Final Moments of Freedom.

Dark and the Sapphire were engulfed in what one would like to call an awkward stare-off, glowering deep into each other's souls, with their awkward smiles obviously not making things better.

After some intense and silent minutes, Dark finally disengaged from the jejune gaze battle and got up from his motorbike, reeling the handles in place.

No one still dared talk as Dark faced the Sapphire again, but this time they were basically at the same height. Dark glared at him with no smile to be found, while that of Abbot persisted.

They remained like this again causing another intense era of silence.

"I— haven't smiled in months," the Sapphire returned to his usual placid look.

"My apex name is Abbot, I'd like it if you called me that from now on." He still didn't smile.

Ruby looked at him, her gaze screaming the word unnecessary.

Dark hung his helmet on the bike's handle,

"I'd love to never see you again, you remind me of a bad memory."

He walked past him with both hands in his pockets.

"He's not even an elite, his uncle is just fifth on the list. . ." This, among other things, was said mostly by the first-year female students who already had their sights on the elites.

But Dark didn't care, he just left. Yet everyone else remained posted in their standings, waiting patiently for the Sapphire's reaction regarding his insolent insubordination.

Abbot just adjusted his glasses and then cleared his throat.

"I really thought he'd like me for sure." He sighed.

The show seemed to be over and the watching crowd began to disperse little by little but surely.

Shade came by, walking quietly and slowly towards Dark's bike but collided with something else, the demeaning words of his Sapphire;

"So you're his lackey now huh, his errand boy. How the despicable has become so weak," Abbot teased quietly.

"What about it?" Shade's words pierced through every single atom of reasoning and logic Abbot ever had. The indifference in his eyes supported his claim.

Shade continued on his way with Dark's bike, leaving Abbot dumbfounded.

"Seems that freshman is significantly more powerful than he lets on, the way Shade Naza takes pride in working under him entails that the reaper in him has been totally dominated," Ruby commented beside Abbot in her little tutor voice.

Abbot stroked his chin and sighed as his brows mellowed down, "I guess so"

"We'll just have to find out ourselves" he concluded as they both walked away into the heart of the party.

The crowd had fully dispersed at this point; everyone had gone back to what they wanted to spend their last free moments on for the next three months, but the crazy heart-skipping scene clung to their subconscious. They couldn't forget it even if they wanted to.

↑→↓←↓→

Dark found his way to the minibar, obviously, trying to pass off the night drinking, though they didn't seem to get a hold of anything as hard as he'd liked, they were students after all.

Shade slipped his body into a seat next to him, who seemed too busy upset about the drink that he still wouldn't let go of, to realize.

"I told you not to cause anymore scenes," he popped open a malt can.

"I guess you see me as a servant, I thought we were friends?" he sighed softly, yet Dark didn't say a word.

I feel amazing, Lion's power could really come in handy. If only I could see Destiny to confirm some missing pieces. I could really do significant damage to my future opponents once I master this skill. As if being a master of every combat style wasn't enough, I should be hunting them down instead, Dark smirked,

Oh right, I have to reply to this guy, his subconscious finally clicked.

"Of course we're friends, I'll definitely do the same for you," Dark lied so confidently, or so he convinced himself that it was a lie.

"I'm glad to hear that," Shade smiled sheepishly.

Like the rest, their freedom was on the brink of being shut out for a while, especially with the way Dark was running things, it would be a real hassle.

So enjoy it while it lasts they thought, but their freedom was already out the window since Dark's little tantrum at the theater.

↑→↓←↑→

"So you're the one who's been stealing my spotlight," A male voice surfaced from across the yellow-lit bar. Dark and Shade turned their gaze towards the unsettling voice; it was Doomsday, popularly known as Ds, an elite, accompanied by a semi-large group of violent-looking bullies.

Dark gulped down his drink in one go, dropping the tumbler so quietly no one heard a sound.

"It's a little early to start leading groups don't you think?" Dark quizzed unfazed by the intimidating group of students.

Ds stole a quick glance at Shade, only for a millisecond but Dark caught it.

"I couldn't help myself, a lot of them look up to me for guidance. They used to be a lot more before you came to light," Ds said delivering a perfectly innocent smile.

"If you're here to warn me about stealing your buddies, then save your strength, I'm not looking for an empty crowd," Dark replied with a sinister frown. He really wasn't interested.

"But you're already at it, you're already out-staging me. It's really smart what you did, going for the big one, though I honestly doubt you'll last. I just wouldn't like there to be a misunderstanding between us," Ds spoke casually as he pried open a beverage can, sights straightforward.

"I guess I can't help it, too," Dark replied with a faint smirk.

"You don't seem to understand, I always get what I want," Ds replied quietly.

Dark paused, knee deep in reflection. His former life was summarised before his eyes;

Home. . . Lecture. . . Nothing else, for so long.

Then he suddenly stared at the elite, eyes watery from the air.

"I fucking love this school!" His eyes were fixed on the elite, with no sign of changing his patterns anytime soon.

"And here I was hoping I could make you drop out peacefully, oh well, let's see if you can handle me,"

"For the principal's son, you're whack, then again, I guess all power-holding bodies in this world are crazy. I'll just have to take them all out,"

Ds couldn't hold back his laughter, it was short and sharp, but very intense.

"Have you ever thought that your bucket list is a little too tall for you?" Ds sighed, his face lit up with a smile.

"Have you ever thought if you've been chasing what you've been running away from for so long?" Dark fired back in a cool and refined tone, signaling more meaning behind his words.

"And what does that mean?" Ds asked, his smile withered away just like that. His mood was more intense than ever as he faced forward, glaring like an arrow.

"I don't know, you tell me," Dark replied as he took a gulp of whatever he was having and sighed.

That line always works on rich dickheads, He skipped in his mind, happy to have found at least one thing this verse has in common with the human world.

"I've dealt with people like you before, always acting like you're all powerful and brave, you're in control," Ds' demeanor relapsed.

"I'm going to kick you out of my reality and wipe that smile off your face. This is my domain." Ds said to Dark so casually that it almost felt like a compliment, his lips were widely spread, and his eyes closed to express his friendly gesture; it was just plain weird.

"I didn't know I was smiling because I honestly don't see anything amusing about that face of yours." Dark bantered with a smile of his own and one of the students with Ds chuckled unconsciously but immediately controlled himself, probably not fast enough.

Ds' smile retreated, his eyes slowly opened, releasing a sharp glare filled with resentment. In an instant, Dark felt it, the first time since he was transformed into a reaper, he was touched by pure aura and not instinct.

Ds stood up, then walked calmly towards Dark,

"You know, I was going to let one of my boys deal with you but I guess I'll indulge myself." His whispered.

"Well, hope to see you again soon," Ds bellowed in a charming, charismatic tone, all signs of resentment had totally disappeared.

"I'll leave you two to it then"

Ds, along with his hefty group, walked past Dark and Shade, but not without gifting them with dangerous, threatening glares.

Shade exhaled deeply,

"And another one, you seem to only know how to make bad company and competition. I feel like my plans to pass through quietly are going up in flames," he lowered his head drastically.

"It's the only way" Dark quickly replied.

It's the only way I'll ever get his attention.