Kalila Miracle Hart

Now that the booth is gone and Carcel Evander Dawson—king of all creeps—is practically camping out at our base, we've nowhere else to go but to the cafeteria. Not a bad call, though. Everyone's losing their cool, and a round of ice-cold drinks might just stop people from blowing up—especially Evara, who looks like she's seconds away from exploding from sheer anger.

Carcel claims Ciel was behind the booth being shut down, but I'm not sure if I can trust anything that comes out of his mouth. Still, when I think about it, it kind of makes sense. If Ciel did pull the plug on the booth, I'm willing to bet it's because of him. Carcel couldn't stay away, drawing attention every time he showed up. Ciel must've had enough of watching girls stare at her fiancé like he was some kind of prize. So, in conclusion, it's still Carcel's fault. 

That guy makes my skin crawl. Every time we talk, something about him feels... off. A chill runs through me just thinking about the talk we had earlier. The way he's been acting lately is seriously unsettling. But then, there's his eyes, strangely beau—No, Kalila, get a grip, What is wrong with you? I don't really want to notice that.  And that smirk of his—it's infuriating.

"Miracle!" Evara's voice jolted me out of my thoughts.

"Are you alright? Evara's been calling you for a while," Sumer asked, concern was evident in her voice. I exhaled, feeling the weight of everything. My mind's been all over the place—I really need to get a grip and focus on the problem at hand.

"I'm fine," I muttered, sighing again, though it didn't sound convincing, even to me.

"You don't look fine," Akira pointed out, her eyes scanning my face.

"Did that jerk Carcel say something to upset you again?" Evara growled, her hands gripping the table as if she wanted to break it in half.

"Was it him behind the booth being taken down?" Akira added, her expression sharp.

"No, guys," I paused, trying to figure out how to break the news without starting an even bigger disaster than we already have. "He didn't tell me exactly why the booth was shut down," I said, feeling a knot of nerves tighten in my stomach.

"Then what did he say?" Sumer pressed, all three of them staring at me, waiting for answers.

"He said Ciel was behind it." The moment the words left my mouth, Evara slammed her fists onto the table, rattling everything on it. Akira's jaw tightened, and Sumer's gasp echoed through the room.

"That's... unexpected, but it makes sense," Sumer murmured. "I thought for sure Carcel would've been behind it after what happened with Ashton this morning."

"I thought the same," Akira agreed. "But if it's Ciel, I can understand."

"Let's not jump to conclusions," I urged, trying to keep the situation from escalating. "Carcel could be wrong."

Evara's fist hit the table again, harder this time. "Well, let's find out." She shot up from her seat with enough force to send it screeching across the floor. She looked like she was ready to tear someone apart, and students were starting to stare.

Akira and Sumer grabbed her, trying to hold her back, but she kept pushing forward, her eyes blazing with fury. "Evara, calm down!" I shouted, and, to my relief, she stopped, glaring and stay down in her seat. I let out a breath.

"I'll talk to her," I said, keeping my voice steady.

"But—" Evara began, her voice sharp, but I cut her off.

"You're too angry right now," I said, reaching out to gently pat her head. "Take a moment to cool off." I smiled, and though she didn't look entirely calm but she unclenched her fists and took a deep breath.

I stood up from my seat. "Do you want us to come with you?" Akira asked.

I shook my head. "If I'm not back in thirty minutes, come find me." I paused for a second. "And bring Carcel."

I stepped out of the cafeteria and immediately felt the weight of a new problem pressing down on me—where on earth could I find Ciel? I groaned in frustration, scanning the campus in vain. She could be anywhere. Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through my contacts, hoping for a miracle, hoping someone, anyone, might know where she was.

Akira... Aunt... Ashton—wait, Ashton? That might just work.

Hey, Ash, it's Kalila.

Sent 2:15 PM

Yeah, I saved your number. Hahaha.

Sent 2:20 PM

Oh, that's cool. Hehe.

Sent 2:21 PM

That was painfully awkward. Shaking my head, I sent another message.

Anyway, how's your face?

Sent 2:21 PM

It's fine, hahaha. What's up?

Sent 2:22 PM

Uhm, hehehe. Do you happen to have Jade's number?

Sent 2:22 PM

Yeah, I've got it. Want me to send it to you? Jade won't mind.

Sent 2:24 PM

Yay, thanks!

Sent 2:24 PM

Oh, and by the way, Carcel apologized to me. Hahaha.

Sent 2:25 PM

I stared at the screen, rereading the message just to make sure I wasn't imagining things. Carcel apologized? Something had to be seriously wrong with him. Maybe he's dying? That guy doesn't exactly scream apologetic. If anything, he'd say something like

'Yeah, it's my fault, but you should apologize for making me mad.'

 Now that sounded more like the Carcel I knew. Shaking off the weirdness, I saw that Ashton had already sent me Jade's number. I quickly messaged her, asking if she could tell Ciel I needed to talk. To my surprise, Ciel agreed to meet up right away. She said she'd be waiting in the Elite main building lobby, where no one would bother us since most people were hanging out in the quad.

When I reached the Elite's lobby, it wasn't hard to spot Ciel. Of course, it wouldn't be. She had this way of making every space revolve around her, shining under the perfect lighting, while I—well, I looked like a rug in comparison. A sigh slipped out before I could stop it, and I reluctantly sat across from her.

"So, what brings you here?" Her tone was clipped, slightly impolite, almost as if I had already wasted her time. I sighed again. This is what you get when you're born without a silver spoon in your mouth.

