Reva
He was standing outside the hall talking to an adventurer as their class walked up. While the few that remembered him began muttering angrily, Reva felt lightheaded and her heart was pounding so hard that it hurt. He was taller than her now and filled out the uniform better than he had in their first year.
"Mister Venge, Madam Headmaster said you'd be joining us today." Their professor, a woman named Polle said as she walked up to him and the man he was talking to.
The man gave Cohle a pat on the arm and walked into the hall as Cohle shook hands with Polle. "Yeah, sorry for being so-" His eyes found her and it was like time froze for both of them.
Reva was pushing through the students before she realized and felt electricity shoot through her as they embraced one another. He was finally back and it took all her strength not to unload everything on him as they pulled away from one another. "We'll catch up." He said with a grin.
"Tonight?"
"Absolutely."
Polle cleared her throat. "We do have a class to conduct, Miss Alabaster, Mister Venge."
"Sorry, ma'am." They said as one, smirking at one another.
At once Reva was twelve again, standing with the boy who'd saved her and become her closest friend over a few short months, but she was also a young woman who was struggling to figure out the scope of her feelings. She knew from being teased about it that she had a crush on Cohle, but it felt so much deeper than that now that he'd returned.
As they entered the hall, she kept stealing glances at him and he was doing the same with her, and they took a spot at the back while Polle went to the head to explain the process of registering.
"You grew." She whispered with a smile. He was a head taller than her now and his features had sharpened, turning him from a handsome boy into someone who could've been a model if it weren't for the scars she knew covered his body.
His eyes flicked down to her chest for a split second before locking back forward, his cheeks turning red slightly. "So did you."
She stifled a giggle and elbowed him in the ribs. "Jerk."
"I like the new look, but what's with the skirt?" He asked.
She made a brief show of smoothing it out. "Easier to move in."
"Professor, since Cohle's already an adventurer, perhaps he should wait outside while we register? He's being distracting." Rickard said loudly, thrusting his hand into the air.
Reva felt a small thrill as a few of the other girls glared at him, clearly they had come around to how attractive Cohle had become and didn't want him to leave. She gripped her skirt with a hand and celebrated that she finally had something for someone to be envious of and he only had eyes for her.
"Actually, I, uh, lost my card a few years back." He said nervously. "Never got around to getting a new one."
"Well, we'll get you out of the way first, then Miss Alabaster so you can continue the more important discussion you two are having." She said in a clipped tone.
Reva grinned innocently and followed Cohle up to the desk where the associate waited patiently. "Replacement card? Alright, just need your name."
She saw him swallow and the beginnings of concern began to build inside of her. "Cohle Venge."
"Venge... here you are. Hm." The associate's friendly demeanor disappeared and one of deep suspicion emerged as he looked the teen in the eye. "Cohle Venge was reported KIA by High-Guard."
"Surprise?" He said shakily.
"High-Guard?" Polle asked, stepping forward.
"Yes, ma'am. Cohle Venge was a registered member of their party two and a half years ago until he was reported KIA." The associate answered, sending a wave of shock through the class.
High-Guard had recently been touted as being the second coming of Kingsguard and were almost ridiculously popular within the Capital. Not that Reva cared, they'd abandoned Cohle and tried to kill him in one of the most cowardly ways possible. But to the professor, the students, and the few adventurers lingering around, they were a party of great prestige.
"If Cohle Venge is dead, then who are you?" Rickard sneered, stepping forward. "I knew something was wrong about you in our first year. You were never there until the end of the year, then you went missing for two, now you're back?"
"Well, obviously he didn't die, Rickard." She snapped.
"Shut it, overachiever." He shot back, then glared at Cohle. "Answer the question. Who are you really?"
"What's all this noise! I thought it was supposed to just be a bunch of kids tod- Cohle!?" A bear of a man charged through the students and scooped him up in a hug so fierce, Reva was worried that he might actually crush him. Eventually he set him down and ruffled his hair. "Heard rumors you'd survived! Why didn't you come by sooner!?"
"Never had a chance or reason?" Cohle asked, grinning broadly. "When'd you leave Nym?"
"After those nonces reported you dead. Didn't feel right to stay anymore."
"Excuse me, did you just call High-Guard a bunch of-" Rickard started, but the man glared at him.
"Ezael, leave it." Cohle said, then looked at Rickard. "Glad to see you haven't changed much, either, Rick."
"My name is Rickard you halfbreed-" But whatever he'd been about to say turned into a strangled cry as Ezael lifted him from the floor by his collar.
"Lars, please issue Cohle a new card. I'll handle this lad personally." He sneered, setting him back down gently like he was made of glass. "But first, who's this young lass attached to your hip? She's barely taken her eyes off you."
"Oh, this is Reva Alabaster." Cohle said, grinning at her.
