SERAPHINA'S POV
In the blink of an eye, it's already Tuesday and the events of Saturday seem to have passed over my head like a fading dream, and once again, I'm thrown deep into school work.
The funds have already been submitted to the Administrator's secretary, and all thoughts about the election wash to the back of my mind until the next event.
Now, presently, in the middle of Art class, I let myself get absorbed into my latest art work, dipping my paint brush into the palette and making never ending strokes in corners that call out to me.
At the beginning, I'm not quite sure what I'm creating. It takes about 20 minutes of painting in the vivid red eyes before I realize what it truly is.
The wolf from my vision
No matter how hard I try to put it behind me, pass it off as just a random flash, the harder it gets for me.
Then, there's the incessant nagging at the back of my mind, telling me that, somehow, it has something to do with the first Alpha King and the Astria tribe. I know it's stupid; putting so much meaning into it, especially when there could possibly be no connection.
Yet the compulsion remains, and so does my thirst for more knowledge continues to grow, turning into a yearning now.
As I add the last few strokes, a sense of foreboding creeps over me. The strange wolf's image stares back, those vibrant red eyes akin to raw, fresh blood. The longer I gaze at it, the more I feel myself being pulled into its depths. A strange resemblance emerges, similar to Artemis' own features, intensifying the ominous feeling.
During my intense gaze, I start to sense more than just the unnatural pull within me; it's like a sensation of being observed, eyes fixated on me.
I look away and stare ahead, immediately meeting Lucian's grays that seem to have been staring. He looks away the second he gets caught, hiding his face behind his own canvas.
I ignore him until I feel it again and again. He stares blatantly without any ounce of self-preservation and now, it's starting to annoy me.
I get up from my stool, marching up to him with the intention of setting him straight in mind.
The second I'm standing over him, his face turns pale, a slow breathtaking smile takes over his face in faux innocence.
"Why are you staring?"
"What?" He feigns confusion.
I let out a heavy sigh.
"Look, I know you've been staring, you've not been doing such a good job at hiding it either. I can feel your eyes drilling a hole through my head all the way from there." I point to my previous position.
He scratches the back of his head nervously.
"If you have something to say, I'd prefer you do, rather than staring. It's uncomfortable."
"I'm sorry for staring, but I really don't have anything to say."
I raise a brow now, not buying it one bit.
"Actually, I was staring for a different reason."
"What?"
With a deliberate slowness, he turns the canvas to reveal his work, and I find myself inhaling sharply as I'm met with the stunning image before me. It's me, transformed into an ethereal goddess-like form.
Yet, the familiarity of those captivating green eyes and the cascade of mid-length brown hair remains, gazing back at me in all its intricate detail. He even added a bit of my freckles that aren't so visible unless you have a good look at my face.
It's a breathtaking masterpiece, a stunning portrayal that elevates each of my ordinary features in a way that doesn't overpower their raw beauty.
I'm left speechless now.
He rubs the back of his head now that I've said nothing.
"I just thought I could give it a go painting you. I know I didn't ask for permission and doing this is kind of creepy, but along the line, I just couldn't help myself."
"It's beautiful." I whisper breathlessly.
The paint is still damp, so I hold myself back from stroking the delicate work with my finger.
"How did you..." I begin to speak, but stop myself mid-sentence now.
I can physically feel my walls slowly crumbling and myself becoming vulnerable - which is terrible. I can't let one measly portrait painting be enough to win me over; but damn it, it's more than a measly painting.
It's both thoughtful and sweet.
I bit my lower lip now, feeling my own chest pounding harder than normal and hiding the red tint probably forming on my cheeks.
The receiver of the public addressing system clicks, and a female voice echoes through.
"The candidate, Miss. Seraphina Hawthrone, report to the Administrators office immediately."
The announcement cuts through the air between us like a sharp blade, bringing me back to earth once more. For some reason, I have a bad feeling about the announcement immediately.
A heavy weight presses on my chest, and my palms become sweaty.
Not once has an announcement pertaining to just me ended well.
I hand him back his canvas slowly.
"I gotta go." I say, letting a small smile, then turning to leave before he can say anything else.
I still feel his eyes watching me.
I make my way to the office, stopping at the door and taking three deep breaths just to calm my jittery nerves and then, I push the door open and walk in.
The sight that greets me instantly is very peculiar because it's not just the administrator here now.
He sits across his desk as always, and by the side is his secretary, standing there with this disapproving stare on her face that is directed at me.
And then, there's Juliet.
