It was almost a disaster. At least Cath found a magic stone suitable for him. The same cannot be said for the first year female student though. The students, the monster and the shopkeeper looked at the destroyed entrance of the shop and the messed-up interior. Layla blinked as she saw her store, or more specifically, the portal to her original shop was destroyed.

The girl with platinum blonde hair all messed up and shaken looked at the destruction she had caused during her wand testing session. A trembling mess as she visibly tried to shrink as everyone present looked at the crumbling walls of the shop’s first floor. A piece of wood fell to the pile of concrete and wood on the ground, as if to add more to her already injured pride.

“I’m so sorry…” Aediva apologized timidly. Layla smiled, turning to look at Aediva curling into a ball in shame.

“Well… I supposed none of the ordinary wands are working for you” Layla said, rather calmly - as if used to the amount of destruction she saw right in front of her. She took out the wand that was strapped to her waist and flicked it towards her destroyed shop.

“Reffhiel Andus” she chanted, waving her wand at the shop that was instantly reverting to its original, much better condition than after she exploded the place with her magic.

“Time magic?” Aediva blurted in awe but Layla turned to look at her with a smile.

“Restoration magic, my dear. A much more harmless type of time manipulating magic. Can only be used on inanimate objects, not humans. Those are forbidden” Layla said. Aediva nodded, about to sigh in relief if not for the thought of the destroyed interior of the shop that spiked her anxiety. Layla’s nervous laugh is starting to erode at her pride even more.

“Well… If wands can be restored easily, I wouldn’t be a wand creator anyway. Hm~ Well, no worries. Everything can be replaced. I’m just glad no one is hurt” the redhead woman said.

In the end, they left the Pavilion, Cath happy with his new magic tool and Aediva wanting to break down when thinking of how destructive she is. Oh well, put up her normal face and wave at everything.

She pretended to not notice the look on Aerelle's face as she waved at him before running back to her dorm. The moment her back was turned, the smile on her face disappeared almost instantly.

Ever since that day, everything and she meant, everything went to shit - or at least she was beginning to see clearer of everything going on around her in class. More specifically, practical magic. She had all the knowledge from all the books she read about theories and whatever else she can find in books but aside from factual subjects and potions class, she was doing badly at everything. Not to mention, she never really went to the Pavilion for anything like searching a wand for herself.

Conjuring simple spells, using any kind of magic tools or the stones itself were like asking for people around her to get hurt. At least she got the 500 spools of threads done with after a week. Lisa was pleased but still reminded Aediva that her work is not yet done.

What irks Aediva most is, that day alone she broke and exploded way too many things, more specifically the brooms, either by her brutish strength or by her own mana. And the one that took the most ire in her is Cath.

“Nyahahaha~ Still can’t fly on a broom can’t you, minion! Poor you~~~”

It was the first Monday since their first day as students, during the flight lesson during gym period. Aediva boiling and trembling in anger as she saw the black feline monster flying on a broom at a height just out of the reach of her own broom.

Her face is dirty with patches of dirt and scratches from falling after a failed attempt at flying with the broom. Arthur, as usual, sympathized with her but both Eden and Cath went ahead to laugh at her without restraint. The damn duo.

Snap!

Aediva’s eyes went wide when seeing the broom in her hands broke into two. She shrieked, seeing their gym/flight class lecturer turning to look at her so quick the moment she heard the loud crack.

“AEDIVAAA!!!” the buff-bodied female with pink hair and red eyes, that towered over any students of the class shouted, chasing after the terrified girl.

“PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON ME!!!” Aediva shouted.

The second week of school, she was getting used to being laughed at by her classmates. The murmurs and whispers and the disdainful look…

The next time he encountered her again, she was flat on the ground - miserable and tired. A hand spool on the other hand and a new broom she managed to get after persuading Ms. Thalla, their gym/flight teacher, to give her a new one for practice.

She flinched when she saw someone stopping before her. Lifting her head up, her eyes went wide upon seeing the familiar golden-haired giant with ebony horns. It was a new sight.

Him wearing a green apron, his sleeves rolled with the standard black gloves she saw some of her other classmates, both girls and boys are wearing. His face is dirty with traces of ground dirt on his cheeks.

“Blackhorns…?” Aediva called out to him. Naffael squats beside her, tilting his head curiously - wondering if he should pick her up like last week.

“Blackhorns… I think I’m cursed… I destroyed so many things! It’s only the second week of school and I have destroyed a shop, destroyed one too many of the standard student wands and obliterated magic stones into dust! Dust!” teary-eyed, she complained to him.

“I’m done… I hate school! I was bested by a stupid monster who can’t even remember the names of a simple herbs!” Aediva complained again.

“And he ditch me to go out with those girls in our class! To a cafe! Without me!” she planted her face to the grassy ground, sobbing away all her miserable few days. Naffael only stared, putting aside the watering can in his hand before patting the girl on the head in silence. She really had harsh days indeed.

“... Want to help me with the garden?” he suddenly asked her. Aediva looked at the young man, feeling a little odd but interested. She nodded her head and grabbed the hand he extended so kindly to her.

“Okay…” she said. Maybe she just needs to get her mind off studying and classes for a bit. She never knew the garden she was stuck in before was a garden taken care of by “Blackhorns”. It was huge, filled with so much flowers that she had only learned from the books. After all, she really couldn’t remember if she ever saw any of them herself. Although she was tired since she had to face at least three practical magic classes, the least of her worries is someone enslaving her for work.

For some reason, she had never felt as if the mysterious being wanted to do any harm to her. Some might call it naivety but she calls it instinct. It was all instinct that had driven her all these times and though it does proven to be a little lacking especially to those like Marie…

As that thought passed, her mind went silent. Her silver orbs staring at the brilliantly colourful Freesias - not noticing that she was over-watering the patch of flowers until she felt her hand being lifted by the blond who had been observing her since the very beginning.

“You’re over-watering the flowers” Naffael’s husky voice snapped her back to her senses. Seeing what she had done to the flower, she was overcome by guilt - her eyes turning glassy.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Blackhorns. I didn’t mean to--”

Naffael shook his head and put away the watering can he took from her hand.

“It’s fine. I can fix the flower bed later” he said, reeling back when the girl leaned her head on his chest.

“Tell me. What is it that bothers you, lass? I’ll listen to what you have to have to say…”

For a while, Aediva only stared at that mysterious senior before looking away - stepping back a bit from her casual contact with someone she hardly knows.

“... S-sorry. I… I’m fine, really” she lied, rather obviously. Honestly, just letting people see her like this…

Aediva almost jumped when feeling the oddly warm hand on top of her head. Why is it she wonders…

Why does this warmth feel so familiar...?