Chapter 91: You’re the blot
Alex sighed heavily, his shoulders squared, his red eyes narrowing as he faced Vaelen in the sunlit corridor of Starhaven Academy.
The taunt "Lost without your boyfriend, huh" grated like sandpaper against his already frayed patience, each word a jab that stung more than he wanted to admit.
The bustling hall had quieted, students slowing their steps, their vibrant tunics catching the prismatic light from the crystal panels overhead, their whispers a soft, buzzing hum as they sensed the brewing storm.
Alex’s frustration from his earlier tutoring session, where he’d fumbled his telekinesis, simmered beneath a layer of hard-won confidence, and Vaelen’s scowl, sharp with contempt, was like a match tossed onto dry kindling.
"I’m really not in the mood for any unproductive conversation," he said, his voice low, firm, his gaze locking onto Vaelen’s gray eyes, his stance unyielding.
He was done with this nonsense, determined to shut it down, even as the weight of his earlier failure lingered, a quiet bruise on his pride.
Vaelen’s lips twisted into a smirk, his dark hair glinting in the sunlight, his angular face alight with mocking amusement that made Alex’s jaw tighten.
"Is that you trying to throw in the towel early?" Vaelen asked, his voice dripping with scorn, leaning forward just enough to make the space between them feel smaller, more charged.
Behind him, his crew of four students, some smirking, others watching with curious, wary eyes, shifted, their presence amplifying the tension like a drumbeat.