The second I walk in, her eyes just briefly meet mine, puffed and swollen before she looks away too quickly, hiding herself from me.
She appears quite different from her usual self, smaller and clearly troubled by something, her form trembling with unease.
"You called for me?" I say, raising a brow while walking further in with caution, until I'm standing right next to Juliet.
The Administrator lets out a deep and heavy breath before pulling off his glasses and massaging his temples.
Definitely not a good sign.
"Miss Hawthrone."
"Yes, sir?"
"I'll cut right to the chase. None of us have the time to waste on this matter anymore."
I look between him and his secretary, and then Juliet who avoids my gaze still.
"Uhm... Okay?"
"You are under suspicion of arson and theft."
It takes a second for the words to hit me harder than a brick wall. I blink three times now, leaning my head forward.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I'm sure your human hearing isn't so bad, so you heard me the first time." He says with an edge in his tone.
I look at him again with wide eyes. I mean, I expected some bullshit when I walked in, but this is the fucking height of it.
I turn to Juliet for some kind of support, but she only shields her face away from me further, which is weird and only adds to my rising level of anxiety.
"I'm sorry, there must be some kind of mistake. I am not involved in any kind of arson, much more theft."
"I received news that your stall burnt down to a crisp, and you were the last person to be seen walking into it. Then there's the suspicious amount of money you made during your little fundraiser."
"That wasn't me, okay? I was walking in when the explosion happened and I almost got hurt, and the suspicious amount of money was earned through numerous hours of hard work!"
I get their hatred toward human species and their clear bias but still, this is fucking reaching at this point.
"That's not what we heard."
"Well, do you have proof of this fucking accusation!"
"No swearing." His bitch secretary cuts in, glaring at me fiercely.
I'm almost pushed to tell her to shut the fuck up - but I bite my tongue.
The administrator signals her now, and she pulls out a wooden box, placing it in his hand.
"Miss Hawthrone. Where is your phone?"
The question is weird and has no relationship whatsoever with the topic at hand, but I answer regardless.
"I don't know, I haven't seen it since Saturday."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I don't expect you to believe anything, but it's the truth!"
He shakes his head, disagreeing with me and finally opens the boxes. A micro second later, he pulls out my phone from the box and my eyes widen.
What the fuck?
"How did you..."
"Miss Juliet Carson over here found your phone along with suspicious information concerning you."
I turn to Juliet now.
"Juliet?"
"Right there in your messages, we found images and conversations between you and a suspicious individual, planning devious acts which secretly took place on Saturday, including falsely acquiring funds to improve your standing in this election." He continues.
"What?"
"Therefore, you are currently under investigation for foul play and will be suspended from every other activity concerning the elections."
"No, you can't!"
"I'm afraid I can, Miss Hawthrone. You should have thought your actions through before carrying them out." He says with a tinge of disgust in his tone.
But I didn't do it.
I want to scream it right in his face but I already know it's pointless. They were never on my side, looking for the slightest chance to get rid of me and now, they have it. But what I can't understand is why.
Why Juliet?
"You both are dismissed." He says coldly, turning away from the both of us.
Juliet literally bolts out of the office in the next second, and I waste no time running after her.
The hallway is thankfully empty, so she doesn't get too far before I yell out her name at the top of my voice.
"Juliet!" I scream, pausing to catch my breath.
She stops in her tracks now, though never turning back to look at me. Good, because she would hate the look on my face right now.
Pain shoots through my chest and my heart - more from the betrayal than the sprinting just to catch up to her.
More so, I don't understand.
Why?
What was the point of wanting me to contest so bad only to turn around and ruin my chances of winning by framing me for something we both know I didn't do?
Worst of all, it's Juliet.
I know I said I'd never trust anyone so easily again - still, it doesn't seem like something she would do on her own.
"Why?" I simply ask.
She says nothing without looking at me, but I see her trembling fists clench by her sides.
I draw closer, grabbing her arm and forcing her to look at me.
"Answer me!" I yell, unable to control my own anger and hurt now.
Her face reveals itself and her eyes are red and swollen, leaking tears while she sniffles and stares back at me with so much pain and guilt that takes me aback for a moment.
This isn't the deviously wicked face I was expecting to find.
As soon as her eyes lock with mine, she breaks into tears, wailing and sobbing uncontrollably. I watch her, a mix of confusion and a growing sense of understanding filling me.
I wait for her to calm down after seconds of wailing, gently patting her shoulder until most of it is done and her breathing is calm.
"You okay?"
She nods fervently.
"Good. Now, tell me what happened."