Shcielle (Draeyer Academy 2)

Chapter 5-After Sundown

Silver Sky Voyager
Somewhere in the Northeastern Space

Dusk bathed the skies in warm hues of red, orange and yellow. Alec watched it while leaning over one side of the Academy's Float. The wind played at his hair as they glided through the sky, parting the clouds and causing them to rise behind them. He closed his eyes as he felt the last warmth of the day.

"Is the sunset beautiful in Arktis?" a voice asked from behind him.

Looking over his shoulder, he found a familiar redhead standing a few feet away from him. A knee-length coat adorned his tall form to ward off the dropping temperature as they neared the Northern Space. He looked away and returned his attention to the sun as it sunk beneath the clouds.

"Sunsets are rare in Arktis since most of the time, snow clouds cover the sky during dusk," Alec said. "But it's very beautiful, especially during spring and the summer. Those are the times that the Skyland is a little warmer."

"I see," Rei said. His footsteps on the wooden deck filtered through Alec's ears until it stopped. Rei placed his hands on the side of the Float to lean on as he watched darkness engulf the sky.

A silence filled the cool night air around them. Clouds above parted and cleared a way for the twin moons' and the stars' light. When Alec was about to head back to his cabin, he paused at the sound of Rei's voice.

"You and River are the only ones who actually acknowledge my presence in our team," he said. "Well there's Ceiv, but he isn't fond of chatting because of his speech problem."

Alec twisted his head to the right to regard him. He stared at his fellow Sentire for a few moments before looking away again. "Do you need something from me? If you do, quit beating around the bush."

Laughter came from Rei and it rang throughout the empty deck. Alec angled his body to face him and watched until the young man finished laughing. After Rei sighed, Alec saw a stone mask cover the redhead's face for the first time. His brown eyes met his pale blue ones, and they were devoid of emotion.

"Are you hiding something?" Rei asked. Alec stiffened for a brief moment, almost short enough so none would've notice. His eyes narrowed at his fellow Sentire.

"Why are you asking me this?" Alec asked.

"I want to make sure that you won't end up hurting Solana in any way," Rei said. "She hates liars."

"There's a difference between lying and keeping a secret, Reinand," Alec said. His blue gaze scanned over the young man's form, wondering where the smiling and cheerful Rei went. "I don't see a reason for me to answer your question."

Rei's silence greeted him as the redhead straightened from his original position. Through the moonlight, Alec was a bit surprised to find a small sad smile on Rei's face. "Despite with the way she treats me, I still care for Lana...as her old best friend," he said. "She really admires you. I don't want you to end up in her hate list like I did."

"Solana might hear you, you know?" Alec said.

"She's studying with Knox for the Knowledge Hunter event, so her ability is sealed off to avoid distractions."

Alec nodded before looking down at the floor. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before looking back up at Rei. "What made you think that I'm hiding something?"

"My Sentiral Power is to create illusions," Rei said. "Because of that, my eyes developed to be able to differentiate what's real from not."

"Are you saying that I'm faking?"

"No," Rei said, "you're very honest with your words and actions. Brutally honest in fact. There were a few occasions where I saw you unblinkingly reject the feelings of our female schoolmates for you. You are very cruel."

Alec groaned and massaged his forehead to get rid of his frown. "Please don't go there." I feel guilt every time I have to do that, he added in his mind.

Rei chortled, losing his serious face for a few moments. Alec's right eye twitched when he heard him mutter the words, "Heart breaker." It took a few moments before he finished laughing, and during that time Alec did his best to restrain himself from clobbering the back of his red head. Rei became serious once more, but not as serious as before.

"During the past few weeks of practice, when Solana and the others would ask you about your homeland, you'll sometimes...you'll sometimes give fake smiles and laughs," Rei said. "It gives me the notion that you're hiding something."

Alec looked up at the moon and felt the wind currents as they blew around him. It was such a peaceful night. He wished that all nights for the rest of his lifetime would be like it. "There are some things in my life that I can't be proud of. One thing in particular is something hideous, yet I can't completely remember it."

"That's actually kind of deep," Rei commented.

Alec chuckled. "You know, I don't get why the other students treat you differently. You're actually quite alright."

"They treat me differently because I am different," Rei said. "I'm sure you're aware why most of the male students in Draeyer Academy avoid me. Society doesn't accept people like me."

"People should treat a person base on character, not by their sexuality and gender," Alec said. "Alen told me that."

"I guess that's one of the reasons for your treatment towards Areisha," Rei sniggered. Alec rolled his eyes at this before turning his back on him.

"Whatever it is I'm hiding, it's better for everyone if none know of it," he said. "It will hurt them less." He walked away only to pause again when Rei spoke.

"Sometimes, ignorance hurts a person more than knowledge does," he said, "especially if the people you're keeping secrets from care about you a lot."

Alec fell silent and dug his hands inside the pockets of his trousers. He walked away and spoke. "I'll keep that in mind."