I will avenge my mother.
I will catch the one behind this.
Even if it's with him.
. . .
It's officially been three years since she started investigating her mother's murder.
Lydia sits at the Academy's library, wondering how it all started.
She's been unable to let go of it since she was fifteen. How could she, when the investigation was so rushed, and the case was deemed unsolvable for no reason? At fifteen, she felt there was something fishy going on, and at eighteen, she knows there's something going on.
All these years, she's been keeping up the perfect model student persona— the type of student liked by every teacher, always at the top of the ranks, and the girl with the strongest elemental powers. All to get more information, more connections, to help with her mom's case.
It's irrational, she knows, but she can't help it.
Lydia stands up, knowing she won't get any studying done today, and decides to retire to her dorm room. Plus, it's late. She should sleep.
She walks in, closing the door behind her.
The familiar sight of her clue board greets her, and she grits her teeth. Most of this is public knowledge, and she hasn't added a new lead to it in almost a year. How will she ever hope to take revenge at this pace?
She needs to step it up.
With a sigh, she flops down on her bed. She's glad she doesn't have a roommate— a privilege of being the top female student.
She closes her eyes and waits for tomorrow to come.
. . .
Except, when she opens her eyes hours later, it isn't to sunlight: but to a figure hauling her over their shoulder.
Fuck—
Her immediate instinct is to kick and scream. Panic takes hold of her— just what is going on?
She tries using her elemental powers but for some reason they aren't working. Fuck. This is bad. Why can't she use them? What's wrong with her?
The man is carrying her — with great difficulty because of her resistance — to god knows where and she can't even defend herself.
Is she going to die?
No, no, no, she can't die here, not when she hasn't even—
She feels a quick strike to the back of her neck, and then—
Nothing.
. . .
Her eyelashes flutter open, her limbs feeling unnaturally sluggish.
All around Lydia is darkness, and she can't move her body at all. Her mind feels slow to catch up— as if she's been drugged.
Just where is she?
She tries screaming, but nobody responds. Her words are effectively swallowed, and she can't help but panic.
Though, it finally feels as if her senses are returning to her. She takes a mental note of her surroundings: she's sitting on hard wood, the same material the academy is made of, so she's likely still at the academy. She wasn't aware of any hidden rooms, but there must be some, considering its age. Her hands and feet are bound with tight rope, and she can't activate her elemental powers to burn them, for some reason.
At least she's uninjured. That's something.
She tries loosening the ropes, moving her hands around a bit, but all that does is scrape her wrists.
There's something wrong with her abilities. There's a reason she can't use them, and she suspects it's because she's been drugged with something.
What else is there to do now? She's tried all that she can— and yet, it's all futile.
All she can do is wait, agonising over the million possibilities that could occur.
Click.
Lydia's body grows cold. What if it's the man again? What if she's…
Goddamnit. This isn't good.
She yells out in desperation, "who are you?"
Her breathing grows more erratic as anxiety grips her.
Is this really the end?
She begins thrashing around— her last resort.
At least she'll go out with a fight.
Bang.
Her feet hit something— hard.
"Ow! Stop! You just hit my ankle!"
She freezes.
She would recognise that voice anywhere.
It's him.
Silas Everett.
The most annoying man she has ever had the pleasure of meeting, and the top male student in their year.
Why is he here?
A million questions pass by her head, and she doesn't hesitate to ask them.
Please be here to save her.
Although they don't like each other, she doesn't think he would come all the way here just to forsake her. They're always taunting each other, always seeking ways to destroy the other, but not like this.
She keeps her voice even, cautious. "Are you with the people who brought me here?"
"No," he says incredulously. "Just what do you think of me?"
It makes sense. She wouldn't expect him to do something like this, no matter how incorrigible he is.
She feels hands — his hands, most probably — around the ropes binding her.
"Don't touch me—"
"I'm trying to save you, idiot. Stop— ugh, stop moving."
She rolls her eyes, though he can't see in the dark.
She stops moving, though begrudgingly, choosing to trust him. He's her best bet here.
"How did you know I was here?"
"Long story, I'll tell you later. But I've been investigating the people that kidnapped you for a long time. It wasn't hard for me to track their movements."
It piques her curiosity, and she makes a note in her head to ask him about this later.
"How long have I been missing?"
"A day. Everyone's looking for you."
A day, huh? Now that she thinks about it, she does feel really hungry.
Now that she knows the what, when, and how: she needs to know the why.
"Why did you come here?" she asks, voice trembling a bit. She feels so incredibly weak, it's insane.
"Because I think," he says, finally freeing her ropes, "we can help each other."
Lydia's confusion is apparent on her face— it's too bad he can't see it.
"What do you…"
She moves her hands around a bit. It feels so good to finally be unbound. She begins trying to take the bindings off her feet, but he swats her hand away, and she swears under her breath.
She could've easily burned these if not for her handicap at the moment.
"Lydia Greene, I'll give you an offer I know you won't refuse. Work with me. We have the same goals, and as humiliating as it is to admit, I know we'll work better together. Don't you think?"
Her eyes widen.
Today has been full of surprises: and perhaps, even more so than being kidnapped, this is the biggest one.
Silas Everett— wanting to work with me.
She's still a bit disoriented, and takes time to process what he just said. It's a lot to take in; the fact that he somehow has an agenda similar to hers, and that he wants to team up.
His tone is condescending and it irritates her immensely. Even so, she mulls over his offer.
The both of them are constantly competing, neck to neck. Academic prowess, and their abilities— everything is a competition to them. He's incredibly capable, especially as he can keep up with her, and crafty as well. He's shrewd, and though she dislikes it, it sets him apart.
Suspicion creeps inside of her: what if this is all planned? What if he's lying, and this is all a setup? It seems too good to be true, no?
Silas never seemed like the type to be so passionate towards a goal either. He has a very irritating devil-may-care attitude, and that's exactly why his current attitude surprises her.
Still. His voice carries determination— pure, unadulterated, determination. It's something she's familiar with, and it solidifies her trust in him.
She may not like him, but she trusts him.
Especially when he's saved her like this.
"I can't say I accept while knowing so little about our potential partnership," she starts, grabbing his wrist (which was untying the bonds at her feet). She says partnership like a curse, because who would ever want to be a partner with him?
Lydia would, apparently.
"But since these are dire times," she says, "I accept."