Veilbreaker: Shattering the Veil of Lies-Chapter 21: Maximus Macarthur Magnolias

Shortly after Kerrigan publicly humiliated Liliana La Lorfresca. (See Ch17)

Liliana walked out of the Solaris classroom— her jaw clenched, her heart pounding violently against her ribs. She left Andrea behind in the empty room— the friend who was supposed to take her side, but instead blamed her for letting her own ego crumble.

Liliana wasn't just angry. She was furious— at Kerrigan, the nameless mutt who humiliated her, and at Andrea, the traitor who stood idle.

She stormed through the corridors of black brick, tearing through the sea of students rushing to their first lesson. Mana bled from her vessel in thin, erratic wisps; she was seconds from losing control. Kerrigan had shattered her— obliterating her ego, her pride, her name— right in front of everyone.

She didn't know what to do. She couldn't trust herself to decide. Not now. Not like this.

Which left her with one miserable option— the person fate had shackled her to— through life— and if necessary, through death.

Her fiancé. The King of the First-Years. Rank 1: Maximus Macarthur Magnolias.

Within minutes, she reached his private training chambers— a fortress gifted by the Academy itself. A giant metallic onyx gate, lined with blood-red accents, loomed before her, humming with mana-reinforced seals.

A lone guard stood at attention, blood-red uniform stiff, a silver magnolia pinned over his heart. He noticed Liliana approaching— his brows furrowing as his gaze swept over her trembling form.

He had seen Liliana on numerous occasions. She had a boisterous, energetic and upbeat personality— nothing ever caused even a crack to form on her exterior. Yet now, she stood quivering before him, as if she had lost everything.

"Lady Liliana, what happened to you?!" The guard faltered.

Her impassive eyes glared at the concerned guard— wisps of her mana scattering indiscriminately across the room. The guard's hand trembled, his breath hitched— a sudden overbearing pressure pressed him down to the ground. Collapsing to a single knee, he didn't dare look at her. It wasn't Liliana looking down on him anymore. It was Lady Death herself.

"Where is he?" A cold voice with a subtle tremor commanded the lone guard.

"Lord Maximus is undergoing vigorous training for his skill, [Helios]."

The shaking guard stammered out a response. Liliana lightened the mana bleeding out of her body— the guard gasped as oxygen finally clawed back into his chest.

"When will he be available?" She ordered.

"After the end of the first period my Lady— in 2 hours time..." he fretted.

"Tch— I should've stayed in class. Fuck!" Liliana cursed as she sat on a bench, slamming herself down onto the bench. Whipping her gaze to the guard.

"Tell him I'm here. And tell him to hurry!"

"Yes, my Lady!" He shrieked before escaping behind the imposing metal gates of Maximus' personal domain.

Silence...

She stared blankly at her knees— a single tear slipping free from her emerald green eyes, staining the cold stone beneath her. Then another— then another— then another. She sobbed uncontrollably into her hands— she had never been made to feel as worthless as she did. Kerrigan made her feel that way— the wretched nameless.

The anomaly.

Time blurred as she waited for 'her' man. The emerald green eyes which glistened on her porcelain face— now tainted a bloodshot red. Her dirty-blonde hair which was in a double bun— now cascading down her shoulders. Her knuckles white from fury.

BRINNNGGGG!

It was recess, he should be coming out soon.

Creak...

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The dominating metallic midnight gates of Maximus' personal training hall. Gusts of scorched air bellowed from the entrance— an exorbitant amount of mana spilled— boiling in the air. Tap... Tap... Tap... Amidst the smouldering darkness revealed by the gates— a figure appeared.

Light bled from his eyes — a savage crimson, like flame trapped behind glass — scorching the air with every breath he dared take. His toned muscles bulged through the fabric of his white compression shirt. Striations rippled across the fabric like an orchestral dance with every step he took.

His auburn hair stuck to his forehead— sweat dripping like a faucet. An azure towel hung on his neck as he wiped the sweat off with it. Emerging from the chamber, he glanced toward Liliana.

"Liliana— is something wrong, I heard you waited here for..."

His voice trailed off as his stomach churned at the gut-wrenching sight. Liliana sat there motionless, her head hung low— quivering. He didn't think— he just ran to her side. He went on one knee in front of her— his calloused hands gently held her wobbling shoulders. He spewed a barrage of questions— each one filled with concern.

"W-what happened— did something happen? Who—"

"Maximus, it was Kerrigan. The Nameless." Liliana interrupted with a sharp voice riddled with tremors.

Maximus' brows furrowed— gritting his teeth he queried.

"Him?! What did he do, Lily— did he touch you?"

