That morning when I got up, I felt like shit. My nose was stuffy, my eyes felt dry, and my hair looked unruly.

That sudden dream about my mom just came out of nowhere, messing me up. I cried in my sleep, soaking the pillow in tears. I got up to get some water to drink in the bathroom but it did little to soothe me. I couldn't go back to sleep after that, after tossing and turning for over an hour, so I said, 'fuck it' and decided to get ready for the day.

'Guess I'll have to sneak in some coffee when breakfast rolls around...' I thought, twisting the top back onto my water bottle, filled with fresh water. I just finished a yawn and proceeded to brush out my hair.

....the tattoo on her arm....why would there be a parallel between the dream and my drawing? Are my dreams trying to tell me something? Do I....not know my mom like I thought I did....? Is she's hiding something? And what's it have to do with me?

But then, knock sounded at my door.

"Yes?" I turned to see the door open and Rook standing by the doorway.

"Bonjour, ma cherie! Beautiful morning, no?" He sang. "There'll be morning training in the ballroom today. Just to remind you where we'll be." He winked and sauntered off.

I kept my eyes on him as he left and sighed, finishing with my hair and going back to my thoughts.

Now I knew why I drew that symbol yesterday....or did I?

—————————

In the ballroom, everyone was busy with their morning stretches. Charlie stayed off to the side, drinking her mocha and bit off a chunk of her raspberry cream cheese croissant she swiped from the cafeteria.

"I can't believe last night..." Deuce sighed, cracking his joints.

"My whole body felt numb due to staying on the floor..." Ace popped his shoulder.

"Fgnna....I'm not in the group so why did I have to go through this...?" Grim started to sway, feeling loopy.

"Actions have Consequences, nimrods." Charlie spat at them, sipping her mocha without a care in the world.

"Uh...you guys okay?" Epel walked up to them, worried. He looked at Charlie for an answer.

"They had a pretty rough night, let's put it at that..." she said.

"Ah! Morning, everyone! You're all here!" Kalim walks in with Jamil.

"I heard all the ruckus last night. And I got out of bed to see what happened because I thought someone broke in. You guys really are idiots..." Jamil sighed. "I saw you three on the floor when I went to go check out the scene..."

"It's not like we wanted to sleep there!" Ace huffs. "We got taken over by Vil's Unique Magic!"

"His Unique Magic?"

"It allows him to put a curse on whatever he comes into physical contact with." Charlie got up from her spot, finishing her croissant and explained the situation.

"Yea, like the food!"

"He puts curses in food?!" Kalim jumped back in shock.

"Yep...he did this so he could watch our every move until the VDC..." Grim shook. "Just the thought makes me feel Violated..."

"Well, I know I can track whether food is poisoned or not, but curses are a different story!" Kalim sighed.

"Since he used it, there may be traces of it left behind..." Jamil hummed in thought.

"So.... you're saying we can find out if there's remnant left behind in the food by detection magic?" Kalim guesses.

"No, it'll be difficult for someone as stupid as you to figure it out." Jamil bluntly sighed.

"What do you mean? You never know unless you try!"

"Wait, how can you notice if food's poisoned or not?" Ace asks.

"He's been poisoned before." Charlie bluntly admits.

"WHA?!" The three looked at her as if she was crazy.

"It's true...and because of that, we got made the poison testers over break.." Grim backs up.

"I had gone through that experience more than I could count..." Kalim nods sadly. "And as a result, I start doubting whether I could eat certain foods and ask myself, 'is it really okay'? Rather than suspecting the people I sit around with, I chose to enjoy it instead."

"I...guess you have a point." Deuce nods.

"If I know the food doesn't have poison in it before eating, it wont turn into a fatal mistake after I put it in my mouth, right? For both me and the person that may have laced it with the lethal drug."

"Uh, we don't really understand..." Epel mumbled.

"Let's say, the guilty party might regret what he just did later on, they could never redeem that mistake when i'm dead. He may be aware of his mistakes, but he lost the chance to fix what was broken. I don't want something like that to happen!

"There's also another story in my homeland. It's about the street rat who became a prince in a fortnight!"

"A thief became a king overnight?" Grim asks.

