While we waited for our seniors, I sent an anonymous letter to the guild in Vernisul, one that would make sure the children were taken care of. Before the collapse, I had teleported them away as well. Their parents deserved closure. At the very least, they deserved to know their children hadn't been abandoned unlike someone.
"They're not coming," I said at last, breaking the silence. "Let's leave, Vivian."
"Can't we wait a few more hours?" she pleaded, looking at me hopefully.
I sighed. How could she still hold out hope for those spineless cowards? I only revealed their family names, and they'd fled with their tails tucked between their legs.
"I'll wait one more hour," I said firmly. "Not a minute more. If they don't show up, we're leaving."
Slipping under the blanket and turned on my side. "I'm taking a nap."
Her lips curled into a mischievous grin. "Then I'll nap too."
Before I could react, she slid under the same blanket.
"What are you doing?" I demanded, thoroughly flabbergasted.
"Napping," she said innocently.
"No, you're not. Just because I let you sleep next to me once doesn't mean you get a repeat invitation."
"Oh, come on," she said, snuggling closer without shame. "There's only one bed. And it's freezing."
"Nope. Absolutely not." I shot up. "I'm getting out."
"Ehhh—!"
I barely made it two steps before she followed, laughing, chasing me around the room like this was some game. I dodged a chair, she lunged, nearly tripped, and laughed even harder.
Her laughter echoed through the room, light, unrestrained, warm.
And for a moment, it softened the hollow ache in my chest, leaving behind a quiet, lingering sadness.
She chased me for a full hour. A full hour with a grin
Between her and the fire-magic stone flickering and the constant circling the room, we were both sweating by the end of it.
"You're insane," I said between breaths, still dodging her. "Chasing me around for an entire hour—"
And then I laughed out loud.
She froze mid-step. "You're laughing," she said, astonished and unmistakably proud for making me. "I made you laugh."
"I am not laughing," I said immediately, turning toward the door with what I hoped was dignity.
"You can't deny it," she shot back, pointing dramatically. "We all heard it."
She gestured to Lux and the frost dragon, both of them who stared at me half asleep.
"You really were," Nox's voice chimed in my head, laced with teasing amusement. "All the time I spent raising you," he said, deliberately overdramatic, "has finally paid off. You've actually learned how to have fun."
Before I could defend myself, there was a knock at the door.
"Apologies for disturbing your rest," a timid voice said. "I'm from the front desk. Your companions asked me to deliver a message."
"Enter,"
The door creaked open.
"What exactly did they ask you to deliver after running away like cowards?" I asked, my tone dropping several degrees.
The receptionist swallowed. "They… wanted to inform you that they'll be returning at a later date. And that if you wish to return as well, you may."
She looked like she was bracing for execution.
I clicked my tongue. "See?" I said, glancing at Vivian. "I told you. Spineless cowards."
"If that's all," the receptionist said hurriedly, "I'll return to my desk—"
"Wait."
She flinched. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know where they are!"
"I was going to pay you," I said flatly, handing her a small pouch of gold. "For the trouble we caused."
Her fear evaporated instantly, replaced by professional devotion. "Dear customer, please visit us again."
Vivian whistled, slinging an arm over my shoulder. "You're loaded."
Of course I am. After power, money is the second strongest thing in existence. You can buy anything with it: love, loyalty, silence. Even immortality, if you know where to look. Everything is possible as long as you have it.
I turned away. "Now stop admiring and let's go before night falls."
I scooped up the frost dragon and Lux. "To hell with the three of them. If they want to be cowards, I'll simply fabricate the truth."
We headed into the forest.
"Lux," I said, setting him down. "Transform."
He did. As I cast an invisibility spell over us, then tossed Vivian a fur coat, gloves, and a scarf.
"Wrap yourself up," I said.
She smiled, eyes bright.
She climbed carefully onto Lux's back, snug in the fur coat, gloves, and scarf I'd handed her, I took my place behind her.
"Aren't you going to bundle up too?" she asked, glancing back at me.
