Avoid The Lead!

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The next day, Taze was a whole new person - or so it seemed.

He didn't bother Celia at all, and even glared at her as he entered the class. The look in his green eyes made her shiver slightly, and he moved past her as if she was invisible, which made her a bit annoyed.

An elderly old woman entered the class to teach 'Theories of Basic Light Magic', and Celia stole a backward glance at Taze.

His expression was blank and his eyes were cold, boldly eyeing her with a curious look, but he never said a word to her, telepathy or otherwise.

'Tch! That's how I prefer it!' She thought scathingly. 'This way, I don't have to bother with him!'

'I won't bother with you either.' A calm voice replied, and her eyes widened with surprise.

It was clearly Taze's voice, but smooth and deep... Almost as if he aged overnight, and Celia found herself awash with his aura, except it didn't feel as pleasant as usual.

She mostly felt anger... Lots of Anger! And it took everything in her power to stop herself from looking at him, as she pretending to read her book.

~"You can hear my thoughts!"~ She accused through telepathy.

~"Only when you're foolishly projecting them."~ He replied, his mental voice calm and collected.

~"Let me warn you. I might seem like a different person after a while, and I might even approach you, but ignore me. Don't show me even the least bit of attention. You're right in avoiding that fair-haired fool, but you should avoid me even more!"~

Celia's head spun as her mind processed Taze's words. 'Fair-haired fool... Vitav?!'

But just then, there was a sudden bang as Taze's head hit his desk, like he had been dozing off.

The entire class laughed as he awoke with a confused look, and he scratched his head nervously.

"Ehehe, sorry, sorry." He waved an apology at the class.

"Young Master Nowen! Family background will not excuse you sleeping in my class!" The elderly lady scolded, throwing a book at him, which hit the top of his head, making the class laugh even more.

Taze grinned at Celia and winked, indeed seeming like a completely different person!

But something else bothered Celia.

'His family name is 'Nowen'??!!'

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After the Class, Celia left in a hurry, now more determined to avoid Taze!

'Nowen?!' Her mind raged with unanswered questions.

'Nowen' was the surname of the Royal family.

A name only known to the Royal family and a few select others, as the royals usually answered their first names.

The current king was simply known as King Vien. Celia always knew Vitav as 'Prince Vitav', and the Crown Prince was always known as 'Crown Prince Tazeus'.

This way, no mage could ever use the royal family name for any spells or curses, and Celia had only learned the name 'Nowen', at she and Vitav's wedding, where the Palace Grand Mage used a spell to reveal it to her!

'How is there a royal in Elfsworth Academy?!' She mused.

'Is Taze related to Vitav?!!' Celia slipped away from the crowd, and down a few abandoned corridors.

She finally entered an empty classroom.

Taze had also said , ' ...avoiding that fair-haired fool...'

Did he somehow know she was trying to avoid Vitav?!

Wouldn't that mean he knew she was reliving her life?!

'And who is he?!!!'

The air suddenly became cold, and the sound of cracking filled the air. Celia found herself before a gigantic ice wall, and as the large surface cracked, blood rushed to her head, sending her falling to her knees.

'What's happening?' She reeled, holding her head in her hands, as she felt something unraveling within her.

Suddenly she saw a young man, around eighteen to twenty, who stood beside a familiar carriage, in a familiar scene, from a familiar memory...

It was the Scarlett family carriage, and she had come for a ball on that day. Vitav had helped her out of the carriage, while she gazed at him in adoration.

But though the memory was all-too-familiar, the young man standing there wasn't Vitav, and she was fairly certain that it was an older Taze!

His black hair was longer, bound at the nape of his neck and flowing down his back, and his green eyes lit with laughter, as he offered an elegantly gloved hand to someone in the carriage.

A dainty gloved hand took his, and he helped someone out of the carriage, which turned out it to be Celia herself!

She felt a sudden pull, and then found herself back in the empty class, gasping for breath.

'What was that?!' In all her past lives she had never experienced anything like this!

"Miss Scarlett!" Taze's voice rang out, cutting into her thoughts, and she quickly picked herself up.

The instant Taze entered the room, he was grabbed by two hands made of ice, and held against the wall with his lips frozen together.

Celia walked to him with a scowl.

"You're quite the little pesky urchin. How did you find me here?" She snapped her fingers and his lips were released.

"Woah! Miss Scarlett, you're powerful! Or can I call you Celia?" He asked.

Her name from his lips made Celia feel those pleasant prickles, transporting her to sunny days, and warm fields of brilliantly coloured flowers, their scents filling the air...

'What?!' A warm flush rose to her cheeks, as she caught herself!

"Celia it is!" Taze continued, not waiting for permission. "Celia, aren't you being too cold?!" He glanced down at the ice hands. "Literally." He cheekily added.

Celia's brows drew together. "How did you find me?!"

He drew in a breath. "You have a crisp and clear aura, like pure ice. I like it. I find it easy to trace."

That made Celia blush some more.

"Hmph!" She glared at him. "Why is your family name Nowen? Isn't that the royal family's name?"

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "How did you know? Not just anyone knows the royal family's name."

"So you're really related to Vitav?!"

"That's 'Prince Vitav' to you. Not that I mind, but given his temperament, you should always address his title first."

Taze's eyes widened in realization, and he stepped forward, easily shattering the ice holding him- a clear sign that he had let it happen!

"How do you know of Vitav?!" He asked. "You know a little too much. I followed you to replace your crystal flower, but now I must ask why you know the name 'Nowen', and how you know my older brother.

"According to records, he doesn't exist. Father hasn't revealed him to the public yet."

Celia nearly slapped herself.

Vitav was only announced as a prince after the Crown Prince fell ill!

And that hadn't happened yet, so she wasn't supposed to know him either!

Celia noticed Taze was still looking at her, waiting for an answer, but she had no sensible excuse, so she swivelled with a "Hmph!" and headed to the door.

"Why should I answer a prince of no consequence? I don't know about you either, so you don't matter yet!"

But vines suddenly blocked the doorway.

"A prince of no consequence, you say?" Taze walked over to her. "Let me reintroduce myself.

"I am Tazeus Nowen, Crown Prince of Luxia."

Celia swivelled to stare at him in surprise.

'Not possible!' She thought, wondering why she would suddenly meet the Crown Prince.

Not once in all her past lives, had she personally met the Crown Prince!

He was always someone she knew existed, but never bothered with, especially since he was too sickly by the time she grew older.

When she was sixteen, he was removed as Crown Prince.

When she was seventeen, he died...

'What a gloomy future!' She thought.

"Celia, won't you answer my question?" Taze asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

Thinking quickly, she turned.

"I'll answer you, if you explain what you told me in class."

"Ei?" Taze seemed genuinely confused. "Wasn't I dozing off in class?"

He put a finger to his chin. "Truthfully, I don't even remember coming to school, so I was a bit surprised to find myself in class!"

'That wasn't him!' Celia realized, wondering if he had been controlled by someone else at the time.

Taze beamed at her.

"When I opened my eyes, you were looking at me! I thought it was because you wanted this!" He held out a hand, and a crystal Orchid, more beautiful than the Lily, appeared hovering over his palm.

Despite Celia's decision to ignore the crystal flower, Celia felt drawn to it, and her hand reached out to take it...

But then a faint ringing filled her ears.

'Novia!'

Her sister had arrived!

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