CHAPTER FIFTY THREE
CHAPTER FIFTY THREE
Chapter Fifty Three
The bus was crowded, every seat filled with loud, excited voices.
Backpacks were stuffed in the racks above, snacks were already being passed around, and the whole vehicle felt like it carried more noise than space.
Everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives.
They cheered, they laughed, and soon, one of the boys started singing an old childhood song that instantly caught on.
Within seconds, the bus was filled with a messy choir—different voices blending together, some off-key, some surprisingly good.
Aurelia sat by the window, chin resting on her palm.
She watched the blur of trees and roads outside, trying to stay distracted, but it was impossible to ignore how loud everyone else was.
Clara’s voice rose above all of them.
She wasn’t just singing—she was practically performing, clapping her hands, nudging people to join in, laughing so loud that her joy bounced off the walls of the bus.
“You guys don’t even remember the second verse?!” Clara shouted in between giggles, then immediately started the next song herself.
Everyone clapped and followed.
Aurelia smiled softly, though she didn’t join. She never really did.
The idea of singing in front of everyone, even when it was just for fun, made her shrink inside.
She was shy, and though Clara always encouraged her, Aurelia found comfort in staying quiet.
On the other side of the bus, Caelum sat back in his seat, arms folded, gaze distant. His dark eyes didn’t wander to the trees or the sky outside the window.
They wandered to Aurelia.
He didn’t sing either. He couldn’t. Those songs meant nothing to him—they belonged to a childhood he never had.
Growing up in another world, raised by guardians and warriors instead of schoolteachers and summer trips, he had no memory of games around a campfire or silly rhymes whispered in class.
So he stayed quiet.
But his silence wasn’t empty. His mind was working, studying.
Aurelia.
He had already decided. If he was going to find the girl with the amulet, he needed to be smart.
He couldn’t just go around asking every random person. That would only draw suspicion.
He needed someone close to him. Someone sharp, observant, intelligent enough to catch small details.
Aurelia was all of that. If he stayed near her, watched the way she interacted, the things she noticed, then maybe, just maybe, he’d find clues that would lead him to the one he was looking for.
He leaned his head back against the seat, watching as her hair caught the faint sunlight through the bus window. His jaw tightened.
“So now I’m supposed to play nice,” he muttered under his breath.
\---
Halfway through the trip, one of the teachers stood up at the front of the bus, holding a clipboard.
Mr. Charles, with his round glasses and overly cheerful voice, clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.
“Alright, listen up, everyone!” he announced loudly. “I know you’re all excited, but before we arrive, we need to get one important thing out of the way.
You will all be paired up for the trip. Each group will be two—one boy and one girl. That person will be your partner for the entire time we’re here. Got it?”
A wave of chatter rolled through the bus. Some students cheered at the idea, others groaned dramatically.
Mandy leaned toward Chloe and whispered, “This is it. Your big chance.”
Chloe’s eyes gleamed, her lips already curling into a satisfied smile. “I know. And it looks like Mr. Charles just made everything easy.”
“What do you mean?” Liz asked.
Chloe pulled out her pen and paper, writing down quickly. “He said we’re choosing, right? I’ll just write my name next to Caelum’s. Done.” She smirked as she scribbled confidently.
Mandy giggled. “I bet Piper already wrote hers too.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Let her. She’ll just watch as Caelum chooses me over her. I’ll make sure of it.”
Liz covered her mouth, laughing. “This is going to be fun.”
When everyone finished, a student was sent down the aisles to collect the slips of paper.
The sound of papers rustling, names whispered, and pens scratching filled the bus. Some kids laughed at the names they were writing, already planning to tease their friends about it later.
The pile of folded papers was handed to Mr. Charles, who cleared his throat dramatically.
“Alright,” he said with a smile. “So, here’s how this will work. Sorry, girls, but I’ll only be reading out the names the boys wrote. That means the choice is theirs. Let’s see who picked who.”
A mixture of groans and squeals filled the air.
“What? Why only the boys?” someone protested.
“That’s not fair!” another girl shouted.
Chloe leaned back in her seat, smug. “Don’t worry. He has no choice but to pick me,” she whispered to Liz and Mandy.
Liz smirked. “Do you think he actually wrote your name though?”
“He has to,” Chloe said firmly, flipping her hair. “Who else would he pick?”
\---
Mr. Charles began reading out the names.
“David wants to be paired with Mia… Ryan with Sophie… Jason with Kara…”
Each name drew a reaction—cheers, laughter, teasing. Some kids blushed when their names were called together, while others groaned and covered their faces dramatically.
But Chloe’s heart wasn’t in the noise. She barely heard the other names.
Her pulse quickened, her hands fidgeting against her lap. Every time another name passed, she sat straighter, her anticipation building.
Finally, Mr. Charles squinted at one slip of paper, tilting it under the light.
“Hmm… this one’s hard to read. Let’s see… Caelum wants to be paired with…” He paused, frowning at the messy handwriting.
“I can’t quite make this out. Caelum, could you come and read this for us? Your handwriting’s kind of… well, sick.”
The bus quieted instantly. All eyes shifted to Caelum.
Chloe’s breath caught in her throat. She clasped her hands together tightly, whispering, “Please. Please let it be me.”
Her friends leaned toward her, whispering encouragement. “It has to be. Who else would he write?”
Caelum didn’t stand. He didn’t even flinch at the attention. Sitting in his seat, his voice carried low but steady.
“Aurelia.”
The sound of her name seemed to silence the bus. Every head turned toward Aurelia, who froze, her eyes wide. She hadn’t even considered the possibility of him writing her name.
Clara gasped, grabbing Aurelia’s arm. “Oh my God, girl. Did you hear that? He actually picked you!”
Aurelia’s heart thudded against her chest. She opened her mouth but no words came ou
t. The weight of dozens of stares pressed against her skin.
She felt exposed, like the entire world had suddenly tilted toward her.
Caelum didn’t look at anyone else. His eyes stayed forward, calm, unbothered, like he hadn’t just turned Aurelia into the center of attention.
But inside, Aurelia’s thoughts spun in chaos.
Why her?