Betrayal

The holiday break ended faster than I anticipated. The school gates opened back up and the students returned with energy ready for the next semester. As for me, Iris, and Dante, we continued our usual training regime like before.

However, as the semester started there have been a few differences.

For starters, Dante had been showing up less to the days of training due to his duties in the student council. The council had their hands tied as Elendria was preparing for the Finals and setting up events to come.

Usually, the antics of the student council had nothing to do with us, but in the new semester, Iris has taken on more responsibilities. And those responsibilities stemmed from her joining the school council herself.

“You’re gonna join the school council?”

I raised an eyebrow. It generally surprised me that Iris wasn’t kidding about such a thing. It wasn’t that I didn’t think Iris could handle the responsibility, but I figured that she would see those tasks as boring compared to training or fighting.

Iris answered me in a serious tone, her eyes flaring with maturity.

“I know in my heart this is the right calling for me Baxter. Maybe the student council seems unimportant to you but their duties do greatly impact Elendria itself! We have the capabilities to better the school for the future generation of Holy Knights! So that those students may one day become incredibly strong heroes!”

“W-wow…I didn’t know you cared so much…”

“...It’s a hero’s duty to care about the future. After all, we are not immortal. Just like what Philip had done, we have to keep the flame burning strong…”

“I get it. But I ain’t no good at chores so count me out! Does this mean you're skipping out on training?”

“No. I am only on the tenth seat of the council so my duties will be minimal compared to others. I will make it happen to meet with you on the weekends and train with you.”

“Only on the weekends!? Argh, fine! It’s gonna be lonely without you!”

“Trust me, you won’t be lonely all the time. But Baxter, don’t want on me. Keep training and become as strong as you SHOULD be! Otherwise…I will leave you behind.”

“Heh…w-what do you mean to leave me behind?”

Iris didn’t say anything to me and walked away. This was the first instance of the sudden change in Iris that I started noticing.

Me and her used to be together almost half the time but after joining the council, I barely saw her outside of classes or when we trained together. I mostly see Iris walking in the hallways just barely missing her. Either she would be herself or would be conversing with Dante. I never heard what they spoke about, at first assumed it was just the business of the student council. But sometimes I would catch a glimpse of the two of them laughing and being very close. There was barely any space between them as they walked together and Iris’s smile was as big as when she was a child back in the Town of Lore.

The closeness of Dante and Iris did not go unnoticed by the other students so they dubbed the two of them “The Knights of Frost and Flame”. Iris and Dante developed a reputation for being an incredible duo. Their powers and techniques were always in synch and other teams could match them. Even during combat class, Iris would pair with Dante more, their ice and fire spraying the entire classroom as they attacked each other with everything they had. And the other students— even the teachers, would stop and watch in awe at the sight of the two talented magic users.

But in my heart…was a sharp jealousy. Ever since we were little, me and Iris were inseparable. In my mind, I always imagined the two of us being the best duo, but seeing Dante basically taking my position filled me with an icky session in my chest.

However, I kept these feelings to myself because I didn’t want to cause any problems for Iris, and at the time I still saw Dante as a good guy.

But then another change had affected Iris and it was how she would speak to me.

During March, Iris was starting to become more strict with me during our training. She would push me to try harder and scold me whenever I fell short of her expectations. At first, I brushed it off as just Iris’s useless banter, but then as I looked into her eyes I saw nothing but incredible disappointment.

Then on the third week of March was our final sparing match where Iris was able to defeat me without even moving her feet. I fell to the ground with burns all over my clothes and my girlfriend stood over me scowling.

“What’s with all these strange movements Baxter? Come on! Use the proper form! The Terra Form! You leave yourself wide open!”

“D-don’t count me out yet!” I stated while getting back up. “This style of fighting is perfect for me!”

“If it’s perfect why do you keep losing?”

Iris crossed her arms and stared at me with an annoyed expression.

“Come on, take this seriously! You want to get stronger right!?”

The harshness in Iris’s voice made me cringe, but I tried my best to not let it get to me by letting out a fake laugh.

“D-damn Iris! I am taking this seriously! I’m just trying to perfect this new technique and—“

“But you’ve NEVER won with that technique!”

“That’s not true! I…I beat that fairy!”

“Oh~! Congratulations, Baxter~! You beat a fairy~!”

Now that response completely took me off guard. Iris basically mocked me to my face and this a type of mocking that obviously had no great punchline.

“Is…is something wrong?”

I asked my beloved the question I wanted to ask all month.

“It’s just…it’s you!” Iris started to shout, her face becoming red with anger and she pointed at me furiously. “You haven’t been improving and…how are we supposed to accomplish our dream of becoming Holy Knights if you’re so WEAK!!”

“I-Iris…”

“Iris? Baxter? What’s wrong?”

After a while, I had finally seen Dante come into the yard. He still wore his natural charming smile as he walked towards us.

Iris opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself as she turned her back to the two of us.

“I’m…I’m just exhausted. You guys can continue practicing without me…”

“Wait, Iris!”

