Chapter 22: Leo, this isn’t a game.
A few moments ago...
School Building– Third Floor, Class 12-A
"Valra, you look really tired... Did you not get enough sleep last night?" a handsome boy with neatly styled hair leaned toward the brown-haired girl slumped over her desk, her arms folded under her head. Her expression was exhausted, and her eyes looked dull and drained.
She slowly turned her head and gave him a lazy, disinterested glance.
The boy, unfazed, smiled gently. "If you’re not feeling well, I can take you to the infirmary. Don’t worry, I’ll explain it to the teacher and say you had a headache or something. So... what do you say?" He extended his hand toward her, palm up, like a chivalrous knight offering aid to a noble lady.
Valra blinked at his hand, then looked straight into his hopeful face. Her voice came out blunt, flat, and without mercy. "Since she isn’t here, you figured you’d try your luck with me, huh?"
The boy froze, his face turning red with embarrassment. "H-Hah... Th-that’s not what I meant—"
"Get out," Valra interrupted coldly, waving her hand in dismissal. "I’m already too tired... and extremely annoyed. Don’t add to it."
The boy awkwardly lowered his hand, scratching the back of his neck as he turned and walked away with slumped shoulders. His friend group chuckled in the background, clearly amused at his defeat.
Valra remained still, her body heavy from exhaustion. She hadn’t gotten a minute of rest last night. After the skirmish that began just past midnight, she had ended up confronting two Masters in the span of a few hours. And she had spent the rest of the night scouring the area, trying to locate the remaining three. But none had shown themselves.
/So, we’re doing patrol again today?/ Envy’s voice echoed inside her head, smooth and laced with sarcasm.