I debated whether to cut to the chase or dance around it. But there's no point beating around the bush. "Did you have our booth taken down?"

The silence between us stretched uncomfortably before she smirked, that same irritating smirk that Carcel wore when he was up to something. But somehow, hers felt worse.

"Oh, that?" She paused, her smirk growing. "Yes. I thought it would be difficult to convince the admin, but it was surprisingly easy."

Easy? It was easy for her to tear down something we spent days building? All it took was one request and our hard work was erased—just like that. This school... this whole system, is sick. Of course, we were nothing compared to her. All our sweat and dedication could never stand against wealth and influence. My fists clenched under the table as frustration bubbled up inside me.

"Why?" The word slipped out, low and strained. It was all I could manage.

"Well, you guys got on my nerves." She sighed, like this was just another minor inconvenience in her perfect life. "Honestly, if you hadn't dragged Carcel down to that booth, none of this would have happened."

So I was right, it was because of him. Of course, but this is this was too far. Was it really easier for her to ruin our project than simply talk to her future husband? Carcel seem to listen if you politely talk him out, considering he listened to my request, he even apologized to Ashton—though that still felt weird to me. Maybe it was a fluke. I didn't know what to think, but whatever the reason, what she did wasn't right.

"I only asked him once to come to the booth—just once." My voice trembled slightly as I tried to keep my anger in check. "Couldn't you have just let this slide? I promise, I won't ask him to come again."

She let out a low chuckle, and I instantly regretted trying to reason with her. "Why are you even saying that?" Her tone dripped with arrogance. "I can tell him not to come anytime I want. The truth is, it's you that irritates me."

I could feel the heat rising in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm. "Then you should have just told him to stay away in the first place." My words seemed to hit a nerve as she flinched. I sighed, frustration bleeding through. Of course, Carcel wasn't listening to her. "Judging by your reaction... I guess Carcel isn't taking orders from you, is he?"

Her silence was all the confirmation I needed. Then she scoffed, and I could see her mask of superiority crack slightly. "Do you really think you can talk like that just because you've spoken to Carcel a few times?"

My heart skipped a beat. How did she know we had been talking? And why did I feel guilty? We hadn't done anything wrong. But my nerves started to get the best of me, her intensity unsettling.

She stood abruptly, her eyes dark with fury. "Do you honestly think I wouldn't find out? Do you really believe you have the right to be in the same space as him?"

And then I saw it—her hand swinging up, fast and sharp. It was clear as day that she was going to slap me, and what could I do? She was irrational, mad over Carcel, and consumed by her own jealousy. I closed my eyes, bracing for the sting of her hand on my face. But... it didn't come.

"Didn't I warn you, bunny?" That voice and that awful nickname.

I opened my eyes, to see Carcel holding Ciel's wrist, stopping her mid-swing. His grip was firm, his expression calm but cold. Relief washed over me. The girls isn't here, which meant—by sheer dumb luck—he'd shown up just in time. 

God forbid that slap had landed. I don't think I'd be able to show my face around campus without a mask. The way she swung at me, it was clear she wasn't holding back. And why in the world is Carcel calling me that ridiculous nickname in front of his fiancée? This guy is really trying to get me killed.

Ciel snapped back, yanking her wrist free with enough force that Carcel was momentarily thrown off balance. "Bunny? Didn't know you were into childish nicknames, honey." Her smile was sweet enough to rot teeth, but the sarcasm was razor-sharp. It was nauseating.

Carcel chuckled, and I caught a glimpse of his face. Genuinely irritated? He looked like he was disgusted, like her words had rubbed him the wrong way. What is his deal? This is the same guy who loves throwing around weird nicknames, but he can't handle a little of it back? Honestly, what's wrong with him?

I shifted my gaze to Ciel, arms crossed, that infuriating smirk still etched on her face. She was clearly enjoying how much she was getting under his skin. Evara's words echoed in my mind—maybe Ciel does this just to get a reaction out of him. This whole situation is a disaster.

"Hey, Kalila," Carcel's voice pulled me back, and I glanced up at him towering over me. "You want to give me a nickname too?"

Huh? What?

It felt like the world froze for a second. I swear I just heard Crows cawed in the distance, marking my impending doom. He really just did that. He just put me right at the top of Ciel's hate list. I should probably call Aunt and Marco, let them know to expect the worst. I'm not making it home alive tonight.

"Go on, Kalila." Ciel's voice was low, her words laced with a barely contained threat. "I dare you."

I glanced at her, then back at Carcel. What kind of twisted situation was this? My heart pounded, feeling the tension rise between them, but I was the one stuck in the middle.

Then Carcel rested a hand on my shoulder, leaning in close enough that his breath brushed my neck. "Are you scared?" His whisper sent a shiver down my spine. "Don't be. As long as I'm here no one will touch you." His voice was firm, almost enough to convince me that he meant every word he said.

But why? Why would he do this? I know his relationship with Ciel isn't smooth, but why is he acting like I matter more to him than she does? Shouldn't he be defending her instead of protecting me? I've done plenty to piss him off, so this doesn't make any sense.

"I think you should go now, bunny." Carcel's voice softened as he gently pushed me forward. "I need to have a conversation with my future wife," he added with a smile, as if the situation wasn't completely absurd.

I glanced back at Ciel. She stared at me like I was something she'd scrape off her shoe. I wasn't going to leave without getting some sort of resolution about the booth, but if I stayed, who knows what kind of madness Carcel would stir up next. Maybe waiting for Ciel to come out later was a safer bet.