But my girlfriend didn’t listen to my words as she walked off to the academy. Dante then walked past me saying, “I’ll go talk to her”.

“I…I’m trying my best…”

Right after I said those words a loud booming thunder rang near me and lightning flashed in the distance. The sun was covered by gray clouds and heavy rain fell everywhere. Despite the worries of catching a cold, I continued to swing my katana and practice in the form of Zen. I did this for about an hour and a half until I was finally sick of feeling water in my pants.

“Argh! I need a shower…”

I grumbled to myself as I walked back into the dorm. While my first goal was to reach my own room, I could never get Iris out of my mind.

“...I have to go talk to her. Maybe…maybe I should tell her about Zen. I know Aeron said I shouldn’t tell anybody but…Iris is my girlfriend! I’m sure he’ll understand!”

I ran towards the door to Iris’s room.

“Hey, Iris–”

Just as I was about to knock, I heard a strange voice come out from the door. It sounded like a moan— an intense with a fast rhythm following it.

“H-huh?”

I put my ear to the door to listen closely. I could hear the moan at a higher volume and the sound of what seemed to be continuous creaking and…flesh hitting flesh.

My heart had stopped and I dropped my katana onto the floor. I was no fool, I knew what that sound was yet…yet a part of me didn’t want to believe it.

“No…no…she couldn’t…she wouldn’t…!”

I repeated those words in my head continuously, trying my best to laugh off the truth as if it were a bad joke. I put my hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it.

It wasn’t locked, so it was easy to open with minimal effort.

Yes…it was easy to see the horrid truth the moment I took the step forward.

Once the door was open, Iris’s room came into full view. What I saw made the entirety of reality around me crumble and my body seemed to fall into a blank void of endless chill continuously. The intense feeling of despair loomed over me as I stood frozen at the scene.

The usually clean bedroom was dirty thanks to clothes, a blanket, and pillows scattered all over the floor and the intense smell of sweat and bodily fluids was everywhere making my nostrils sting.

And on Iris’s bed, was Iris and Dante themselves…completely naked and connected through their genitals.

Iris was on top of Dante— her hair untied and messy as she bounced like a rabbit repeatedly on the stiff member of the young noble. She let out loud moans that I had never heard from her before. After all, me and Iris took it slow in our relationship, I didn’t push any sexual advances until we were both comfortable with it. But there I was, seeing my girlfriend casually having sex with another man.

Her cries were deafening, and her eyes closed tightly as she hugged her sex partner while she dived deeper and deeper into pleasure. Her nails dug into Dante’s shoulder, even starting to draw blood but this did not stop the intensity.

And there was Dante, whose moans were the softest. Different from Iris who seemed erratic, he was more calm when he placed his hands on her hips, helping her come down more, their flesh making more obnoxious noises.

I don’t know how long I stood there. It was probably for a second or so, but to me it felt like an eternity. My heart sank and I clenched my teeth as I watched the two indulge in their own world.

This was no dream. It was no illusion. It was reality…a cruel form of reality that laid bare to witness.

Eventually, my existence was noticed by Dante who turned his head and noticed me standing by the door with a dumb look on my face. His reaction to seeing me was what annoyed me the most. The young noble just smiled at me, the same smile that he would give anyone just walking by in the hallways of the school.

“Hello, Baxter! Can you do me a favor and close the door?”

“What…the…fuck…?”

The casualness in Dante’s voice made my anger spike to its highest. I clenched my fist and gnashed my teeth while screaming at the top of my lungs. I probably looked insane, spit flying everywhere as I yelled and my eyes widened as if I was a person under substance.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TWO DOING!?”

Dante was unmoved by my loud howl, but it did accomplish one thing: It finally gained the attention of my girlfriend, Iris.

“H-huh?…B-B-Baxter!?”

Iris shrieked in complete terror the moment she saw me, her face turned blue and she used her hands to try and cover herself.

“I-I— t-this is— u-u-um…”

She tried to rummage through her brain to locate the perfect excuse but I was no fool. It didn’t matter what perfect lie she could cook up— the reality of what was in front of me could never be covered.

“B-Baxter…please listen! I-I…”

“How could you?”

I clenched my fists so hard that they drew blood. I felt as if the rage would make my head explode as I stared down Dante and Iris.

“HOW COULD YOU FUCKING DO THIS TO ME!? AFTER EVERYTHING— AFTER EVERYTHING! YOU’VE BEEN HAVING SEX WITH THIS ASSHOLE BEHIND MY BACK!? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?”

“I-I…”

“I think it’s about time to tell him the truth Iris my darling.”

Dante calmly spoke to Iris and the moment I heard him call her “darling” I was so tempted to jump across the room and ruin his face with a thousand punches. But I somehow managed to hold my own feet instead of lunging in for a reckless attack while looking at Iris who was terrified.

After taking a deep breath, Iris turned to me with a sad look in her eyes.

“Baxter…I’m sorry. I-I…I wanted to do this the proper way…but I was still unsure where my heart was…but I think in the end I was just lying to myself not to hurt your feelings…”

“W-what are you talking about Iris?”

