The Last Archmage Reborn as the Forgotten Heir

Chapter 08

Morning sunlight had just begun to illuminate the Garrison family mansion grounds as Kaelan stepped out through the main door. A shabby bag slung over his shoulder; the wound on his temple was still covered with a thin plaster, while the bruises at the corner of his lips had not completely faded. He walked straight ahead without stopping or looking back.

From a second-floor window, a pair of eyes watched him in silence. Evelyn Garrison gripped the curtains tightly.

"He didn't even say goodbye..." Her voice sounded faint.

Behind her, Victor Blackwood stood calmly. "Let him be."

Evelyn turned around. "Do you think he's still angry?"

Victor smiled faintly. "A boy his age is just rebelling."

Yet deep within his thoughts, Victor wasn't nearly as calm as his expression suggested.

Kaelan... what happened to him? There's no way he could change overnight.

Westbridge University was beginning to bustle with students. Small groups filled the campus courtyard, while Kaelan walked past the gates without paying any mind to the whispers that instantly rushed toward him.

"That's Kaelan Garrison."

"What happened to his face?"

"Looks like he got into a fight..."

"Same old story. Probably because of Olivia again."

Kaelan ignored all those voices. However, a few meters in front of the faculty building, two people were already waiting for him. Ryan Blackwood stood leaning against a black sports car, accompanied by Olivia Carter, who wore a simple white dress and a gloomy expression.

Seeing Kaelan approach, Ryan whispered softly, "He actually came."

Olivia swallowed hard, her face growing pale. "Relax," Ryan replied with a faint smile. "Just do what we talked about."

Olivia took a deep breath, then broke into a small jog. "Kaelan!"

The girl's voice drew the attention of the surrounding students. Kaelan came to a halt. Olivia stood right in front of him with slightly ragged breathing, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. "I finally found you. Where have you been? I was genuinely worried sick since yesterday."

Kaelan's gaze dropped to the hand gripping his arm. Memories belonging to this original body flickered past—Olivia's smiles, empty promises, the girl's embraces with Ryan, pools of blood, and the freezing cold when his heart stopped beating. Kaelan's gaze grew even colder.

"Let go."

Olivia offered an awkward smile. "Kaelan, don't be like this. I know you're angry, I can explain everything." She intentionally raised her voice slightly so the other students could overhear. "I didn't sleep at all last night thinking about you. I was terrified something happened to you."

Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. Her appearance was flawless fragile, beautiful, and pitiful, exactly the kind of look that used to melt Kaelan's heart every time. Yet the man standing before her didn't react in the slightest.

Olivia began to feel uneasy. "Kaelan..." She gripped Kaelan's arm tighter. "Are you still mad about yesterday? I was forced into it. I had no choice."

Kaelan raised his gaze. For the first time their eyes met, and Olivia froze. That look held no love or tenderness, only absolute emptiness.

Kaelan slowly peeled Olivia's fingers away from his arm, one by one with calm, deliberate movements. The moment Olivia's hand tried to touch him again.

Thwack! (Or Shove!)

Kaelan pushed her shoulder. It wasn't hard, but it was enough to make Olivia lose her balance and stumble back two steps. Everyone around them immediately went silent.

Olivia's eyes widened. "Ka... Kaelan?" She could scarcely believe it. The man who had chased after her relentlessly for two years had just pushed her away.

Kaelan stared at her blankly. "Don't touch me."

Those four words were uttered softly, yet clearly enough to make the surrounding students exchange glances.

Olivia stood trembling. "You... pushed me? Have you lost your mind?"

Kaelan ignored the question and made to walk away. Olivia hastily blocked his path again. "Wait!" She bit her lower lip, then spoke with a voice full of feigned remorse, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I made you sad. I just want us to go back to the way we used to be."

Kaelan let out a soft chuckle, so faint it was barely audible. "The way we used to be?"

Olivia nodded quickly. "Yes, we can start over. You know how I feel."

Kaelan stared at her for a few seconds before uttering the sentence that slowly drained the color from Olivia's face. "You have the wrong person. I have no relationship with you whatsoever."

The surrounding students began to whisper. Olivia shook her head frantically. "Kaelan... stop joking around. You always said you loved me."

That was the old Kaelan's business, his inner voice replied, though what he said aloud in a calm tone was, "I was never your boyfriend."

Olivia froze. Her entire body felt ice-cold. The man who had been willing to sacrifice everything for her was now claiming they had never shared any relationship at all. Panic flooded her chest. She tried to step closer again, "Kaelan, listen to me first..."

Yet her movement cut short as someone stepped between them. Ryan Blackwood strode forward wearing a mask of feigned concern.

"Big Bro," he looked at Kaelan as if genuinely worried, then raised his voice so the other students could hear. "Why did you push Olivia? She only wanted to apologize."

Several students nodded sympathetically, while Olivia lowered her head to let her tears fall. A textbook performance. Ryan glanced briefly at Kaelan, hiding a triumphant smile behind his worried expression, convinced Kaelan was about to lose control again.

Yet Kaelan merely looked at him. The corners of his lips slowly curved upward into a faint smile, a smile that made the hairs on the back of Ryan's neck stand on end. For the first time, Ryan felt that the person standing before him was no longer the Kaelan Garrison he knew.