We marched down the hallway like two assassins who were forced to share the same target.
Click.
Step.
Click.
Step.
Every stride was a declaration of war.
"Walk faster," he muttered.
"I am walking fast."
He glanced at me. "Really? Because it feels like I'm escorting a wounded snail."
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said sweetly, "Did your brain break again? Because I can walk more slowly. Painfully slower."
He glowered. "You already are."
"Then go ahead," I said, motioning. "Walk ahead. Run ahead. Leap out a window if you want."
"Trust me, I've considered it," he muttered.
"Please do," I chirped. "It'll spare me your face."
He clenched his jaw. "If the headmaster gives us another punishment, I'm blaming you."
"Of course you are," I scoffed. "Blame the girl whose mana you synchronized with."
"You synchronized with me," he snapped. "I had nothing to do with it."
"Wow," I said flatly. "Stunning. You're delusional too."
"I'm realistic."
"You're insufferable."
He shot back, "And you're loud."
"You're cold."
"You're reckless."
"You're dead."
"And you're—"
We both stopped talking because a group of students hastily dived into a classroom to avoid passing us.
——
I don't want to walk beside her.
I don't want to breathe the same air as her.
I don't want to… acknowledge whatever the hell that mana reaction was.
Mana synchronization? With her?
Absolutely not.
Impossible.
Unacceptable.
She's a devil incarnate—a disaster in human form.
Every time she opens her mouth, my pulse spikes with rage.
I refuse to accept this. I'd rather synchronize with a demon, beast. Or a corpse than her.
—
If he breathes a little louder, I swear I'll strangle him to death.
I did NOT synchronize with him.
I do NOT feel anything but homicidal disgust.
Soul halves?
Soulmates?
Whoever invented that theory I'll personally end them. If they are dead I'll revive them and kill them again.
There is no universe where my soul looks at this sharp-tongued vermin and says:
"Yes, that one."
No.
NO.
I've survived undead dungeons. Dark magic. storms. I refuse to be defeated by a pretty face with an attitude problem.
My mana did NOT choose him.
It glitched.
It malfunctioned.
End of story.
—
As we turned the corner, our shoulders brushed. Both of us jolted back like we were burned.
"Don't touch me," he growled.
"I didn't touch you, you walked into me," I snapped.
"Why would I ever walk into you?"
"Because you're too busy being broody to see where you're going!"
"I swear, the second this meeting ends—"
"What? Will you threaten me again? Get in line."
"Oh trust me," he said coldly, "You're already at the top of mine."
"Good," I said. "Stay angry. It suits you."
"It suits you more."
We glared at each other, inches apart, mana crackling faintly.
A passing professor went pale and speed-walked away.
And then—
We reached the headmaster's door.
Both of us froze.
For one micro-second, one tiny, cursed heartbeat, we looked at eachother and paused.
"I'm dead," I whispered.
"It's your fault."
"No, Yours."
We glared again.
Then I knocked.
"Enter," a calm voice called from inside.
I pushed the door open.
"It's all his fault," I said immediately.
"It's her fault," he snapped at the same time.
We glared—
Then pointed accusingly.
"She started it!"
"He started it!"
"Stop copying me!" I jabbed a finger into his chest.
"You stop copying me!" He jabbed a finger against my forehead.
Our glares sharpened into something that could have shattered glass.
Damian let out the kind of sigh only a man who regretted his entire career could make.
He rose from his chair, walked around the desk, grabbed both of us by the collar, and forced us down into a kneeling position like two unruly kids.
He stood over us with the authority of a disappointed parent.
"Are we calm now," he asked flatly, "or do I need to throw you both out the window?"
"I'm calm," I said immediately.
He shrugged stiffly. "I'm… calm."
"Good."
I crossed my arms. "So, why did you call us this late? Don't tell me it's because we 'made a scene' in the dining hall—" That vermin asked
"I didn't summon you because of that. I have a mission for Cecilia, and I believe you," he looked at Asier, "would be a useful addition."
I stared at him.
A mission?
With whom?
Him.
Hell would freeze solid before I willingly go on the same mission as this vermin.
"NEVER!" we shouted in perfect unison.
"I'm not going with him!" I snapped. "He'll drag me down!"
He scoffed. "Please. I have a perfect mission record. I've never failed once."
"For your information, my record is perfect too."
His eyes narrowed. "You want to go?"
