The day had been tense from the start. Scaramoucheâs mood had been sour since the morning, and every interaction with Aether only made things worse. Whether it was Aether casually placing an arm around Lumineâs shoulder or his relaxed attitude toward everything, it grated on Scaramoucheâs nerves.
The final straw came after school, in the empty courtyard where the group had gathered.
Lumine was sitting on a bench, chatting softly with Amber and Ayaka while Aether stood nearby, discussing something with Kazuha. Scaramouche, leaning against a nearby tree, watched every interaction with narrowed eyes.
âHey, Lumine!â Aether called out suddenly, motioning for her to come over. She jogged toward him with a cheerful smile.
Scaramouche clenched his fists.
Amber noticed his expression and whispered to Venti, âUh-oh, storm incomingâ¦â
Venti raised an eyebrow. âYep, I feel a Category Scaramouche brewing.â
When Lumine reached her brother, Aether casually ruffled her hair, earning a playful pout from her.
That was it. Scaramouche pushed off the tree and stormed over.
âDo you ever back off, Aether?â Scaramouche snapped, his voice sharp and cutting.
Aether blinked, taken aback. âWhatâs your problem, Scaramouche?â
âMy problem is you. Youâre always hovering over her, acting like some overbearing watchdog. Itâs pathetic.â
Lumine froze, her eyes widening. âScaramouche, stopâ¦â
Aetherâs expression darkened, his protective side kicking in. âSheâs my sister. Iâll look out for her as much as I want. Whatâs your excuse?â
Scaramouche stepped closer, their faces mere inches apart. âYou act like you own her. Newsflash, Aetherâshe doesnât need you to hold her hand every second.â
âGuys, stop it!â Lumineâs voice cracked, but neither boy moved.
Before anyone could react, Scaramouche swung his fist.
It connected with Aetherâs cheek, sending him stumbling backward.
The courtyard went silent. Amber gasped, Ayaka covered her mouth in shock, and Venti stood frozen in place.
Aether, steadying himself, touched the corner of his mouth, where a thin trail of blood was forming. His golden eyes blazed with fury as he lunged forward, tackling Scaramouche to the ground.
The two boys wrestled, fists flying, words lost in the chaos. Lumine screamed their names, trying to pull them apart, but they were too far gone.
âEnough!â Albedoâs sharp voice cut through the tension as he and Kazuha finally managed to separate them.
Scaramouche broke free from Kazuhaâs grip briefly, his chest heaving as he glared daggers at Aether. Both had bruises forming on their faces, and their clothes were disheveled.
âStay away from her,â Scaramouche spat, his voice low and venomous.
Aether glared back. âYou crossed the line, Scaramouche.â
For a moment, it seemed like Scaramouche might lunge again, but instead, he stepped back, his shoulders tense, his fists still clenched.
Without another word, Scaramouche turned and walked away.
âScaramouche, wait!â Lumine called after him, but he didnât turn back.
Her voice broke as she whispered, âWhyâ¦?â
Aether winced at the sound of her voice, guilt washing over him. Lumine dropped to her knees beside her brother, clutching his sleeve tightly as the others stood in stunned silence around them.
I'm starting to loose motivation in writingâ¹ï¸â¹ï¸â¹ï¸