Chapter 35: Two Lovely Couples

Violet slowed her pace as she approached Ivy, who was struggling to push herself back up. The scene was quite hilarious to be honest — if only she could watch it forever. Unfortunately, Violet couldn’t laugh at her, not when she was on a mission.

The exhaustion was plain on Ivy’s face, her pride bruised along with her body. Violet could see the frustration etched in her expression.

After all, Ivy was someone who carried herself with so much pride it was annoying. She probably detested this show of vulnerability, especially right now with her — Violet — to see her like this.

"Get up," Violet grumbled, the annoyance clear in her tone.

Violet didn’t want to be here right now. No, she didn’t even want to help Ivy at all. It would be so nice to see the look of disgust on her face when she washes the toilet. It would surely make her day.

Perhaps Lila’s camaraderie was rubbing off on her but Ivy was her roommate and they needed to pass. In situations like these, she had to be the bigger and better person.

So Violet reached down and grabbed Ivy’s arm amid her protest, pulling her back up. Ivy looked at her with shock and irritation, as if she couldn’t believe someone like Violet was the one helping her right now.

"You do know that I don’t need your help," Ivy spat, though her voice sounded shaky, betraying her real condition.

"Sure you don’t," Violet retorted, rolling her eyes. "But it looks like you need it anyway. So shut up and move."

"You don’t understand, " She shrugged away from Violet’s grasp. "My feet hurt and I’m so exhausted right now I can’t lift a finger anymore. So just let me be."

But Violet clicked her tongue in disapproval, "You’re exhausted, you say, and yet here you are whining. Believe me when I say if you have the energy to talk, then you have the energy to keep running."

Almost immediately, she let out a dramatic sigh. "But then, if you want to quit, it’s no problem. I’m sure you’ll have a nice time washing the communal toilets and bathrooms."

At that reminder, Ivy’s eyes widened, as if suddenly realizing the severity of the punishment. She stood up, her gaze shifting hesitantly to Violet, her face flushing slightly. "So... how do we do this?" she asked with uncertainty.

"Come on, start moving. I’ll teach you how to run properly so you don’t burn out easily."

And just like that, the two of them began jogging, with Violet taking the lead. "Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth. Regulate your breathing. This will help you maintain a steady rhythm," Violet instructed while Ivy nodded, trying her best to follow along.

"And remember, keep an even pace. Don’t push yourself too fast or you’ll tire out quickly," Violet added. "Running at a steady speed, rather than in bursts, helps conserve energy. Just take it easy."

Ivy observed Violet closely, doing her best to imitate her every movement. She focused on staying relaxed, keeping her shoulders down, and matching Violet’s stride.

It was still difficult to be honest. It almost felt like dying with her breath wheezing from the effort it took to run,but Ivy realized it wasn’t as bad as before.

With someone by her side, showing her the ropes, the burden felt lighter. Having Violet there, running alongside her, gave her the motivation to push through the exhaustion.

The two of them ran side by side, looking almost like best friends. If only. Deep down, the both of them knew it was the situation that demanded this truce and once it was over, they’d go back to hating each other. But for all it was worth, Ivy disliked Violet a tad less now.

When they reached the finish line, Violet couldn’t help but notice that no one sprayed them with water. She was surprised but quickly understood why. Or rather, who was behind it. It seemed that particular part of the bullying didn’t sit well with His Highness, Asher Nightshade.

Someone sure didn’t like other boy’s attention on her.

Good for him. Because Violet didn’t care if they stopped or not. Nothing was stopping her from finishing this race.

"I don’t think I can hold on," Ivy breathed, her chest feeling like it was on fire, each breath becoming a desperate gasp.

But Violet responded with determination, "Hold on, we’re almost there. We can make it."

Without hesitation, Violet grabbed Ivy’s arm, throwing it over her shoulder, supporting her as they trudged through the final stretch of the race.

It felt like mission impossible; Violet herself was exhausted, and Ivy’s added weight made her legs threaten to buckle beneath her. But she gritted her teeth, her mind focused only on the finish line, and pushed forward with sheer willpower.

Finally, they made it.

The instant they crossed the finish line, they didn’t even bother stepping off the track. Instead, they collapsed on the bare ground, breathing heavily.

What a relief.

Both of them were drenched in sweat, their clothes clinging to their aching bodies. Violet felt like her muscles had gone through a blender, aching in places she didn’t even know existed before today.

"If I didn’t know any better, I’d think this is a military school," Violet muttered, her voice tinged with exhaustion and sarcasm.

Ivy burst into laughter at that comment, but the laugh quickly turned into a cough. Her throat was dry, parched like a desert. She desperately wanted water, but she was far too exhausted to even think about getting up.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over them. Violet frowned when she looked up and saw Roman Draven standing there, a smug expression plastered on his face.

She hated that guy, and she still had a long-standing score to settle with him.

"Aww," Roman drawled, looking down at them with mock adoration. "Look at you two, all cuddled up like sweet lovebirds. But, as much as I hate to ruin this romantic moment, I have to let you know that you’ve got only five minutes to recover before we resume training. So make the most of it, bask in each other’s company. It’s limited." He winked before walking past them.

With Roman gone, Violet turned her head to the side, her eyes meeting Ivy’s, and suddenly she understood why Roman had made that comment.

They were both lying on the ground, clinging to each other, Ivy’s head resting against Violet’s arm in a rather intimate manner. The scene was, indeed, misleading.

Violet studied Ivy for a moment. As she noticed before, her roommate was quite beautiful, and in another universe, they might have looked like a perfect couple. But as their eyes locked, the realization seemed to hit them both simultaneously, and without a word, they shuddered, scrambling to move away from each other.

That was so weird.

What in the name of nonsense thoughts has Roman Draven planted into her head?