"'Alabaster', huh? Alright, little Raven, let's get you registered. Then I'll handle the quivering prince." He said, waving her over while keeping his eye on her. "Reva Alabaster. Hundred, seventy-five centimeters and roughly... fifty-nine kilos. You need to eat more."
She felt her cheeks burn and looked at Cohle, who glanced away quickly and felt her entire face heat up, knowing where he'd been looking.
"Little Raven, let's see... You've got good mana channels. Better than Cohle's. What's your most powerful spell?" He asked.
"She can't use magic." Lynn called. "Hasn't been able to for two years."
"Still?" Cohle asked quietly.
"Long story." She muttered. "But before that, I guess it was FiendFyre?"
A cacophony of scoffs echoed behind her and she spun, feeling indignant. "I cast it, didn't I? And with a cursed wand, too!"
"Enough." Polle scolded.
"Yeah, I remember that." Cohle muttered darkly. "What a first day that was."
"Weapons?" Ezael asked.
"Dual shortswords." She replied, smirking at Cohle's raised eyebrow.
Ezael's eyes studied her again, roaming her body. She didn't feel uncomfortable, but it was still somewhat unsettling as it seemed like he could see through her. After a few seconds he nodded his approval and typed rapidly.
"Ezael can tell the strengths and weaknesses of pretty much anyone with his awakening. It's good for new adventurers because it'll give them an idea of what they can do and what they need to work on to move up in rank." Cohle explained. "He doesn't do it for anyone, so many consider it an honor."
"The rest of your class is gonna be at the bottom. That's by design, though, right professor?" Ezael said as he typed.
"Yes, Madam Headmaster requires that all students register at E-Rank in their fourth year. How they progress after that is up to them." She said.
"I wonder what rank Rickard's gonna get." Reva whispered, leaning into Cohle.
"He'll start at E like the rest of them." Ezael muttered quietly. "I'm just gonna humble the quivering prince with a little show." He pulled a card out of a machine and handed it to her. "But you get the full treatment."
A glimmering 'S' shone on the corner of the card and she gaped at it. "W-What!?"
"You need some field experience, but with this one covering you, I think that ranking is accurate." He said proudly, taking another card from Lars and handing it to Cohle. "You've grown, boy. But I don't think you're ready for reevaluation just yet. Your old rank will have to do for now."
A red 'A' shone in the corner of his as he accepted it. "You know I never cared about the rank."
"Hold on!" Rickard shouted, stomping over and glaring at the cards in their hands.
"You're up, princeling." Ezael growled, curling his finger with a malicious grin on his face.
"Wait for us outside, please." Polle said. "And congratulations, Miss Alabaster."
"Thank you." She replied quietly, using Cohle's body to shield her from the looks she was getting as they walked out of the hall.
One outside, she let out a breath and slid down the wall, holding her card out in front of her. "It all paid off."
Cohle slid down next to her and plucked the card from her fingers, staring at it warmly. Her stomach felt warm and she let herself lean against him arm as his thumb caressed the letter. "I missed so much." He muttered, a note of sadness in his voice.
"But you're back now." She said, turning her head so that her chin was on his arm and looked directly at him. "And we're still friends, right?"
He laughed and shoved her away before pulling her back and resting his arm around her. "I think you and me are gonna be a massive pain for Cel from now on."
She felt her face burn again, but the door to the hall slammed and Rickard glowered down at them and scoffed. "Save it for your free time."
"But we're free right now." Cohle said, kissing the top of her head before getting to his feet. "Rickard, you hate me, but I don't hate you. Can't we just settle on a middle ground and agree to tolerate one another? It'll make life a whole lot easier for both of us."
Reva had no idea what Rickard's response to that was as a sound of static filled her ears as she pressed her hands to the spot Cohle had kissed. At some point, she realized she was being watched and looked around at the class as he was knelt in front of her. "You good? You were spaced for a while."
"Y-Yeah." She said, taking his hand and pulling herself to her feet.
"Alright, let's get a move on to the gate." Polle announced and they began following after her.
Reva pulled Cohle to the back of the group as they walked. "You know, don't you?"
"I've got a pretty good idea." He replied quietly. "I thought about you quite a bit when I was in Tartarus, but... Maybe we work through it a little first?"
She opened her mouth to reply, but Rickard had stopped and was glaring up at Cohle. "Tartarus? Did I hear that right?"
"Where do you think I've been for the last two years?"
"You really expect me to believe that you spent two years in a Unique specifically designed to kill anyone that enters it? You know the monsters in there respawn twice as powerful? And Rys, a Kingsguard member, has even said they're beyond her level."
"Yeah, they're... quite a bit stronger now." Cohle mumbled sheepishly.
"I agreed to a truce with you, but you're already testing the limits of my patience with claims like that." He scoffed, turning and marching to catch up to the class.
"That went pretty good, actually." He muttered, then looked down at her. "Sorry, we were talking about something important."
