"Alright, I suppose I've finished everything. I've roughly patched everything up. You're free to go," she said, waving Ezra off.
Ezra jumped off the bed, mumbling a quiet thanks as he made his way to the dining hall.
He passed by groups of chattering students, their voices rising in the usual morning buzz, and made his way through the hallways, the echo of his footsteps blending with the noise around him. When he finally arrived at the dining hall, the atmosphere was as lively as always. Students hurried to and from the buffet, grabbing their food before the day's classes began.
Ezra saw a familiar head in the crowd as he made his way toward the corner. Milo sat alone, munching on his breakfast, his nose buried deep in a book. Ezra brushed past students before tapping him lightly on the shoulder, making him jump.
"Who beat you up?" Milo asked, his eyes wide in confusion as he observed Ezra's bruised face.
"Just some training," Ezra replied, grabbing a spoon and nonchalantly digging into Milo's plate, not bothering to ask.
Milo raised an eyebrow, a faint frown appearing. "I haven't seen you around much these days. Didn't realize how close you were with Octavia that you abandoned me. Speaking of the devil—"
Before Ezra could respond, Octavia appeared from behind them, her sweet smile in place, her arms and neck adorned with enough jewelry to make anyone else feel underdressed.
She plopped down at the table with her tray, which consisted mostly of fruits and one small serving of oatmeal. Ezra swore he used to eat more than that as a kid.
"Isn't that too little?" he asked, eyeing her tray.
"Well, I have to maintain my weight," she said, not missing a beat. "This is good for the skin, and this for the hair. Beauty is necessary for a woman in a world like this. Without beauty, you're nothing."
Ezra raised an eyebrow at her words but didn't respond. Milo sighed, rubbing his head as he excused himself from the table, clearly fed up with the conversation.
Ezra watched him go, then turned his attention back to Octavia. He sat in silence, observing her as she pulled out her phone, which was covered in charms and stickers.
As she unlocked the screen, a picture of a man appeared in the background—a striking figure with light blue hair and crystal blue eyes, exuding an almost ethereal charm.
The man's presence in the picture stood out, his features sharp and composed. Ezra couldn't help but stare at the image for a moment, a slight curiosity tugging at him. "Is that your… boyfriend?" Ezra asked, breaking the silence.
Octavia let out a soft, almost wistful sigh, before flashing him a sly grin. "I wish he was. He's an A-list actor," she replied, showing him the back of her phone. The phone was encased in a see-through case adorned with even more stickers, and the picture of the man appeared again—this time in a more glamorous setting, the actor looking even more pristine.
"He's handsome, right?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with pride as she awaited his reaction.
Ezra blinked, somewhat taken aback by her enthusiasm. He didn't really know how to respond. "Yeah, I guess. He's definitely got the look."
" You know what makes it even better " she said eyes full of excitement." He's a student at Blackspire, a sixth year but he's on leave due to his busy schedule ."
"A new movie he starred in came out, so please don't disturb me," she said, her focus completely shifting back to her phone screen.
Ezra sat there for a moment, brow furrowed, before he slowly got up from his seat.
"Where are you going?" she asked, glancing up with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh, I'm leaving. You said not to disturb you," he replied, already moving toward the exit.
She stared right into his eyes ,her gaze intense as she pouted, her lips curving downward before she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Yeah, whatever."
Ezra turned back toward her, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Also, stop staring into my eyes. It's creepy."
Without waiting for her response, he walked away, leaving her sitting there with a mix of irritation and confusion on her face.