STORMWEAVER II: Chapter 45 Sneak Peek (Patreon)

Still deciding on this guys personality so it will be interesting to see if it changes for the final!

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There was a thump of someone sitting down beside him, and Rei started painfully, opening his eyes and blinking against the brightness of the Arena light. He looked around a little blearily, wondering if maybe one of the other first years had come to keep him company, or even if he’d have to argue with a stubborn Viv that yes, she did actually have to get off her ass and go and fight. The latter might have been an unlikely sight, sure, but it was about a thousand times more plausible than the reality.

Next to him, his silvery eyes narrow and cold, was none other than Anatoli Sidorov.

“Ward,” Sidorov said flatly, as though his sufficed as a greeting. “How goes the basking in the spotlight? Again.”

Rei was so taken aback by this question he spent a solid few seconds just staring the second year.

“S-sorry?” he finally spluttered, completely dumbfounded.

“Don’t be coy, first year.” Siddorov’s voice was low, his lips a flat, unamused line that had the hair on Rei’s arms standing on end. “You’ve been the golden boy of the Galens Institute for a while now. Must be nice.”

Rei couldn’t have been more confused if he’d opened his eyes to find himself abruptly teleported into some medieval fantasy world. He glanced around to find Dent gone—probably off with Aria and the others—and Takeshi cleverly engaged with her back to him by the rest of Siddorov’s King’s Law. Which only alarmed Rei more, obviously. “Golden boy”? Him? Ever since the Intra-Schools maybe it was true that there wasn’t anyone left in his class that didn’t take him seriously, but given what most of the first semester at the Institute had been like, calling him “Golden boy” seemed a little out of touch…

Then and there, staring at Sidorov with wide eyes as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on, Rei decided he didn’t like the second year.

Not one bit.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rei got out at last, and he was pleased to hear that his voice had steadied. The jolt of adrenaline that had come with finding the ace of the second years seated next to him had taken the edge off his pain, too, so he was able to glare back at Sidorov in turn. “Actually, let me rephrase that: What are you talking about?”

Sidorov’s expression hardened.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Ward.” The cool tone of his voice had taken on a venomous edge. “You’ve got everyone wrapped around your little finger, don’t you? Laurent, Dent, the Colonel. I’ve heard a rumor you’re even getting special instruction from the sub-instructors once we get back to school. That true?”

“And what’s it to you if it is?” Rei asked flatly.

Sidorov grimaced in annoyance at that, but didn’t answer. Instead, he looked Ward up and down, his eyes lingering momentary on Shido’s paired bands.

“That CAD… Seems like you won the lottery, didn’t you? How the hell did you get assigned something like that? What did you say in the third portion of the exam?”

Rei stiffened, and this time for an altogether different reason. He wasn’t surprised in the least that Sidorov was seemed to be assigned Shido all the credit for his meteoric rise. Rei was used that and then some, and it would take willful ignorance at this point for people not to start whispering that there was something special going on about Shido. No. Rather, Sidorov’s last question was toeing a dangerous line.

A very dangerous line…

“Third part of the assignment exam isn’t something we talk about,” he said slowly, watching Sidorov’s apathetic face. The second year’s expression could have been made of stone, though, for all he reacted.

“The MIND’s not gonna swoop in and take your Device back because you let something slip about the test, Ward. Users are to valuable to get the boot for something like that, especially cadets like us.”

Rei raised an eyebrow at that. “‘Cadets like us…’” he repeated slowly. “Wonder what you mean by that, Sidorov…?”

Again, however, the Lancer didn’t even flinch. Not a hint of a frown, of a smile, of pride or shame. He just… looked. Like a statue. A very dangerous, very close, statue.

“Some things don’t have to be spelled out, Ward,” Sidorov answered after a moment. “But I think you’re smart enough to know what I mean. And you didn’t answer my question. What did you say to get assigned that CAD?”

“I didn’t answer your questions because I’m not going to answer your question. What’s your baggage, man?” Rei forced himself to sit up straight, working hard not to wince in discomfort at the movement. “You’ve got balls to be ignoring Dent’s orders, I’ll give you that.”

“What orders?” Sidorov asked flatly. “We’re just not allowed to ask you about what happened out there.” He waved a hand lazily over where the rest of his squad was still keeping Takeshi distracted, indicating the still-empty Arena floor. “Didn’t mention anything about that particular subject, did I?”

“That’s thin argument,” Rei growled.

Again, Sidorov didn’t react. It was like the guy didn’t know what emotion was, like the only thing that mattered to him was what was directly in front of him. Sure enough, he opened his mouth, undoubtedly about to push further for an answer.

Then, though, he froze, and first the first time his expression changed ever so slightly as something on Rei’s other side claimed his attention. His eyes widened ever so slight in what might have been surprise, and his whole body tensed as though involuntarily.

Before Rei could look around to see what had taken the second year so aback, a familiar voice spoke up from his left, and he understood immediately what had put the Lancer on edge.

“Walk away, Sidorov. Now.”