"One coat is enough for me,"
"You won't let me fall, will you?" Her voice was cautious, tinged with nervous excitement.
"I won't," I said firmly, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. "Lux, it's time. Fly straight to the dorm."
With a deep, powerful beat of his wings, Lux surged into the sky. The ground fell away beneath us, shrinking rapidly into a quilt of snowy trees and winding roads. The wind howled in our ears, tugging at scarves, pulling hair into our faces, sharp and cold, and Vivian instinctively clutched Lux tighter. She dared a glance downward and froze.
The world below, once familiar, had transformed into a dizzying weave of white and shadow, rivers glinting like silver threads through the forest. The mountains in the distance seemed impossibly far, and the clouds above mirrored the snow below, blurring the lines between earth and sky.
"Vivian," I said softly, nudging her shoulder. "Open your eyes. Look."
Hesitantly, almost trembling, she opened her eyes.
The horizon had caught the dying light of the sun, spilling gold, amber, and violet across the sky. The snow below reflected the colours, turning forests, rivers, and mountains into a breathtaking mosaic. Even the small villages looked like specks of glitter scattered across the land. The vastness of the world stretched in every direction, endless, overwhelming, and beautiful all at once.
"It's… It's beautiful," she whispered, voice trembling, awe mingling with lingering fear. Her hands loosened, and she leaned back slightly, drinking in the sight.
"See?" I said, my voice calm, "The world is bigger than any fear, bigger than anything. You just have to look at it from the right height."
Lux soared higher, The wind tugged at the scarves, whistling through the snowy landscape. I could feel the cold bite, but it was nothing compared to the warmth of witnessing Vivian's expression change, the fear giving way to wonder.
Her gaze roamed across the horizon, lingering on the rivers that sparkled in the sun, the mountains shadowed by the setting light, the small, silent villages that seemed to hold entire lives within them. She shifted slightly, laughter trembling from her lips as if unable to contain the mixture of fear, exhilaration, and awe.
"Not bad, huh?" I said, leaning back slightly. "The world looks even better from up here."
Vivian let out a small laugh, the kind that seemed to echo far beyond the cold wind, carrying joy she hadn't allowed herself in weeks. "It's… amazing," she said, whispering more to herself than anyone else.
"Everything looks smaller from up here, doesn't it? All the chaos, the monsters, the danger, they don't matter."
Her eyes, wide and shining, met mine briefly. "I… I never thought I'd see the world like this," she said softly. "Not like this."
I said, voice low, almost a murmur. "Then remember it. Remember that there's more out there than just the things that you can try and experience. "
She leaned back into me slightly, relaxed now, and Lux twisted his wings gracefully, gliding us higher still. The sun touched the horizon, painting the world in fading gold and violet, the snow below reflecting the light like a sea of diamonds.
"Enjoy it while it lasts. Up here, the world feels like it's ours."
As the sun finally dipped below the horizon, the snow-blanketed forests glowed faintly in twilight, rivers reflecting the last light like molten silver, and the mountains stood shadowed but majestic.
"Almost there," I said, as the wind shifted from biting cold to a warmer, gentler current.
Vivian had completely lost herself in the scenery below. I knew she was taking it all in the sprawling forest, the fading sun kissing the horizon.
I loosened my grip on her shoulders and rose carefully into midair. Her head snapped up, and her eyes widened in full-blown panic.
"What are you doing, Lia? Sit down!" she yelled, clutching my coat as if she could physically pull me to safety.
"Relax," I said, keeping my tone light, "I need to make sure we land somewhere safe."
"You can do that sitting down!" she protested, tugging at me frantically.
Too late. I leapt, cutting a gentle arc through the wind. Her scream followed me, sharp and panicked.
"Lia!"
"Lux, follow me," I called, my voice cutting through the rush of air. He followed close behind, wings steady, as I guided us toward a safe clearing beyond the dorms.
Vivian's jaw dropped. "You… can fly?"
