Welcome to the Innocent World - Chapter 112

Chapter 112: Fragment of Thoughts

The ceiling above me seemed serene, the silence of my room pressing down as I lay on the bed. My thoughts replayed the events of the day like a never-ending movie.

Nebula. The Infinity Realm. Her brother. Her father. Everything seemed like fragments of a fever dream.

My mind wandered back to the fight with Nebula. The way her piercing blue eyes held a mixture of power and disdain, her aura crackling like lightning as we exchanged blows. She was relentless, her hairs bending physics itself, but I had held my ground. Then, as if fate decided to twist the knife, I’d been sucked into the Infinity Realm—a dimension of infinite realm made through imagination and shifting realities.

There, her brother had awaited me. Tall, muscular, imposing, and radiating an aura of raw malice, he had charged at me without hesitation. Every blow he delivered was heavy.

The fight was pushing me to my limits as I had reserved amount of energy. Thanks to blessings of shadows, I wrapped it up quickly or else god knows what could’ve happen if I had ran our of energy in front of her brother.

Nebula’s constant expression of mix of pride and amusement.

“You’re more interesting than I thought,” she had said, her voice sultry yet dangerous.

But the most terrifying moment had come when her father entered the scene. His presence alone had been suffocating, his gaze sharp enough to pierce through my very soul. I had felt my aura draining just standing before him, my knees trembling under his weighty stare.

That man—no, that being—was something else entirely.

And yet, somehow, I had ended up back in Nebula’s chambers, her mischievous smirk making my heart pound. I had lost track of how things had escalated, but one after another we were just making out. she had been teasing me, and the next we were on her bed, her lips crashing against mine as the stars above us seemed to swirl in rhythm with our heated breaths.

Now, staring at the ceiling, I couldn’t help but blush at the memory. “I really need to stop getting myself into these situations,” I muttered to myself.

A sudden recollection hit me—the conversation with Alpha in the washroom. Her words echoed in my mind.

“Time works differently in the Infinity Realm,” she had explained when I’d asked why it was still evening here. “A day there could be mere minutes in our world.”

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “This is way too much to process.”

And then there was the Queen… her penetrating gaze as she’d stared at me earlier. A chill crept up my spine at the thought. Did she suspect something?

“Sighhh,” I exhaled deeply, turning onto my side. “It was a tiring day.” Closing my eyes, I let exhaustion take over and drifted into a restless sleep.

—

The next morning, the college grounds were quieter than usual. The aftermath of the previous day’s chaos was still left. Debris was being cleared, and knights were conducting further investigations, their expressions grim. The festival decorations looked out of place amidst the destruction, the charm now overshadowed by the silence that hung in the air.

As I entered the campus, I spotted my friends gathered near the fountain. Natasha waved at me, her usual calm demeanor a welcome sight.

“Morning,” I greeted them, trying to sound as normal as possible.

“Morning,” Maya replied, a small smile on her face. “How are you feeling after yesterday?”

“Tired,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. “That was… unexpected, to say the least.”

“That’s an understatement,” Claire chimed in. “I mean, one minute we’re enjoying the festival, and the next, we’re running for our lives.”

Natasha adjusted her glasses, her brow furrowing. “I still can’t believe how close we were to… well, you know.”

“Zero saved us,” Maya said, her voice tinged with admiration. “If he hadn’t shown up…”

I forced a laugh, scratching my head nervously. “Yeah, thank God for him, huh?”

Zayn, who had been silent until now, spoke up. “Do you think things will go back to normal after this?”

“Probably not,” Natasha replied with a sigh. “But at least they’re letting us finish the festival today. Even if it’s just a formality.”

The day passed in a blur of subdued activities. The dance performances went on as planned, with a smaller audience, and the food stalls tried to recapture some of the festival spirit.

Before we knew it, the principal was giving his final speech.

“We deeply regret that the events had to end this way,” he said, his voice heavy with sincerity. “Your safety is our priority, and while this year’s festival may not have concluded as planned, we hope you’ll cherish the memories made here. Thank you all, and please make your way home safely.”

As the crowd dispersed, my friends and I walked toward the exit, the setting sun casting a warm glow over the campus.

“That was such a boring day,” Claire grumbled, kicking at a loose pebble on the path. “I never thought our cultural would end like this.”

I sweat-smiled, shrugging. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Natasha, walking beside me, adjusted her glasses and smiled softly. “But I enjoyed my time with you all.” Her gaze lingered on me for a moment, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

Maya chimed in, her tone light. “It was… unique for me too. I was awake entire night because of so much excitement.” She glanced at me briefly, hiding a smile behind her hand.

Claire noticed the exchange and smirked. “Are you guys hiding something from me? Huh?”

“Nothing at all,” I replied quickly, the others nodding in agreement.

“Come on,” she pressed, but her teasing tone made it clear she wasn’t serious.

As we continued walking, Maya suddenly perked up. “You know, this was kind of boring. Let’s do something fun together. We don’t know when we’ll get a chance like this to hang out again.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

Maya grinned mischievously. “Let’s go to your place, Austin.”

I blinked. “My place?”

“Yeah,” she said matter-of-factly. “You live alone, right? We can dance, party, and not worry about disturbing anyone.”

The others seemed to light up at the idea.

“She’s got a point,” Claire said, her excitement bubbling. “None of us can do that at home with our parents around.”

“Yeah! Let’s go to Austin’s house!” Natasha said.

I sighed, realizing there was no escaping this. “Fine,” I said, laughing lightly. “But don’t make a mess, okay?”

Zayn shook his head, chuckling. “I’ll pass. I’ve got to study for my entrance exams.”

“No worries,” I replied. “Next time, maybe.”

And with that, I found myself heading home with Maya, Natasha, and Claire in tow, their excited chatter filling the air as the sun dipped below the horizon.

“We will party entire night!!!” Claire punched the air in excitement.