It was supposed to be a peaceful lunch. She was still quite tired from the classes where she had to use magic.

“Cheer up Aediva. I think you’re doing much better than yesterday” Arthur said, placing a piece of potato wedge on Aediva’s plate. She wasn’t even able to eat it since the glutton Cath took it from her and ate it while staring at Aediva with his round argent eyes. The damn monster is just blatantly mocking her. She missed her obnoxious partner, the fork was stabbed so hard the utensil was crumpled as if it was made from aluminium foil.

Arthur and Eden looked with beady eyes at the cracked marble table top. Aediva growled, glaring at Cath as he kept making fun of the clearly bigger predator among them. What Eden contributes next only serves to make Aediva even more annoyed.

“Chill out, man. You’re not getting any cuter if you keep trying to kill this fluffball here. All the girls in the class love him. Must be hard having broken so many stuff isn’t it?” Eden meant to tease but Aediva’s readily fickle mood is about ready to explode because of his careless statement. Arthur was about ready to stop Aediva from strangling the idiot raven-haired male when they were interrupted by someone who approached them.

A boy. Seemingly ordinary students who looked like someone their age. A brunet with hazel eyes. He stood there for a while in silence, looking at Aediva. A little perturbed by his silence, Aediva parted her lips to say something but before she could let out any sound, the stranger boy spoke.

“... Can I talk with you? Alone?” he asked - to the confusion of the group who listened to him. Aediva blinked at the boy, not knowing who he is but she stood up from her seat.

“Okay sure. Lead the way” Aediva said, flat. Arthur and Eden frowned at her.

“Oi, Aediva. Careful now” Eden said out loud, noticing the boy flinching.

“You guys worry too much,” Aediva said, following the boy somewhere much more private to talk. It seems the boy didn’t even notice that they were still followed by the stubborn friends of hers. Well, not that he would have noticed in the first place. His senses are not as good as hers anyway.

As they came to a stop, she saw the look on the boy’s face changed. Suddenly, he bows at her.

“I’M BEGGING YOU! PLEASE TAKE OFF THE CURSE YOU’VE CAST ON MY GRANDMOTHER!” he said. Aediva almost had to ask him to repeat what he had just said again.

“Wait, what?” Immediately the moment she looked at the hopeful hazel eyes, glassy and filled to the brim with tears, Aediva felt a pang of guilt to her conscience. But she’s confused. What is he talking about? A curse?

“The curse you cast on the old janitor during your outburst. Please, I’m begging you” the boy sobbed as he bowed deeper. The image of Marie laying on the ground as white enveloped them surfaced in the girl’s mind.

“... Please…” the boy begged more. But Aediva was dumbfounded.

“I…”

What is she going to say? What is she supposed to say…?

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m following what you’re talking about…” she said, meek. Instantly, the boy straightened up - his expression shocked and the look in his eyes as if insulted.

“... You… Don’t tell me all those times… You never even bother to ask what you’ve done that day? What happened to the others?!” he said, his tone accusing.

“I did but--”

“Then take off the damn curse!” before Aediva could even finish her words, the boy interjected with a shout.

“My grandmother… Did you know how much she’s suffering because of that damn Frost you’re carrying with you?!” he shouted at Aediva, stunning her. He was just humbly begging her earlier. Why is he shouting at her without restraint now?

“ARE YOU ENJOYING HEARING ABOUT MY GRANDMOTHER FREEZING TO HER DEATH!?! SLOWLY TURNING INTO AN ICE STATUE?!!” he accused. Aediva only looked at him wide-eyed.

“I didn’t know…” she said.

“OF COURSE YOU FUCKING DON’T! ALL FROST MAGES ARE JUST MONSTERS WITH THE FACE OF A HUMAN ANYWAY!” he retorted the girl, sobbing right after that as he trembled while covering his face.

“Grandmother was right… If you just give Noi powers, they’ll just instantly misuse their powers. YOU FILTHY BITCH! TAKE OFF THE DAMN CURSE!!!” now the boy is just shouting at her unrestrained - wailing like a toddler having a tantrum. Aediva clamped her mouth shut.

“YOU’RE A FUCKING MONSTER! YOU HEAR ME!!!? YOU FUCKING MURDERER!!!”

