NOVEL NEXT Chapter 46: A Variable
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Natalia's laughter erupted like a dam bursting, completely uncontrolled and infectious. She doubled over, clutching her stomach as wave after wave of giggles overtook her, lasting several minutes until her sides literally ached.
"Argh," she groaned finally, shooting a mock glare at the young man who had just returned to his seat with that insufferably smug expression. "You're absolutely evil," she muttered.
Just then, the waiter returned carrying a tray laden with their actual food, the aromatic steam rising invitingly from the dishes.
"Ah, thank you so much," Asher smiled warmly.
"That wasn't a compliment," Natalia protested, even though her face was still flushed pink from laughing. She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of thinking she was charmed, no matter how annoyingly cute he looked when he grinned like that.
"I know," he said simply, his attention already shifting to examine the spread before them.
"Here," Natalia handed her card to the waiter, who accepted it with a professional nod before departing.
"Wait," Asher frowned, a thought occurring to him. "Does she know your pin?"
"No," Natalia replied matter-of-factly.
"Then how can she deduct points without knowing it?" His confusion was evident.
"She can't," came the same casual response.
"..." Asher waited for further explanation, but none came. Looking over, he found Natalia already digging into her food with the enthusiasm of someone who hadn't eaten in days, apparently without a care in the world about the logistics of payment.
Shaking his head in bewilderment, Asher picked up his cutlery and examined the dish before him. It glistened with the oil used to fry what appeared to be meat, though he wasn't entirely certain it was meat alone. He could see vegetables mixed throughout, the whole thing shaped into a neat square and golden-brown from frying.
His gaze moved to the second dish—a soup that was an alarming shade of blue, definitely not the most appetizing color he'd ever encountered in food. Strange lumps floated in the liquid, resembling bits of fat or perhaps some unfamiliar ingredient he couldn't identify.
The third item appeared to be sliced bread with some sort of sauce drizzled on top. There were several other smaller dishes scattered around, none of which looked particularly appealing at first glance. Still, he reasoned, it was free food, and he'd eaten worse things in his life. Probably.
Taking a tentative bite of the square, meaty dish, Asher felt his entire world shift.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" The exclamation burst from him before he could stop it, genuine shock written across his features.
"Told you," Natalia said with a knowing grin, clearly enjoying his reaction.
"Come here," she beckoned, and when he leaned forward, she dipped some of the bread-like substance into the blue soup and fed it to him directly.
At that moment, two thousand words wouldn't have been sufficient to describe what he experienced. It was as though he'd been eating dust his entire life and had suddenly discovered what food actually tasted like. By all the gods, how was it possible for something to taste this incredible?
The flavors danced across his palate in perfect harmony—savory, sweet, with subtle spices that seemed to awaken taste buds he didn't even know he possessed. Each bite was a revelation, a symphony of culinary perfection that made every meal he'd ever eaten pale in comparison.
"This is..." he began, then stopped, realizing no words could adequately express what he was feeling.
"Amazing, right?" Natalia laughed at his expression. "Wait until you try the dessert."
Meanwhile, across the academy in the hushed atmosphere of the library, Cole's patience was wearing dangerously thin.
"What exactly are we supposed to be looking for here?" he asked, watching Maria methodically search through yet another shelf of books. This had been going on for over an hour, and it wasn't even the first time. She'd been doing this for two days straight, always giving up in apparent frustration when she couldn't find whatever mysterious item she was seeking.
Today, Cole had neither the time nor the patience for this routine. His stomach had been growling for the past thirty minutes, and he'd already missed dinner twice this week following her around the library in hopes of eventually convincing her to join him at the cafeteria. Instead, he always ended up waiting until it was time for evening roll call, hungry and disappointed.
"I didn't ask you to come. You might as well leave," Maria replied, her tone characteristically indifferent. Her voice carried that same cold detachment that had become her trademark since the academy session began.
Cole had grown accustomed to this version of her, though he certainly didn't like it. She'd been this way ever since classes started—always so distant and aloof. She would sit silently through lectures and club meetings, only speaking when directly addressed. It wasn't that she'd ever been particularly loud like Tracy, Anastasia, Rebecca, or the other more boisterous students, but she used to be sociable enough. When she was with her friends Isabella and Carmella, she would relax and let her guard down, engaging in the typical gossip and chatter that filled the gaps between classes.
All of that had changed after Azalea's expulsion. Her friendships with both Carmella and Isabella had soured considerably, though Maria didn't seem to care in the slightest. She'd simply withdrawn into herself, building walls that seemed to grow higher each day.
There was definitely something going on with her, something deeper than just the aftermath of a friend's departure. Cole was determined to get to the bottom of it, which was why he'd been following her around since school resumed, using concern for her wellbeing as his excuse. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to appreciate his efforts in the slightest.
"Can you at least be grateful that I'm here? I really am worried about you," he said with a heavy sigh, his frustration finally showing through.
Maria stopped her search and turned to look him directly in the eyes. "I don't need your care. I didn't ask you to be here."
As she spoke, she pushed back her lustrous black hair, her almond-shaped eyes meeting his with an intensity that made him uncomfortable. There was something almost predatory in her gaze, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what.
"Why are you like this?" Cole's voice rose slightly, his annoyance finally boiling over. "You know how much I care about you, yet you keep treating me like I'm some kind of fool."
"Cole," she said simply, her voice cutting through his frustrated rambling.
He fell silent, waiting for her to continue.
"I told you from the very beginning, from that day in first year when you asked me out..." She paused, letting the words hang in the air between them. "I don't love you. Never have, never will."
Her expression remained utterly cold as she delivered these words. Cole gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.
"Fine then," he said through gritted teeth, his voice tight with barely controlled emotion. "But I hope the day never comes when you'll regret this decision."
"It never will," Maria replied.
Without another word, she turned and walked toward another shelf of books, effectively dismissing him. Cole stared at her retreating figure for a long moment, a mixture of hurt and anger warring in his chest. Finally, he turned on his heel and strode out of the library, the heavy doors closing behind him with a soft thud.
Maria tilted her head slightly, listening to his footsteps fade away. Only when she was certain he was gone did she allow herself to relax.
"Finally," she murmured to herself, then retraced her steps with purpose until she stood before a particular shelf she'd been avoiding while Cole was present.
She retraced her steps until she stood before a particular shelf she'd been avoiding while Cole was present. Her eyes found the book she'd been seeking.
[Arcane Resonance]
That was the title.
"Hmm," she hummed, then nodded, this was it.
"This goes against the whole plan, but... to hell with it. Something happened this time, something 'he' didn't know would happen. Some... Variable, Sighs, I have to find him, fast," she whispered to the empty library, carefully removing the book from its place.
As she walked out of the library with the book hidden properly to avoid the Liberians, Maria's mind was already spinning with simulations of the future. Things were certainly about to get very interesting indeed.
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A/N- Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation! Also, if you have enjoyed the story so far perhaps you can try dropping a review, the author would appreciate that, thanks!
Villain, out!