve got a big mouth, but you don’t know much, do you?” he teased. “Word of advice: if you’re gonna lie about being close to someone like Melanthius, you better learn a thing or two about him. Otherwise, it’ll catch up with you.”

Anita clenched her fists, her face burning with a mix of embarrassment and anger. “I—I don’t have to explain myself to you,” she snapped, though her voice wavered.

The boy chuckled, turning to leave. “Whatever you say, ‘best friend.’”

The boy wasn’t paying attention and bumped straight into Arid, who now stood taller and looked more muscular than he had seven months ago. Arid was casually leaning against a wall, his phone pressed to his ear. “Yeah, I got the stuff, Mel,” he said, a sly grin tugging at his lips. “Used Rue’s credit card. Don’t worry, she’ll survive.” He chuckled to himself, clearly amused.

The boy’s grin widened as he turned to Anita. “If you’re really his friend, let’s find out. I’ll ask this guy.” He strode over confidently and gave Arid a nudge on the shoulder.

Arid didn’t even glance at him, holding up a finger as he continued talking on the phone. “Yeah, yeah, it’s all set. What? No, I didn’t forget the—oh, hold on.” He lowered the phone slightly, his face suddenly shifting into a sharp glare. “What, bitch?!”

The boy froze but managed to stammer, “Uhh, excuse me, I just—”

Arid cut him off with a harsh tone. “You think it’s okay to interrupt me while I’m on the phone?” His voice was low and dangerous, enough to make the boy visibly shrink.

“Uh—uhh, s-sorry, I didn’t mean to—” the bully stammered, his earlier bravado completely evaporating.

Arid scoffed and turned his attention back to the phone. “Yeah, Mel, sorry about that. Some idiot thought it’d be funny to poke me while I’m handling business. Anyway…”

The boy stepped back quickly, his confidence completely shattered, and shot Anita an embarrassed look. She crossed her arms, trying not to laugh, though a small smirk tugged at her lips.

“Still think it’s a good idea to mess with me?” she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

The boy mumbled something under his breath and hurried off, leaving Anita alone to process what just happened. She glanced at Arid, who hadn’t even acknowledged her presence, and felt a strange mix of relief and dread. It seemed her web of lies had just narrowly avoided being exposed—this time.

Arid lowered the phone with a sigh, and to Anita’s horror, he offered a slight bow. “Apologies for my earlier attitude. I’m a little busy. What do you need?”

The bully smirked, leaning casually against the wall as if he’d already won. “This girl says she’s Melanthius’s best friend,” he said, gesturing toward Anita. “Is that true?”

Anita’s heart sank, and her knees wobbled as panic set in. “This is it. I’m doomed.”

Arid raised an eyebrow and glanced at her name tag before whispering into the phone. “Hey, Mel, quick question. This freshman—Anita, according to her card—claims to be your best friend. Is that true?” He listened intently to the response on the other end, his expression unreadable.

After a moment, he hung up. “Well,” he said, sliding his phone into his pocket, “I guess it’s true.”

Both the bully and Anita stared at him, their jaws dropping in unison.

“Wait, what?” the bully blurted, utterly baffled.

Anita, snapping out of her shock, quickly tried to mask her surprise. Arid turned to her, his piercing gaze sharper than ever. “Why are you surprised, Anita?”

She straightened her posture and waved a hand nonchalantly. “I’m not surprised! I told you it was true, didn’t I?”

Arid gave Anita a long, calculating look before shrugging. “Good. Just don’t embarrass him, alright?” Without waiting for her response, he gestured for her to follow. “Come on. Mel needs us for some business. You know, that thing.”

Anita hesitated but fell in step behind him, her heart racing. The bully, still standing by the wall, watched them leave with a slack jaw. Anita’s thoughts were spiraling. ”What thing? Why didn’t Melanthius call me out? Forget it. At least that jerk’s finally off my back.” She sighed in relief, though her nerves didn’t settle.

She nearly stumbled when she realized they were standing at the edge of the docks. Dark, rolling waves stretched out before them. “What are we doing here?” she asked, her voice tinged with unease.

Arid didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he clasped his hands together, and a faint green glow emanated from his palms. Moments later, a delicate flower with bioluminescent petals bloomed in his hands. He held it out to her. “Eat this.”

“What?” she asked, bewildered.

“Eat it,” he repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument. Before she could protest, he shoved the flower into her mouth. She coughed and gagged, trying to spit it out. “What the hell was that?!” she demanded.

Arid smirked faintly, then pushed her into the water without warning.

She barely had time to scream before she hit the cold, swirling depths. Panic surged through her as she struggled, but then something clicked. She could breathe. “I can breathe?!”

Arid dove in after her, his movements as effortless as if he were walking on land. He reached for her hand and began pulling her deeper into the water. Anita’s panic ebbed, replaced by awe as she realized the crushing pressure of the ocean wasn’t affecting her at all.

“That was an Abyssal Bloom,” Arid explained casually, his voice calm and clear even underwater. “It lets you breathe and shields you from the pressure. You’re fine.”

She stared at him, dumbfounded, as they descended further into the dark abyss. The water grew colder, darker, and more still, but Anita’s body felt warm and protected, as if she were wrapped in an invisible cocoon.

Then she saw it—a massive, shimmering structure materializing in the darkness. Towers of coral and stone intertwined, glowing faintly with an otherworldly light. Schools of vibrant fish darted through the arches, and colossal gates stood at the heart of it all, guarded by imposing figures.

Anita nearly fainted. “Is that…?”

“Welcome to Atlantis,” Arid said with a smirk, his grip on her hand steady as he led her toward the towering gates.