Chapter 6

Ariella's POV

His strength was terrifyingly strong. His fingers felt like iron clamps, slightly burning my skin. His voice was clear yet somewhat hoarse: "Don't come near me, or you'll regret it."

Normally, I'd probably be scared out of my mind.

But the moment he turned slightly and grabbed me, I saw his eyes.

They were a pair of stunningly beautiful golden pupils.

I remembered someone just said he was a dragon.

And his behavior was indeed like some ancient reptilian creature, with lava churning inside. Beneath that king-like pressure, I detected a trace of loneliness.

That kind of loneliness I knew all too well. For sixteen years, every morning before school, facing the mirror, I saw the same dull, lifeless eyes staring back at me.

Ignored by my parents, looked down upon by my sister—as the "waste" they called me, I was only ever fit to stand in corners, isolated by everyone, just like him right now.

I gently pried his fingers open and sat down beside him, my tone calm.

"I'm not changing seats," I said. "I like it here."

His golden pupils widened slightly.

The boy in the black robe probably thought I'd lost my mind. His mouth twitched slightly, and he turned his head away, ignoring me.

The class bell rang.

Professor Sophia was a gentle, kind old woman. She had her silver-white hair pinned up, and as soon as she entered, she tapped the blackboard with her wand.

"Dear new students, or returning repeaters."

When she said the latter part, her gaze subtly passed over the person beside me, then her tone returned to normal: "Your wands, magic robes, and other items for the new semester have been delivered to your dorms, along with textbooks—they'll automatically appear on your desks."

I looked down. Somehow, textbooks and notebooks had appeared on my desk.

"Most of you here are newcomers who've just enrolled and had your magical abilities initially tested, so this class we'll start with theory. I'll explain the basic origins of magic, elemental classifications, and the fundamental principles of magic circuits to help you get through the beginner phase faster."

I took notes carefully while observing my classmates.

Most of them seemed to already know their magic type and had learned about this academy beforehand. They didn't show the same surprised expression as me.

"So, what exactly is magic..."

Sophia's explanation was very detailed, unlike any teacher I'd ever had.

Unfortunately, as an ordinary person, I'd never imagined I'd one day be dealing with magic, let alone the profound theories behind it.

After one class, my notes only had three crooked lines.

But it wasn't completely fruitless. I glanced at this "weirdo" beside me who was just like me.

Throughout the entire class, he barely flipped through his book or wrote anything. He just sat there motionless, never even removing his black hood, hands flat on the desk.

Students in the front row seemed to be listening to the lecture, but kept turning around to examine us with strange looks.

I felt a bit uncomfortable, but he seemed used to this kind of scrutiny.

"There's no homework for the first class. I'll check whether you've made annotations and notes." Sophia took off her glasses, rubbed her eyes, glanced in my direction, her lips moved slightly, but ultimately she left the classroom without a word.

I looked down again. The textbooks and notebooks had disappeared.

Students gradually stood up and left the classroom in groups.

Some people secretly observed me and the strange motionless boy, whispering.

"Amazing, she's still alive."

"Asher didn't strangle her?"

"Let's go, don't get involved with people like that."

I pressed my lips together. So his name was Asher?

Asher stood up. Perhaps because I was beside him, his movements had a slight tension. The hem of his black robe brushed past my calf, creating a tingling sensation.

He pulled down his hood, covering those golden eyes, and walked around me toward the exit.

I instinctively followed him.

This was a very bold move. I didn't even know why I was doing it. Maybe I found a kindred spirit in him and wanted to get to know him.

The hallway was crowded, but wherever Asher went, students tacitly cleared a path, which conveniently helped me.

I followed his thin silhouette and caught up: "A... Asher!"

He stopped.

But I didn't brake in time. My nose dangerously brushed against his back.

He turned sideways, looking down at me with those golden eyes.

From this angle, he looked even more handsome, though his words were ice-cold: "Stay away from me."

I opened my mouth helplessly, a thousand words stuck in my heart.

But his figure had already quickly disappeared around the corner of the hallway.

I'd been ignored and pushed away by many people before, but this time, an indescribable loneliness welled up in my heart.

Maeve's voice came from behind me.

I turned around and saw her leaning against the hallway wall, arms crossed, a mocking smile on her lips.

"I just saw you following him like an abandoned puppy," she straightened up and walked toward me. "I wasn't going to bother with you, but you're really a bit naive."

"I'm giving you friendly advice: stay away from Asher. He's not as simple as you think."

I stared at her without speaking.

Maeve's expression froze: "You really don't know who he is?"

I blinked, knowing she meant no harm. "I know, his name is Asher."

Maeve rolled her eyes and suddenly said excitedly: "He's a dragon! The most dangerous being in this academy! The kind that only exists in myths in your human world."

"Two years ago when he first enrolled, because his abilities went out of control, do you know how many people he hurt?"

"Those idiots who tried to approach him like you are doing—they still have serious aftereffects and psychological trauma."

She looked straight at me with a tempting tone: "Since then, no one dares to get close to him. They don't dare to gamble—gamble on whether they'll be slapped to death by him."

She looked me up and down. "For someone like you who hasn't seen the world, who's been an ordinary human their whole life, he's indeed very handsome and special enough."

"But you should also consider whether your life is that tough, right?"

Maeve saw my helping Teddy as showing off and wanting to be a hero, and twisted my curiosity about Asher into lusting after his looks.

Explaining to her would be too exhausting. I just asked back: "How do you know he'll definitely slap me to death?"

Maeve's expression became surprised, as if she hadn't expected me to question her.

I became even more curious about Asher: "Have you seen it with your own eyes?"

"Seen what?"

"Have you personally seen him hurt anyone? And—" I smiled slightly, "you said it yourself, he just lost control."

I didn't think that boy would hurt me. After all, from beginning to end, he'd only touched my hand once.

Compared to Cara who bullied classmates, he was far better.

Maeve's expression immediately changed. She looked at me with a half-smile: "Ariella, do you really think you're some kind of savior?"

"You think you really scared off Cara with just a tree branch? She just didn't want to duel you in front of so many people because of school rules. And now, you actually want to get close to that dragon?"

I clenched my fists. The feeling of being looked down upon seemed to ignite something. A familiar power was surging in my chest.

I looked directly at Maeve without fear.

She meant no harm. I couldn't treat her like I did Lilia and Cara.

Maeve seemed to sense the fluctuation in me and quickly backed away.

Looks like she hadn't forgotten I could summon tree roots to whip people.

Her face showed both fear and disgust. She dropped one line and ran off.

"Be friends with him, and you'll be isolated and killed. You've provoked Cara and that dangerous dragon—all of Hollyvale will be your enemy!"

I wanted to grab her hand but let it drop. Being isolated, being despised—that had always been my experience too.

The survival-of-the-fittest rules Maeve talked about had no value for an ordinary person like me, because I had nothing to fear.

I had nothing to lose in the first place.

I swallowed with difficulty the words I wanted to say: "He's the same as me."

I turned and left.

Turning the corner at the end of the hallway, cold wind rushed into my collar. I couldn't help but shiver. When I looked up, I met a pair of golden eyes.

Asher was somehow standing at the corner, his black robe flying in the air, looking at me with some surprise.

My heartbeat skipped a beat.

Did he hear that?