activa-t Chapter 739 168.3 - Jealousy
Chapter 739 168.3 - Jealousy
chapter 739 168.3 - jealousy
"ah....."
sylvie's attention snapped toward jasmine's exclamation, startled by the sudden sound. "ah..." jasmine's eyes were wide, her hand hovering over her mouth as she stared ahead with something akin to shock.
"what?" sylvie asked, her voice faint but tinged with curiosity. she followed jasmine's gaze, her heart skipping as her eyes landed on the source of the commotion.
even she couldn't help the faint gasp that escaped her lips.
"what?" sounds like those continued to rain towards her....
there, walking down the central path, was astron. but this wasn't the astron she remembered from the previous semester.
silence!
the garden seemed to fall into a hushed reverence, the lively chatter dissolving into a quiet murmur as the students turned to look. astron walked with an air of quiet confidence, his strides unhurried but purposeful. the golden insignia on his uniform glinted in the sunlight, and his piercing purple eyes scanned the crowd with cool indifference.
he looked... renewed.
his once-pale complexion now seemed to glow faintly, as though touched by the sun. his black hair, always striking, now fell effortlessly into place, framing features so refined they seemed almost sculpted. even his posture exuded an effortless regality, a sharp contrast to the reserved demeanor sylvie had known.
and then there was the air around him-a faint shimmer of mana, subtle yet undeniable. it wasn't like the raw power sylvie had sensed in others. this was different, almost harmonious, as if the very nature around him had chosen to favor his presence. the faint ripples of his mana danced in sync with the breeze, a delicate yet powerful display of control.
'he didn't look like this before... 'sylvie thought, her heart pounding in her chest. 'this is...."
a warmth began to rise from her chest, spreading outward like the first rays of dawn. she hadn't realized just how much she had missed him until now, the flood of emotions catching her off guard. relief, curiosity, awe-they all tangled together in a way that left her breathless.
'it's been so long since i've seen him.'
she clenched the strap of her bag, her gaze never leaving him. astron's transformation
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wasn't just physical. it was in the way he carried himself, the quiet confidence that had replaced the unassuming boy she had once stood beside. and yet, beneath the awe and surprise, there was something familiar-something steady.
it was still him.
'but... what happened to him?" sylvie's thoughts raced as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. the mana surrounding him felt almost alive as if it was responding to him, not the other way around. that faint shimmer, that connection to the environment-it was unlike anything she had encountered.
and yet, despite the questions swirling in her mind, she couldn't help but smile. the emotions bubbling in her chest weren't just surprise or curiosity-they were joy. for all the changes, for all the distance that had grown between them over the break, she was glad to see him again.
as astron's gaze swept over the crowd, it lingered briefly in her direction. for a fleeting moment, their eyes met, and sylvie felt a jolt of something indescribable. his expression didn't change-calm and unreadable as always-but there was a quiet intensity in his gaze that left her rooted to the spot.
and then it was gone. he continued forward, the whispers and murmurs of the crowd trailing in his wake.
"holy crap," jasmine muttered beside her, breaking the silence. "is that astron?"
sylvie didn't answer. she couldn't. the moment their eyes had met, something shifted within her a strange, unshakable feeling that left her both exhilarated and uneasy. a chill ran down her spine, but it wasn't the kind of cold that came from fear. no, this was different. it was as if something ancient and unknown had brushed against her very soul, leaving a faint echo in its wake.
her body shivered, caught in the grip of conflicting emotions. her chest felt tight, her breaths shallow, her heart hammering against her ribs like a war drum. excitement and something else-something she couldn't name-coiled together in a knot that she couldn't untangle.
'what... is this?"
'what's going on?' sylvie blinked, her heart pounding harder. she willed her [authority]
to sharpen, pouring a small pulse of energy into her vision. usually, this effort would bring clarity, allowing her to see the faint threads of vitality, the emotional ripples of
those around her.
but with astron, there was nothing.
it was as if a wall stood between her and him, blocking her sight entirely. she could sense the mana that shimmered faintly around him, could feel the weight of his presence in the air. but when she tried to delve deeper, to find the essence of who he was, she was met with... void.
'why can't i see him?' her chest tightened as unease crept up her spine. this had
never happened before. even when astron had been closed off, his emotional palette tinged with grey and faint hints of exhaustion, she had been able to sense something. but now? now, it was as though he had been erased from her perception. her fingers curled against the strap of her bag as she tried again, concentrating harder this time. she pushed her [authority] further, letting it hum through her senses like the headmaster had taught her. and still-nothing.
it wasn't just a lack of color. it was a barrier. something was actively keeping her from
seeing him.
'is he... doing this on purpose? the thought sent a ripple of uncertainty through her. she didn't even know if such a thing was possible. but whether intentional or not, it was unnerving. she had relied on her [authority] for weeks now, trusting its ability to reveal truths others couldn't see. to have it fail her so completely-especially with someone she thought she knew-left her reeling.
"sylvie?" jasmine's voice broke through her spiraling thoughts, light and teasing but tinged with concern. "you're staring again. seriously, what's going on?" sylvie shook her head quickly, tearing her gaze away from astron. her pulse was still racing, and her hands felt clammy against the bag's strap. "it's nothing," she said, though the words felt hollow even to her.
jasmine raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "well, if you say so. but if you're planning to figure out what's up with him, you might want to do it soon. the semester's starting, and you don't want to spend the whole day looking like you've
seen a ghost."
sylvie forced a faint smile, nodding absently. "yeah... i'll figure it out." but as jasmine turned her attention back to the murmuring crowd, sylvie couldn't shake the gnawing sense of unease that had taken root in her chest. she stole another
glance at astron, who stood near the front of the gathering, his posture calm and unaffected.
he didn't even seem to notice the way the crowd whispered and stared, their curiosity
and awe evident. and why would he? whatever had happened to him during the break, it had left him more untouchable than ever.
but for sylvie, it was more than that. the absence of his palette, the barrier that kept
her from seeing him-these weren't things she could ignore. they weren't normal.
'huh?"
but aside from that, there was also something else....
something else that she had noticed...
'irina?'
the color palette that she could see on irina's soul.....
there was a pinkish color, something that she didn't expect to see in her...
and irina was looking at astron as well.
"no way....."