The bell above the bakery door chimed as the blonde pulled Kara inside, munching the last piece of her meat bun. The warm scent of baked dough wrapped around them instantly, but the atmosphere shifted the moment Serina spotted who was waiting.
Seth leaned against a corner table, sipping a steaming coffee, his split-colored hair falling over his eyes as he tapped a single white envelope against his palm. His gaze was sharp as it landed on Serina, then flickered to Kara and Yuri before settling back.
"Cutting school to gallivant around town," he said flatly, no warmth in his voice. "Real responsible of you, Einhart."
Serina rolled her eyes. "First off—there were no classes or training sessions today. Check the schedule if you don't believe me." She nudged Kara toward a free chair before turning back to him. "Second, 'gallivanting' is just a fancy word for 'finding a partner'."
Seth's eyebrows lifted slightly at that, his gaze darting to Kara again. But he didn't comment, just tossed the envelope onto the table between them.
"Professor Vance asked me to give you this. Said it's for replacing the ruined uniform this morning and covering the dry cleaning bill for that senior you fought." He paused, his expression darkening. "Also said you need to stop by the faculty office early tomorrow morning. Something about… again damaging the hallway wall and scorching the floor."
Kara blinked, looking between them. "Does this really happen often?" She said quietly.
"I'm their problem child." Serina scratched the back of her neck with a sheepish grin. "Apparently I have a knack for leaving destruction in my wake even when I'm trying not to."
"'Trying' being the key word," Seth muttered. "You could've spent the day gathering rank points or doing self-training instead of running off. The Grand Ascend isn't going to wait for you to get your act together."
"Hey, I was training," Serina shot back, gesturing to Kara. "We had a practice duel, and I found the partner I've been looking for. Kara here's got like a teleportation Arcana that's perfect for our squad."
Seth studied the brunette for a long moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. She shifted in her seat, Yuri curling tighter on her shoulder as if sensing her discomfort.
"Weren't you at the entrance exam for new students last week?"
"I-I was, yes..." she stammered, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her glass.
"Tell me, why did you attend Soulbound Academy?" He asked without a beat, leaning against his knuckles with narrowed eyes.
"H-Huh..?" Kara looked up, caught off guard by the direct tone.
Serina leaned forward immediately, ready to step in. "Hey, no need to grill her—" But the brunette touch her arm slightly, stopping her.
"I enrolled at Soulbound Academy because I'm curious about Arcana. . ." she said, her voice wavering as she avoid looking at him directly. "And I thought.. the academy was the best place to study it properly."
Seth was quiet for a moment, his expression unreadable as he processed her words.
Finally, he nodded once—a small, grudging gesture. But not out of acknowledgement.
"Teleportation's useful. But you'll need more than that to make it to the tournament, let alone graduate." He pushed off from the table, heading for the door. "I'll let Vance know you got the envelope.."
"Oh—and don't be late tomorrow. I want to start the Trial Run as soon as possible."
He glanced at Serina, then back at the brunette. "I want to see what your new partner is capable of. I'm still not convinced."
As the door chimed shut behind him, the blonde slumped against the table with a groan. "Geez... he's such a pain! Kara, tell me straight, did he upset you? I swear, I'll slap him right across the face."
Aunt Greta appeared at their table, setting down two glasses of cold fruit juice with a soft clink. Her eyes settled on Serina.
"That kid's always been sharp-tongued. At least he's not like my problem of a niece here. " she said, her voice rough yet warm. "Finally, someone can keep her out of trouble, i'm counting on ya, young lady." She nodded toward the brunette before turning to leave.
"Finish your drinks. I'll pack some extra pastries for you to take back home."
Kara picked up her glass, watching as Serina opened the envelope and skimmed the paper inside. "The damage bill isn't too bad, is it?"
"Eh, could be worse. They'll only give me cleaning punishment like before." Serina said with a shrug, folding the letter and tucking it into her pocket. "Professor Vance always says he'd rather deal with broken walls than broken students, especially when I'm stopping jerks from picking fights."
She grinned, leaning forward. "Speaking of tomorrow, first we'll get the paperwork sorted out to qualify as official members and sneak in a little training session. I want to figure out how to combine our Arcana properly so we're ready for anything."
Kara took a slow sip of her juice, her silver eyes soft as she looked at Serina. "Okay..." She paused, then added quietly, "And... maybe we should check the campus first? I haven't had the chance to tour the academy yet."
"Leave it to me!" Serina laughed, raising her glass to clink against Kara's. "I know every nook and cranny, even the ones they don't want students finding."
. . . .
Kara stood just outside the open bakery door, adjusting the strap of her bag as Yuri hopped on to curled around her neck. "Well. . . I should get going now."
She'd stepped out onto the sidewalk, ready to head home, while Serina lingered just inside the doorway, one hand resting on the doorframe as she watched her.
Before the blonde could say anything, a heavy hand settled on the top of the her head, warm and steady as it gently pushed Serina down a few inches.
