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Silence sat with us in the room. Elka cradled her coffee, shy but observant, while Auron leaned back, eyes closed. As for me, I didn’t want to go outside—not with that wagon. But staying here felt just as uneasy. “I'm gonna head out by bloom with Elka,” I said. “You can fly with bloom?” Auron replied. “Yeah, why not?”

“Then, can I have bloom too?”

“Nope. Only witch clubs can use bloom.”

“But aren’t girls already witches by default?”

“Not unless you sign up. Otherwise, we’re just mages with flair.” He chuckled, trying to hide his worry. Elka laughed, lightening the mood. Aeter appeared late, as usual. Her eyes stayed on Elka. “Who’s this cutie? Your Kouhai, Emil?”

“Yeah, she’ll move to this dorm.” Elka kept her elegance, greeting Aeter properly. “Nice to meet you, Aeter-senpai. I’ll be moving in today. I hope we can get along.” “Hmm, how cute… Now, I’m kind of jealous of you, Emil.” Aeter glanced at Auron, an inquisitive look in her eyes.

“What’s wrong, Auron?” Aeter said softly. Auron grabbed her hand and peeked into the window. They mumbled something. Auron seemed better already. Just her presence had calmed him. Aeter walked toward us. “Alright, everyone. I’ve got a plan. Second floor. Let’s go.” Auron's laugh came a second too late. His mouth tilted downward, shoulders raised—he had no idea either.

The second floor is for boys. Aeter looks so excited while the rest of us follow, leading us up the stairs, right to Ilan’s door. “Remember, Auron, when we find the portal in Ilan's room. I asked him. Where does it go?”

“Wait—Ilan? How’d you even get him to talk? And what portal?” I asked. Aeter just smiled, the kind that said too much without saying anything. “All I can say is—if the teacher finds out, that law enforcer’s in big trouble,” Aeter replied. Sometimes this cold, elfin girl is a bit of a sadist. Blackmail? Violence? Unlucky for Ilan. He’s a law enforcement intern, but he’s nowhere near Aeter’s level in strategy. And yet, Auron kept looking at Aeter, which made me wonder… Does Aeter act like this with Auron? Does he like this? Is he a masochist or something? Just as my thoughts drifted, I glanced sideways. Elka was smiling like someone reading a secret from a page no one else could see.

“Elka-san, sorry—this might be a bit much for your first day, but I promise it’ll all start to make more sense soon,” I said. She looked confused. “Don’t worry, Senpai. I just need to process a little.” On the other side, a weird sight, Auron searched every inch, tapping along the walls like a rhythm.

Then—whoom. A portal cracked open from the wall. I froze. The first time seeing a real portal, and it just tore open like nothing. “Let’s get inside,” Aeter said. “Sure, I’ll go first,” Auron said. Anyone else, he’d have hesitated. But Aeter? When she speaks, Auron moves—no questions, no fear. That’s how deeply she lives inside his defenses. “Wait—where is this heading? We’ve got Elka with us.” “It’s fine, this is what I expected as a mage, Senpai,” Ellka said. “Then we all settled?” Aeter followed Auron. Then, Elka. I’m the last one to hesitate, or I could just go by the usual way. Isn’t there a risk? What if something goes wrong… My body doesn’t stay intact, or does it reach the right destination?

A hand suddenly reached out from the portal, searching for something. I did my best to dodge it. “Come here! Emil.” It was Auron, his face appearing through the portal. The portal shimmered like broken glass—unsteady, unwelcoming. “I don’t want to get in there!” I said. “You better hurry, Aeter said it will close by anytime soon.”

I stepped through. The portal pulsed with arrogant force, expanding particles of the universe seen through a telescope. On the other side: calm. A quiet world, stitched into lumber. All of us were tucked away, waiting for something. I expected a fancier entrance— I mean, it’s a portal. But hey… at least we’re safe.

“Where is this place?” I asked. “Well, it’s a food store on a campus,” Aeter replied, pointing at the door. Elka, locked in, sneaks out like a professional. We slowly follow her. Outside is the back of the shop. Aeter point at the shop alongside. “It’s a Keryndale store, Auron—pretty convenient, right?”

They’re on their world now. But the most surprising thing for me is Elka. Her instincts felt more useful than becoming a mage. “Elka, did you learn to become a mage before you came here?” She giggled dryly. “Yeah, what was that, Elka. It’s like a rogue or assassin move.” Aeter replied. “I try to learn as many skills as I can… That's all I can say.”

“It takes five years to become a mage here… That’s a long time for a human.” “But you study here too, right, Emil-senpai? If we want to get good at something, it takes training. So I guess… we can’t complain too much.” Her eyes weren’t fixed on us. They were watching a future she’d already walked through, chasing something none of us could see. Hence, I know how it felt to be trapped in something invisible. And maybe that’s why I wanted to help. “Don’t worry, Elka. Your life here will go smoothly—I can assure you. The people in our dorm… might be a little weird, but they’re not bad. Auron’s still finding his way, Aeter can be cold, Ruri’s a bit commanding, and Ilan… well, I don’t know much about him yet.”

“What about you, Emil-senpai?”

“I’m the best instructor. I can assure you.” Two pairs of eyes were on us—Auron and Aeter with amused smiles. I just love how they talk without words. “Wow, Emil-senpai, can you teach me too?” Auron said. “If I had the chance to teach you, you’d probably ditch me, just like you did Aeter,” I whispered playfully. Auron turned to Aeter, and they both shook their head. Nice try, boy. Not today.

“Shouldn’t say that,” Auron said. “What did you say to her?” “Nothing.” Auron leans toward Aeter, resting on her shoulder.

“I’m curious, isn’t Aeter-senpai Auron's instructor?” Elka asked. “Nah, it's Ruri who is Auron's instructor.” Silence. Awkward. But surely, the things between two people should stay between them. I don’t want to step on their boundaries. That’s all I need to know. Everyone should be allowed to think and feel whatever they’re feeling, they’re not us.

“Should we separate here? So Elka and I can go to the classroom.” Auron said. “I heard that year two needs to meet with the teacher about the instructor thing.” He added, clenching his fist, trying not to hug Aeter. “Sure… see you again at lunch, let’s go, Emil.” Aeter acting relaxed as usual. Even if no one else noticed, I did. Once you get seen, the pressure starts closing in. Your relationship stops feeling like your own. And before you know it, you’re chasing a pace that was never yours.