She pretended it didn’t matter to her. She should’ve known that she had done something, as she said before, “unforgivable” that day, when everyone she asked just dismissed her questions.

“... ‘Frost’ should be destroyed”

“A heartless monster”

And how could she also forget how people looked at her with condescending looks when she destroyed so many things like the failure she is.

“What ‘Frost’ mage? She’s just a kid who just got lucky”

“She doesn’t even know how to do basic element magic. What a loser”

“Didn’t people say that she received a lot of offers from other schools too?”

“Please, she doesn’t even know how to use magic. She is just a stupid Noi after all. What an embarrassment”

She wasn’t expecting anything. Or so she thought. Maybe that’s why… she had the feeling to not get out of the academy in the first place.

An insignificant girl with no memories or knowledge of herself - let alone the world.. A failure at magic. A destructive person who is like a ticking time bomb.

She kept it all to herself. No one liked a crybaby anyway. So why… Why is she still crying in the presence of this young man? She felt embarrassed to her very core and she wants to hide somewhere in shame.

The tears wouldn’t stop falling to her cheeks and no matter how much she wiped them off, the tears still wet her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Blackhorns. I know I’m just a pathetic girl after all. I’ll just--” before she could even finish her sentence, she felt those warm bare hands cupping her face and his firm yet aloof voice cutting her off.

“Hmph, you weak creatures always worry about how you look in people’s eyes. What is there to be embarrassed about. To cry, to laugh, to be angry. Isn’t that something every being with emotions does?” he said, as if scolding her. Aediva sobbed.

“Just cry when you want to cry. Do not concern yourself with anything else in my presence, lass” Naffael sighed. Those golden orbs stared into the glassy silver ones.

“... You’re not weak for showing emotions or admitting your own lacking. What’s more important is to the ability to stand up right after that. Or do you think I’m wrong?” he said again, taking out the candy he’s been keeping in his pockets, unwrapping it and popping it into the girl’s mouth. Seeing her tears stopping, he gave out his expensive smile - taking note at Aediva’s red nose and slightly swollen eyes.

“Thank you, Blackhorns…” Aediva thanked, feeling the soft fabric against her sticky cheek. She only stared as Naffael wiped her cheeks with his handkerchief - taking it to her own hands when he lingered at her nose.

“Ah, I’ll wash it and give it back to you” she said, realizing she just casually wiped her snot with the handkerchief that belonged to someone.

“It’s just a handkerchief. There’s no need to return it back, lass. Use it freely. I allow it” the blond Adonis said with a short amused huff.

“But…” before Aediva could even voice her protest, Naffael silenced her with a pat on the head.

“It’s almost sundown. It’s not a good habit for a girl to wander out late. Real monster might hunt you down if you’re careless” he said with a chuckle. Aediva pouted.

“You’re treating me like a kid… Even senior Aerelle treated me like a child too” she grumbled under her breath, peeking at the amused giant sitting beside her on the bench.

“Go back to the dorm, lass. Hm… If you’re free tomorrow, you can come back here. I can teach you a few things about magic. After you help out to fix the flowerbed you flooded earlier of course. I could use an extra pair of hands” Naffael suggested. Aediva perked up, blinking at Naffael before giving him a grin - her adorable canine teeth peeking as she beamed at him.

“Okay! I’ll help you!” Aediva said. Naffael uncrossed his legs and stood up - mirrored by Aediva as she gathered her things, specifically her sweater, the spool and the broom. He watched as the girl ran a few steps away before turning back to him with a short wave and running back to where the Aval Dorm is. The golden-haired dragon looked up the reddening sky, turning to the direction of his dorm himself - noticing the rowdy noise coming from where Aediva went.

He turned his head to look where she was. His far-reaching sight observing her only a few steps away from his personal territory of the academy with the little monster - couldn’t help but feeling amused that she still entered his magic garden despite the warning signs hung around the trees at the perimeter of the garden. He chuckled, hearing the sound of the wooden placards being ripped apart by his magic as he walked down the path to Kazbelius Dorm.

“Personal territory of Lord Allergard. Do not trespass. Intruders shall be punished!”

The final wooden placard fell from the tree, ripped to pieces by a violent blade of winds until it was only wooden dusts.