“Celeste, how do you find the academy? Is it too stifling?” Merea asked.

Hearing the question, Celeste's mind had returned from wandering and was back in Daerin Academy's hallway.

Words were precious for Celeste, so she replied with a shake of her head. The prim and proper woman walked in front of her, yet her subtle answer was understood.

“Huh? What's going on over there?” At the end of the hall that led outside, Merea spotted a crowd of people. There were students and faculty clamoring behind the academy's stone pillars.

—Hmm? Is that the courtyard?

Celeste creased her eyebrows and sensed unrest in the air.

[...Hurry!]

Helplessness mixed with concern echoed from a voice in her head; neither from the left nor right ear, the frantic plea resounded.

[Stop him, dear child! Hurry!]

From an ethereal wisp of light on her shoulder, luminosity the color of Celeste's name enveloped her, pulling her small feet forward past Merea, and into a mad dash. To the area where all gazes were gathered, Celeste found herself entering the academy courtyard.

Hot air brushed Celeste's face as she made her way forward. There was a black-haired girl her age fallen on the ground, sounding words of warning as she walked past. However, none of the words registered as her full attention lay in front of her.

—What...? It's him?!

Resting underneath eyelids in repose, Celeste knew was a pair of icy blue. A head of ashen-grey and a charming face was in the middle of wildly dancing flames, growing unchecked towards the surroundings. It was no wonder everyone was taking cover behind pillars.

There was a sudden jump in temperature as the seated boy seemed to be passing the crux of his mana circulation, and the flames around him grew even more untamed.

—Any more than this and someone could get hurt...

“Hah...” A familiar rush of warmth from Celeste's shoulder spread throughout her body and her hands moved towards the path of the flames with an image vivid in her mind.

—A wall. A structure that can hold the fire!

The breathtaking structure she had first laid eyes on underneath the light of the sun, the Erden Wall.

Mana worked around her, beginning to form a pale imitation. And as a wall of ice began jutting from the ground, within just half an hour the courtyard's climate had experienced the arrival of two different seasons.

“Hah...” All this was happening, yet the boy was still seated, wearing a self-satisfied smile. Words were precious to Celeste but she found that now was the time to speak. With a puff of white air, a cracked voice emerged from her lips, “What's with that smile!?”

The price of the feat she had accomplished went far beyond what her current frail body could handle. It was fortunate that the wisp of blue light dissipating on her shoulder paid half of the toll.

“What are you doing!?” she yelled out again, and it was then that the crease between her eyebrows had relaxed. Her consciousness had fled from her and she slumped down unconscious on the ground. When she had come to, she was on a bed in the infirmary, woken up by an old man making a ruckus by her side.

—Hah... I'll just stay still and continue to sleep.

She was feeling lethargic and slightly nauseated so she couldn't bother with the old man's excessive show of concern.

“Sacha, you stinky boy! Simmer down!” a voice admonished harshly. A subtle peek showed a creepy old man in adorned red robes. He had brought the ashen-haired boy with him.

“—Keh! It was this little boy that did it. Couldn't regulate his mana so he spilled unconsciously. A regular bedwetter, I'll say! I'll be putting him in my care.”

—Bedwetter...? That boy who's related to those three men at the wall?

The corner of Celeste's mouth twitched as she tried to stifle a giggle but as she heard another mention by the creepy old man, she felt a sudden chill.

“Ah, you senile old freak! Don't you dare place your eyes on my grandchildren!” her fake grandfather erupted, but was shortly after planted on the ground. He no longer uttered a sound.

—Ah! Is he alright!?

Celeste dared another peek and saw Merea and another man carrying the balding grandpa to another bed. He seemed to be okay so she exhaled a subtle breathe of relief. Her ears then picked up a secretive exchange between the creepy old man and the ashen-haired boy, so she strained them to listen.

“I need your help little boy. Come on, you'll also be helping that little girl over there,” the old man said.

—Little girl? Is he talking about me? Ah!

Celeste opened an eye again, but this time she was easily caught.

“Little girl. If I had to take a guess, you're from the 'outside', aren't you?” the old man asked, “I'll help you get back, just agree to help me.”

—Little gi... Outside? What is he talking about? Wait, he can take me home?! Really?!

“Come on little boy, agreeing to help me, you would also be helping the little girl—”

“Stop calling me a little boy!”

“Stop calling me a little girl!”

Celeste and the ashen-haired boy lost tolerance and yelled simultaneously, catching the old man by surprise.

“Then I take it that both of you agree?”

—W-What should I do?

[Agree... to his request for now...]

It was the gentle voice from earlier. Celeste had so many questions and wanted to ask, what did the old man mean? He asked if she was from the outside? Did the old man mean the place where she had come from? It was all so confusing.

—If anything, isn't this whole place the outside?

[That... you can ask some other time...]

—Hah... What does he think?

She looked across towards the ashen-haired boy, and he gave a nod as their eyes had met.

—As long as I can go home. Mama... Papa... I want to see them...

Celeste decided that she would trust the boy's decision.