"Move.." Greta said as she leaned past her niece. In her other hand was a paper bag of wrapped pastries, which she held out toward Kara.
"I know I said we don't give out free food," She continued, her gaze meeting brunette's with a rare softness around the edges. "But these were extra from this morning's bake. They won't stay fresh till tomorrow, be a waste to throw 'em out."
She nodded at the girl, her eyes crinkling just a little at the corners despite her serious expression. "Take 'em. Young people need proper fuel to keep up with my niece."
Kara blinked in surprise, then offered a small, grateful smile as she took the bag. "Thank you, ma'am."
"Just Greta," she said, giving Serina's head one last light pat before stepping back inside. "Stay safe out there. . . Streets are quiet this time of night, but keep your wits about you."
For a moment, they just stood there at the curb. Kara fidgeting with the strap of her bag, Serina shoving a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The quiet stretch between them felt gentle but awkward, and Kara found herself staring at her shoes.
Finally, she lifted her hand, hesitating for half a second before giving a small, careful wave. "Good night, Sena."
She turned to go, her steps slow at first as she made her way down the sidewalk. Serina watched her, expression softening as she saw how the girl kept glancing back over her shoulder.
Just as the brunette rounded the corner.
"Kara!"
Serina called out, her voice bright and clear in the quiet street.
"See you tomorrow!"
Kara paused, turning fully to face her with a surprised that clear her silver eyes. She lifted her hand again to wave properly this time, then disappeared around the bend.
Serina stood there a little longer, grinning to herself before heading off in the opposite direction.
"Aunt—Where did you place the checklist? I'm making a plan for tomorrow!"
The walk home stretched quiet and easy under the dimming street lights, Yuri's soft paws shifting restlessly from her left shoulder to her right, then perching atop her head like a fluffy white crown.
"Shh.. quiet down, boy. People might be asleep, you know?"
Kara kept one hand steady on the paper bag of pastries, warm even through the wrapping while carrying hints of sugar.
"Well now. That went rather better than I'd expected."
"Woah—!!"
Lamia's voice cut through the stillness without warning, making Kara jolt so sharply she nearly spilled the treats. Yuri yelped and scrambled down to cling to the hood of her jacket.
"Ancestor! You can't just pop in like that, you'll give me a heart attack!" she whispered urgently, glancing around the empty sidewalk to make sure no one had overheard.
"Don't worry, l'd say you're still fairly young for that."
The small figure flickered lively above her shoulder while Lamia settled into a cross-legs position. "I've been awake for nearly half the walk. You were so lost in your own head, you didn't even notice me materialize."
A faint smirk touched her lips. "Though I will admit, watching your first chat with that blonde girl was… something. So many pauses I thought you'd forgotten how words work entirely."
"Grrh. . ." Kara's cheeks flared bright pink. "I was not that bad! I just.. just needed a second to think before I spoke. That's not a crime."
"Thinking, or panicking about whether you were being too stiff? Or if she'd judge you for staring at your shoes the whole time?" Lamia's tone was teasing, but her eyes held a flicker of warmth. "Either way, you finally found yourself a friend. It wasn't as dreadful as you always fear, was it?"
Kara kicked at a loose stone, watching it skitter into the gutter. "It wasn't… bad. But it's temporary."
"Haah?" Lamia's exclaimed in exasperation, then her expression hardened slightly as she crossed her arms. "Don't tell me you think Serina's friendship meant nothing to her. That girl practically glowed every time you so much as glanced her way."
"That's not what I meant!" Kara said quickly, silver eyes wide as she looked up. "I think… I think she'll end up being someone really important to me. . . like you and Yuri. I know she cares."
She paused, fingers twisting in the bag's string. "I'm talking about the partnership. The team."
"If that's how you feel, then why call it temporary? It's a good thing you've made a friend, you won't be such a nervous wreck every time you're around other students now."
Kara shook her head, slowing her steps as she stared down at the cracked pavement. "It's not that simple. Even if I have a friend now… my anxiety doesn't just vanish into thin air."
She let out a soft sigh, clutching the bag closer to her chest. "Serina has this huge dream. . . she wants to make it to the Grand Ascend, be the absolute best. But that's not something I want for myself. I don't have any big goal driving me forward… I'm just going through the motions, taking each day as it comes."
Yuri nudged her neck with his wet nose, and she leaned her head to rest against him gently.
Lamia fell silent, watching her with a thoughtful, knowing gaze. "So it's more complex than I'd already figured, huh." She uncrossed her arms, her expression softening. "If that's how you truly feel… then what will you do then?"
Kara fell quiet. . . so still and silent that Lamia thought if she'd lost her connection entirely. The only sound was the gentle rustle of leaves and Yuri's quiet breathing against her neck.
Finally, she spoke, her voice barely audible. "I don't know…"
Kara reached into the paper bag, pulled out one of the pastries, and took a big bite. Flakes of crust dusted her lips as she chewed slowly, the sweet, buttery flavor spreading across her tongue.
After swallowing, she gave a small, shaky shrug. "Guess it's just… future me's problem to deal with.."