The Prank War Escalates
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There's something about waking up in Crystalveil Academy that always feels like an adventure—except this morning, adventure turned into a straight-up trap.
As soon as I opened my eyes, napansin ko na may something off. My room was suspiciously quiet, too quiet.
'I swear, there's something fishy.' Instinctively, I stretched my hand out to grab the nearest object—my hairbrush—when it suddenly flew out of my hand and into the air.
"Okay, that's new," I muttered.
The next thing I knew, the hairbrush burst into a flurry of tiny enchanted butterflies, fluttering around the room and filling the space with glowing trails of magic. Before I could even react, a small *pop* echoed from my wardrobe, and all my clothes started floating out, each one folding itself neatly into little balls and hovering in mid-air.
'Oh no, Elias.' I thought, suppressing a smile. He was getting bold, setting up a magical trap in my room. Classic prince move.
With a smirk, I flicked my wrist, using my telekinesis to pull down the floating clothes and toss them back into my wardrobe. Isa-isang bumalik sa mga hanger ang mga ito.
The butterflies, however, continued their dance, fluttering around like they owned the place. Cute, I thought, but definitely annoying.
"Hah, you think you've won?" I muttered to myself, already plotting my revenge.
---
I spent the rest of the morning laying low, acting as if I hadn't noticed Elias' little prank. Playing along was half the fun, after all.
Pagdating sa lecture hall, I made sure to keep my cool. Elias was seated casually at the back of the class, looking as if he hadn't just turned my room into a magical circus. His smirk gave him away though—he knew what he did, and he was waiting for my reaction.
Well, he was about to get more than he bargained for.
I focused on him, subtly using my mind-reading abilities to probe into his thoughts.
'Let's see...' I could sense his smug satisfaction, his anticipation for how I'd retaliate. He had no idea what was coming.
I spent the entire lecture setting up my prank. Using my telekinesis, I carefully manipulated the chalk on the professor's desk. Each time he turned to write on the board, the chalk would float slightly out of reach, and the professor, completely unaware, would fumble to grab it.
Elias, seated a few rows behind me, caught on quickly. He stifled a laugh as the professor grew increasingly frustrated.
That's when I struck. With a flick of my wrist and a well-placed telekinetic push, the chair Elias was sitting on began to wobble, just enough to throw him off balance. He shifted in his seat, trying to play it cool, but I could feel his irritation building.
Just as the professor turned back to the class, I made my move. The chalk in his hand shot straight up into the air and hovered there, while Elias' chair gave out completely, sending him sprawling onto the floor.
The entire class burst into laughter. Even the professor had to cover his mouth to hide a grin.
"Your Highness, I hope you find the floor more comfortable than your seat," I said innocently, glancing back at him.
Elias picked himself up, dusting off his tunic. His grin was wide, though. "Well played, Lyra. Well played."
---
The rest of the day, Elias and I continued our little war. Every time I thought I had him cornered, he'd come up with some clever prank to get back at me. Nasa dining hall ako nang biglang may lumabas na enchanted bubbles mula sa aking baso, each one popping in front of my face with a loud squeak. Naturally, I laughed it off. In fact, the more chaos Elias caused, the more I enjoyed it.
One particular moment during lunch made it clear that this rivalry wasn't just for show. I was seated at one of the long tables, casually eating my meal, when Theo slid into the seat next to me, flashing me that infuriatingly charming smile of his.
"Enjoying your little game with the prince?" Theo asked, leaning in a bit too close for comfort.
I raised an eyebrow, smirking. "What game? It's just a harmless war between friends."
"Friends? Is that what you call it?" he teased, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "You know, I'm starting to think you enjoy the attention, Lyra."
"Me? Enjoying attention? Never," I replied, grinning playfully. "Besides, I think you're the one who enjoys stealing the spotlight."
Theo chuckled and, without missing a beat, placed his hand on mine. "Maybe I just enjoy teasing you."
Before I could respond, I noticed Elias glaring at us from across the dining hall. His usual playful demeanor had shifted slightly, his smile replaced by a tight-lipped expression.
Oh, so this was going to be interesting.
Theo, ever the opportunist, clearly noticed the tension. He leaned in even closer, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear in an exaggeratedly flirtatious gesture. "What do you say, Lyra? Should we leave the prince out of this and have our own fun?"
I couldn't help but laugh. Theo was playing his cards well, knowing full well that Elias was watching every move.
Elias stood up from his seat, making his way over to our table with that trademark smirk back on his face. "Theo, flirting in the middle of lunch? Bold move, but I'm afraid you'll have to work harder to impress her."
Theo shot him a smug grin. "I don't need to impress her, Elias. She's already having fun."
The tension between the two was almost palpable. But rather than feeling awkward, I was amused. These boys were practically tripping over themselves to one-up each other, and I wasn't about to let the opportunity go to waste.
"Well," I said, looking between the two of them, "if this is how you two want to play, I suppose I'll just sit back and watch."
---
As the day wore on, the prank war between Elias and me continued, but Theo's sudden involvement only added fuel to the fire. He didn't participate in the pranks, but he certainly stirred things up by constantly flirting with me in front of Elias. It was obvious Theo was enjoying the chaos as much as I was.
Then there was Darian.
While Elias and I were busy wreaking havoc on each other, I occasionally caught Darian's gaze from across the courtyard or in the hallways. He was always watching, silently observing the madness. His expression never changed—stoic, disapproving, but with a hint of curiosity.
He never got involved in the pranks, of course. That wasn't his style. Darian preferred the shadows, keeping his distance from the chaos that Elias and I thrived on. But I knew he was paying attention.
One afternoon, after another prank-filled class, I spotted Darian leaning against a tree in the academy's gardens. His arms were crossed, and his eyes followed me as I walked by, as if he was waiting for me to say something.
I couldn't resist. "What's the matter, Darian? Too much chaos for your liking?"
He raised an eyebrow but didn't respond immediately. "You enjoy causing trouble, don't you?"
I shrugged, grinning. "What's life without a little fun?"
"Fun," he repeated, his tone neutral. "I suppose that's one way to look at it."
His words hung in the air between us, heavy with unspoken meaning. It was clear that Darian didn't approve of the prank war, but there was something else, something deeper that I couldn't quite read from him. It was frustrating—his thoughts were always guarded, almost impossible to access.
"You could join in, you know," I teased, stepping closer. "I'm sure you'd be good at it."
He scoffed, though there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "No, thanks. I have better things to do than waste my time on childish games."
"Suit yourself," I said with a shrug, though I couldn't help but feel a small pang of disappointment.
As I walked away, I could feel Darian's gaze lingering on me, even as I returned to the chaos that Elias and Theo had stirred up.
---
By the end of the day, I was exhausted but exhilarated. The prank war with Elias had escalated to new heights, with both of us trying to outwit the other at every turn. Theo's playful flirtations had added an unexpected twist to the rivalry, and Rylan's quiet jealousy simmered beneath the surface.
And then there was Darian, always watching from the shadows, his disapproving gaze a constant reminder that not everyone in the academy was drawn to chaos like I was.
But as I lay in bed that night, staring up at the enchanted butterflies that still fluttered around my room, I couldn't help but smile. This was exactly what I had wanted when I came to Crystalveil—adventure, excitement, and a little bit of chaos.
'Let the games continue.'
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to be continued......
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