Chapter 14 As soon as Irene climbed into the car , she grabbed Eden's sleeve with excitement , tugging on it like she needed the reassurance . " Eden ! Good morning ! Are we going to school ? " Eden nodded and patted her shoulder , trying to calm her down . " Yeah . " 20 She slipped her sleeve free from Irene's grip . The girl's hands were strong enough that if she yanked any harder , she might shake loose the knife or whatever else Eden kept hidden in there . Thinking about how destructive Irene could be , Eden reminded her , " Once we get to school , you have to listen to me . " Irene looked at her with bright blue eyes and nodded obediently . Then she glanced at the driver in front , leaned close to Eden's ear , and whispered , " Eden , are we going to kill people ? " Eden secretly rolled her eyes . " No. Sit up straight . " She thought it was all Ravenhold's fault for stuffing Irene's head full of violence . On the ride , Irene pressed against the window , taking in everything outside with wide - eyed curiosity . She stared at kids her age with backpacks walking to school , families of three smiling as they strolled together , an old man selling things on the corner , and young people with briefcases cramming onto buses and subways . She liked this strange new place . The air carried the bitter scent of medicine from pharmacies , the creamy smell from dessert shops , the honey - sweetness from bakeries , and the perfume of pretty women - but no smell of gunpowder . People smiled and frowned , but there was no hostility . When they arrived at school , Irene's eyes lit up even more . There were so many kids her age . Eden took her to register and got her a uniform . In the locker room , Irene called out in surprise , " Eden , Theonia's organization is so special - they make everyone wear the same clothes ! " Eden's mouth twitched . " It's not an organization . It's a school . " Once Irene finished changing and lined up beside Eden , her cute , distinct face immediately drew attention . " Wow , where'd this foreign girl come from ? She's adorable . " " She's with Eden . They actually look good together . I didn't think Eden was the type to hang out with someone this cute . " " What's your name ? Are you mixed ? What country are you from ? " It was the first time Irene had been surrounded by so much attention . She leaned closer to Eden but wasn't shy , answering in fluent Theonian , " My name's Irene " Just then , Thomas walked over . Spotting the small foreign girl trailing Eden , he looked her over with curiosity and teased with a grin , " Irene , you'd better keep up with Eden when we run later , or she'll leave you in the dust . " 1/3 12:31 Mon , 15 Sept Chapter 14 Irene tugged Eden's sleeve , sighing in frustration . " Eden runs so fast . I can never catch her . " 70 % 201 Thomas smirked knowingly . He knew she couldn't - he couldn't catch Eden either . And judging by Irene's small frame , she had even less chance . Eden caught Thomas's look and smiled knowingly . " Thomas , you'd better laugh while you still can . " Thomas scratched his head , confused . " What do you mean ? " Eden said , " Because soon , you won't be laughing anymore . " Thomas looked awkward . He thought Eden meant yesterday's beating and worried he'd get embarrassed again today . He patted his chest . " Don't worry , Eden . I've already accepted it . " Winning or losing was just part of the game . If he lost today , he'd just train harder tomorrow . Thomas laughed carefreely . He wasn't someone who gave up easily . But after Peter blew the whistle and announced another mile run , Thomas finally understood what Eden had meant . Eden was already a demon , but now she'd brought a little demon with her . Finally unster . It was bad enough that she was naturally gifted , but even her friend turned out to be a monster . It was one blow after another to Thomas . And on the sidelines , Peter's eyes widened in surprise . One instructor muttered , " We can't recruit Eden , but maybe the little one with her is possible , right ? " Jack shook his head with a smile . " If she's with Eden , I doubt she'd accept either . " His gut feeling told him he was right . Families with power usually trained their kids in combat , and he was no exception . When he later met real killers , their aura had been completely different from that of normal people . Eden gave him that same vibe - something far from ordinary . And the little girl behind her had an even stronger aura . She seemed to listen to Eden in everything , like a follower to a leader . One instructor asked , " What kind of person is Eden really ? Even her friend is this impressive . " Jack shrugged . " All I know is she's Raymond and Madeline's daughter . Beyond that , no clue . " The instructors were stunned - and so were the freshmen on the track . " No way ! This foreign girl runs so fast . " " Is this real ? Both of them ? Everyone else was running so slowly . Maybe they were aliens , right ? " " Well , amazing people always seem to have amazing friends . " 2/3 12:31 Mon , 15 Sept u Chapter 14 201 When the run ended , Eden looked completely relaxed , but Irene caught up , breathing hard . " Eden , I thought it'd be just as tiring as before , but turns out everyone else is just a bunch of rookies . " Thomas , who had barely dragged himself across the finish line and was panting like a dog , almost choked when he heard that . Irene spotted him and remembered how he'd been laughing earlier . " By the way , why aren't you laughing now ? " Thomas wiped his sweat . " Don't feel like laughing right now . " He just wanted to roll his eyes at this unfair world . As expected , Irene drew attention from both instructors and classmates . A lot of people wanted to get closer to Eden through her , since Irene looked pure , sweet , and easy to approach . " Irene , are you friends with Eden ? " " Have you lived in Theonia long ? Your Theonian is really good . " " Can we get to know each other ? I'd like to be your friend . " Getting swarmed all at once made Irene uncomfortable . She scooted closer to Eden and tugged her sleeve . " Eden and I will always be best friends , so we won't play with you all . " The crowd was disappointed and slowly backed off . Break time was short , and Irene's curiosity got the better of her . She poked her head around at everything and accidentally overheard a conversation . " Did you see the trending news yesterday ? " one person asked . " I was too busy browsing the campus forum . What happened ? " another replied . " The Baylight Club in Drea City - like 15 miles from here - had a murder the night before last . I go there sometimes to hang out with friends . 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