“…do you remember when you were in the church? Talking with that priest for hours? Dante took me back to the dorm and stayed with me for a while. He told me stories about his home, we discussed our favorite Holy Knights, and before I knew it we were…kissing…”

As Iris continued she leaned in closer to Dante.

“We were kissing and…touching each other. And then we…yes we did it then. I felt bad and I knew it was wrong. The next day I went to Dante and tried to cut ties with him permanently, but when he started to whisper in my ear…it was like I was under some sort of spell! I couldn’t keep my hands off of him!”

“…why? Was it because we never had sex? I didn’t push on you because I wanted to be respectful and not pressure you! If you wanted to go to the next level why didn’t you just talk to me!? I would of—“

“You don’t get it, Baxter!”

Iris turned her head to me. She was crying while her lip quivered.

“It’s not just the sex! It’s…everything.”

“H-huh?”

“Dante makes me feel…it makes me feel things that you can’t.”

“W-what are you talking about? What does he have that I don’t!?”

“Dante is smart and strong, and when I battle with him I feel alive! Remember when we were little and we dreamed of becoming Holy Knights together? I always envisioned the two of us being powerful heroes who could take down any evil! Ever since we were kids I saw you as the symbol of what a hero should be Baxter— because you were always determined, hardworking, and never gave up!”

Iris's head went down, avoiding my widened and angry eyes.

“Even after you were declared a Null I still believed in you! But then…we went to Elendria. Since day one you have been beaten, ridiculed, and turned into a laughingstock! I tried my best to be there for you and encourage you but you never improved! Yes— you still had that same determination, but it doesn’t matter if you keep getting beaten! The school would never let you graduate and your expulsion is only inevitable! At some point— the determination that I admired just became sad to look at!”

Each word was like an arrow to my chest. I felt weak to my knees and wanted to fall over. But I stayed standing because the figure of the naked Iris kept me from looking away.

“The dream of us becoming a team…became nothing more than a dream. But when I’m with Dante…I can actually see us together. Being in love, sparring together— actual even sparring without the need of holding back my power! And…and going on missions together! With Dante I-I…I feel complete. I love you, Dante Wolfegang…”

Iris then turned to Dante and passionately kissed him. Dante kissed her back holding her gently in his arms. While I stayed where I was, ready to pass out.

After the long and sloppy kiss was done, Iris turned back to me.

“Baxter…this isn’t your fault. You did nothing wrong. You’re a Null so…you can’t help being weak. This…this is all my fault. I should have thought twice before confessing to you that day. A part of me was unsure if you were really the one. I should have listened to the other side. And maybe…you and I wouldn’t have to go through all this pain. I’m sorry Baxter…”

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t even find the appropriate words. I held my head down and picked up my katana that was on the ground while slowly exiting the room.

“Hey, Baxter!”

The voice of Dante called out to me and made me stop in my tracks.

“Can you please close the door?”

I wanted so badly to snap the neck of the bastard, but for some reason, I decided to listen to his request and softly shut Iris’s bedroom door. The door to the room of my supposed girlfriend.

“Thank you~!”

Those were the last words Dante said to me and a few seconds later, the loud noise of intense sex proceeded through the other side. The moans of Iris, the slapping of flesh, and the creaking of the bed could be heard very clearly through the walls. Not wanting to hear anymore I ran outside to the yard where we were supposed to be training.

It was still raining— the waters of the earth showering down on me and the thunder deafening any other noise. I fell to my knees and looked up at the gray sky. The tears escaped my eyelids and I released a piercing scream of despair.

So ended my first romantic relationship. The girl who loved dearly— Iris Brimstone— fell in love with another man and betrayed me. Deep down I wished she just denied my confession back then…maybe the pain I felt wouldn’t have hurt as much as did.

But the pain persisted and it never went away. The suffering my body was going through after seeing the utter betrayal of my heart— what could I do? What could I say? What should I do but cry?

At that moment I screamed and cursed Dante. I cursed Iris. I cursed Elendria. I cursed Eleiweth. I cursed the school. And I cursed God for making me a Null.

I wished so deeply that maybe it was all a horrible dream that Iris never left me and that we were still together. But the next day, after I cried myself to sleep I could see Iris and Dante walking too closely. They no longer needed to hide their relationship now that I was aware of the truth…and there was nothing I could do about it.

I was not as strong as Dante. I could never win Iris back with strength alone. It was a pointless fight where the only option was losing.

And then there were the rumors spreading of how me and Iris broke up. A very popular one that spread was that I was the one who cheated on Iris and that she went to Dante for comfort. Thanks to that rumor it became the excuse for more students to harass and beat the crap out of me whenever they felt like it. And Iris and Dante did nothing to stop the rumors— maybe to save their own reputation because it wouldn’t look good if people learned that Iris and Dante were having a secret relationship behind my back.

In the end, I was completely alone. The second semester of Elendria Academy was the year that Baxter the Null was the most alone.