"You want to go?" I shot back.
Damian clapped his hands sharply. "Absolutely not. You are not starting this again in my office."
We both froze, mid-glare.
"At least let me explain before you tear each other apart," he said tiredly.
"…Fine," I muttered. "I'll listen."
"Same," he grumbled.
Damian pinched the bridge of his nose.
The man looked as if he had aged ten years in a single minute.
"Cecilia," Damian began carefully, "you recently completed the mission to locate the missing knights… though you returned with chimeras and the real culprit instead."
I shrugged. "Your point?"
"So," he continued, folding his hands, "His Highness has requested you for a specialized assignment. He wants you to… assassinate someone."
The room chilled instantly.
My voice dropped into a cold whisper.
"No."
Damian blinked. "Cecilia—"
"I said no."
My tone sharpened like a blade. "I'll kill whatever stands in front of me. But I won't assassinate someone hiding in the dark. I don't do that."
"But—"
"Don't," Nox growled, materializing beside me with glowing red eyes, "even think about forcing her."
Damian's jaw tightened.
Then that vermin stepped forward.
"I'll do it," he said simply.
I slowly turned to him, disgust curling my lip.
"Of course you will," I said. "If you're so eager, go for it. Take his orders. I don't care."
I walked to the window, opened it, and without hesitation—jumped.
"Cecilia!" Damian shouted, but I was already gone.
---
A knock came at the door.
Cael walked in, sighing heavily. "So, in summary… You assigned the one mission I explicitly warned you not to give her."
Damian rubbed his forehead. "I didn't force her."
"Doesn't matter. I told you, Headmaster. She'd react like this."
Asier crossed his arms. "What's her issue anyway. It's just assassination?"
Cael blinked at him. "Why are you still here?"
"The Headmaster never dismissed me," he replied curtly.
Damian waved a hand. "You're dismissed now."
As he left.
Cael leaned closer.
"The truth is… I've only heard rumours—"
Before he could finish—
BOOOOOOM!
An explosion ripped through the night, shaking the office and rattling every window in the academy.
Both men froze.
Damian's eyes widened. "That came from outside the academy grounds."
Cael grimaced. "...Cecilia."
The blast rippled through the academy grounds, a wave of mana so sharp it sliced the night air. The stone cracked. Dust rose like smoke. Students screamed as windows shattered from the shock.
And at the center of it all.
Cecilia stood alone.
Her hair whipped in the wind, mana crackling around her in unstable arcs, the ground beneath her feet scorched black. The air trembled with fury barely restrained.
Not chaos.
Not loss of control.
Vented rage.
Deliberate. Precise. Terrifying.
She stared at the sky, chest heaving not from exhaustion, but frustration.
"Assassination," she muttered, voice trembling with wrath.
Nox hovered beside her, lounging in the air like he was on a cloud.
"You know," he said casually, "most people vent anger by punching walls. You choose to detonate the courtyard. Very therapeutic."
She didn't answer.
She flicked her wrist mana surged again, cracking another line through the ground like a lightning scar.
---
Cael and Damian stood frozen.
"Did…" Cael whispered, "…did she just blow up the east courtyard?"
Damian closed his eyes. "Yes. Yes, she did."
"And she did it deliberately."
"Absolutely."
—
Again lightning crashed down onto the courtyard.
Once,
twice,
a third time.
Only after the fourth strike did the fury finally bleed out of my veins. The air crackled around me, scorch marks spiderwebbing across the stone.
I exhaled slowly, letting the last sparks fade from my fingertips.
"…That felt good."
"Why wouldn't it?" Nox drawled, hovering above the ground with a lazy grin. "You did pulverize everything into fine ash."
I giggled lightly, utterly unrepentant.
"No need to praise me. I'm obviously going to fix it before leaving."
And I did.
With a flick of mana, the destruction reversed, stones sliding back into place, scorch marks fading, debris turning to dust and drifting away until the courtyard stood pristine, untouched, like nothing had ever happened.
Once everything was restored, I sat down on the cool ground, leaning back on my hands as I lifted my gaze to the star-speckled sky. The air was calm again.
"I shouldn't have come here," I murmured, eyes tracing constellations. "I should've just kept going… took my family back. But here I am, because someone insisted I attend the academy since it was my 'dream.'"
Nox softly sat beside him.