"It can wait." She said, grinning shyly. "You're right, though."
~
They gathered around a dungeon that had very little mana presence inside while the professor explained what they'd be doing.
"Teams of three will enter and only go as far as they can. This isn't a test for the guild, this is a test for how much you've learned since your first year." She said. "You'll need your physical skills as well as your magical ones. And as you've learned, the floors only get more difficult the deeper you go. Fortunately, this is a small dungeon of only five floors. So if you're able to make it to the bottom, you should be there and back within a few hours."
"Professor, Reva and Cohle can't use magic." Rickard sneered.
"Then you'll be their third and offer support." She quipped. "And you can be the first team in."
Rickard's face fell as he looked at Lynn, who was scowling at him in annoyance. Reva looked at Cohle, who seemed indifferent as he was staring at nothing. "Are your mana channels still shot too?"
He blinked at her and shook his head. "Nah, I should be fine."
"Should be? Not very confident in your ability, are you, halfbreed?" A boy who'd made it to the semifinal round of the tournament last year spat.
All of sudden and powerful aura radiated off Cohle and for a split second, Reva thought she could see a figure surrounding him. But as sudden as it appeared, it disappeared and Reva realized how quiet it had gotten and looked around. Terrified eyes were on the two of them and every one of them were on the ground.
"M-Mister Venge, was that-" Polle stammered.
"Sorry about that." He said, lowering his head slightly and shooting Reva a look. "That was barely half..."
"I'll, uh... I'll take point?" She said, walking over to Rickard and hauling him back to his feet. "That okay?"
He nodded and shuffled after her with Cohle in the rear.
"If he's an A-Rank, that means Reva's way stronger right?" Someone asked nervously.
"You heard the guildmaster, the halfbreed didn't get reevaluated. There's no way that she's stronger than him." Another said, but the rest of the conversation turned into muffled noise before fading to silence as they descended.
~
The first three floors were almost laughable. But after she took ten minutes to clear the fourth, she was depressed. She desperately wanted to show Cohle how much she'd improved, but there was nothing in the dungeon that even Rickard would struggle against.
"Let's take a break and have lunch." Cohle said. "Then we can take the last floor and kick back."
Rickard sat down on the ascending stairs and pulled food out of his bag while Cohle made his way over to her and dropped on the ground next to her, accepting the half of a sandwich she offered him.
"What is it?" He asked, taking a bite and sighing contentedly.
She wheezed a chuckle, then shook her head. "It's too easy."
"Well, you're an S-Rank in a dungeon that children regularly clear." He replied.
She pouted slightly, feeling embarrassed. "I wanted to show off."
"Ah."
"You can laugh if you want. But I worked so hard and wanted to show you." She mumbled.
He nodded, then laughed. "You know, I was hoping for a chance to do the same. But you're just too strong for this place, so..."
She felt her cheeks burn and bit into her sandwich. "You can take the final floor." She said around the mouthful of food.
He clutched his chest in fake shock and shifted away from her. "How dare you! I'm not some piece of meat to be ogled!"
"I'll take the next floor. Leaves more time for you two to flirt." Rickard said, looming over them.
"Fair deal." "All yours." They both replied at once, then looked at each other before laughing.
He made a noise of disgust and walked over to the descending stairs and leaned against the stone wall. Cohle hastily finished his half of the sandwich while she did the same and after sharing a drink from her canteen, they jogged over and let their classmate lead the way down.
She felt something shift in the air and her body moved at the same time as Cohle's, their swords deflecting the spears that had been launched at them. Rickard was livid and insisted that he could've handled it. While she was certain he could've, the initial attack would've killed him before he had time to even throw a shield up.
"You would've been dead before you raised your wand, little boy." A woman's voice echoed across the empty floor.
"You just had to complain." Cohle muttered, smirking at her.
Reva snorted and shook her head. "Is now really the time?"
"What do you want?" Rickard demanded, pushing between them. "We're students, so we don't have anything worth taking."
"You have families. And families have money." She purred, stepping out into the open.
"Really misjudged that one." Reva muttered in spite of herself.
Four men appeared and the smaller one pointed at Cohle. "You're a Lord."
"Barely." Cohle sighed, ignoring Rickard's shocked expression.
The man continued, moving his finger to Rickard next. "You're the eldest and most accomplished of a noble family known for its wealth." His finger moved to Reva. "And your father will pay a king's ransom for you."
She raised her swords, feeling bile and anger rage inside her. "I'd rather die."
"Corpses pay too." The woman shrugged, snapping her fingers.
Reva and Rickard braced themselves, but nothing happened. "Where is he?" Rickard hissed.
Panic replaced anger and she looked around frantically, desperate to find him until it occurred to her that she wasn't being attacked. Cursing herself for losing focus in a life or death situation, she dropped into her combat stance.
