Chapter 129: let’s be allies

Chapter 129: Chapter 129: let’s be allies

Amelia returned to her room just as the sky outside was darkening, the last traces of daylight fading behind the academy buildings. She pushed the door open and stopped in the doorway, her mouth falling slightly open.

The room had been completely transformed.

The plain furniture was gone. Soft lights cast a warm glow across the walls, layered rugs covered the floor, and carefully chosen decorations had been arranged on almost every available surface. Even the bed looked like something taken straight out of an expensive suite.

Amelia rubbed her temple and let out a long-suffering sigh.

"They really went overboard."

She stepped inside, looking around with growing disbelief.

"Anyone walking in would think an actual princess sleeps here instead of a walking disaster on thin probation."

She moved farther into the room, already mentally deciding which decorations she would remove first. The brothers had clearly been trying to make her comfortable, but they had apparently forgotten that she was still living under military punishment.

Her gaze eventually landed on the bed.

A brand-new phone sat neatly on top of the blankets. Amelia picked it up and turned the screen on.

She immediately saw Reid’s face staring back at her, wearing that familiar charming smile that always made him look as though he had just gotten away with something.

Amelia stared at the picture for a moment. "Classic Reid."

Seconds later, the image changed.

Dean appeared instead. Amelia huffed a quiet laugh.

"I should’ve guessed they couldn’t agree on whose picture deserved the honor."

She turned the phone over in her hand before setting it back on the bed.

Despite the amusement, exhaustion was beginning to settle heavily into her body. The day had been far too long, and after everything that had happened, she desperately needed a bath.

She gathered her things, changed into a towel robe, and left the room.

The communal bathrooms were located farther down the hallway. When Amelia stepped inside, she found a large tiled space divided into individual shower stalls. The room was quiet enough that the sound of running water echoed softly against the walls.

She entered an empty stall, hung her robe on the hook, and stepped beneath the warm spray.

The heat immediately loosened some of the tension in her shoulders. She closed her eyes as the water ran through her hair and down her back.

I still have a long way to go. What is Zelda planning right now?

She reached for her soap.

Then footsteps approached from outside.

The stall beside hers opened. A moment later, it closed.

Amelia continued washing herself until a familiar voice came through the thin partition. "I want to ask you something."

Amelia paused. She recognized the voice immediately.

"Amy." She glanced toward the wall separating their stalls. "Didn’t think you’d approach me."

Amy’s voice came back without hesitation. "I’m only here to satisfy my curiosity."

Amelia rinsed the soap from her hands. "What is it?"

"How did you get a divine beast?"

Amelia tilted her head back, allowing the warm water to run over her face.

"I don’t know." She wiped the water from her eyes. "I’ve had him all my life."

Silence followed for a moment.

Then Amy spoke again. "That’s a lie. According to your files, you only gained powers after you were taken into the Ellington brothers’ home."

She continued washing her hair.

"There are things I’m not going to start telling people just because they ask."

Amy’s voice sharpened. "What if I force the answers out of your mouth? Will you talk then?"

A soft laugh escaped Amelia. "You already saw the gap between us."

Amy scoffed.

"You were lucky."

"Lucky?"

"Without that divine beast, you would’ve been defeated easily."

Amelia’s lips curved. "You sound envious."

Silence.

Amelia smiled to herself. She had hit the mark.

"Why are you envious?" she asked. "Do you think someone at my level shouldn’t have a divine beast while someone who’s worked as hard as you still doesn’t?"

Amy’s voice immediately hardened. "Shut up. You don’t know anything about me."

"But I do."

Amelia leaned against the tiled wall. "I even got some recent intel that the recruits ranked higher than you already have divine beasts of their own."

The water continued running between them. "That’s why you’re not among them. And that’s why you’re still stuck here with people beneath your level."

Something slammed violently against the shared wall.

The entire partition shook. Amelia yelped and instinctively covered her chest with both arms even though the wall itself was still intact.

"Watch where you’re punching!"

She stared at the wall in disbelief. "Or are you trying to take a peek at something?"

Part of the partition gave way.

Amy stood on the other side, furious and completely bare, with bath foam clinging unevenly to her skin.

Her eyes burned with anger.

"You’d better watch your tongue."

Her chest rose and fell with each sharp breath.

"That bird of yours won’t save you this time."

Amelia stared at her for a moment before scooping more foam over herself.

"You really have no shame, standing there showing everything off like that."

Amy’s face tightened. "Just tell me what I want to know."

Amelia studied her. For all Amy’s anger, there was something else underneath it. Frustration. Envy. And, more importantly, desperation.

Amelia sighed. "How about we make a deal?"

Amy narrowed her eyes. "What deal?"

"I can help you find your own divine beast."

Amy let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh. "Someone like you?"

"I’m serious."

Amelia rinsed the soap from her hair. "You already have a strong core, and you’ve met most of the requirements. You’re only a few steps away from forming a bond with one."

Amy’s expression changed.

For a brief moment, the anger disappeared from her face and something close to hope took its place.

Then she quickly covered it. "I’m not falling for your lies."

Amelia sighed. "You leave me no choice, then."

She released her aura.

The air seemed to drop in temperature as an overwhelming pressure spread through the bathroom.

Amy’s expression changed before she could hide it. Her knees trembled. She tried to stay upright, but her legs gave out beneath her, forcing her down onto the wet floor of the stall.

"What..."

Her palms hit the tiles. "What the hell is this?"

Amelia’s aura continued to spread. It moved outward in a dense wave, pressing against everything around them.

The effect reached beyond the bathroom. Women sitting in nearby rooms suddenly paused, their conversations dying as an inexplicable sense of dread crawled up their spines.

Even on the lower floors, the air seemed to thicken for a moment.

Amy could barely breathe as she looked up at Amelia.

The truth settled heavily in her chest.

This wasn’t someone who had simply gotten lucky during a fight. There was no way to fake power like this.

Amelia held the pressure for only a few seconds before reining it back in.

Amy remained on the floor, breathing hard.

"I have no evil intentions toward you."

Amy slowly pushed herself upright. "I just want allies in this place."

She paused. "Apart from my partners."

Amy stared at her for several seconds.

Then she looked away. "I’ll think about it."

Amelia smiled faintly. She already knew what that answer meant. She turned back toward the shower and stepped beneath the spray again, allowing the water to wash away the remaining foam.

Amy had returned to washing herself, but her mind was somewhere else entirely.

Will I really make it into the top five?

She stared at the tiled wall.

Will I actually gain a divine beast of my own?

The silver bird had looked small when she first saw him, almost ordinary if someone didn’t know what he was capable of.

Yet there had been something about Amelia’s confidence that Amy couldn’t dismiss. Amy allowed herself to consider the possibility that Amelia hadn’t been lying.

Maybe she really could help her.