"The story oes that the street urchin crossed paths with the princess one day. Soon, he began to think back on all his mistakes and had a change of heart. So, he saved both the sultan and his daughter, the princess he met, from someone who wished to rule the kingdom the sultan had. And the princess married him and thus became king!

"That's story's a favorite of mine. Because the theme is that someone who greeds for themselves, when going through a change of heart, can come back to claim honor!"

"But the past is the past, it's not like you can change it..." Deuce countered. "It's what's next is vital.."

"But reality is a lot different than fairy tales." Charlie said. "No matter what, the baddies always meet their end whether on top or at the bottom. It's rare for them to have redemption."

"Exactly, Charlie-chan!" Kalim smiled. "That's why I want to keep going forward....That fact, and it's something I learned to live with just so I could enjoy a meal, too~ !" He laughed, unaware of the irk mark that appeared on Charlie's forehead.

"He's laughing after he told something so serious..." Epel questioned.

"Don't question it..." Jamil told him. "If it's coming from someone that keeps grinning, then it's not as serious as you'd think it was..."

"Yea...." Charlie nods. "Also, remind me again why someone like him was chosen for this school..."

"Yea he's too happy all the time it's making my ears feel itchy..." Grim scratched his ear after saying that.

"Huh? Was it something I said to offend you?" Kalim piques.

"It's not that you're offending anyone...but, you just seem different than everyone else who goes here..." Epel corrects.

"Oh! Well, here's the thing: I transferred here about two months after." Kalim answered. "Does that answer the question?"

"WHAT?!"

"Y-You transferred here...?!"

"You're that surprised?" Kalim chuckled lightly. "I mean, Charlie-Chan, she got admitted two days after she arrived!"

"But that's only due to a list of guidelines and rules the headmaster gave me!" Charlie inputted.

"And here I thought people were picked due to their soul shape via the Dark Mirror and were granted access." Ace adds.

"Well, you're right about that." Kalim nods. "But a month after Jamil was accepted, I got my admission letter from the campus later on. Don't know if it's through a mistake or a special entry, but before I knew it, the dark carriage came to take me!"

"So, your soul got acknowledged by the Dark Mirror after all?" Deuce inquired.

"We don't even know if that's the true method the Dark Mirror uses." Jamil debates.

'No...I remember from Jamil's memories: Kalim must've been made dorm leader and got accepted because of the domination his father made to the school...which led to the Headmaster pulling strings in the end...and as a result, Jamil never got the peace and quiet he craved.' Charlie theorized in her mind.

"And I'm glad to be here, since I reunited with Jamil and we became friends again!" Kalim smiled and crush-hugged the Viper kid.

"I-I thought I told you we aren't friends!" Jamil gritted his teeth in annoyance and tried to pry Kalim's smaller body off him.

Charlie laughed at the scene of affection when-

Clap clap!

"Is everyone present?" Vil and rook sauntered into the room together. "Have you all studied the song and memorized it?"

"As instructed by you."

"H-Hai!"

"Very well. Let's see what you've got. Play the music!" Vil calls out.

Charlie slams the play button and the guys start. Then....After a while, "OOOH! Ragazzi: quello era fuoco!" Charlie sang enthusiastically.

"YEAH! The vocals were so entrancing, I totally forgot the chorus part!" Kalim gushes.

"That won't get us anywhere." Jamil shot down.

"I'm just saying it's coming together nicely! I just feel like getting up and grooving already!"

"Tres Bien! Such wonderful harmony!" Rook sang.

"It's totally got soul!'" Deuce nods.

"Stop with the gushing, you. The main vocals and the chorus aren't doing so well." Vil commands. "Main vocalists are out of tune, and the chorus seems too forward!"

"We gave it our all and he's telling us we're 'too forward'?Backup vocals are more challenging...." Ace sighed. "Ugh, why can't I be a main vocalist as well?"

Vil shot his eyes towards Ace. "Potato 1. If you're not going to understand the importance of the backups, you're only pushing yourself farther and farther away from your prize. It's not going to be pretty if either sync together as planned. Just to remind you."

"Aye-aye, captain." Ace saluted lazily.

"On the day of Performance, We'll have to sing while the dance goes on. The difficulty level is being pushed....now onto dancing. Let's begin!"

