Katherine, Advika, and Leyla marched through the automated glass doors, their academy uniforms — crisp white shirts, tailored grey skirts, and dark green blazers emblazoned with the crest of the prestigious Vitality Academy — immediately drawing a flurry of intrigued glances. Christopher followed silently, his gaze moving all over the place.
Advika gawked, her eyes wide with unadulterated surprise at the sheer scale of the mall’s interior. A central atrium soared several stories high, bathed in natural light filtering through a massive skylight. Sleek escalators ferried shoppers between levels, and holographic advertisements for everything from exotic pets to advanced spell components shimmered in the air.
"Okay, girls," Katherine announced, turning to face them, her voice cutting through the soft hum of the mall, and getting the three attention.
"This is the plan. Advika, Leyla, you two hit any of the food shops—cooked and raw—take as much as you can. Don’t even think about the price, just take anything you set your eyes on. I’ll be heading to the clothes sections. And big brother," she nodded towards Christopher:
"You will go to the electronic sections, take anything you can find, tvs, radios, games anything at all. Do you all understand?"
’What the hell?! Is she planning on opening a small store??!!’
Advika’s eyes, still wide, darted between Leyla and Christopher, brimming with confusion.
’These two aren’t surprised, not even a bit... Is Katherine really opening a store? No, the Valhalla family isn’t a small family, they won’t need money, not with Christopher around. So why all these?’ she thought inwardly.
"I don’t know the sections in this mall," she admitted.
"That’s not a problem at all," Katherine said with a disarming smile. "That’s why you’ll be following Leyla."
"What about you?" Leyla asked, a hint of mild concern in her voice. "You alone can’t handle the fashion section."
"Don’t worry about that, I have backup!" Katherine pointed behind the three, causing them to turn around.
"How are you doing, babe?"
Bella sauntered towards them, her usual academy uniform swapped for a long blue jean, a casual white t-shirt, and a stylish pair of sunglasses resting on her hair. She looked like she belonged on the glossy pages of a fashion magazine.
"When did you change?" Katherine asked, a flicker of mild confusion crossing her face.
Bella first smiled brightly at Christopher: "How are you doing, Master Christopher?" she asked, her voice light and cheerful.
Christopher returned her smile. "I’m good. I see you will be joining us."
"Yes! I won’t miss it!" Bella declared, then turned to her best friend. "I changed in the dressing room. You can also change while picking out clothes," she suggested, gesturing towards a boutique with glittering displays.
"Yes! That is a good idea! You guys should also change; there are a lot of eyes on us. Is students shopping in their uniform a bad thing?" Katherine moved her gaze around the opulent space, catching snippets of conversation.
"Who are those girls?"
"Wow... They are so beautiful."
"Look at their skirts... If only I can have even one of them."
The male shoppers, predominantly young men in smart casual wears, fixed their gazes on the four girls, their eyes glowing with undisguised lust.
It was a common sight in Cordelia, where the beauty of Vitality Academy’s female students was often admired, sometimes overtly.
"Move out of the way!"
Two burly bodyguards, dressed in tailored black suits with earpieces subtly tucked behind their ears, shoved the three gawking guys aside. They cleared a path for a young man who was marching directly towards Christopher and the group. He possessed an air of entitled confidence that was palpable even from a distance.
"Hello ladies... What do you say about having dinner with me?"
The five turned their heads to the young man. He had striking green hair, a rare hue even among Cordelia’s diverse population, and piercing blue eyes. His black suit was undoubtedly custom-made, hinting at significant wealth.
The two bodyguards stood stoically at each of his sides, their eyes concealed behind dark sunglasses, their presence a silent testament of their duty to the young man safety.
"You want to take all of us?" Katherine asked with a frown, her voice cool and measured.
"Of course." The guy smirked, a self-satisfied expression spreading across his face. "If this guy is your friend, he can come along." He gestured dismissively towards Christopher.
Katherine moved her gaze slowly from his polished Italian leather shoes to his perfectly coiffed green hair, and then shook her head.
"You aren’t worth a second of my time... Let’s go." Her dismissive tone was absolute.
"Worth a second of your time?! Who the hell do you think you are?!!" The guy’s smirk vanished, replaced by a sneer.
"I am the young master Zack of the Sun family... Second strongest family in Avalon. If it wasn’t for the academy tamer competition, you won’t even get the chance to see me!" He puffed out his chest, his arrogance amplified by his lineage.
The Sun family was known throughout the Federation of Avalon and other countries for its vast industrial complexes and powerful tamer lineage... Master Zack here is the only son of the sun family, that’s why he is so arrogant.
’Sun family? Why does that name sound familiar?’ Christopher thought with a frown, a faint memory stirring in his mind.
"Oh..." Katherine turned around to face him, a faint, almost imperceptible curl to her lip. "You are the son of the second strongest family in Avalon?? It is true that your family is indeed stronger than mine, but you are still a useless piece of shit to me."
Her words, delivered with chilling calm, cut through the mall’s ambient noise. She turned around and walked away, the three girls following behind her, small, knowing smiles playing on their lips.
"You... You... Get her for me!!!" Zack spat out, his face contorted in a mixture of rage and disbelief.