River
....
As Ryker and River were talking, Serafina walked in with Chloe Perez, a member of the second hierarchy. River noticed the way Serafina's skirt swayed as she walked, giving a subtle hint of her presence without seeking to impress. Unlike Alisha and other girls on campus, who often showed off their cleavage and sought the attention of the descendants, Serafina seemed to shine brightly without effort.
River looked up to see Ryker staring at Serafina, and he thought to himself, "This semester is going to be fun." He called out to Ryker to divert his attention from Serafina. "Hey, um, Ry, at least pretend to listen in class. Xavier's dad wants him to take on more responsibility, not that council work isn't enough." Ryker nodded and replied, "Maybe later, got to go to my Light Mage class."
River raised an eyebrow. "But that doesn't start for another hour." Ryker laughed and touched his brother's shoulder as he got up. "Well, maybe I'll just smoke a pot on the roof. Call me when class is done." As Ryker walked away, River couldn't shake off the feeling that his twin brother was up to something.
River's thoughts were interrupted by Xavier, who began discussing the finer points of water manipulation. River listened intently, his mind absorbing the information like a sponge. But he couldn't help stealing glances at Serafina, who was sitting across the room. He was intrigued by her bravery and determination, and he wondered what had driven her to stand up to Alisha and her friends.
As the lesson drew to a close, River felt a sense of relief wash over him. He had managed to keep his focus on the lesson, despite his growing curiosity about Serafina. But as he packed up his things and prepared to leave, River couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being watched. He turned to the window and saw a black shadow, but when he looked again, it was gone. He brushed it off, thinking he needed sleep.
As he left the classroom, River saw Serafina walking out into the hallway with Chloe Perez. He thought to himself that Serafina wasn't his problem, and that if she wanted to live a peaceful life, she should try to get on Ryker's good side. But if she didn't submit to the descendants, River would stop Ryker before things got out of hand. For now, he was content to watch Serafina shake Ryker's world, and he wondered how long it would take for her to cower under the pressure.