"That someone," he said gently, "didn't know things would unfold like this. But didn't he also promise to protect a certain stubborn girl, no matter what?"
I bumped my shoulder against his.
"He's doing pretty well," I grinned.
Before he could respond, a frantic voice shattered the quiet.
"LIAAAA—! Are you okay?!"
Vivian sprinted toward us at full speed, Lux tucked protectively in her arms like a terrified child. Her expression was pure panic, eyes wide, voice cracking.
Nox tilted his head toward her, smirking.
"Look. Duckling number one has arrived."
I smacked his shoulder lightly. "Don't call her that."
Vivian reached me and practically fell to her knees, hugging me and checking me over with wild hands.
"Lia, the explosion—there was lightning—and then another—and then three more—and I thought—Lux thought—are you hurt?!"
Her worry was warm.
Annoying.
Overwhelming.
And yet comforting.
I sighed, patting her head like she really was a frightened duckling.
"I'm fine, Vivi. Truly."
Nox leaned back, smirking wider.
"And duckling number two should be arriving in three… two…"
But he didn't. Instead, I motioned for Vivi to sit beside me, and she quietly lowered herself onto the grass. Lux curled in her lap, purring softly as if trying to soothe both of us.
"Do you… Want to talk about what the Headmaster said?" she asked gently, hesitantly.
We both stared up at the sky, dark velvet scattered with stars before I dared to answer. I glanced at Nox first. He met my gaze, silent but understanding.
"It's your choice," he whispered. "Tell her only if you want to."
Opening up was never easy. People could become weaknesses, liabilities, or weapons used against me. Yet… something about Vivi made that cold instinct hesitate. Maybe it was her sincerity. Or maybe it was that she trusted me first, without knowing anything about me.
"The headmaster wanted to send me on a mission," I finally said. "And I refused. That lighting", I gestured toward the courtyard I had only recently restored—"was the result."
Her brows knitted slightly. "Was it… a mission you didn't like?"
I exhaled slowly. "Do you remember the conditions we met in? She nodded, "Back then, after I sent you home safely, I was always under constant threat of assassination."
She turned her head slightly, listening with full focus.
"Because of that," I continued, voice low, "I developed severe insomnia. My nerves were a mess. I never slept deeply. I never felt safe." My fingers tightened slightly in the grass. "And to survive… I assassinated more people than I want to admit. Enemies, threats, strangers. It became mechanical. Cold. Necessary."
Vivian didn't interrupt. Not once.
"But one day…" My throat tightened. Even now, the memory tasted like blood and guilt. "One day, I killed an innocent family by mistake. A child was holding her mother's hand when I found them." My voice weakened. "I thought—no, I believed—they were the targets. I… didn't even hesitate."
The stars blurred above me for a moment.
"After that, I swore. I swore I would never assassinate anyone again. Not even if the Emperor himself ordered it. Not even if my life depended on it."
Silence stretched between us soft, fragile.
Vivi's voice trembled when she finally spoke. "And now… are you okay?"
I gave a small, tired smile. "I'm fine now."
No, I'm trying to be.
She looked down at Lux, petting him absentmindedly. "You know," she whispered, "after you sent me home that night… I couldn't stop thinking about you. Not once." She laughed shakily. "I didn't even know your name. Nothing. I only remembered your hair and your eyes and how you protected me when you didn't have to."
I stared at her, stunned by the emotion in her voice.
"I kept wondering what happened to you," she said, voice thick. "Were you safe? Were you sleeping, starving, or hurt somewhere? I didn't know. But I hoped every day that I would see you again, even just for a second. Just to know you were alive."
My chest tightened.
She shifted closer, wrapping one arm around my shoulders in a warm, trembling embrace. Lux climbed onto my lap, nudging my hand gently.
"And now look at us," she whispered with a smile that wobbled at the edges. "I followed you all the way to the Imperial Academy."
For a moment, everything felt still. Quiet. Safe.
Her warmth pressed against my side. Nox sat on my other side like a silent sentinel. And above us, the stars kept watch.
For a long while… the world didn't feel so cruel as it had.
We stayed like that for a while longer, gazing at the sky, until we both sneezed at the same time.
And that was our cue.
"Alright," I said, standing up, "back to our rooms before either of us catches a cold."
As we walked through the quiet corridors, Vivian suddenly perked up.
"Lia," she said casually, far too casually, "how about you spar with me tomorrow?"