"No... worse. He— made me feel. Worthless. Insignificant. Powerless. He treated me like I was nothing. I only asked him a question about his familiarity— he told me it was none of my business in a crass manner."

Cracks formed in her voice, fresh tears welling in her eyes.

"He disrespected me and when I tried to put him in his place. He didn't budge, no— he didn't even care. He then mocked me, my existence— even the clan, he DISRESPECTED THE GREAT LORFRESCA CLAN!" she raged with emotion.

"I was so angry that I wanted to kill him there and then— he was saved by the bell. When he left he said without even looking at me 'Not even worth my damn time'..."

Liliana broke. Her head fell against Maximus' shoulder as fresh sobs racked her body.

Maximus' vision blurred with rage. His jaw hurt from clenching it.

The woman he loved — even if she didn't love him — was broken in his arms.

Kerrigan had to die.

Slowly, he wrapped her in his arms, cradling her shuddering frame— holding her as if she was made of glass. Quietly in her ear he whispered venomously— every word dripping with unbridled hatred.

"I'll kill him."

"He snatched away my mentorship with Mr. Horton— I let it go then. But I can't anymore."

"I'll kill him. And prove you're anything but worthless..."

His embrace around her tightened– her trembling body flush against his.

"I'll rip his soul from his body."

Liliana softly weakly on his shirt— weakly stammering.

"No... not now"

"Not openly."

Maximus froze.

Her voice dropped to a near-whisper.

"Leon is his backer now. If we move without thinking, he won't be the only one 6ft under."

Maximus' nostrils flared. He seethed.

Of course, Leon Horton, the once greatest awakener of this generation— now whittled down to protector of strays.

He exhaled — once, sharply — and raked a hand through his sweat-damp hair.

"Then we don't move yet," he said, voice hardening into something lethal.

"The War will cover everything. Losses happen. Accidents happen."

His smile was thin, humorless.

"We'll crush him when no one can tell it was deliberate."

Liliana said nothing, but her fists slowly uncurled.

"Endure it for now," Maximus said, more gently. "In the end, we'll silence him forever."

"I'll silence him"

He sealed his vow with a soft kiss to her cheek, wiping away her tears with rough, calloused thumbs. Liliana wanted to pull away. She wanted to stand tall. But instead, for one broken moment, she leaned into his touch.

Unbeknownst to the both of them— a boy was running, no, sprinting towards them. His face contorted with disbelief— clutching his phone tightly in his hand. The boy took heaving breaths as he closed in on the embracing pair.

"Maximus! Maximus!" He yelled.

Snapping his head at the flailing boy, Maximus didn't let go of Liliana.

"This better be important, Carleon!"

The boy named Carleon, had bright azure hair— striking purple eyes. As he reached Maximus and Liliana's spot— he placed his hands on his knees, huffing.

"Shut up for a second, fuck me..."

Maximus' brows furrowed in annoyance— his mouth opening to reprimand him until he saw the look of complete bewilderment on his face. Maximus knew Carleon since they were kids and he had never seen this man look so incredulous before.

"What happened?" Maximus inquired trepidatiously.

Liliana looked up from Maximus' shoulder to see Carleon straightening himself up— rubbing the bridge of his nose as he pointed to her. With wide eyes he exclaimed.

"Your best friend and the Nameless are DATING!"

"WHAT?!"

Both Maximus and Liliana yelped. Their eyes widened in bafflement.

"What how, he just joined today— Andrea doesn't even like any of the guys in this school!" Liliana retorted, her face going red with confusion and her imagination.

"Then explain this PRINCESS!" Carleon blabbered in indignation.

He shoved his phone into their faces, almost knocking their heads together. Their gazes snapped to the screen—and froze.

There it was. Andrea. Sitting atop Kerrigan on the sofa seat by the café window, her hands in his hair, kissing him like she owned him. The mark of her lipstick smeared boldly across his cheek, glaring under the soft afternoon light.

"HUH?!"

Maximus staggered back as if he'd been shot. Andrea—the distant, frozen princess of every clan meeting—was now... this?

Clinging to him?

To the Nameless?!

His mind couldn't even form words. Liliana didn't move. Didn't blink. Her throat tightened painfully. Of course she understood. She'd always known Andrea's real desires—the ones hidden beneath the mask of cold dignity.

"Let's go," Liliana said, her voice stripped of all emotion.

"We need to see it for ourselves."

BRINNNGGGG!

Recess was over.

"Practical combat training next—couldn't ask for better timing!" Carleon chortled.

"We'll see them there." Maximus retorted.

***

Kill me.

I walked out of the café with lifeless eyes, my dazed expression blankly staring at the black castle of the academy. Bodhi had a similar look as he trudged beside me—the poor guy's eye was twitching from sheer disbelief.

