Zenith's Academy

Chapter 5 | The Infernals

Whoever that guy was, Yun wanted to throttle him.

Alright, that was a bit extreme. He wanted to snap his wrists because god, his hands wiled around to places it shouldn't.

He didn't know why the hell Remigius had his narrowed-eyed look. Was it because of their argument earlier? To be frank, what Remigius had said was border-lining insensitive, but Yun couldn't just ditch plans he already made. Besides, it appeared Remigius had plenty of other friends waiting for him too.

He also didn't mean to shout his name across the room. It was instinctive.

"Who was that?" The words spilled out the moment he marched over to him. "Is that the friend who invited you?" How the hell did Remigius meet that kind of person and become friends with him?

Impassive as ever, Remigius stared at him. "No."

"What's his name?" Normally he didn't mind when Remigius was curt, but the lack of answers irked his senses.

"Eugene Sallow," he replied and it was then Yun noticed the wine glass in his hand as he swirled the sparkling alcohol. Sophisticated yet out of place. "He's a third-year."

Eugene Sallow. A third-year. Why would a third-year want anything to do with Remigius?

"Sallow?"

Yun hadn't even noticed Aston behind him with Maven and Sonya trailing along. The slight sneer in his tone pleased him.

"What about him?" Yun asked.

"He's strange," Aston said, grimacing across the room. His eyes wandered a bit foggy and he wasn't even looking at them, so Sonya elaborated.

"He's involved with some, eh... darker magic?" She waved her manicured nails as she talked. "He's not part of the Zenith Database, no one knows what branch of magic he came from."

The Zenith Database. A whole record room of all the origins of Ivion and the surnames attached to them. Although Yun technically wasn't part of the database and it would make him a hypocrite to be suspicious of Sallow, he still wanted to use that as a way to hate the guy.

No. Not hate. He was jumping to conclusions so fast, but his gut seized up whenever he thought about Remigius and that guy being all close like that. His dad said to trust his instincts so Yun went with it.

"There are plenty of Zeniths that aren't registered," Remigius said in a cold snap which shouldn't have touched Yun but it did. Though, to Sonya and Aston, it sounded like a harsh defence for Sallow.

Maven, unlike him, seemed more inquisitive than wary. "Has he done anything to warrant skepticism?"

"Nothing crazy. It's just the small things add up, you know?" Sonya twirled one of her braids, puckering her lips. "Apparently he recruits people to join this club of his and they go out to do who knows what."

"Headmaster Angelo wouldn't allow dark magic in the academy," Maven said, "I'm sure Eugene Sallow is merely odd is all."

"I don't trust him." Yun was positive something was up with Sallow. 

Remigius didn't appear to think the same. "You haven't talked to him. How could you know what he is like?"

"Didn't you hear what Sonya said?" Was he really defending him? "She just said—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Aston suddenly pushed past them with his eyes aimed at someone. 

"Excuse me." 

"Aston don't!" Sonya exasperated, but Aston marched through the crowd. "Paradise, he's gonna go after Sonnet again."