Virion and Zephyr stood in silence as Amaniel hurried out of the library, his footsteps fading into the distance. The moment the doors swung shut behind him, Zephyr turned to Virion.
"How was he?"
Virion's mouth curled into a grin, sharp and pleased.
"He is... excellent." His tail flicked lazily. "Worthy enough to receive this primordial one's teachings."
Zephyr's eyes narrowed slightly. A question lingered in his gaze—Was the boy truly that good?
Virion didn't look away from the door, as if still watching Amaniel's retreating figure. When he spoke again, his voice carried that familiar, amused cadence—the one that meant he was enjoying himself far too much.
"Tch. Although he is just a weak, ordinary human, he is quite capable. And his endurance? Monstrous. His intelligence? High for his age—heck, he might even be on par with your dear Luna."
Zephyr's expression didn't change, but something in his posture shifted—subtle, but noticeable to someone like Virion.
The serpent continued, tail swaying. "And the best part? He doesn't give up. No matter how many times he fails, no matter how many times he falls, he tries again, he stands up once more. He always troes to learn from his mistakes. Scrambles for every advantage, uses everything he has to its fullest—even if his capabilities are limited. The boy's got potential."
A pause. Then, with a chuckle:
"Ah, right—he nearly broke your record on the Starfall Playground."
At the name, Zephyr's eyes widened slightly. A strange glint flickered through them—something between irritation and the shadow of an old, unpleasant memory. Even now, he hadn't forgotten those cute but deadly stars.
Virion, thoroughly enjoying himself, went on. "Maybe that's why the little ones took such a liking to him. They chased him relentlessly for the last hour, you know." His grin widened. "And hahaha—you should have seen his reactions! Top-notch. Especially that 'given up on life' face. He's like one of those comedic characters from mortal stories."
Zephyr listened, brows furrowed. He hadn't expected such high praise. Virion was rarely this sincere about anyone—let alone a human.
But then again, he had seen the recording of Amaniel's fight against the kidnappers. The way the boy had wielded his abilities—desperate, creative, turning a hopeless situation into a narrow victory.
After a long moment, Zephyr exhaled and gave his own evaluation—a single, succinct word:
"Resourceful survivalist."
Virion burst out laughing. "Oh? Is that approval I hear?"
Zephyr ignored him, but as he walked off, Virion caught the faintest smile on his face.
Left alone in the library, Virion's usual mischievous grin faded into something more contemplative. The air around him grew still, the playful glint in his serpentine eyes replaced by a sharper, more calculating light.
"He's someone with a mark on his life too..." he murmured, tail flicking absently.
The words hung heavy in the empty space.
Then, with a quiet chuckle, he shook his head. "Well, I can always beat him until he's strong enough to take care of 'them' on his own."
His claws flexed slightly, as if already anticipating the next training session—the next round of entertaintment.
A portal swirled open before him, its edges shimmering with primordial's aura. But just as he moved to step through, a faint glint passed through his eyes—something distant, almost doubtful.
"I hope I didn't see it wrong that time..."
The words were barely a whisper, lost to the void as the portal swallowed him whole.
_______ ____ __
The next morning, the academy gathered all students in the grand hall to announce the results of their investigation.
As Zephyr had told me, everything was dismissed as "unfortunate coincidences"—a series of natural aura resonance disturbances that triggered mass hallucinations. There was no mention of an unknown resonator's interference or even the Phantom Prison. And of course, no word about the princess's kidnapping either.
Honestly, I wasn't surprised at all.
Announcing the kidnapping would only stir rumors and damage both the academy's and the royal family's reputation. The prince must have pulled strings to keep it quiet.
Sigh, politics are really troublesome things.
Meanwhile, students murmured in disbelief.
"That's it? Just 'coincidences'?"
"I saw those things! They weren't hallucinations!"
The air was thick with frustration and lingering fear. Even now, dark circles shadowed many eyes—proof that the nightmares hadn't faded. Or maybe they weren't able to sleep at all.
The headmaster Orlan then stepped forward.
"This incident, while distressing, will serve as valuable experience," he declared. "True strength lies not just in body or mind, but in will and spirit. Use this to grow. Fight against your nightmares which has been holding you back and achieve inner peace."
A pause.
Then—
"And don't worry, the academy will grant two additional days of rest. Classes will resume in three days' time."
A ripple of mixed reactions spread through the crowd. Some students brightened at the unexpected vacation. Others, still shaken, only nodded numbly.
I shook my head.
You're all too easily swayed by two days off.
Still, I couldn't deny the advantage. More time meant more opportunities—to train, to study, to prepare for the future.
...Though, after yesterday's "lesson" with Virion, maybe studying was the safer option.
I shook my head, pushing thoughts of cosmic torture aside. Let's not think about that—I have other things to do.
As the crowd of students dispersed, I turned toward the academy gates.
A quick trip to town to meet Cassandra sounded like a perfect way to clear my head.
But just as I took a few steps, a familiar voice called out.
"Amaniel!"
I turned to see Emilia striding toward me, despite her composed demeanor, there was a faint tightness around her eyes—lingering fatigue, maybe.
"Emilia," I greeted with a polite nod. "What's up?"
She returned the nod, then hesitated for a split second before speaking. "I wanted to thank you. For the ball. You were... a good partner."
A small smile tugged at my lips. "I just did what I could."
The unspoken unlike some people hung in the air, but neither of us voiced it.
"So," I continued, "what did you call me for?"
Emilia's fingers twitched slightly, a rare show of unease. "...Do you know where Aeron is? I haven't seen him since that night. His door's locked, too."
My eyes narrowed just a fraction.
That's odd.
Aeron wasn't the type to vanish without a word—especially not after everything that had happened. But...
There's a chance that he might be experiencing 'something' if he remembered his nightmare and what he did after being possesed. Though I hope he doesn't remember our fight.
"I haven't seen him either," I then admitted. Then, with a faint smile, I added, "But if you want to know, there's someone else who might have a clue."
Emilia blinked, then her brow furrowed as she pieced it together. "...You mean..."
"...Livia?"
I nodded.
Because Livia was the only person who was truly good friends with Aeron, and she herself told us about having secret places to visit in the academy.
A flicker of understanding passed over her face, followed by something more complicated—resignation, maybe. "Right. Thanks."
With a final grateful nod, she turned and melted into the crowd, her posture straight but her steps just a touch too quick.
I watched her go, a quiet sigh escaping me.
...They can handle it on their own, right?
It wasn't my business. Not really. And yet—
A familiar, unwelcome itch of curiosity prickled at the back of my mind.
Damn it.
It is probably because of all that beating!
Yeah...