I shrugged casually. If we had landed directly in the dorms, it would trigger the academy's defence mechanisms. It would look like a dragon was invading, and even I wouldn't be able to explain that mess.
We touched down in a quiet clearing at the edge of the forest behind the academy. She was unusually quiet until…
"That was… so cool!" she breathed as I helped her down, her eyes sparkling like the frozen world around us.
"What was—" she started, but then her gaze flicked to me, wide and earnest. "Teach me too, Lia! Please!"
I froze for a moment. She looked at me with mixture of awe and determination. My fingers brushed the pendant around my neck instinctively, a weight of memory settling over me.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly, my voice steady but final. "I can't teach you how to fly."
Vivian frowned, confusion flickering across her face. "Why?" she asked, persistent as ever. "You taught me everything I know today."
I met her gaze, unflinching. "I can teach you something else," I said calmly. "Something far more powerful."
Then, more softly, "But flying… that's something I won't teach you."
She hesitated, studying my face. "Does it have a special meaning to you?"
Of course it does but that wasn't something she needed to know.
"It does," I answered after a moment. My fingers brushed the pendant at my chest, a habit I didn't bother hiding. "My father taught me how to fly. It was the very first thing he ever taught me."
That was enough.
She stopped pressing, her expression gentler now. "Then you don't have to teach me," she said quietly. "I'll figure it out myself."
I let out a soft chuckle, amused despite myself. How easily she believed she could achieve anything she set her mind to. Life didn't work that way. Nothing worth having ever came without sacrifice. Power always demanded a price and it was rarely fair.
Still… that confidence of hers wasn't something I wanted to crush.
"Come on," I said, turning toward the path leading back to the dorms. "Let's head inside."
She followed without another word, the quiet between us comfortable, the forest closing in around us as the night settled leaving behind the echo of wings, and the things that could never be taught.
"Finally," I murmured, sprawling across the bed with a sigh of relief, the frost dragon curled at my side, and Lux settled near my feet. "I can relax."
Nox emerged from the pendant in a ripple of dark light, stretching. "I didn't realize you held me in such regard,"
"Why wouldn't I?" I replied, rolling onto my stomach to face him. "You were the one who taught me how to fly."
"I was," he said, settling down beside me. His voice softened. "But I never thought you'd call me father."
I inched closer without hesitation. "You are," I said simply. "You're the one who pulled me out of my darkness and taught me how to wield it instead of letting it consume me."
His hand rested against my head, steady and warm. "And you," he said quietly, bumping his forehead against mine, "are the one who freed me from the prison I was trapped in."
His voice dropped, fierce beneath the affection. "I won't let anything ever happen to you. I'll annihilate anything that dares hurt you or even makes you sad."
I smiled faintly, eyes already growing heavy. "I know."
And just like that, I drifted into sleep, curled safely in Nox's arms, knowing with a certainty that nothing in this world could harm me while he was by my side.
That certainty didn't last long.
By afternoon, both Vivian and I stood before the headmaster, Cael and Professor Soleil flanking him like silent judges.
"Miss Cecilia. Miss Vivian," Headmaster Damian said evenly. "Would either of you care to explain why you've returned without your assigned seniors?"
Vivian didn't hesitate.
"Headmaster," she said flatly, "we came back because our seniors are cowards."
The room went still.
Every gaze snapped to her, mine included.
"They ran," she continued, jaw tight, eyes burning. "The moment Lia spoke their full names, they fled. Even after she saved all of our lives. I wanted to crush their skulls for it but I restrained myself."
"Miss Vivian," Professor Soleil snapped, voice sharp with reprimand, "mind your words. You're in the presence of the headmaster."
"It's fine, Professor," Damian said, lifting a hand. His eyes shifted to me, calculating.
"Miss Cecilia, answer me this: Did you, or did you not, kill your seniors?"
For a moment, I simply stared at him.
Then I smiled.
Cold. Empty.
"Headmaster," I said quietly, my voice stripped of all warmth, "no matter how unhinged you believe me to be, I am not foolish enough to kill someone in a way that would put me at risk."
