𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑳𝑳𝑩𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑫 | 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡

𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝐼𝑉

Whenever Krane left—which was more often than he allowed Lorelei to go on missions—Lorelei remained trapped at home, but not alone this time. She took care of Otis as she'd seen Douglas do. She fed him, let him run around the yard, played with his favorite toys, gave him peanut butter snacks when he'd done something extraordinary.

Lorelei was trembling on her legs, her chest quivering with sobs she was pushing down. The sight of her father's disappointed face taunted her mind as she let out a shaky breath.

'Lorelei? Is everything alright?' Bree asked and walked over to her. Her brows stood in a concerned frown, her arms slowly opening the closer she got to Lorelei.

'I'm just afraid of dogs,' Lorelei said with a sniff and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand. 'Don't worry about it.'

As Bree was still approaching her, Otis seemed to recognise Lorelei's voice and came sprinting towards her. Lorelei fell onto her knees and allowed herself to be buried underneath the dog, which excitedly licked her face.

Chase crossed his arms in front of his chest and cocked his head. 'You don't seem all that scared of Otis,' he said and narrowed his eyes. He had to look away to sneeze twice, something he'd started doing ever since Douglas and Otis had arrived at the Academy.

'Isn't part of being a hero overcoming your fears?' Lorelei scoffed and sat up as Otis licked away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.

'I'm not buying your stupid lies anymore,' Chase argued.

'I don't care what you think, Chase,' Lorelei hissed.

'You should,' Chase scowled and stood face to face with her. They bore their eyes onto each other, looking for what was hidden behind. The glimpse of the untold. 'Everyone else might still believe in your little act, but I know better.'

Lorelei struggled not to let her emotions get ahead of her and enlight her eyes in a green fury that would ruin everything she'd worked for. 'You really think you know everything there is to know,' she said as her sobs made her shoulders shake. 'But you know nothing about me. . . Nothing at all!'

She stormed off and found the closest spot she could find to crash onto the ground and cry her heart out. She allowed her sadness to wash over her and her mind to play her life with her father in front of her eyes. Her sorrow mixed with her rage, her tears streaming over her heated cheeks.

Chase knew nothing. He had no idea about the weeks she'd cried and screamed until her throat wouldn't let her speak anymore or the nights she spent trying to comprehend what this world meant without her father. She'd been alone so much throughout her life, but she'd never felt this alone ever.

His mission had failed and now that he was gone, she wanted to make him proud. She wanted to finish what he'd started. She didn't care anymore whether she too would die in her quest.

'Lorelei?'

She glanced up to see Sebastian taking a seat next to her on the ground. It still sounded off whenever someone called out her name. In all her life before the academy, only her father had ever said her name out loud to her.

'What's wrong?' he asked her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Lorelei froze and sucked in her breath to try and form a sentence. She didn't know why others seemed to be so prone to hug. 'Chase,' she muttered and wrapped her own arms around her knees.

Sebastian nodded and warmly rubbed her arm to comfort her when she began to tense up. 'Don't take him too seriously,' he told her. 'He sometimes talks without thinking. Or well, always. Much like Adam.'

Lorelei heard Bree and Chase bicker back and forth not far from them. Bree was forcing Chase to apologize to Lorelei, but Chase refused since he thought he wasn't in the wrong. She bit on the inside of her cheek as her mind started to think of ways he might back off for now. 'I know I shouldn't,' she replied with a light chuckle, if it could be called that. 'I just—A few weeks ago, Chase gave me a private lesson after I didn't show up to class that day.'

She could tell Sebastian became intrigued by her story, wanting to know what she was going to say next. Or rather, whether or not she would say what he thought she was going to say. He, too, had noticed Chase's eyes on her.

'I—,' she started, but had to stop when she didn't know how to proceed. She wanted to convince Sebastian she liked Chase and that him doubting her really hurt her feelings, but she was at a loss when she had no idea how to describe having a crush on someone. How could she describe a feeling she'd never felt before?

'You can tell me everything, Lorelei. I won't tell a soul,' Sebastian promised when he thought she hesitated for that reason. She listened to the sincerity in his voice with a soft smile. He most definitely meant it.

As she was about to speak again, two sneezes interrupted her. She glared to the spot where it had come from, the sheer sight of Chase's face lighting a new fury. 'Nevermind,' she gritted through her teeth and stormed off again.

Her eyes seared in anger, her hands squeezed into fists until they nearly turned white. She was going to take revenge and it was happening today. If she were to burn in her father's death, she was going to take everyone else with her. . .

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