————————

-Several days later-

Charlie racked her brain for the riddle's solution as she watched Epel start to sing his part while doing the moves as practiced. No leads were coming up so far, and she was getting stressed just from thinking about it alone. She took a sip from her flask of water to calm down.

"One day, I swear that I'll grow to be so beautiful I can't be overthrown~"

"Oh my god...no, no, no! That's not it at all! Cut the track!" Vil screams and Grim stops it.

"Vil, is something wrong?" Rook asked, but Vil ignored him and strode up to Epel.

"Epel!"

"Uh...y-yea?" the first year asks.

"There he goes again..." Ace rolled his eyes. "Scolding Epel again! I'm feeling sorry for him since he has to go through that everyday."

"Well, he's on main vocals. So it's a lot for him to handle..." Deuce told him.

"When he told me to stop the music, I just felt my tail curl between my legs..." Grim shook like he got dunked in water.

"Have you learned anything from your ballet lessons?" Vil snarled lowly. "I told you to throw away your expectations and not to give into prejudice! You can't sing without knowing the true meaning of the words. This isn't meant as a song of flirtation!"

"B-But...this is all the emotion I can show when it comes to the words!" Epel tried to defend himself.

"There's a line between being certain things. And There's a fine line between being emotional and acting empty-headed. You really think you can beat Neige with that attitude? From the top of your part!" Vil spat.

"No, there's a line between being rude and being a dick." Charlie, having watched the exchange with the others, muttered to herself. But then, she saw Epel's hands shaking rapidly before clenching into fists. Until, he pointed at his superior and screamed,

"NOW YOU LISTEN HERE! I didn't ask for any of this!"

Vil quirked an eyebrow up at his claim.

"I never wanted to join Pomefiore either! A-And just as Charlie said when she stood up for her friends and me that day in the courtyard! She was right: I didn't want to be a part of this! I didn't enroll at this school just to prance around in silly games! I came here to learn magic and be a strong wizard! I don't want to be seen as a cutesy and weak guy....I wanted to be someone that's strong and reliable!"

"That's enough out of you." Vil said coldly. "Only snot-nosed brats are allowed to throw tantrums just because they can't get what they wished for. You speak of being cute and being strong as if they were different, but both of them are, in their own right, a kind of power. And until you can get that through your thick-headed skull, you can never overthrow me."

"Shut up, you!" Epel threw back, tears gathering in his eyes. "...I've had enough of this...I'm done...I quit this team!!"

Ace, Deuce and Kalim's jaws dropped at his claim.

"Oh? Is that so?" Vil smiled cruelly. "Very well, have it your way. Get your pen ready."

Charlie had a feeling where this would go, and scrambled to her feet, walking fast towards the two. "No, stop this! This isn't right!" She tried to step in, only to feel someone hold her back through a hand on her shoulder. She looked over to see that it was Rook.

"No, Cherie. You don't want to get involved." He pleaded.

"Like hell you-" she started, but he kept her still and looked into her eyes and she saw something swirling inside the hunter's eyes: desperation. For her to obey and not step in between.

"But they're going to fight unfairly!" Jamil steps up to them and locks his hand over Rook's, his grey eyes flashing a warning towards him.

"No...just learn." was all the hunter said.

"Let's see what you've got." Vil taunts.

"No matter what happens, I'm not losing to you today!" Epel spat back.

"Someone stop them!!" Deuce screamed.

Lashes and Blows were thrown from either side of the room. Epel was strong but Vil was stronger. And with one final blow, Epel was shoved to the ground in defeat, hacking his lungs out.

"No!" Charlie screamed, and twisting away from Rook in a flurry, catching him off guard, she ran to the small boy. "Epel!" she cried, kneeling beside him, taking him into her arms.

"Ch-Charlotte-san...." he wheezed out, holding onto her arms weakly.

"Looks like I won again. You're neither strong nor adorable as of now. You're merely a plain apple that barely has a trace of poison. If you keep staying like that, you won't even land a scratch on me." Vil smirked.

"Holy shit...he's a beast!" Ace gawked silently.

"He may just give Leona a run for his money..." Grim agreed. Charlie sneered up at Vil.

