Orison | Celeste Academy Series BK #3

Chapter Thirty-Nine ۞ Let Me Take a Selfie

"That is quite audacious of you, Tamara." Charles's statement had been joking, but there was a hidden venom in his tone.

Now this was what scared the poor, formerly human girl. The Twelve made it not look like there was a competition to those who would see them from outside, but they all had a certain rivalry and they were innately competitive.

Valeriana hated competitions ever since she was young. She detested them. She might be labeled a wimp for it, but she wanted nothing to do with 'rivalries'. As strange as it was going to sound, on the other hand, she was fighting with all her might not to lose or fall back. Even then, she was already struggling to keep up.

Tamara was the oldest by far, standing in her eighth year. Rowe came next in his seventh year. Afterwards, there was Charles in his sixth, and Raziel in his fifth. Elfre and Aneeka were in their fourth year. Keelan was in his third. Corvan was in second year. Valeriana, Brindon, and the twins were in their first.

There was at least one representative in all years representing the best in each generation. If it would be based on rank and year alone, it should be Valeriana who'd be labeled the best in her year–which was mildly ironic.

Even so, it was not guaranteed the first years would survive their way up. As a member of the Twelve, challenges were very common and no doubt one or two would shake them and possibly throw them off. The same thing happened with Courtney, and she was yet to take her position back from Valeriana.

The cycle of the positions of the Celestial Twelve depended on the duels and graduations. If a ranker was to graduate, he or she would choose a successor. They were given the privilege to grant it to anyone they please. Their choice overruled any ordinance, which gave them the ability to grant it to even those in the preparatory level. Heck, they could even choose to grant it to someone who was not attending the academy. But then, the person would have to start attending before the week ended or else he or she would be forfeiting the position.

"It has been a while since I came to the academy and you people never change." Eres was neither disappointed nor in disbelief, but the way he said things made it obvious he was not shocked.

Valeriana hid behind Corvan's back as Eres's eyes met the first-ranker's. Forest-green eyes on emerald ones.

"And it seems the first-ranking position Rowe inherited now belongs to someone else."

Rowe inherited? That basically meant Rowe was the first-ranker. Valeriana practically jumped at the revelation.

"I see you were serious about doing things without depending on other people. You are quite an unbelievable person, Lord Corvan."

"It's all in the past. No use bringing it up." Tamara waved her hand dismissively. "We've went through numerous times challenging each other like this when we felt like it that it's not really new if we go down a rank or two."

"I don't like it too much, though . . ." Keelan trailed off.

"Please quit being such a baby." The third-ranker told him. "We've talked about this before with you lower years that it shouldn't be strange to find us fighting one another. You've felt it, right? In your fight with Brindon, you were having fun."

"It's just like in the wild." Charles pointed out. "The weak is hunted and the stronger one prevails."

"Rowe was the first-ranker?!" Valeriana squeaked, unable to hold back her disbelief. She gazed at Corvan with the widest eyes and her jaw on the ground.

Without realizing she had spoken up too loudly, it was too late to regret the consequences of her carelessness. Eres's attention was drawn to her immediately that his daunting eyes made her tense up.