Killian handed Evelyn another healing strip since one wasn’t enough. He noticed her hand trembling inside her gauntlets.

"You fought well, by the way. Your wind control and pressure had grown so much since I remembered."

"Thanks."

Her reply was genuine but still very much flat.

Killian sighed, nodding to himself. He remembered the first time he had experienced the cheery Evelyn being really cold after her matches back at school.

All his other classmates always wondered why she was pissed even when she won. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

They later understood it was an aftermath of her focus and ’bloodlust’ so they gave it a name. Evelyn Constantine, and joked about it being her full form.

"Your hand is trembling though." Killian pointed out. "Do you need to see a doctor for that?"

She turned to him, and slowly raised her hand to her line of vision. She clenched her fists. "I didn’t get to punch him enough. Do you think that’s why?"

Killian closed his eyes. ’Or maybe your arms have gone through a lot? Are you still in fight mode?’

But he wouldn’t say that out loud, or he might be the new target for Evelyn Constantine. "Well, get some rest—"

"Hello!" Reginald came in, walking like he was about to drop exclusive news on her performance. "Miss Evelyn, I believe. Nice to meet you, I am—"

Her brown eyes found his eyes instantly, and he shut his mouth. She narrowed her eyes on him coldly, before walking away.

"Nice to meet you too."

It was as if she threw the words at him as she left. Reginald curled backwards, hitting his back on a seat.

"Yeah, nice to meet..." he repeated what he already said. He lowered his head to his face, faking a sob. "Oh, I’m shit."

Killian calmly patted his shoulder, and suppressed his urge to laugh at the situation. "It’s not your fault. You just met Evelyn Constantine. She’s nice, just not after a match."

The speed Reginald whipped his head up made Killian retrieve his hand from his shoulder. "Constantine? The Constantine Family?"

Killian paused, and quickly looked around. "Was I not supposed to say that? It isn’t her nickname though."

"No, it’s fine, but that family is a well-known in the Olpha Region. They have two children who are top ranked Wardens, and descendants from Wind Mages and Wardens. How are you friends with her?"

Since they had met in school, Killian felt it would make Reginald suspicious of him if he also said he attended the same school.

While the school he and Evelyn attended was an esteemed one that had raised S-Rank Wardens, he and Evelyn did not have a lot of fond memories of the school.

Because they existed within it as nulls.

That was a conversation Killian knew he would have to get to at some point if he opened that box.

"We met during training, and teamed up afterwards." Killian answered.

It wasn’t completely a lie, and sounded natural since the training banded students from the same regions together.

Reginald nodded with understanding. "But she’s actually nicer than I would expect from a young Lady from such a family. I mean. She did answer me."

"Maybe you think too badly of big families because of your experience with Lu." Killian said before he thought hard on it, but those were words he always wanted to say.

Silence stretched between them for a while.

Reginald shrugged. "Maybe. But you can’t blame me."

"I never did." Killian said. "And, in many cases, you are more right than wrong. However, as a Warden, your skills and abilities are the things that matter. Not your family."

And Killian knew that very well because the school he grew up in, never cared if he was the great grandson of a famous Warden or the oldest son of one of their best Fire Wardens.

His fate was his. And since he started out with no potential to be tied to him, he was overlooked.

He couldn’t blame them either. No matter how much it had hurt at the time.

Killian frowned slightly when he noticed the knowing smile on Reginald’s face.

"What? You can disagree if you want."

"I don’t necessarily disagree. But that sounds like what people from wealthy families say." Reginald sighed. "Your family is definitely not ’normal’."

Killian turned away immediately and started walking away. ’This guy only hears the stuff he wants to hear.’

A notification buzzed into his phone and his steps slowed. ’It would be Theodore, wouldn’t it?’

The match finished so he likely wanted to remind him of practice. Deep down, Killian hoped it would be a text from his older sister since she had strictly told him that she would communicate first.

He stopped outside the door of the arena, staring at the ID of the one who texted him. He had finally saved his number to avoid confusion.

He tapped the text message.

[Keith]

’Are you alright? Where are you?’

Killian rolled his eyes hard. "What does ’are you alright?’ even mean? Why is he always acting concerned over nothing?"

Reginald reached his position and peeked into his phone. He rested his back on the wall. "You and your twin don’t really talk much, do you?"

Killian didn’t answer immediately and sent a ’??’ text back to Keith. "I just don’t get him."

A text came back.

[Keith]

’I am currently at a security station. Meet me at the clinic.’

Killian straightened up and hurried towards the exit. "Hey, hey, do you know where the clinic here is?"

Reginald was already following so he pulled Killian towards the right. "Your younger brother? What happened to him?"

"He’s still typing, I guess."

They reached outside, and Reginald flagged a taxi down. Killian grit his teeth as he typed back since Keith left the message that way without adding any more context.

[Killian Dom]

’What the fuck happened to you? Am I supposed to read your mind and know?’

Keith’s reply came in the same second that Killian wondered if he had been staring at his phone.

[Keith]

’Sorry.’

’I was attacked by outcasts. I came to report first.’

Killian walked into the car, but paused on his way. "Outcasts? In this school?" He remembered what Reginald had told him about being targeted.

’Shit.’