Their original went to the trash bin the moment she had that epiphany after the brief contact with Rachel. In the bright flashes of light, she saw ‘the Creation’, the group of people in the ‘Battery Room’ and… Rachel’s death.

“There’s no such battles where sacrifices are not made…” the words of the Black Mirror rang in her ears and head as they made their way into the bowels of the dormitory. Not to their surprise, the group of cloak and red masks they saw that night didn’t seem to even hide themselves anymore. They stood at the side as the two girls walked on the red carpet down the lobby as they followed Fay and Hanzel whom they know is not truly them.

It was a trap that both girls clearly know they’re walking into and the moment they saw Rachel at the end of the room - they just know.

“Zielle and a little bug willingly entered the den? Ah… You’d think I wouldn’t know that it’s you all along that night of the explosion right?” Rachel said, her orange eyes looking down at the two girls down the ground floor before the stairs. Oddly enough, Daniel was nowhere to be seen - only the dorm warden.

“Ms. Meyusine… What exactly are you doing here?” Zielle asked as Rachel looked at her nails with a bored expression.

“A change of pace from my boring everyday life as a lecturer. Golems are fascinating aren’t they? They don’t really talk, they just obey. And more importantly, they are not some filthy Noi who had been such an eye sore in my sight” Rachel said, responded with Aediva’s snickering as she smirked in amusement.

“Well that doesn’t do shit to explain what you’re doing. Aren’t villains supposed to be showing a bit later in the story? You’re not exactly making much sense to reveal yourself too early” Aediva said. Rachel frowned, sounding unamused at the mere voice from Aediva.

“What do you think this is? A story book for children? You pisses me off. A boar. An uncultured girl who taints mage’s image by merely existing. What could you have been doing to make that stubborn principal accept you as a student?” Rachel asked, her tone condescending - honestly something that Aediva had horrifyingly gotten used to.

“My oh my, what a bitch. You thought I’d sleep with some old man just to get admitted to this academy? I’d rather drown in a lake before that happens. So out with it. What’s your story, old bitch” Aediva said with a rather nonchalant tone. Rachel gritted her teeth, slamming her fist on the marble railing.

“Little shit! Keep talking like that and see where you end up” Rachel said but Aediva laughed.

“Aww c’mon. No need to be so prickly. I’m just joking. What can someone like me, who can’t even use magic properly, do amiright? I know you’ll at least spare Zielle here so no harm in telling your villain’s story, right?” Aediva said, glancing at Zielle who looked at her with a concerned look on her face.

“I’ve lost my interest to even talk to a bug like you. Send her to the Battery Room. The least she could do to pay up for the carnage she did that night was dying as one of my Golem’s power source” Rachel said dismissively after a lengthy taunt from Aediva who only laughed before abruptly stopping.

“Huh… No fun at all. I know you hate me so much, you just can’t stand seeing me or even better, acknowledging my existence. I wonder if I’m cursed? Someone who has no magic suddenly created a blizzard in the middle of the school grounds and then she’s suddenly a student? Hahahaha~ Ms. Meyusine, you’re gonna die today you know” Aediva said, glancing around at the approaching bunch in black cloaks. Rachel spits to the floor from where she is and walks away - ignoring everything Aediva was saying including the warning that her life is in as much danger as the two students are.

“Aww no story exposition still? Too bad” Aediva said but was greeted with silence instead. Rachel was gone and they are now left to their devices with the suspicious group of people. Aediva sighed heavily as she nonchalantly reached into her pocket and threw the clear liquid from the bottle to some of her apprehenders who reacted to her action - invoking the aggression of the others. Zielle jumped away towards the railing upstairs with a shock wave that stumbled those around her.

Aediva punched off her opponents as Zielle, ready with her wand and chantings before shooting magic bullets towards Aediva who casually grabbed one of her opponent that was screaming in pain from the liquid splashed by the girl before using him as the shield from Zielle’s earthen magic bullets.

“AGH!!!” scream of agony almost ruptured Aediva’s eardrums when the man in her hand shouted the moment the magic from Zielle’s wand reached him. Unfortunately for him, Aediva throw him off to his comrades and a brutal sight it was when the man flail around wildly as brown crystals sprouted from his body. The moment she heard the sizzling noise, Aediva ran to the top of the stairs while grabbing the despondent seniors like they are a bunch of cloth dolls.

With one final blood-curdling scream, the man brutally exploded, sending shards of brown crystals to those around him and luckily not to the students who are protected with earthen shields floating at their backs.

“OH MY GODS! HE EXPLODED!” Zielle shouted in horror but Aediva hardly reacted like it was something new.

“Pegnel seeds are horrible aren’t they? Ugly and dangerous. That guy died quick thanks to your magic” Aediva said, flat-voiced as they ran down the hallway.

“YOU’VE DEFINITELY KILLED SOMEONE BEFORE!” Zielle said. Aediva merely gave her a dry smile.

“It certainly felt natural. Keep that as a secret will you, Z?” Aediva said with a wink, to the horror of the other girl who catches an unconscious Hanzel who was thrown towards her.

“One broom won’t hold this much weight!” Zielle said.

