The Scepter of Marahuyo

Chapter 022

It’s already close to midnight when the management calls everyone for the announcement of the result of the popularity contest. All votes are taken from the townspeople and all the guests of Marahuyo Academy. Usually, thousands of people cast their votes. But this time, there is more.

“Seems like the parade is more popular this time,” Aaron whispers.

I think the same as well. The little play we had might have boosted the people’s participation.

For popularity, only the top five mages are shown on the screen. It will be a quick announcement, but it still attracts several people.

Ma’am Cherry is on the stage using a trinket that will display the number of votes for each mage.

The fifth place goes to an eighteen-year-old mage by the name Maitane. Her anito is Dalikamata who gives her the ability to be clairvoyant. In my previous timeline, she became a Scepter of another nation because of her excellent information gathering skills.

Next comes Sir Philip in fourth place, a favorite among the students, unless he’s trying to impress Master Orson. Other than that, even the townspeople love him. I guess he will have support against the case from the warriors even without our help.

And in third place comes Master Orson. I take a step back. What’s happening? He should be in the first place! Amid my confusion, people cheer as if knowing whose name they will call next.

“For the second and first place, let’s call them both!” Ma’am Cherry declares. There is a drum roll and then, “Cara Perez for second place and Ethan Diaz for first place!”

Applause and hooting resound in the grounds. People chant the name of the two and then, after a few minutes, on the side of the stage, Ethan and Cara come out. They climb the stage and with huge smiles; thank the people who vote for them.

“Let’s go,” I whisper, and Aaron follows me outside the Academy.

I keep quiet the whole time we are walking back to Aaron’s horse cart. How is it that a simple action could cause such a big change? I’m expecting that the votes will increase or decrease, but not to the point where they will surpass Master Orson’s.

My head hurts. It means two things. Positively, it’s proof that if I work enough, I can change my fate of being killed by Olivia’s hand. But that also means that if I escape that, the future will be uncertain. If I evade it once, will I continue to prevent my death in the future?

But the more alarming thing is the negative effects that the changes I’ve made will cause. There’s been a couple I changed already. There’s the reconnect with Olivia and her growing friendship with my mage friends. I also prevented her heart from being broken by stopping her relationship with Felix. I’ve met Master Deborah and Nico, which I have never met in my previous timeline. Master Orson and I felt closer than ever because of the tremendous change I’ve done by meeting Aaron. Not to mention the number of times I agreed to the invitation from my friends instead of staying in the library the whole time. I haven’t even read a library book since I returned.

I massage my head. What am I missing? Is it the thieves? Is there a report of theft in my previous timeline? I can’t remember.

“Are you jealous?” Aaron interrupts.

“Of who?” I say, my voice rising.

“Your friends, Ethan and Cara.”

“I set that up, okay? I’ve told you before! I don’t have a thing with Ethan!” I lash out.

Aaron seems surprised and I feel guilty about my actions, but I didn’t apologize.

“Damn it!” I groan in frustration. I know I’m not acting like I'm sixteen years old, but I’m just so perplexed that wearing my mask is the last thing on my mind.

I lean on the cart and think about the effect my actions had made. What is the worst thing that could happen? Olivia killing me earlier? Not being able to escape the Scepter selection? Aaron breaking my heart?

Aaron touches my shoulder and says, “Holly, relax.”

I slap his hand. “That’s the problem! All I’ve done is to relax! I’ve done nothing else but relax! How many books have I read since I met you? One! And it’s not even finished! How many skills have I learned? Nothing! I stagnate. I am not improving. I--”

Aaron pulls me into an embrace and taps my head as if trying to calm a kid in tantrums. “What are you doing? Let me go.”

“You say you don’t like Ethan, but you act like this now.”

I feel my annoyance coming. I push at him, but he’s not loosening his hold.

“I need to understand, Holly. Make me understand what’s going on.”

“This has nothing to do with you!”

“But it does. Every time I feel you’re retreating, it affects me.”

“Now that you understand, I’m not this amazing woman you like so much! So just peel off this sweet facade you have and tell me how disappointed you are! Tell me!”

I stomp my feet on the ground, use my blessing, and finally push him away from me. He looks sad and I wonder what he sees in me now, looking at my face like that.

“Now, tell me how selfish I am, how mediocre I am, how confused I am, and how I use your kindness to feel loved!”

He clenches his fist and somehow; I want him to hurt me too, to stop this rotting feeling that’s rising from my stomach. I need him to stop me from hurting him.

“I should have never met you. I should have just continued cleaning Master Orson’s workroom, continued to read books in the library, and continued everything that I was doing before I met you!”

That’s a lie. It’s not Aaron’s fault at all. I died and returned here. I’m starting to make sense of it but I feel like it’s too late. It just so happens that he’s the closest when I am exploding like this.

Aaron does not respond, and I feel hot tears coming, but I stop it.

Aaron finally moves and in a soft voice, he says, “I understand. You don’t want me here.”

Then I watch him go to the horse and leave without taking a second look at me. Just as I thought, no one can ever stay and love me like that. I sit down on the ground and hug myself. This time, alone and with no one looking, I cry for something I’m not even sure about.

To be continued…