Kaiden's heart thumped in her chest as she felt a huge lump in her throat. Beads of sweat quickly formed on her forehead as she stood in the field, shrouded in silence. Hearing her name from the one person she despised with everything she had made her feel like her internal organs were on fire.
Chuck, still standing beside Kaiden, heard Professor Modrick call out to her. Only one thought entered his mind—he already knew what Modrick wanted from her. Hearing Kaiden's story of how Professor Modrick had used her in different immoral ways was more than enough to force a quest onto Chuck. This alone gave him the conviction he needed to try his best to eradicate the man.
Looking beside him, he noticed Kaiden was visibly shaking, and Erik's attention had been drawn to her.
"Hey Kaiden," Erik said with a worried tone, "do you feel sick or something?"
Kaiden didn't acknowledge Erik's words. Her eyes were still fixated on the figure standing on the podium. Still shaking, sweat trickling down her body, she remained silent… until the deep voice called out again.
"Didn't you hear me? I said, Alex's Kaiden, head over to my office. NOW!" Professor Modrick said, raising his voice slightly, making him seem even more menacing.
The entire crowd of students stationed at the main field didn't seem to care why Professor Modrick was asking for a private audience with a female student. They simply shuffled around, trying to find team members to travel with.
Hearing Modrick's voice again made Kaiden's legs weak, but she still took wobbly steps forward, as if the earth was giving up on her. Seeing her walk forward without resistance, Chuck reached out and tugged her arm back.
"Chuck," Kaiden said in a weak voice, turning around to see him holding her back. "What are you doing? You know I have to leave."
Without turning to face Kaiden or Erik, Chuck called out, "Hey Professor Modrick, I'm sorry, but Kaiden is quite preoccupied with the task of finding a suitable teammate for the dimension. Now unless you still insist on talking alone with a 17-year-old girl, I suggest you let her find her teammates."
Modrick turned to see who had the audacity to say those words to him. He saw Chuck, standing beside Kaiden with his palm wrapped around her arm. He didn't recognize the student, but he knew he was trouble.
"Who is this kid? And the way he speaks… it's like he knows about—no, Kaiden isn't stupid enough…" Modrick thought as he glared sharply at Chuck.
"Alright then," Modrick said in an annoyed tone. "I guess your hands are full with various tasks. Very well."
He left the podium and swiftly exited the main field. Erik saw what just went down, and he could feel the tension, but he couldn't make sense of why Chuck had intercepted a professor who called for Kaiden. He also couldn't understand why Kaiden was so nervous, as she was still visibly shaking.
"Uhm, guys, do you care to explain what the fuck just happened? And Chuck, that statement you made—what the hell were you getting at?" Erik asked suspiciously.
Before Chuck could answer, Kaiden spoke immediately. "It's nothing. I just don't want anything to distract us. We still need to find two more members, and given the current deal with Chuck, it's either going to be very easy or extremely hard."
Chuck knew Kaiden didn't want Erik to know about the situation, not yet at least. Quickly pulling himself together, the trio looked around for a suitable recruit. Before they could move, they heard two overlapping voices call out to them.
Turning around, they saw two figures running toward them. The only thing that made Chuck believe they weren't hostile was the vibrant smiles on their faces. They came to a quick, perfectly synchronized stop a few meters away. Chuck noticed it was a boy and a girl who looked oddly similar—same height, build, and expression. They were most likely twins.
Stepping forward, Kaiden spoke with an authoritative tone, "Introduce yourselves. And what the hell do you want?"
"Hey, chill out. Aren't you too beautiful to have such a fierce demeanor?" the boy said, winking at Kaiden.
"Hey, shut up, Lance," the girl said as she kicked him in the shin. "I'm Xin, and this is my brother, Lance. We're both looking forward to joining your team."
Xin was a beauty, easily comparable to Kaiden. She stood with a smile as the gentle breeze swayed her hair. She walked closer, extending her hand for a handshake, and every step she took made her large breasts bounce slightly, making Erik's and Chuck's eyes fixate on her.
Kaiden noticed Chuck's eyes locked on Xin's chest, and she couldn't help but glance down at her own. Xin's outstretched hand remained ignored as Kaiden maintained a hostile look toward the twins.
"Are you really going to leave me hanging?" Xin asked, still holding her hand out.
"Yes, I—" Kaiden's words were cut off as she saw Erik rushing forward, almost shoving her aside.
Erik took Xin's hand gently. "Hello, gorgeous. Don't feel offended by our friend. She can be a little feisty sometimes."
Xin smiled as she instinctively bit her bottom lip. "I'm not offended. My heart is too big to get offended by little things."
Kaiden heard Xin's comment, which annoyed her. "My boobs aren't little. And I'm still prettier than her."
"So what's your name, darling?" Xin asked.
"Oh, it's Erik. Erik with a 'k'," Erik said, still holding her hand.
"Erik with a 'k'? Damn, your parents really did a number on you," Lance said as he stepped forward, forcing Erik to release Xin's hand. "And you—Chuck Nectar! I'm a huge fan!"
Before Chuck could react, Lance rushed him and pulled him into a tight hug, lifting him off the ground and spinning him. Chuck struggled slightly to breathe as nearby students turned to watch.
Setting him down, Lance grabbed his hand and forced a handshake. "I saw your fight with Bobby, you were badass! Haters say you only caught him by surprise, but fuck them all!"
Not knowing how to respond, Chuck forced a smile. "Thanks… I guess."
"Alright, enough," Kaiden said. "I take it you both want to join our group, so I'll ask just one question: what stage are you at?"
Kaiden only cared about strength. She wasn't ready to die in the dimension.
"We're both at the High Magus stage, so yeah, we're pretty strong," Xin said with a bored expression as she stared at Kaiden.
Kaiden felt defeated. She clearly didn't want Xin to join the group. Xin felt like competition. But there was nothing Kaiden could do. Erik was already hexed by her beauty, and Lance looked at Chuck like he was a celebrity. Kaiden sighed.
"Well, in that case… welcome to the group."