“That was inconsiderate! You know what, it’s my fault for treating you as a teammate. You’d never have our backs, so I also shouldn’t have bothered rushing to help you! That was on me!”
I was quietly slurping down my stew, which had gone cold.
I needed to eat even though I had no appetite because two idiots couldn’t seem to leave me alone to even let me have my lunch in peace.
Michael was standing to my right, shouting at me things I couldn’t care to pay mind to. Things like morals, integrity, team spirit, and all those fancy words.
Honestly, I stopped listening even before he opened his mouth.
Jake, from across me, was smirking scornfully at the sight of Michael’s furious face. From time to time, he was also adding what he presumed to be snarky comments.
They weren’t snarky. They were lame.
But each time he did that, his smirk grew a bit wider.
Finally having enough of these two, I set my spoon down and turned to stare at Michael, who was still busy yelling.
“And don’t even get me started on how selfish your little act was! This is just another way for you to hog all the glory, isn’t it?! Why am I not even surprised?! You’re the biggest narcissist I’ve ever seen!”
Finding a window when he had to breathe, I chipped in quickly. “Okay, what is your problem, dude?”
Michael blinked, as if my question was not only preposterous but also a bit offending.
“My problem?!” He exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air dramatically. “It’s you! You left Lady Alexia and me to fight back there all alone! You weren’t there for us when we needed you!”
I rolled my eyes, eating a piece of my chocolate pastry. “You both didn’t need me. In fact, as much as I hate you for ruining my lunch, you alone could have handled the Draken twins.”
Michael blinked again, this time looking genuinely surprised like he hadn’t expected me to acknowledge him in a million years.
In fact, the one who took offense this time was Jake… for whatever reason.
Ignoring him and stuffing my face with dessert, I continued. “Besides, the goal was to win. And for that, we had to finish the objective – which I did.”
Michael stood there in silence for a few seconds before shaking his head slowly.
“No, Samael. The goal was to be the best Squad. That test was a team-building exercise that was supposed to get us ready for whatever threats we may find ourselves facing in the real world during real missions.”
I was about to argue, but Michael didn’t give me a chance.
“I could’ve taken Prince Willem and Princess Alice on my own, sure. But that does not change the fact that you left us. You prioritized winning over your teammates. You sacrifice people like everyone is your pawn. That’s what you did against your fight with me. You sacrificed your Shadow, Juliana. What’s to say you won’t do something like that to us again, this time in the middle of a real battle?”
I… was stunned.
My mouth opened and closed a few times as I thought of what to say to him. But once again, he had me beat.
“You know what? I have been thinking about your offer for the past few days. Thank you for making it easy for me. I can’t make a deal with someone who I not only distrust but also despise.”
I stared at him, unsure whether I should feel offended or amused.
For someone who prided himself on his ‘heroic morals,’ Michael sure had a dramatic flair for self-righteous speeches.
“Despise is a strong word,” I said casually, licking the remnants of chocolate off my fork. “And here I thought we were bonding.”
Jake snorted, unable to contain his laughter. “Yeah, Michael. You’re breaking Samael’s heart. Look at him, he’s devastated.”
Michael shot Jake a glare sharp enough to cut through steel. “You’re no better. Always egging him on like some sort of second-rate court jester. This isn’t high school anymore. Grow up.”
Jake leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands behind his head with a smirk that could rival a fox.
“Second-rate? Please, I’m premium entertainment. You just don’t have the taste to appreciate it.”
“Enough.” Michael turned his attention back to me, his face tightening in frustration. “I don’t like the thought that someday people’s lives are going to depend on Awakened like you. You are a threat. I won’t make a deal with someone like you.”
And with that, he spun around on his heels and stormed out of the cafeteria. Without even having lunch. What an odd fella.
Unfortunately for him, he was going to make that deal with me.
I was going to have him teach me his Essence Circulation technique, by hook or by crook.
After all, I had the leverage in this situation.
I knew Michael inside out. While he had no idea to what lengths I was willing to fall.
“Oh, so this was your some kind of grand scheme?”
Jake’s overly joyous voice brought my attention back to him.
He leaned forward as his smirk turned into a grin, and a mischievous glint appeared in his emerald eyes.
“I didn’t understand why you spoke with him after sending me off the other day, or why you stayed in his Squad. But now I see! You wanted to get under his skin! You planned to manipulate him while staying close! Oh, thank the heavens! I thought you’d changed. I was starting to think you’d given up on your revenge!”
What was this guy rambling about now?
I narrowed my eyes, but Jake didn’t seem to notice — or care.
Instead, he clasped his hands like a cartoon villain plotting world domination and barreled on with his monologue.
“You pushed all the right buttons, got him fuming, and made him storm off like a drama queen. I bet you’re planning to sabotage the Squad on the mission. Maybe that’s why you went all out to win the test! Oh, this is genius, Sam! But how should we punish him for yelling at you? Should we ambush him outside his dorm, or — oh! What about a prank? Something humiliating. In front of everyone. Especially that cheating bitch of a girlfriend of his—”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, cutting Jake off mid-sentence. “Jake, stop. Just… stop for the sake of Monarchs.”
His grin was wiped off, and he looked genuinely confused. “What? I know you don’t like pranks, but I can think of something good.”
“That’s not the point!” I exhaled slowly, leaning back in my chair. “For once in your life, use your brain. We’re not taking on Michael. Not now, not ever.”
Jake looked even more perplexed now, like I was speaking another language. “Wait, what? Why?”
I shot him a pointed look. “Do I really need to spell it out for you? He’s beaten you. Thrice. And frankly, if it came down to a fight, he’d stomp you and me together without breaking a sweat. Again. He’s not an enemy I want to make.”
Jake’s face turned a shade darker, his lips twitching in indignation. “Low blow, Sam. And might I remind you, you beat him during the Evaluation Exam? So, technically—”
“Technically, I didn’t beat him,” I snapped, my patience fraying. “Juli did. She tackled him into magma while I played the part of a glorified bait.”
Jake’s jaw dropped, his disbelief almost comical. “Oh, come on! So now you’re just gonna dismiss yourself too? What’s next? Admitting that he is stronger than you?”
“He is stronger than me, you fool!” I rolled my eyes. “And I’m not dismissing anything. I’m just stating a fact! We don’t stand a chance against him. Also, I have more important things to do than play petty games.”
Jake crossed his arms, his smirk returning, albeit weaker. “You really have changed, Sam. You used to have a spine. Now look at you — soft. Docile.”
I snorted, rising from my seat and gathering my tray. “If you think not wasting time on pointless grudges makes me soft, then sure, I’ve changed.”
I started to walk away, leaving Jake sputtering in frustration.
But I couldn’t quite bring myself to leave him like that.
I knew he was a liability — always had been.
Cutting him loose would be the smarter move.
His stupidity would get him killed one day, and dragging myself with him was a risk I couldn’t afford.
Yet, a small part of me still thought of him as a friend.
That part wouldn’t let me walk away without at least giving him a fair warning.
With a heavy sigh, I turned back and fixed him with a serious look.
“Jake, I’m only saying this once. Don’t pick a fight with Michael. If you do, you’ll be on your own. I won’t stick my neck out for you. He was right about one thing — this isn’t high school anymore. Grow up.”
Jake shot me a glare sharper than I’d ever seen from him.
There was no getting through to him.
Resigning him to his fate, I left.
And unsurprisingly, he didn’t listen to me.
That night, Jake did something so monumentally stupid that I didn’t even have the words for it.