"What is the matter with you?!" She screamed, holding Epel close to her like a mother would to their child. "This is not how you discipline underclassmen!"

"Hey, hey, Charlie, Vil, calm down! Please!" Kalim stood in between the two, worry etched into his eyes. "Epel's only a first year! Don't push him to the brink of exhaustion! There's rarely any people who can overthrow you in a fight!

"You stay out of this, Kalim! And that goes for you too, Ugly Ducking!" Vil snarled. "And as for you, Epel..." he directed his attention to the first year, who was helped up thanks to Charlie. "Do you not recall what I told you the first time? If you wish to change yourself, you must learn to be both strong and beautiful. Enough of your tears and get back in line."

"D...D-Damn you! I...I-I-!" Epel screamed, but choking on his own tears, fled from the room, throwing the doors open.

"Epel!" Deuce shouts.

"Leave him." Vil ordered. "I don't want members like him who blow up over the smallest of things."

"Well, you need to stop acting like a dictator." Deuce fired back. "He's giving it all he's got in every way he can, but you-!"

"Don't be so naïve as to think that effort can give you everything you want!!!" Vil roared, silencing Deuce, even catching Jamil off guard. "And also, Potato 2, Why do you even think you should be in a position to worry over others than yourself? You fail to make both ends meet when it comes to song and dance. The experience level between you and Potato 1 is opposite of one another. You just don't want to admit you're dragging everyone else down with you."

Charlie started to mutter something under her breath too soft for anyone to hear.

"But that's-!"

"Dead weights like you have no right to lash back." Vil finished.

Deuce felt the burning anger towards Vil rise ever so slowly, but through a few breathing techniques Charlie taught him, he calmed down and whispered, "Forget it then..."

"Well, you got a bit of a lashing." Ace shrugged, walking up to him, patting him on the shoulder. "I keep telling you don't stick your nose into other people's business. You're just that brainless and tactiless."

"....SHUT THE HELL UP!" Deuce, his anger having returned, slapped Ace's hand away and turned to face him, anger burning deep. "YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW THAT!!!"

"Wha-Dude! Why are you pissed at me, now?!"

"Someone as spineless as you won't get it!" the bluenette finishes before storing off furiously.

"WHAAAAA? What the hell was tha-?!" Ace didn't finish as he felt someone slap him across the face. HARSHLY. That it knocked him to the floor.

Kalim, Jamil, Rook and Vil stayed frozen in place as they looked on in surprise.

Ace recovered from both the initial shock and blow and looked up to see Charlie looming over him, her hand a stinging red, and her eyes looked down at him, full of rage.

"What was THAT for?!" Ace shouted at her.

"You're nothing but an insensitive ass!" She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and hauled him up to her face with all her strength, which was a lot more than the average quota.

"Yea, she's right. You gotta be more considerate towards others." Grim followed, more calmly than he showed. Don't get me wrong, he was close to pissing himself as well when Charlie slapped him out of nowhere. Gave him flashback to when they met him on Main Street their first day here.

"As if I wanna be lectured by the likes of you two!" Ace spat out, wrenching Charlie's hands off of his now crumpled and creased shirt. "And who even wants to care for those who drag others behind?! We may be taking the same classes, but he's no one to blame but himself!"

"....okay, we're not getting anywhere if we go on like this." Jamil decided to break the tension. "We need to destress."

"I agree. Let's pause here for now." Rook agreed.

"Yea. and maybe when the air's less tense."

"Sure..." Vil sighed. But just as he was about to walk towards the door-

"Hey, Vil!" someone calls out to him. He turned to the voice only to be met with a wave of water thrown at his face. The crystal liquid soaked him from his head to his hips, drenching the uniform darker than black.

His mouth was open, and breath turned shaky, out of the cold drenching him and from dwelling anger, as he opened his eyes only to see Charlie with a malicious sneer and her water bottle, cap free, thrusted out from her and towards him.

"Charlie..." Kalim squeaked. Everyone didn't move a muscle after what she did, even Rook was flabbergasted, and that's saying something.

"You....y-y-you..." Vil strangled to hold his queenly composure despite the mascara running down his face and his foundation cracking on his porcelain-like skin, and the growing craziness in his eyes.