Back at Privileged Hall...

A single explosion had swallowed nearly half the hall. Leomaris was still caught in dazzlement, but the thought that gripped him most was how he’d survived at all.

Without realising it, driven purely by the will to survive, he’d used Charlotte as a shield in the heat of the moment. And yet, as if Charlotte had already wanted exactly that, she muttered a few words.

The words materialised into shields and covered them from the explosion. Not without Leomaris walking away with a concussion.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

His vision was barely there, but he felt every bit of it. Charlotte, who had been behind him and was far less worse off, dragged him from the debris, through the rubble and the blazing flames.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Once in the open, her words pushed toward him, trying to break through. His head only throbbed, though, the pain louder than anything else. Everything else remained a distant silence.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Guilt from using Charlotte as a shield seemed to have soaked into his very bones, and he forced his eyes open through every ounce of agony and pain.

A malicious aura, radiating from Charlotte, was what greeted him.

She blurted the words out, barely reaching Leomaris, and as her ability required, they appeared written across the sky. Gone almost as quickly as they came, save for the ones her ability needed to hold onto.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Those words materialised into two long, white, foggy arrows, as if conjured from pure energy or spiritual force.

One launched itself skyward without a moment’s hesitation, moving at a speed that cleared nearly every cloud in view. The other followed shortly behind.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Blades of pain cut through his skull with every movement. Still, Leomaris forced his gaze skyward. Up there, he could see where the missile had probably come from.

Past the clouds, two spirits lingered, nearly impossible to see through the darkness. But Charlotte’s arrows found one before long, striking it down and destroying it completely.

Confusion remained, but Leomaris knew what always followed an attack of that magnitude.

His eyes on Charlotte, he pushed through his sluggish body, got to his feet, and caught her before she could collapse.

His legs trembled beneath him, blood trailing through his golden hair, down his face and neck. Even so, he believed it was the very least he owed Charlotte for saving his life.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

With what strength remained, he carried her in his arms and headed straight for the infirmary.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

—

Hours later in the infirmary, Leomaris opened his eyes, having collapsed not long after arrival. They recoiled instinctively, clenching shut against the glare of the light above.

But that was the least of his problems...

Copper pipes rattled softly above the bed, breathing warm clouds of antiseptic steam into the room while the scent of oil, burnt coal, and bitter medicine clung to the stale air; beneath him, the leather-strapped mattress crackled with stiff horsehair stuffing every time he shifted.

Having smelt medicine every single day for six years in his previous life, the scent sat poorly with him. He made to rise, his head screaming in protest, and immediately knew better than to push it.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

With gritted teeth, he reached for the bandages wrapped around his head.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

"What the heck happened?"

He began piecing together what had happened, until something in his peripheral vision gave him pause.

Beside him to the left, Raine was fast asleep in a chair, a tray of peeled and sliced apples resting on the table by the window.

’Wha— what’s she doing here?’

Many questions, but waking Raine wasn’t the answer. His mind drifted to the pressing matters soon enough.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Certain things were clicking into place. The malevolent energy Charlotte had radiated before sending those attacks and why she’d gone down soon after...​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

’Her contractual cost makes her emotions sway out of control whenever they are triggered, forcing her to curse and speak whatever is on her mind. Her ability’s power stems from conviction and emotion. But she is too weak right now, and the attack drained all her stamina. However, the bomb...’

It hadn’t happened in the novel, but so many things had changed already for him to trouble himself with that. Even so, it didn’t add up.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

’Charlotte’s arrows struck a wind spirit, and unlike beasts, spirits cannot be killed while their summoner is still alive. Yet since it vanished, I assumed Charlotte had killed it.’

Burning pain aside, he shifted on the bed until he found a more comfortable position.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

’Who would be foolish enough to attack the academy? Even my father isn’t that stupid. And I don’t think anyone in the underground would be naive enough either... unless—

Before his thoughts found any ground, the bed shifted slightly, the springs letting out an irritating creak that worked its way through the room and woke Raine.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Wiping her eyes, she let her crimson gaze settle on Leomaris and stretched quietly.

"I thought you would never wake up."

"It doesn’t sound like you actually wanted me to."

She furrowed her brow.

"Why wouldn’t I? You’re my fiancé and my sworn ally. What kind of person do you think I am?"

Leomaris let his expression grow lazy with amusement. "Is that so?"

"You don’t believe me...?"

"Why wouldn’t I? You’re my fiancée and my sworn ally. What kind of person do you think I am?"

Unimpressed by the crude sarcasm, Raine shook her head in disbelief. Yet the wide grin on Leomaris’s face said he was surprisingly enjoying every bit of his own company.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

"You’re surprisingly optimistic for someone who almost died."

She picked up the sliced apples and passed them to Leomaris. "Eat something."

He didn’t want to admit it, but her kindness pleased him, softening him just a little, whether he liked it or not.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

"I’ve faced death before, and it scared me long enough to understand it more than most. All that matters is that I still breathe, because facing death only leads to pain."

He smiled and shrugged, helping himself to the apples.

"Pain is just pain. It eventually fades. Life, however, is different. When life fades, it becomes death..."

His golden eyes settled on Raine’s red ones, a warm smile finding its way to his lips.

"...smile whenever you can."

Between confusion and admiration, Raine’s expression couldn’t quite settle. In the end, a smile won out.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Suddenly, a knock at the door, but whoever it was didn’t wait for an invitation before pushing it open.

Intimidating red eyes landed straight on Leomaris, cascading golden hair flickering behind her in the warm breeze from the window.

Whatever ease sat on Leomaris’s face moments ago contorted into confusion. He grew uneasy at once, his shaking hand revealing the fear his expression refused to show.

’Rosay? Why is she here? Don’t tell me it was her... Did she try to kill me?’

Rosay gave him a gentle smile. "How are you doing, little brother?"