I met Soleil's gaze next.
"If I had wanted them dead, I wouldn't have travelled all the way north," I continued calmly. "I would have killed them here."
The air turned brittle.
"And don't concern yourself, Professor Soleil," I added, my tone dropping into something sharp and venomous. "Your pathetic little cowards will return soon enough."
My smile widened just a fraction.
"When they do," I said softly, "I'll kill them in front of you. I'll hang their heads for everyone to see."
No one spoke.
"The next time your brats come begging me for a favour," I finished, turning toward the door, "you won't be standing so tall."
I gestured for Vivian. "Let's go."
She stepped through first.
I followed and slammed the door shut behind us, the sound echoing like a verdict.
Professor Soleil's screams tore through the hallway.
"Headmaster!" she shrieked, her voice cracking with fury. "You need to rein her in! You cannot allow her to do whatever she pleases!"
"Professor Soleil," Cael said calmly, stepping forward, his tone firm but controlled, "please compose yourself. We were not blameless in this matter either."
She rounded on him, eyes blazing. "Instructor Cael, why are you defending them?"
"I'm not," Cael replied evenly. "If anything, I stopped Cecilia from going further." His gaze hardened. "And believe me—you do not want to meet the ruthless version of her that doesn't show any mercy. If you value your life, I suggest you don't provoke her again."
Soleil scoffed, but there was unease flickering beneath her anger.
"You speak as if you know her."
Cael exhaled slowly. "I do. And I don't."
"Enough."
Damian slammed his fist onto the desk, the sound reverberating through the room. "Both of you. I will handle this matter. You're dismissed."
Soleil stormed out. Cael followed shortly after, leaving the room heavy with silence.
Damian remained where he stood, shoulders tense, staring at the closed door.
What am I supposed to do?
He clenched his jaw.
I can't force her to bend. I can't command her obedience. And I can't tell her that her father entrusted her to me and that I was named her guardian when I never once checked if my friend's child needed me.
The word burned.
Regret.
"Keep regretting."
Damian stiffened.
"How long," he said quietly, "have you been standing behind me?"
"Since Lia was here."
Damian didn't turn. He didn't need to.
"What do you want now?"
"Nothing," Nox replied lightly, amusement dripping from his voice. "I just wanted to see you drown in the consequences of your foolish choices."
A low, mocking laugh followed.
"You really think everything will be solved if you tell Lia you're her guardian? How pathetic."
Damian spun around, fury flashing in his eyes.
"Then what do you want me to do?" he shouted.
Nox's smile widened cold, merciless.
"You can't do anything," he said. "You can't fix this. You can't salvage anything. Those days have long passed."
He stepped closer, his presence suffocating.
"There's only hatred left in Lia's heart," Nox continued softly. "And there's no room for you in it."
Damian's breath hitched.
"You can try," Nox added, tilting his head, almost kindly. "But whether you're allowed anywhere near her again… that depends entirely on Lia."
And with that, the room felt colder than it ever had before.
—
"That felt… intense," Vivian finally said, breaking the quiet. "You really scared them."
Cecilia scoffed, "Fear makes people honest. Or quiet. Either works."
They stepped outside into the open courtyard, where the late afternoon light painted the stone in warm gold. The world looked deceptively peaceful and proud as if nothing rotten lurked beneath it.
"Where did you go?" I asked Nox when his presence suddenly shifted.
"Nowhere," he replied lightly. "And where are you going?"
"To see Cassian."
"You mean duckling number two?"
I laughed under my breath. "You're really going to keep calling them that?"
"Why not?" Nox said smugly. "You already rubbed off on duckling number one. It's only a matter of time before number two gets influenced as well."
"As if," I scoffed.
I turned to Vivian. "Vivi, do you know where Cassian might be?"
"He doesn't have any afternoon classes. He usually trains in the forest around this time."
"Then that's where we're headed," I said.
Vivian hesitated. "But he's with Asier."
To be continued...