I Killed The Main Characters

Chapter 161: First Years After Party [2]

A small boy with black, shiveled, and messy black hair knelt before a young girl.

His feet bare and icy, his clothes worn and ragged.

The girl's dark purple hair cascaded down her back.

Slightly tangled as she clutched her knees, her small frame trembling.

Her eyes, filled with worry and sorrow, were locked onto the boy in front of her.

The boy, his face smudged and his clothes stained, managed a weak smile as he reached out to touch the girl's trembling hand.

"The big men are not taking me to a bad place."

He said, his voice raspy yet trying to sound convincing, though his eyes darted nervously to the two men waiting behind him.

The girl's lower lip trembled as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Please, don't go..."

She pleaded, her voice breaking.

"I don't want you to go with them.

I don't want you to leave me."

The boy looked at her, his smile turning softer.

He knew she didn't understand, but he didn't want her to be scared.

He couldn't bear seeing her cry, not when she was always so kind to him.

"I'll come back..."

He promised, his voice filled with the kind of resolve only a child could have, untainted by the world's cruelties.

"And when I grow up, I'll come and marry you.

We'll always be together then, and you won't ever have to cry again."

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His missing tooth made the smile on his face even more endearing.

A small gap in his grin that made him look even younger than he was.

He was trying to make her feel better, trying to give her hope, even though he knew deep down that he didn't know if he'd ever keep that promise.

He was too young to understand the full weight of what he was saying, but the words came out naturally, like a promise a child would make.

The girl blinked, her eyes widening with disbelief at first.

Her tears slowed, and for a moment, hope flickered in her eyes.

The simple promise of protection and love, made by someone so small, filled her heart with a warmth she hadn't known for so long.

"Really?"

She asked, her voice soft, barely a whisper.

"Yeah," he said, nodding firmly.

"I'll protect you.

I'll make sure no one makes you cry again.

I'll be strong.

I'll keep my promise."

The boy stood up then, dusting himself off, a final glance at the girl before turning to face the two men who had been silently waiting for him.

They stood tall in pristine dark blue and white uniforms, their golden linings catching the light.

Their expressions were cold, but the boy wasn't frightened anymore.

"I'll be back..."

He said one more time, his voice quiet but resolute.

The girl watched, eyes glistening with unshed tears as he walked away, the men following behind him.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, but it was no use—the tears kept coming.

She stared after him, her heart aching as the distance between them grew.

She wasn't sure if she would ever see him again, but in that brief moment of hope he had given her, she allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, he would come back.

Her small body shuddered as she wiped the last of her tears away.

Watching the boy and the men disappear around a corner.

She held onto his words as her only comfort.

***

? Maya's POV ?

I sat back in my chair, the glass of yellowish wine in my hand almost forgotten as I stared into its contents.

It swirled lazily, the liquid shifting in gentle waves along the sides of the glass.

It wasn't much more than a simple wine.

But at this moment, it looked almost too beautiful.

The light catching it just right, the yellow glow reminding me of his eyes.

His eyes… the color, the depth, the weight of them—so cold, yet so captivating.

I swallowed, the wine sliding down my throat as if it could wash away the heavy thoughts pressing down on my chest.

I focused on the sound of the liquid splashing against the glass.

Trying to ground myself, to pull myself out of the spiral my mind had taken.

Why was I even thinking about him?

It wasn't like I cared, right?

No, I didn't care.

"Maya?"

I snapped out of my thoughts, startled for a moment before looking up.

Ariana Snow was sitting across from me, a gentle smile on her face, her concern evident in the tilt of her head.

"Are you okay?"

She asked, her voice calm and friendly.

Though I could tell she was trying to figure out what had drawn me so far into my own mind.

I gave a small, reassuring smile, lifting the glass again to my lips.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied smoothly.

"Just… lost in thought, I guess."

Draven, who had been lounging back in his chair next to Ariana, gave me a brief glance but didn't say anything.

He seemed content to let the conversation flow where it wanted to go.

As usual.

"So, are you enjoying the party?"

Ariana continued, her tone bright and curious, but it didn't take much to see she was worried about me.

She was always a little too observant for her own good.

