Arlo’s POV

I saw Serene dodge the monstrous dog’s attack by rolling to her side and then she prepared to shoot him with one of her arrows. Then I shifted my focus to the old woman, she already tried to attack Serene with some weird powder and I was sure she had more similar stuff up her sleeve. She shot me a menacing look before taking out her wand and trying to hit me with a spell. I turned my dark mode on but in a limited range so Serene won’t get caught up in that.

In a split second, as I moved behind her, she had already turned around to face me. Using a light spell she extinguished my darkness as she smiled that evil smile at me. I couldn’t comprehend how she matched my speed. I tried to grab her by the neck but she blew up something in my face. I instantly stepped back and held my breath so as not to inhale any but some of it fell on my face and it began to itch and my face began to swell. I bent over with excruciating pain and fell to the ground. My vision became hazy and the last thing I saw was Serene running toward me before I lost consciousness.

When I gained my senses Serene was sitting beside me. Her face lit up as she saw me opening my eyes. "Hey, you alright?" She asked in a concerned voice, her large violet eyes fixed on me.

I tried to get up but she didn’t let me: "Keep laying down for a while." As she placed her hand over me without touching me. "What happened? Where is the old woman, the girl and the monster dog?" I asked curiously as I ran my hand over my face but all the puffiness was gone.

"After I attacked the dog with my ’Arrow of sleep’ it dozed off instantly. I then turned toward you but you had already been attacked and lost consciousness. Dealing with that witch was a lot harder than the monster. She stopped my first arrow with her spell and she dodged my second. So, I used my shield and went for physical attacks against her. Her spells couldn’t pierce my shield and it was easier to defeat her in hand-to-hand combat. I knocked her unconscious and confiscated her wand. As I did that the little girl came forward and smiled at me. Her lips were no more sealed and she gave me two options. Either I accept a full score on this exam because I brought down both the dog and the witch and leave you with zero points. Or, I could use those points to buy a healing potion for you and both of us will get zero points. Guess, what I got the healing potion and healed you so you would wake up." She told me everything so calmly as if it was nothing. There was no sign of remorse on her face.

"Why would you do that? You should have taken the points, I was basically useless in this fight, anyway." Her proximity and smell were intoxicating me. How could she take such a stupid decision? I was perplexed.

"Useless? Didn’t you figure out that the witch wasn’t telling the truth? How did you know by the way?" She was looking at me with curiosity.

"The witch said she was pushed by the man, while the injury was on her forehead. If she was pushed then the wound should have been on the back of her head. But, you did the rest of the work and I think you made the wrong choice." I felt so helpless and vulnerable. I should have fought side by side with her instead I got caught by the witch and not only I lost my points, but she also had to give up her points to save me.

"I didn’t know you thought so lowly of me, Arlo. I would never leave a friend behind for my interest. I think you have forgotten instruction number 3 and 4. Keeping those in mind, I believe that was the right choice to make. Besides you should have seen your face, you looked like a big red tomato." Her expression was serious but she spoke with an air of confidence about her. Her gorgeous face seemed to be sparkling with the light of its own and I couldn’t help but stare at her.

"Not even in my dream can I think lowly of you." I sat up straight and averted my gaze from her, not that I wanted to but it was becoming impossible to control myself with her sitting so close to me. There was so much I craved to say but I knew it would only make her sad. Thankfully, a bell rang and the smoke screen was lifted along with Mariela Sensei’s announcement that our time was up.

She got up and gave me a small smile: "Thanks Arlo," before heading toward her friend who was eagerly waiting to hear what had happened. I moved and stood at a spot from where she wouldn’t be able to see me and sighed. She was so close and yet so far, I felt the urge to apologise to her for making her cry that day. The pent-up anger I felt led me to leave her alone at that time, without even thinking about the consequences.

Although I hurt her, she didn’t say a single harsh word to me. She sacrificed her own points for me when I was sure that after the exam would be over, a healing witch would have healed me. She made that choice for me and it has made me flustered. I can’t help but love her more, though she may not love me, I knew now that I had occupied a small place in her heart. And, that was enough for me as I smiled inwardly, observing her from a distance.