"You're right." Cohle's deep voice echoed from all around them. "Corpses do pay."
There was a gust of wind and the four men fell in pieces to the ground as Cohle reappeared between them. She shuddered in excitement as Rickard grabbed her arm, clinging to her like a child.
"I'm no stranger to attempts on my life in dungeons." He continued, walking toward the woman slowly. "The first group at least half succeeded against a Double-S adventurer before dying. What's that say about your little crew?"
FiendFyre erupted around him, but Cohle's aura was enough to shatter the spell. For a second time and more clearly, Reva saw the aura swirling around him, giving him the appearance of a full demon. Rickard shuddered in fear against her and pointed. "I knew it."
"Shut up." She hissed.
"What the hell are you!?" The woman shrieked.
Cohle stopped walking and his aura shrank back inside him. "I couldn't care less about Rickard. He's a dick and the world might be better off with less of him in it. But you threatened someone important to me. I can't forgive that."
She brandished her wand, but nothing happened. Not even a spellform. Reva looked down at her free hand and found it shaking, but she wasn't afraid in the slightest. Her mind swirled as she felt on the verge of understanding something and the static noise in her ears started to come back as she watched Cohle continue forward.
He leaned over and whispered something to the woman that made her eyes widen and she ducked around him, running past them and up the stairs, leaving a wet trail behind her as she ran. Rickard released her arm and fell to the ground as Cohle sighed. But she was only vaguely aware of it.
"Reva?" He asked, causing her mind to catch up to her body.
She felt her lips barely touching his and backed away quickly, her entire body burning in embarrassment. Behind her, Rickard scoffed. "Hardly the time to make out."
"I... I wasn't... I didn't know what I was-" She stammered.
"That was unexpected." He said, laughing nervously.
Rickard grumbled as he got to his feet and led the way back to the surface, clearing the second and first floors as the two walked numbly beside one another. Reva's mind was like an inferno as she tried to work out what was going on with her while Cohle seemed in a daze, glancing over at her occasionally.
He finally grabbed her hand, pulling her out of her thoughts. She looked down at it, then up at him. "We'll figure it out eventually." He said, his face bright red as they finally exited the dungeon.
Celestia was waiting for them next to the professor as they emerged. She hadn't seen the woman in nearly two weeks and she was glaring at the two of them with such ferocity that even Cohle shuddered. Reva finally caved and released Cohle's hand, stepping away from him slightly.
"That will be a topic of discussion for a later date." She snapped. "Mister Venge, it's your first day back and-"
"Wasn't my fault. They were waiting for us." He said quickly.
She pursed her lips. "Explain."
"He murdered four people just making their way out of the dungeon while Reva cheered him on!" Rickard cried before either of them could open their mouths.
"You little-!" Reva snarled, lunging for him, but Cohle's hand caught her shoulder and pulled her back. "He's lying!"
"Of course he's lying." Celestia quipped. "Mister Layce, if I wanted a bedtime story, I'd have a lovely cup of tea in my hands and a quilt over my feet."
"How dare you accuse me of lying!" He spat, and Reva thought she could see foam begin building around his lips.
"I could prove it, if you'd like." Celestia threatened, producing a delicate wand she'd never seen before. "But it wouldn't be pleasant. Just a quick peek at your memories."
"They were after us for ransoms." Cohle said, releasing his hold on Reva. "They had no worries about killing us if we resisted, so I killed four of them and let the fifth go. Told her to turn herself in. She's faster than I thought if you're here, headmaster."
"Call it a gut feeling, Mister Venge. You're a magnet for trouble." She said coolly, then clapped her hands. "Class is dismissed for the day. If you'll follow us to the gate, you can collect your things and head home."
Reva looked at Cohle, who seemed to be sweating nervously as he kept his eyes firmly on Celestia, who would glare over her shoulder at the two of them regularly, as if making sure they weren't doing anything they weren't supposed to be.
But she wasn't entirely sure she cared anymore. Cohle had told her they'd figure it out, but she was pretty sure she was on the verge of it. They'd grown close the last few months they had of their first year and she'd already worked through her savior complex that developed from that year. She'd allowed herself to look at other boys favorably, but they didn't leave any impression on her. It was only when she thought about him that she felt anything.
She knew it was bordering on obsessive but she didn't care. The whole afternoon, she felt an electric current through her entire body that she couldn't shake. It wasn't enough anymore that they were reunited as friends. He was the missing piece to her puzzle, the part of her that she convinced herself she'd be fine without. And she'd filled that gap with knowledge and strength, but it wasn't until she saw him that she could finally see the full picture.
They passed through the gate and the class began to wander. Some pulling out their phones, others heading back to the academy. But as Celestia walked toward the car where Wastkin was standing with the door open, Reva made a decision and grabbed Cohle's hand. As static filled her ears again, she felt his fingers close around hers.