Succubi Chapter 112. Poking Something That Might Explode
Today's classes finally ended.
We filed out with the rest of the mixed section, the hallway buzzing with post-class chatter. People were comparing notes, gossiping about the last duel, or complaining about the next mock trial exam.
Me and Evelyn? Silent. Focused. Our thoughts weren't in that hallway. They were still stuck back in that lecture hall, where Ares had stared me down like a goddamn bloodhound.
No drama happened on the way out, which was weird. I kept half-expecting a senior to shoulder-check me into a locker or Ares to swing around and start round two of the grudge stare. Didn't happen.
But I couldn't shake it. That twitch in his expression when he saw me. Like recognition. Or worse… like some internal predator clocking its next kill.
I knew Evelyn felt it too. She hadn't said a word since class ended. Her brows were slightly drawn, her lips pressed into a pale line. I knew that face. She was calculating.
Me?
I was trying not to spiral.
Because yeah. Ares had never acted like that before. Not just the whole evil-eyed stare thing, but the smart thing.
He countered me. In class.
With logic.
And I'm not saying he was a dumbass before, but let's be real, he wasn't exactly known for deep academic insight. He was flashy. Arrogant. He fought like a berserker and flexed like a peacock. The guy was muscle and mana with a pinch of showboating flair.
Now?
He dissected spell theory like he'd been born in a mana lab.
He quoted texts I'd barely skimmed.
He didn't smirk.
He glared.
Something about that glare had stuck under my skin like a splinter. Not just hate. It was focused, cold, intentional.
We reached the gate to the female students' estate.
The guards nodded us in.
A few students lingering nearby shot me the usual looks, some whispering, others bold enough to wave. I waved back. Half-smile. Polite. Not inviting. Just enough to not get reported.
Yeah, they were mostly used to me now. The whole "one guy in a female dorm complex" scandal had faded. Kinda. Sorta.
Still got stalked on the academy forums, probably. Not my fault Pride demon charisma was an automatic passive skill.
We walked through the path. The air here always smelled nicer, like cherry blossoms and baked sugar. Someone probably enchanted the flower beds. Maybe to make us forget we were broke and stressed students pretending to be nobles.
Evelyn still hadn't said anything.
Then…
I felt it.
Her fingers brushed against mine.
I blinked.
Then looked down.
She was holding my hand.
Not by accident. Not like the hallway was crowded and she needed to guide me. No. It was intentional. Her grip wasn't tight, but it was sure.
I looked at her.
She looked back.
And yeah. She was blushing. That faint pink flush on her cheeks, the way her eyes darted to the side for just a second before meeting mine again.
"You okay?" I asked quietly.
"No," she said bluntly.
I blinked. "Same."
Her lips twitched, almost a smile. Almost.
I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She didn't pull away.
We walked a bit more in silence. The afternoon light slanted gold through the trees. A group of students passed by, giggling about some alchemy accident that apparently turned their professor's beard blue. The world kept turning.
"Maybe Lilith knows something," I said finally.
Evelyn didn't answer right away. Then she murmured, "Or Sera."
I stopped walking. She did too.
The wind shifted slightly. A pair of sparrows fluttered across the courtyard wall. The sun cast golden edges on the cobblestone path.
I looked at her. "Sera can read people. Souls, energy, curses. You think she can figure out what Ares is?"
"Maybe," Evelyn said, rubbing her thumb along her wrist. "She can usually see through glamours. Illusions. Even contracts."
"Right. But how do we bring Ares to her?"
That was the real problem.
You couldn't exactly knock on a guy's dorm door and say, 'Hey, wanna come get analyzed by a demon who eats secrets for breakfast?'
Evelyn frowned in thought, tapping her chin. "He doesn't trust us."
"Understatement," I muttered.
"But he wants something."
"Revenge," I said.
She nodded. "That might be leverage. Maybe we fake a duel invite. Make it look official."
"And what? Drag him past Sera during the fight?"
"Not during." Evelyn tilted her head slightly. "After. If he's drained, he might let his guard down. We just need Sera in the area. Pretend she's a spectator."
"We'd need Lilith to clear that," I pointed out.
"She'd agree."
"She loves me."
"Exactly."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "This is a lot of ifs. And if he's actually demon-boosted or infected or whatever, a fight might push him over."
"You worried?" she asked softly.
I looked at her. "Not for me."
Her eyebrow arched.
"For the audience," I added.
That earned a snort. "That's fair."
We resumed walking. Her hand brushed mine again. This time I reached first. Linked fingers.
The silence was heavier now. Not uncomfortable. Just loaded.
The kind of silence where both of us were thinking a hundred things and none of them were safe to say out loud.
We passed the fountain in the center courtyard. The water shimmered faintly with light magic, catching the late afternoon glow. A couple of birds perched on the rim, tweeting like they knew something we didn't.
I tried to focus on the sound of water instead of the pulse in my chest. Evelyn's hand was warm. My mana sense kept picking up her energy, steady and sharp, like starlight pressed into a blade. Comforting, somehow.
She broke the silence first. "If Sera can't find anything…"
"We'll ask Lilith to dig," I finished.
"She'll want payment."
"She always does."
"What'll you offer?"
I shrugged. "Probably my sanity and myself. She collects that."
Evelyn smiled faintly. "Sanity? You thought you lost that."
"Yeah," I said. "I lost it when I saw you guys' real identities."
She laughed softly, the sound short but real. It eased something in my chest.
By the time we reached the dorm steps, the sky had begun to burn orange. Long shadows stretched across the path. Somewhere far off, the evening bells started ringing.
Evelyn stopped first, turning toward me. "You're serious about this?"
"About Ares?"
"About poking something that might explode."
I met her gaze. "If I don't, someone else will. And they'll die for it."
Her expression softened, but her voice dropped. "You always do this. You act like it's your job to fix the world."
I smiled, faint and tired. "Nah. I just like surviving in it."
Evelyn shook her head but didn't argue. She stepped closer, close enough that I could smell the faint citrus note of her perfume… something subtle, not noble-grade. Real. Hers.
"I'll talk to Sera tonight," she said. "See what she senses. You need to go to Callahan tonight, right?"
"Got it."
We stood there for a second longer than necessary. The air thickened. Someone laughed somewhere behind us, but it felt far away.
"Evelyn," I said.
"Yeah?"
"If something's off with Ares… I want you to stay back when it hits."
She scowled instantly. "No."
"Eve—"
"Don't even start. I'm not watching from the sidelines."
I sighed. "Fine. But if things go south—"
"I'll save your dumb ass. Like yesterday."
I couldn't help smiling. "Deal."
Her eyes softened. Then she squeezed my hand once more, firm, final, before letting go.
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