Nefarious

C178 - The new leader

Xavier had never confused me as much before. His mood kept shifting from seemingly happy to extremely upset and uneasy. I couldn't blame him for it, but it made it all the harder to respond. "Um, what were you doing last night, if you don't mind me asking?" I questioned, hoping to change the subject. "I was trying to decipher someone's ugly writing. It's harder than you would think." "Oh? What type of message?" I asked. "Now, that's something I mind being asked about," he said. I opened my mouth to speak again, but he spoke instead, telling me to trust him.

Within a short time, people had settled in their seats and gone quiet. A woman began talking to the crowd, and I heard both Alex and Xylan getting mentioned numerous times. I spotted Xavier swallowing oddly, glancing apprehensively up at the stage before looking down at the floor. The audience was strangely subdued, everyone giving their full attention to the person on stage. Eventually, I looked up myself, seeing Alaina standing before us in a long, beautiful, blue dress. She held onto the microphone with such strength that you'd think it would break any second. I'd never seen her nervous before, and neither had the people or so it seemed. I wanted to ask Xavier if he thought something seemed off as well, but I failed to summon my voice due to the paranoia of people hearing my question.

After Xylan's first deceptive speech, Alex stepped up on stage with assertiveness. My eyes searched Alex with wordless depth, but he didn't do the same. I wasn't sure whether it was because he was unaware of my seating or because he simply didn't feel the need. Regardless, I set my mind on paying attention to his actual speech.

I picked up on some of Alex's ideals for the future once he talked about changes he would like to make. When my eyes wandered over the people's fascinated faces, I saw Alex practically compelled them. Some were smiling warmly, others were whispering amongst themselves, and the rest sat listening with profound focus. Alex purposefully allowed for breaks meant for discussion, which all resumed in subdues tones now and then. Beforehand, I didn't think I would be paying attention to such details about the audience but realizing I was; I came to think of Alex's warning. Evidently, I was distracting myself, focusing on minor details so that I wouldn't have to think of the alternative outcomes of the election. After all, Alex was in a much more stressful situation than I was, so I ought not to leave due to my nerves.

A sudden inhale from Xavier caught my attention, causing me to jump in shock. His feet were tapping the floor as though he was impatient or anxious, perhaps both. I was about to nudge his arm when Xylan suddenly mentioned Jace. Xavier's head shot up instantly, his glare surely meeting Xylan's. The foot-tapping increased, his fingers cracking as he moved them and clenched his fists. "Jace Dizary betrayed us, and this man right here, has been taught by Jace for years now," Xylan said, glancing over at Alex. "And you taught Jace for years," Xavier scarcely whispered. Xylan stopped for a brief moment, making it clear that he'd caught onto Xavier's reaction. "Unfortunately, Jace couldn't fulfil his position as a teacher which ultimately led to his discharge," Xylan said, locking eyes with Xavier. "Now, it's up to you to decide whether you want to place your trust in Alex, a traitor's student, or me," he said lastly.

The election reached the point where Kai stepped onstage to confirm the rumours about his withdrawn vote, and that's when everything took a turn. I realized that only some people had heard the rumours, far from everyone. Kai's head twitched back from the microphone as his gaze moved from place to place, listening to the tumult from the bewildered crowd. I tried hearing individual sentences, but I failed completely. Almost everyone was talking simultaneously, sounding nothing but appalled. I wasn't lied to when told about the people's respect for Kai. His vote would've counted as three, giving a great benefit to one of the potential leaders. Previously, Kai mentioned he was leaning toward Alex, and so it deeply disappointed me that he'd withdrawn his vote completely.