Mishell Pov...
The cafeteria was unusually calm for once, well calm by human standards.
Students still crowded around tables gossiping loudly, phones constantly flashing with Q4 updates while reporters wandered outside campus gates hoping for another viral moment but compared to yesterday's chaos, today almost felt peaceful.
I said almost.
Corelia sat across from me scrolling through notes on her phone while I stabbed aggressively at my fries like they personally offended me.
Our mission priorities had officially changed a bit. Put a hold on finding Araxie's scale for now, the ruin wraith came first. If we didn't destroy it soon, the eclipse would only strengthen It further and every delay made the situation worse.
The scale could wai but people dying could not.
"Jax has been getting targeted more frequently," Corelia said quietly, lowering her voice despite the cafeteria noise around us. "The wraith is getting bolder, you said you had to continuosly use your powers to keep him safe yesterday."
I leaned back slightly in my chair.
"Which means we don't have time to keep doing this carefully."
Corelia nodded once.
"The protection spell needs to be completed today."
I sighed dramatically.
"Wonderful, more forced interaction with humans."
"You mean Jax."
"I mean suffering."
Corelia almost smiled, then suddenly a tray slammed onto the table beside us.
Lydia dropped into the seat dramatically.
"So," she said Immediately, eyes sparkling with chaos. "How was the date?"
I kept eating. "What date?"
"The one where your face almost caught fire because Jax put his suit jacket around you."
I paused mid-bite, slowly looked up.
"How do you know that?"
Lydia froze for exactly half a second then laughed weirdly.
"What? Pfft. I don't know anything, I just guessed something like that might happen".
My eyes narrowed. "You're lying."
"Nope."
"You are physically sweating."
"I'm naturally shiny."
Corelia looked between both of us suspiciously, Lydia cleared her throat loudly before leaning forward.
"Anywayyyy moving on, what's the plan today?"
Still staring at Lydia, I slowly pulled out my phone. "We finish the protection spell."
Corelia nodded slightly. "No more delay."
Lydia visibly straightened. "So what's the strategy?.
I opened my messages. "The same one." Then quickly typed.
Meet me behind the media building in ten minutes. Alone.
I hit send before I could reconsider It.
"What did you do?". Lydia asked.
"Sent Jax a text so we can meet up".
" Oh pls he Is an Idol, you don't think he will show up Immediately just because you asked". Lydia said, brushing that Idea aside.
Almost Instantly the message got delivered, my phone buzzed.
That sounds suspiciously romantic.
I rolled my eyes so hard It physically hurt.
"You were saying...?" I turned my phone towards Lydia for her to see.
"Wow... Way to go girlfriend". Lydia said smiling as she picked up the apple on her tray to eat.
" Lets go" Corelia said and I responded by nodding.
Ten minutes later, the area behind the media building was mostly quiet around this time of the dag. Most students stayed near the front campus where the Q4 production setup was happening, leaving this side nearly empty except for stacked equipment cases and tall glass windows lining the building walls.
Perfect.
Or at least It was supposed to be.
Corelia stood hidden nearby already, concealed beneath her invisibility spell,
completely unseen. At least… that was the idea, I adjusted my posture slightly, trying to appear normal while scanning the area...
Then footsteps approached, light, casual and annoyingly confident. Of course, Jax rounded the corner wearing a black hoodie, sunglasses and face mask like he was escaping government surveillance instead of walking around school.
"You text people like a criminal mastermind," He said immediately.
I crossed my arms. "You came."
"You literally said 'alone.' That's either murder or flirting." He lowered the mask slightly. "…I took the risk."
Unfortunately he looked good, again.
Disrespectful honestly.
"What do you want?" He asked, stepping closer.
I opened my mouth but nothing came out because truthfully I didn't plan this far.
Distract him, Corelia said.
Simple, Corelia said.
Meanwhile my brain had completely abandoned me.
"I…" I started slowly.
Why was talking suddenly difficult?
Jax tilted his head slightly, amused already. "You dragged me out here just to stare at me?"
"I do that against my will."
"That still counts."
I hated his guts.
Behind him.Corelia appeared silently, still Invisible, careful and focused on reciting the spell. Her fingers lifted slowly as faint traces of magic gathered around them.
The spell had begun.
All she needed now was uninterrupted contact which won't be hard..
Then suddenly my stomach dropped.
Won't be hard my foot..
The glass behind us.
My eyes widened instantly because while Corelia herself remained invisible, her reflection did not. The massive glass windows behind Jax reflected everything perfectly, Including the outline of a very visible blue-haired girl standing directly behind him casting magic.
Oh no.
Corelia noticed too late too, her expression shifted instantly but she couldn't stop now. Breaking connection midway could destroy the spell completely.