I considered it for a moment. "Sure. Why not?" I glanced at her sideways. "But don't expect me to go easy on you."
She laughed, bright and mischievous. "I wouldn't dream of it. Actually…" Her smile sharpened. "How about we make it a little more interesting?"
I stopped walking. "Interesting how?"
She turned to me with the most devilish expression I'd ever seen on her face. The kind that screamed plotting something dangerous.
"If I land even a single hit on you," she said sweetly, "you'll have to listen to me for an entire day."
I narrowed my eyes. This feels like a trap.
But I smiled anyway. "Fine. And if you lose, you'll listen to me, no questions, no complaints."
Her eyes lit up. "Deal."
We shook hands, sealing our fate.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had the feeling that I'd just agreed to something far more troublesome than a spar.
And yet… I couldn't stop smiling.
The next morning, Vivian arrived at the training ground before I did and immediately began warming up, stretching and channelling her mana with focused determination.
"What are you doing here so early even before Cecilia?" Cassian's voice came from behind her, curiosity sharp and feline, like a cat that had spotted something interesting.
She jolted. "You startled me!"
He grinned. "So?" he pressed. "Why are you here this early?"
Vivian hesitated for half a second, then smiled. "Lia and I made a bet. If I land even a single hit on her. She'll listen to me for an entire day."
Cassian's eyebrows shot up. "That's… interesting." His grin widened. "So what are you planning to make her do?"
"That," Vivian said sweetly, "is a secret."
At that very moment, I arrived.
"Cecilia!" Cassian called out. "I heard about your bet. I can't wait to see Vivian win."
"We'll see," I replied calmly, rolling my shoulders and stretching my arms overhead. "Hope is a dangerous thing, you know."
I turned to Vivian. "Are you ready?"
She straightened, eyes shining with excitement. "You bet I am."
The air between us tightened, anticipation buzzing like a live wire.
I lifted my hand lazily, frost already whispering around my fingertips.
"I'll only use one attribute," I said, voice calm, "But you're free to use whatever you want."
Her jaw tightened as she slid into her stance, mana flaring around her like a restless flame.
"Don't mock me," she shot back.
"Oh?" I smiled. "I'm being generous."
The air snapped.
No chants. No incantations.
Just pure, instinctive magic colliding.
Vivian moved first.
A wave of compressed wind screamed toward me, sharp enough to slice stone. I stepped aside without looking, the ground beneath my feet frosting over as an ice wall erupted behind me, shattering the attack into harmless mist.
She didn't stop.
Lightning followed thin, precise, fast.
I raised two fingers. Ice bloomed midair, crystallizing the lightning into a frozen lattice that shattered with a chime like broken glass.
"Too slow," I said lightly.
Vivian gritted her teeth and pushed harder.
The ground trembled as earthen spikes burst upward, forcing me into the air. The moment my feet left the ground, fire surged after me, spiralling like a living thing.
I laughed.
Ice spread beneath me, forming a floating platform as I skated across the air itself. With a flick of my wrist, dozens of ice spears formed and rained down not to kill, but to herd.
Vivian ducked, rolled, jumped, barely keeping up.
"You're thinking too much," I called out. "Magic isn't homework."
She snapped her head up, eyes blazing.
Then she vanished.
For half a heartbeat, I lost her mana signature.
Interesting.
A pressure shift behind me.
I twisted.
Too late.
A burst of mana slammed into my side, not sharp, not refined, just pure force and intent.
I slid back across the ground, boots carving grooves into the frost.
Silence.
Then
"…Did I hit you?"
She stood frozen in disbelief, staring at her own hand.
I straightened slowly.
There was a faint crack in the ice. But still—
I laughed.
"Well," I said, brushing frost from my shoulder, eyes gleaming with pride. "Look at that."
Her mouth fell open. "I…I actually—"
"You landed a hit," I finished, smirking. "Congratulations."
She let out a shaky laugh, half joy, half disbelief. "I did it!"
I stepped closer, towering over her, cold mana rolling off me like a winter storm.
"Don't get cocky," I said softly. "If this were serious, you'd be a popsicle by now."
She swallowed.
Then I leaned down, voice amused, almost proud.
"But still…"
"…that was good."
Somewhere nearby, Cassian stared with his mouth wide open.
And Vivian, still glowing with triumph, realized she had just done the impossible.
She had landed a hit on me.
To be continued....