I gave a small nod, taking another sip of wine before setting the glass down on the table.

"It's...nice....

Definitely better than that disaster of a party we had when we were first years."

I added, trying to make light of it.

Ariana and Draven both chuckled, and for a moment, the tension in the air eased.

We shared a quiet laugh, but even then, I could feel the subtle undercurrent of something unspoken between us.

It wasn't like we weren't friends—we were—but our paths had diverged since then.

Competition was something we didn't discuss outright.

But it was always there, lingering between the words.

I shifted slightly in my seat, trying to settle into the atmosphere.

To take in the chatter around me, but my mind was elsewhere.

I glanced around, my eyes drifting absently over the crowd of students—first years, mostly—mingling with second years and seniors alike.

"It's strange, isn't it?"

I muttered more to myself than anyone else.

"It looks like they invited all the top senior students."

Ariana tilted her head, studying me for a moment.

"I think they just want to get us all together.

Get the new first years acquainted with the rest of us, maybe."

Draven, who had been half listening, raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, maybe

But it's not like we're all close or anything.

We just happen to share a few classes."

He shrugged, then grinned.

"Though I wouldn't mind being the one to break the ice with some of these first years."

Ariana and I both rolled our eyes at that, but I couldn't help but chuckle a little.

Draven was always the social one, trying to charm his way through every interaction.

As the conversation lulled, I couldn't help but notice how the students around us were looking at us.

At the second-year students, at those of us who had earned our place among the top.

Their curiosity was evident, their eyes wide as they asked questions.

Trying to learn from us, trying to see what it took to stand out.

It wasn't a bad feeling, but I couldn't shake the lingering sense of exhaustion.

I sighed softly, thinking that maybe it was time to head back to my dorm.

I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep up this façade of enjoyment.

I'd been answering questions from eager first years for hours, and despite my outward calm, I was starting to feel drained.

As I started to rise from my seat, pushing my chair back slowly, my eyes landed on something—or rather, someone.

My gaze snapped toward the entrance where a crowd had parted for two figures making their way to a table.

Noah.

My heart skipped a beat, though I didn't let it show.

He walked in with an air of arrogance, as usual, his posture straight.

His eyes scanning the room as if he owned the place.

His black hair fell in messy strands around his face.

And then there was the girl with him.

I didn't have to see her face to know exactly who she was.

Mari Cosgrove.

A maid in the Ashbourne household, always close to Noah.

I felt a tightness in my chest that I didn't expect.

But I immediately buried it deep, pushing it to the back of my mind.

Why was I even feeling this way?

It didn't matter who Noah was with—he could be with whoever he wanted.

I didn't care.

But even as I tried to convince myself of that, my body tensed.

A small knot of discomfort forming in my stomach.

I looked away quickly, pretending to focus on the conversation in front of me.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Ariana's voice broke through my thoughts again.

"You're looking a little pale."

"I'm fine..."

I replied quickly, the words too sharp, too forced.

I could hear the lie in my own voice, but Ariana didn't press it.

Instead, she gave me a curious look, though she didn't push any further.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

It wasn't like Noah meant anything to me.

At least not anymore.

I had my own goals, my own plans.

But why did it still bother me so much?

The party carried on around us, the energy of first years asking questions and second years offering advice filling the space.

I answered a few more questions, but I could feel my patience wearing thin

I just wanted to be done with all of this.

I was tired.

I had just finished responding to a particularly eager group of first years when my eyes inadvertently drifted back to the table where Noah was sitting.

To my surprise, he hadn't chosen to sit with the rest of the top students

No surprise there.

He was always so prideful, so self-centered.

But what caught my attention wasn't just his aloofness.

No, it was the girl standing behind him, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck in a casual, almost possessive gesture.

Noah didn't seem to mind.

He held a glass of red wine, casually sipping from it as if nothing in the world could bother him.

Mari, sitting opposite him, seemed completely uninterested in anything other than the cake in front of her.

She looked happy enough, lost in her food.

But the girl…

Her black hair framed her face, and those red eyes.

They stood out like a flame in a dark room.

I found myself staring at her, unable to look away.

Something about the way she was standing there, so close to Noah, made my insides twist in a way I didn't want to admit.