Jax frowned slightly.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
I forced a smile so painful It almost killed me.
"Like what?"
"Like you just saw a ghost."
Technically not a ghost, she Isn't dead yet but close enough.
His brows furrowed slightly then he started turning slowly toward the glass, toward Corelia's reflection. Panic slammed into me instantly If he looked back he wouldn't see Corelia physically but he would see her reflection and there was absolutely no explaining that.
"Wait..."
"What?..." He asked.
"I...I...uhm...do..you.." I was short of words, my eyes glanced towards the mirror again.
Corelia was signaling me to talk, come up with a conversation, act natural. I could hardly understand anything she was doing. Her spell was nowhere to being done at that moment and Jax was looking Impatient.
"Is something behind me?" He asked, turning towards the mirror again.
I moved before thinking, my hand grabbed the front of his hoodie quickly.
Jax blinked in surprise as I pulled him back toward me, close to my face. He was way too close.
"What are you..."His words stopped.
Because for one suspended second we were inches apart, I could hear his breathing, feel the warmth of him, also see confusion flicker behind those stupidly pretty eyes and my brain completely betrayed me.
Because there was only one thing I could think of, one thing dramatic enough, distracting enough and most of all human enough.
So before logic could stop me.
Before dignity could return.
Before my sanity recovered.
I KISSED HIM.
I kissed him not because I wanted to or because I lost my mind. Definitely not because his face was too close and my brain suddenly stopped functioning like a normal supernatural being.
This was strategy.
Emergency survival strategy.
That was all.
…Right?
Jax froze instantly beneath my grip, completely like his entire body had short-circuited.
For once, finally he had nothing sarcastic to say and honestly? That alone almost made this worth it.Time slowed painfully around us I could feel the slight hitch in his breathing the second my lips touched his.
Warm.
Soft.
Human.
His hand instinctively caught my waist before he could even think about it, steadying me against him while shock radiated through every inch of his body, mine too.
Unfortunately behind him, I could still see Corelia in the reflection. Her eyes widened slightly not because of the spell but because of me.
Honestly understandable.
I was also concerned about myself right now, the magic around Corelia's fingertips glowed faintly brighter as she continued the protection spell, maintaining careful focus while I desperately tried to keep Jax distracted from turning around.
Which would've been easier If my own heart wasn't suddenly beating loud enough to start a natural disaster.
Why was human contact so unnecessarily dramatic?
Jax still hadn't moved not away from me just frozen there like his soul left his body five seconds ago. Then slowly, very slowly his fingers tightened slightly against my waist and somehow that made everything worse because now my brain noticed stupid things.
Like how warm he felt.
How his cologne mixed with the faint smell of coffee.
How close he really was.
How dangerously easy It would've been to forget this was fake.
Absolutely unacceptable.
My thoughts scattered completely when Jax suddenly kissed me back, I wasn't expecting It. Very slightly but enough to send pure panic through my nervous system, my eyes widened instantly.
Excuse me?? That was NOT part of the plan.
Behind him, Corelia almost lost concentration for half a second before quickly recovering. The spell circle flickered faintly in the reflection almost done.
Please ocean spirits let this finish quickly because I was seconds away from spontaneous combustion.
Then Jax's hand slowly slid upward slightly against my side, gentle and careful like he was scared sudden movement would ruin the moment.
Which was ridiculous because there wasn't supposed to be a moment.
This was tactical deception.
Mission survival.
Temporary insanity.
Nothing more.
And yet for one dangerous second
I forgot the ruin wraith.
Forgot the mission.
Forgot literally everything.
Because he held me so tight and kissed me softly my brain stopped working, and I was still staring In shocked while his eyes were closed.
Oh this was bad.
Very bad.
Finally behind him, Corelia's spell completed a faint pulse of magic disappeared soundlessly into Jax before fading completely. Corelia quickly moved out of the reflection before either of us noticed.
Smart woman.
Because I was currently experiencing the spiritual equivalent of a system failure.
Done.
Thank the seas.
My eyes immediately opened fully.
Reality crashed back into me all at once.
Mission.
Danger.
Common sense.
Horror.
I pulled away so fast It almost looked violent.
Jax blinked rapidly like someone had physically restarted his brain.
Neither of us spoke or breathed normally.
We just stared at each other completely stunned.
His lips parted slightly.
"…Mishell?"
Oh no, He said my name softly.
Why did he say it like that?
That tone needed to be illegal.
"I....I..." I pointed at him then stopped because no words existed anymore apparently.
Jax looked equally destroyed, confused, shocked and somehow very, very happy.
Which immediately confused me.
Then slowly a grin started forming on his face, that stupid grin he does to annoy me, the dangerous one.
"Oh," he said quietly.
And somehow that single word terrified me more than the ruin wraith ever had.