“Then better wake up these folks before we get to Arthur and Eden, huh?” Aediva said as Zielle let out a tired huff. They have just started and already, they caused so much chaos. The footsteps of their pursuers fast on their trails and again, Zielle flicked her wand to the floor and a wall of clay rose to create an impasse for their pursuers who definitely want them dead now.

“Do you know where Arthur and Eden are at the very least?!” Zielle asked when feeling Hanzel stirring as he hung like a sack on her shoulder.

“W-what…?”

“Good morning, sunshine! We’re on our road to a certain death. So why don’t you get to your senses quick” Aediva said to Hanzel.

“You’re fucking funny, Aediva!” Zielle shrieked, gasping when she heard the sound of the impasse she made blowing up.

“FAY?!” Hanzel shouted suddenly in panic and Aediva quickly interjected.

“With me. Not stirring awake yet but you should also know where Arthur and Eden are” the silver-eyed girl said. Hanzel grunted - not entirely sure of how to get out of this situation as they are hot in a dead heat chase.

“Arthur and Eden are in my room! On the third floor, at the right wing!” Hanzel said, flinching when feeling the cold graze of a magic bullet past his cheek.

“Oh shit, they’re really pissed. Alright, time to get this damn potion to work” Aediva said.

“Wait?! Is that--?” before Hanzel could even finish his sentence, Aediva said, “Yep” and threw the bottle on the floor. It wasn’t even a minute later when the explosive potion blew up, the shockwave blew the students away straight to the end of the hallways where their direction diverged.

“Left, there’s a secret passage on the third portrait. Hurry!”

They gathered themselves pretty quick, already up on their feet with Aediva carrying Fay under her armpit like a duffel bag as they went to the portrait which Hanzel promptly pushed to reveal a secret passage a little high up from the floor. Zielle easily jumped into the entryway, pulling Hanzel with ease and catching an unconscious Fay that Aediva threw towards them. Aediva was the last to enter. Before she fixed the portrait behind them, she shook a bottle of potion with clear liquid inside of it - to the complete horror of Zielle. With an earth magic stone already chipped and dropped inside the bottle, Aediva threw it right in the middle of the hallway and fixed the portrait to join the others.

By the time they are pretty far off, they only heard the sound of something grossly popping like a pimple midst the scream of agony and pain.

“What the hell?” Hanzel said.

“You don’t wanna know,” Zielle retorted as they fast-walked through the space and jumped off the tunnel when they reached a space deep inside the walls where all tunnels seemed to converge.

Aediva placed Fay on the floor, looking at Hanzel worriedly shaking her awake. For a moment, they are able to take a breather from an intense chase. After about a few minutes, Fay rose from her unconscious state and her cherise orbs blinked in confusion.

“H-Hanzel? What happened…?” Fay asked. Hanzel shook his head.

“We were controlled by Ms. Rachel since this morning, I think. Aediva and Zielle saved us but we are being chased by those people” Hanzel said and Fay merely nodded although still somewhat confused.

“We don’t have much time. They’re pretty good at finding people” at least looking a little composed herself, Fay said. Aediva and Zielle looked at the two seniors, waiting for them to move since they hardly knew that place but Hanzel and Fay gave each other a look and Fay reached out to Aediva’s hand.

“We… Ms. Rachel. She created a…” Fay stammered, not really knowing how to say what’s in her mind clearly but Aediva only let out a sigh and kneel beside the female senior.

“I know. That Golem. That’s why they need those people in those tube tanks, right?” Aediva said as Fay looked at her wide-eye.

“H-how did you--”

“I don’t recall telling you about the Golem. We just learned about it last night” Fay and Hanzel said looking a little spooked.

“... In any case, you’re trying to tell me to save those people in the Battery Room…” Aediva said. A frown creased her forehead.

“I’m sorry” Aediva said, oddly firm as she said it.

“Aediva…” Zielle looked at the young woman who looked at the floor instead of Fay.

“I’m only here for Arthur and Eden,” Aediva informed, releasing Fay’s grip on her hand as she stood up and turned her back to the two seniors.

“I don’t have the luxury to save everyone… So let’s not waste anymore time and get to where they are” she said, not anymore wanting to look at the seniors who are looking at her with pained disbelieving looks.

“So you’re just going to leave the rest here?” Fay asked, unbelieving at Aediva’s rather selfish decisions. What of other people? There are students, and even civilians in that room - waiting their time to die once Rachel activates the Golem.

“There’s no battle where sacrifices are not made…” the words of Black Mirror rang once again in her head. That’s right. Battles do not choose sacrifices, but she can choose who was going to be the ones left for sacrifice.

Aediva balled her fingers into fists yet there was no sense of regret in her heart or her mind. A partof her quiver from the sense of normalcy of her own actions as she left many others other than her two friends to their own fates. This is what she should do and could do.

“Sorry” she apologized despite not really knowing why she even apologized in the first place. She wonders if she is wrong for being selfish.

“I’m not here to play hero. If they don’t die today, they’ll die another time anyway” Aediva heartless uttered.

“I think you’ve forgotten that I’m just an ordinary girl who can’t even use magic properly no matter how much I try. I don’t even know why you guys even ask me to do something to stop that bitch. So stand up and let’s get going. You won’t have much time to help the others if you keep us waiting” she continued, her voice devoid of any particular emotion.

This is the right thing to do.