The award would be a mop, naturally, so I could clean the floor after my classmates finished wiping their shoes on me.
Still, no point sulking. Freya's glow didn't change anything. Well, it did—it made me look even worse. But it didn't change the important part: Mana Breathing existed, and one way or another, I'd get it.
I wasn't about to spend my life wheezing up black smoke while everyone else pranced around glowing like blessed candles.
"Pfft," a low sound broke my thoughts.
I tilted my head down. Nyx was looking at me from my shadows, his sleek black fur shining faintly in the sun. Yellow eyes gleamed with that familiar, annoying amusement. His tail flicked in slow, mocking rhythm.
"Loki," his voice purred in my head, smooth and sharp, "your performance was breathtaking. Truly. I've never seen a crystal so eager to turn completely black. It was like you and filth were meant for each other."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Thank you, Nyx. Your support warms my heart."
