Descendants of Gibbous-Chapter 68: Punishment

"No," came Professor Mei’s voice loud and clear. "You’re going to do the handshake of love or I’m going to make you pack your bags and leave, so choose which punishment you want instead."

Damien bit his bottom lip, anxiously glancing at the other boys whose reactions thoroughly matched his. The students surrounding were still laughing, their excited whispers teaching Damien’s ears as some of them pointed in their direction.

Then came the photography students.

Damien wondered why Professor Mei wasn’t stopping them from taking pictures, but then again, would it even be considered a punishment if there wasn’t some price to pay—like in this case, dignity?

"I’ll do it," Craig was the first to break the awkward silence as he outstretched his hands in his roommate’s direction, with his face looking down.

Damien followed suit and touched the boy’s hands, waiting for Yong to complete their circle of "love"—but the idiot didn’t move an inch from the ground he was crouching on. When he did though, it was only to adjust his blazer and say:

"I didn’t want to be here, so I might as well be expelled."

A cold whoosh of empty wind howled amongst them after his grand reveal as Damein and Craig stared at the Prince with wide eyes. Even the students surrounding them had gone silent.

’He’s still saying that despite his rank?’ Damien wondered, wishing he were the one with Yong’s Aura value.

Unfortunately for Yong, Damien wasn’t the only one with the thought. The next instant, Craig grabbed the boy’s jacket collar and yanked Yong to him until he was glaring at the boy.

"Do you have any idea how many Gibbits out there wish they had even an ounce of the power you have? Do you know how many people are dying out there, helpless, wishing someone would just swoop in and save them from the bloodied hands of Rogues? Do you have any idea there’s a kid out there right now, watching their parents or siblings get eaten—orphaned, and homeless because no hero showed up to save their family? Do you?"

His voice was filled with so much anger—which wasn’t really a surprise considering his demeanor—but what shocked Damien were the tears coming out of the guy’s eyes. His teeth were gritted, hands shifting into a wolf’s as he slowly drew Yong’s face closer to him with each question he asked.

To Damien’s annoyance, Yong shrugged. "It’s not my fault for being born with this power, and it’s definitely not my fault that all these people you mentioned are dying. I might be stronger than you guys but does that mean my life is not worth living and I have to sacrifice it for the weak? No. Do you know why? Because being a hero in Gibbous is a task meant for a few chosen ones and I’m not one of them"

Damien watched as veins protruded from Craig’s neck, his skin slowly drifting as wolf hairs started showing by the second.

’He’s getting mad,’ the boy noted, glancing at Professor Mei—ling and hoping she’d do something.

He was a bit worried about his future at this academy when he noticed how she was simply standing there, her clock eyes glued on the two boys on the verge of fighting.

"Then why are you even here you coward? Scram! Go back home and wait for the Rogues to attack you and your family’s asses. Watch what happens when you’re weak and powerless in the face of death," Craig barked, roughly letting go of Yong’s jacket and pushing him away.

"I’ll gladly oblige," Yong retorted shamelessly, looking Craig directly in the eyes. "At least I know my place in this world, unlike you who couldn’t even stand against a foe in a game of tag but still expects to become a hero."

Turning his attention to Damien’s direction he added:

"I’m not a suicidal fool who heads into battle knowing they’re too weak to even use their aura properly, or better yet, who doesn’t even have enough aura to begin with."

The students hummed in unified "oohs" that made Damien clench his fists and grit his teeth at the prince.

He knew Yong was addressing both him and Eden who was behind him from the way he was looking in their direction with an annoying stoic expression on his face. As for Eden, she wasn’t amused by Yong’s speech at all. Like Damien, she too was glaring at Yong, clearly repulsed by his ideology—but she stood rooted amongst the laughing and whispering students, unable to risk her place at Gibforge for a few moments of fighting with Yong.

Damien bit his bottom lip and glanced at Professor Mei. She hadn’t moved from her spot yet and neither had she blinked. She was just staring the the boys as if she was judging them, waiting for a perfect moment to land a final blow on them.

What annoyed Damien more was how he couldn’t refute Yong’s claims. The boy was right about everything he had said. Whether Yong wanted to become a hero or not, that was his choice; however—degrading those who wanted to save the world despite being weak wasn’t something Damien was entirely on board with.

Thus he made up his mind on what Yong’s punishment was going to be on the spot—making him stay at Gibforge long enough for him to go through all the unbearable training.

Without wasting any more time, he firmly grabbed the boy’s hand before doing the same with Craig’s. For the first time since Damien had met the mad wolf, Craig didn’t fight him. Instead, he did what Damien had done and grabbed Yong’s hand by force.

"What are you doing? Let me go!"

"I’m afraid that won’t be happening anytime soon my dear," Professor Mei finally said, smiling.

Yes, her lips were curved up into a smile, and she was looking in Damien’s direction as she did so.

"I must say, your judgment was quite the character breaker. I thought for sure you were going to punch him for what he said."

"He was right, I can’t use my aura properly, but I still want to become a hero," Damien answered, firmly gripping Yong’s hand since he was thrashing around a little too much. "Which’s why he shouldn’t be expelled. He’s too powerful an asset to be discarded, unlike the rest of us."

At this, Yong froze and suspiciously squinted his eyes at Damien. What was this bloody vampire getting at again?

"I’ll repeat his lines in his stead if possible. Will that be enough to stop him from getting expelled?" Damien questioned the woman standing before him and his roommates.

"Saving your teammate in exchange for your dignity...I never thought I’d support such indecency, but I find it quite amusing," Mei mumbled to herself, as the first bell to signal ten minutes before the end of lunch hour chimed loudly into the afternoon air.

"Oh, looks like we’re running late. In three, two, one, say your lines boys!"

"I love you, roommates!" Damien and Craig yelled after shutting their eyes, squeezing each other’s hands and Yong’s as if for support.

"That’ll be one more time for you Amaris," Mei reminded him.

’Right. One more for the pampered jerk.’

Damien drew in a sharp breath, his face scorching from embarrassment as he yelled one last time:

"I love you, roommates!"