Chapter 96: Beyond the Sign
Trixtan’s forehead creased, a flicker of genuine surprise on his face, as he leaned towards the fuming teenage boy. "Pfft—what the heck’s with that appearance?" Trixtan exclaimed, unable to contain his laughter, pointing at Shade. "How did you turn even smaller than the last time I saw you?" He didn’t control his laughter at all; in fact, he reveled in it, even laying his head on the long table, shaking with mirth.
Everyone in the classroom could practically see the flames through Shade’s eyes, a simmering, inner inferno. They slowly backed off, walking away from the angry young man, creating a wide space around him.
Everyone, that is, except for Trix, who continued laughing and teasing Shade, impervious to the dance. "You sure do love me, don’t you, my little friend?" Trix said, still chuckling, as he pulled up a chair and sat right beside Shade, practically inviting disaster. "You’re making me enjoy my life better now, honestly." His words, delivered with a delight smirk, only fueled Shade’s boiling anger further.
Despite all the commotion, the laughter, and the looming threat of Shade’s rage, Eirin’s mind was greatly disturbed by the fact that she had forgotten her promise to her friend. She tried her hardest simply surviving and adapting in this new, fantastical surrounding, that she hadn’t had enough time to think about the people she had left behind.
Her grandmother, her best friend’s family, and Bright Goodwin. Eirin wondered, with a heavy heart, how she would communicate with them again. Would her message still reach them, even now, despite how late it had become? The thought of them, worried and waiting, was a fresh pang of guilt.
Seeing how completely distracted the teenage girl was, her mind clearly elsewhere, annoyed Shade Cromwell even further. ’She’s not even paying attention to me,’ he thought, his irritation spiking.
Before Shade could unleash his complaints to get her attention, Mr. Blade entered the room, suppressing his own laughter, through a broad, amused grin still stretched across his face as his gaze landed on Shade.
"Everyone, listen to me," Mr. Blade announced, his voice carrying authority, despite his barely concealed mirth. He clapped his hands once, instantly getting everyone’s attention. "Please, do not bother Shade about his appearance any more than this." He delivered the instruction with a wide, almost triumphant smile, stretching from ear to ear, an expression so unbelievable and contradictory that it left the other students blinking in confusion.
Shade’s face turned a furious, mottled red. He let out a frustrated growl, shoving his chair back with a scrape, and ran out of the room, unable to bear the humiliation any longer.
"He’s such a drama queen," Trix giggled, unconcerned, shrugging his shoulders as Shade disappeared.
The whole time, Eirin’s mind was distracted, preoccupied with her personal worries and the unsettling realization of her forgotten connections. It didn’t take long until the lunch break arrived, a welcome reprieve, with Eirin preparing herself for her next training session.