Lucifer: Godless Reawakening-Chapter 279: Friends and gossip

"Ah... haah."

William stretched his arms as he finally woke from his long slumber.

He had returned to his room late the previous evening and had been sleeping ever since.

During the entire ordeal on the island, sleep had been nothing more than a distant luxury. The tension, the fear, the endless stream of thoughts had worn him down until the moment he touched the familiar comfort of his bed.

And the moment his body sank into it...

He was gone.

Completely.

"Here. I brought you something to eat."

The familiar voice came from behind him.

William turned his head slightly and saw the pink-haired boy setting a tray on the table. A few fruits, some buns, and sandwiches were neatly arranged on it. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

William slowly sat up.

"It’s not evening already, is it?"

Before returning to the dormitory, he and Emma had visited the Headmaster to report their return.

The old man had asked what happened on the island, how the Count was recovering, and surprisingly didn’t seem the least bit annoyed that they had missed three days of school.

In fact, he had calmly told them they could take their exams later in the evening.

"No," Loid replied casually. "It’s still morning. You can relax for a bit longer."

Then he added with a grin, "Maybe revise the material one more time?"

A pillow came flying straight at his face.

Loid burst into laughter and caught it mid-air.

William scowled.

"Don’t tell me to study right now," he grumbled. "There’s already too much going on in my head, and now you’re—"

He stopped halfway through the complaint.

With a flick of his fingers, he used telekinesis to pull a bun and a handful of berries toward him.

At least eating required no thinking.

Loid sat across from him, his feet planted firmly on the floor.

For a while, he said nothing.

Then, choosing his words carefully, he asked, "Did something bad happen over there?"

William hummed quietly. "Why would you think that?"

Loid shrugged. "I don’t know. You just looked... off yesterday."

William shook his head. "Stop trying to read me. I’m not your little missy."

Loid laughed softly. "It was just a guess. Besides, if someone wanted to read you properly, there’s someone far better at that than I am."

William gave a small nod, not denying the statement.

He took a large bite of the bread before speaking again.

"Yeah... Father got injured," he said casually. "It was worrying for a while. But Emma managed to save him in the end."

Loid’s brows slowly drew together.

"For the Count to be sent here under those circumstances..." he murmured, thinking aloud. "The central administration can’t be that short on soldiers."

William did not respond.

Agreeing with Loid would sound too much like he was criticizing those in power.

And that, in a way, would mean doubting his father’s ability to handle the situation.

So he simply continued eating in silence.

After a brief pause, William glanced at him and asked, "So? How are things going with Natalie? I think I saw the two of you walking through the garden yesterday when I was heading to the headmaster’s office."

Loid’s cheeks turned nearly the same shade as his hair. He scratched the back of his neck and looked away.

"Well... things are actually going well," he admitted quietly. "I confessed to her... yesterday."

Even when he thought about, Loid couldn’t believe he told Natalie how he felt for her. But it was true. If not for the memory then how awkwardly they both behaved this morning was enough for a reminder.

William nearly spat out the berry in his mouth.

"For real?" he asked, eyes widening.

Loid nodded. "Yeah. Things just... happened. I got a little too emotional to stop myself." He shrugged lightly. "I don’t regret it though. And it’s not like Natalie didn’t already notice my feelings."

William leaned back, humming thoughtfully as the corner of his lips lifted.

"That’s bold of you. And considering the two of you are still walking around together... she’s probably left you in that hanging phase."

Loid gave him a wry smile. "Why not assume she accepted?"

William chuckled. "Because a woman’s heart doesn’t change that quickly. Be grateful that Kevin—the dense idiot—never returned her feelings. Otherwise it would’ve been a dead end for you."

Loid’s smile softened slightly.

"Yeah... I’m actually thankful for that," he said. "And for how Kevin’s group has been treating Natalie lately. It gave me the chance to approach her with a reason."

William grinned mischievously. "Look at this guy. Taking advantage of her vulnerable moment to seduce her."

Loid laughed, his face growing even hotter. "Well... it’s not exactly wrong, is it?"

William just shook his head and continued eating without another word.

He glanced outside the window and sighed under his breath. Who could have thought having a friend could help improve his mood this much.

But right now, more than Loid, he was craving for someone else’s attention.

’Have you woken up, Emma?’

....

In the girls’ dormitory, Emma’s heart was racing the moment she woke up.

Her eyes flew open—and immediately met four pairs of eyes staring straight at her.

"Fuck."

She rarely cursed.

But the word slipped out before she could stop it.

"Are you all insane?" she demanded, sitting up abruptly and pressing a hand against her heaving chest.

"I told them to wait outside," Dorothy replied calmly. "But they were too worried to actually listen."

The other three stood nearby—Natalie, Gizel, and Mia.

Though, in Mia’s case, she had clearly been dragged along.

Natalie crossed her arms. "You disappeared for three days, came back, and didn’t say a single word to any of us. A lot happened, Emma. Did you seriously think we wouldn’t come check on you?"

Emma rolled her eyes.

"It’s not like I was planning to vanish forever."

Mia quietly handed her a towel. Emma accepted it with a small nod and wiped the thin layer of sweat from her forehead.

She hadn’t slept well.

Not even close.

The dream from last night still clung to her mind like a shadow.

A memory.

One she could never speak about.

Not even to William.

Because it belonged to a life she had already left behind.

Gizel spoke up next.

"Have you heard the news?"

Emma tilted her head slightly. "What news?"

The bespectacled girl casually sat on the bed across from her. A small, mischievous smile curved on her lips as she revealed, "Our dear Natalie here has switched partners. She’s currently caught in a lovely little triangle with Loid and Kevin."

Emma’s eyes lit up instantly.

Dorothy’s did as well. She had heard scattered rumors but had never managed to get the full story.

Natalie, meanwhile, groaned in frustration. "Didn’t we come here to talk about her and the trip?"

Emma scoffed immediately. "You don’t get to skip a topic like that." She pointed toward the bed. "Sit down and start talking. What exactly happened while I was gone?"

Natalie froze.

The violet-haired girl now found herself surrounded by eager eyes and very patient ears.

Exhaling a sigh, she resigned to her fate.

°°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comment.