Meanwhile, Andrea strode along, gently rocking our intertwined hands like we were off to a picnic. Corvus sat perched on her shoulder, eager to get to know his new "Mama."

We were a couple now.

Pretend or not—I didn't even know anymore.

I'd only been here two and a half hours and somehow had a pseudo-girlfriend. When Leon finds out, he's going to tear apart whatever scraps of dignity I have left—and laugh the entire time.

I could still feel the ghost of her lipstick on my lips and cheeks. She didn't just steal my dignity—she stole my first kiss. All that kept me going was the promise of that skillbook. Otherwise, someone would've died by now.

"We all have practical combat training next," Andrea mused, almost to herself. "This should be interesting."

Ahh... She's back to being the Ice Queen— two-faced bitch!

Bodhi regained some vitality when she said that— turning to me.

"It'll be your first time in practical combat training right?"

"Uhh... Yeah yeah, it shouldn't be a problem right?" I replied as I snapped out of my daze.

Bodhi went quiet as he patted my shoulder like he was consoling a dead man.

"Right?!" My voice pitched up a little, panic starting to creep in.

Andrea's lips curled ever so slightly. She squeezed my hand and mumbled just loud enough for me to hear:

"This is definitely going to be interesting, hehe."

Fuck, I'm finished.

I bit my lip as I silently cursed, I knew I wasn't going to catch a break anytime soon. Andrea gently rubbed my knuckles in consolation with her thumb. It was soft. It made me feel a bit better— not enough.

We pushed through the packed corridors into the academy grounds. A cacophony of gasps, curses and yelps followed us as the students saw Andrea, the 3rd ranked of the first-years, the Regent, the Ice Queen holding hands with the Nameless.

Bodhi purposefully walked away as if he didn't know us to my abject horror. He looked back and nodded sympathetically as if saying:

"Good luck soldier."

Well fuck you too, you Aussie bastard!

I glanced at Andrea. She just maintained her gaze forward— impassive to the derogatory murmurs and whispers. I could already hear them bad-mouthing her.

"What a slut! I bet she's getting cozy with the nameless so she can get to Mr. Horton. This is meant to be our Regent?!" Some snot-nosed bitch with a high-pitched whine hissed behind us,

I clenched my jaw in anger and frustration. I accidentally held her hand tighter.

She noticed, shooting me an emotionless glance.

"It's fine, don't get mad." She whispered softly.

LIES 

A disembodied voice whispered in my mind.

My face hardened for a moment, of course she'd lie about this. I already knew for a fact that it was not fine for her. I could see the gentle furrow of her brow whenever an outrageous rumor was whispered— the tremor of her fingers, her nose flaring.

She was trying to stay strong. Pretending it didn't hurt. I hated it. Because it reminded me of every time I took Richard's abuse. Silent. Rotting. Letting the damage fester in me until I nearly snapped.

I allowed it to ruin myself.

I won't let the same thing happen to her.

What...

Why did I care about her?

Don't overthink it now, I have class now.

I let out a deep sigh— we soon were approaching the giant expanse of the academy's training grounds. Andrea and I split off toward our changing rooms. I rejoined Bodhi as we both entered the boy's changing room.

"You're a real bastard." I hissed.

"Mate, don't take it to heart. You'd have done the same if it were me," he said, smirking like a bastard.

"Touche..." I mumbled with a nod.

He was right, I would've done the exact same thing.

We both walked into the changing rooms— only to be met with stares, mainly at me. I didn't even care at this point, I just walked to a secluded corner to go change. I changed in the very corner of the room, the room itself was one of many. This was a mandatory lesson for all of the first-year students, which happens at the same time.

I stripped down robotically — blazer, shirt, trousers, shoes — stuffing everything into my storage ring. It wasn't until Bodhi, mid-change beside me, gasped that I noticed something was wrong.

A few other gasps echoed across the room.

I frowned. "What?"

Bodhi stared like he'd seen a ghost.

"W-what happened to you, mate?"

Then I realized.

Ahh.

They could see my scars.

All of them.

My throat tightened. My fingers tremored.

In one violent motion, I yanked my white compression shirt from the ring and pulled it over my head. The old panic bubbled up, hot and heavy, but I forced it down. I avoided Bodhi's eyes — avoided everyone's eyes.

"It's nothing," I said flatly.

I threw on the rest of my training uniform: white compression shirt, joggers, black shoes. And then I bolted. Out of the changing room.

The training field was empty when I stepped onto it — blissfully, blessedly empty.

I closed my eyes.

Inhaled.

The cold morning air filled my lungs, a little too sharp, a little too real. For just a second, it was peaceful. Then a voice cut through the air.

"That's him."