Moonveil Academy: Trapped With The Five Kings

Chapter 22: The Offer

Elara:

If my words had been meant to provoke him, they succeeded far better than I’d expected.

The amusement that had lingered on Reign Valemont’s face disappeared completely. His expression hardened until it looked as though it had been carved from stone.

I watched the muscles in his jaw tighten, and from the corner of my eye, I noticed his hands. Both of them were still braced against the wall on either side of me, but now his fingers slowly curled into tight fists, the tendons on the backs of his hands standing out beneath his skin. It wasn’t difficult to imagine just how much strength those fists held. If he truly lost control, I doubted I stood any chance at all.

Then, much to my horror... he leaned his face closer. It was barely an inch, yet that single movement closed the remaining distance between us.

I instinctively held my breath. Our faces were now so close that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my skin. If either one of us moved even slightly forward... our lips would touch.

My heart hammered violently against my ribs, though I refused to look away.

His blue eyes remained locked onto mine. "So convinced you are right." His voice was low and dangerously calm. "If you actually believe you can survive in this world all by yourself, then you are more naive than I thought."

I didn’t answer.

He continued, "If you think everyone in Starfall has been waiting twenty years to welcome the Lost Princess with smiles and open arms..." The corner of his mouth curved, though there wasn’t an ounce of humor in it. "...stop living in a fantasy."

Something flickered in his eyes. "Most people here are waiting to watch you fail. Waiting to see you embarrass yourself. To prove that the princess raised among groundlings was never worthy of the throne."

Each sentence landed like another stone.

"They’ll enjoy watching you fall. And when you finally break..." He paused. "...they’ll laugh." His voice lowered even further. "If you want to avoid that ending, then you need help."

His eyes searched mine.

"My help."

I stared back at him. Honestly, there was truth in what he’d said. I wasn’t blind. I’d already noticed the stares, the whispers, the confusion, and the judgment. This world didn’t know me, and I certainly didn’t know it.

I needed guidance. I needed information and allies to fulfill my mission. But not like this. Not from someone who looked at me as though he were reluctantly extending charity to someone beneath him. Not from someone who constantly reminded me I had grown up human and it’s the worst thing possible. And definitely not from someone who called me "groundling" as though it were an insult every chance he got.

Every word he spoke carried the same implication.

You need me. You’re weaker.,You’re ignorant.,You’re beneath us.

No.

Maybe I was inexperienced. Maybe I knew nothing about Starfall. But I still had my pride. I wasn’t about to throw it away simply because someone powerful expected me to.

My voice came out colder than I’d ever heard it before. "You can take your offer...",I didn’t break eye contact. "...and shove it up your noble ass."

The silence that followed was deafening. I watched something flash across his face - shock. But it lasted only for a heartbeat before it disappeared beneath pure anger.

I continued before he could respond. "And stay as far away from me as possible from now on." Every word felt deliberate. Measured. I looked straight into those brilliant blue eyes. "I won’t become a failure. So remember this moment. Because one day, you’ll remember exactly what I said."

His entire body went rigid.

For one terrifying second, I genuinely thought he might snap. There was something almost animal in the way he looked at me, raw and untamed. The air between us grew so tense that even breathing became difficult. Then, a loud whistle echoed through the hallway.

"Well..." A familiar amused voice broke the suffocating silence. "I see someone’s starting his morning with a healthy dose of our sweet, pretty Princess."

Both of us looked toward the source.

Three young men stood several meters away at the end of the corridor. Kairo Greymark stood in the middle with one hand tucked casually into his pocket, that infuriatingly relaxed smile once again playing on his lips. His gray eyes met mine almost immediately. Unlike Reign’s intense stare, Kairo’s expression seemed almost entertained.

Standing beside him were the other two men I’d briefly seen two nights ago. One possessed long black hair tied neatly into a man bun, striking green eyes, and an expression so calm it bordered on detached. The other had neatly styled brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a relaxed posture that somehow made him appear approachable despite the unmistakable confidence surrounding him.

For the first time, I actually looked at all four of them together - Reign, Kairo, the green-eyed man, and the brown-eyed man. And an absurd thought crossed my mind.

How was it even possible... that every single one of them was so ridiculously handsome? They looked less like students and more like actors who’d accidentally wandered onto a university campus.

The thought vanished almost immediately as Reign suddenly slammed his fist against the wall beside my head. The loud impact echoed through the hallway. Yet I didn’t even flinch, perhaps I should have. But after everything I’d lived through over the past two days, a cracked wall hardly seemed frightening anymore.

His blue eyes burned into mine. "You are going to regret this, Argentis." His voice was little more than a growl.

I held his gaze. "We’ll see."

Without waiting for his response, I placed both hands against his chest and shoved him. And to my complete surprise, he actually moved. Though only half a step, but he moved. Apparently, determination counted for something.

I slipped past him immediately and walked away without looking back.

My heart was racing so hard that it almost hurt, yet I forced myself not to quicken my pace. I wouldn’t let him think he’d intimidated me. Not today. Almost two minutes later, I finally reached the classroom.

The bell hadn’t rung yet.

Good. I wasn’t late.

The lecture hall was already filling with students, quiet conversations echoing throughout the room. After scanning the rows, I found an empty seat near the front in the fourth row and quickly settled into it.

I exhaled slowly. But my pulse was still refusing to calm down.

Great.

First day. First class. First argument. I was already making an excellent impression.

The classroom door opened and Professor Fenrith walked inside carrying several thick books beneath one arm. A small smile appeared on my face. At least one familiar-

It disappeared just as quickly. Because directly behind him... walked Reign. Followed by Kairo. Then the other two.

I stared at the four of them as they entered the classroom one after another.

No...

Surely not.

They couldn’t possibly be attending the same class as me.