Zandik, better known as the madman of the Akademiya was never truly seen. Students spoke of him only in hushed tones, never by name, only by reputation. Even the teachers feared him not his presence, but the depth of his knowledge.

You, on the other hand, never paid much attention to rumors. In the end, he was human, wasn’t he? And despite everything, you sometimes spoke to him. Strangely enough, Zandik didn’t seem to hate you the way he hated everyone else. You were the first person who actually listened when he talked.

That was how the two of you ended up paired together for a small experiment.

“Magnesium?”

No response.

“Magnesium!”

Zandik finally looked up at you, eyes sharp and brimming with irritation.

“Sorry,” You replied, distracted already turning to speak to the student seated beside you.

“Pipette?”

A pause.

“Pipette.”

His annoyance grew with every second that passed.

“Oh—sorry,” You said again, offering a small, absent smile.

“Potassium fry. What are you looking at?”

This time, Zandik fully turned toward you, catching you mid-conversation with a random student at the neighboring table.

“I like your eyes,” You said, a hint of a smile playing on your lips.

“Mine?” The other student replied, surprised. “Thank you. I like your eye color.”

“Really?” You said lightly. “I always thought they were pretty basic, but, uh… you know?”

As the conversation continued, Zandik rolled his eyes.

“Tsk. You are supposed to be my lab partner.”

The suddenness of his voice finally drew your attention back to him.

“I am.”

“No, you’re not,” He said flatly. “You’re disloyal.”