It took a moment for Essairyn's underlying idea to sink in for Izlende. "You don't mean—!" She gasped. "Damn it! The answer was there in plain sight in front of us all along! I can't believe those bastards are actually taking the magical power of demons and injecting it into humans! No wonder why those humanoid demons looked so grotesque. No wait, demonic magic can't possibly disfigure the body like that. Is it a side effect? ...We need more information."

Determined, she shifted her seat and stared at Essairyn. "I'll discuss this with the Knights and Academy. If what you're guessing is true...then we have a even bigger problem on our hands. Tch, what equality? They really are just trying to rule the world themselves! But at what cost?" A troubled, crestfallen expression shrouded Izra's mien. A deeply embedded memory wound its way up to the front of her mind. Yes, it's just like that time. I had received that spirit's power then too. So it's not a far cry to say that humans can use the magical power of demons. But will demons really just let humans have their way? It surely can't be that simple. Izlende revolved her experiences and suppositions into a theory inside her brain, making her scar sting. She lifted a hand to apply pressure to that front area of the scalp.

"Your scar, are you..?" Essairyn blurted out thoughtlessly upon seeing that movement. Catching her rudeness, she backtracked. "Sorry, I didn't mean—!"

"It's okay." Izra smiled graciously. "I have nothing to hide about this scar. I got it from when I accidentally stumbled in-between a demon god and spirit god's fight as a little girl. Crazily, my sudden interference allowed the spirit god to finish off the demon, but what resulted was a nasty blow to my head, much bigger than this scar." Izra tapped her head, totally captivating Essairyn into her story. "That spirit god had a conscience at least and said it was too old and worn out from the fight, so it healed me and this scar is what's left. Kinda cool, right?" She grinned brightly, making it so that Essairyn can't help but to grin with her.

"Actually, it's due to that encounter that I was able to refine my healing abilities as well as to be able to fight besides healing. Before, I was just a minor budding healer in a remote village without any real future of ever becoming anyone great. So I guess, I'm really lucky?" Izlende's lopsided smile and laid back pose with her arms straight out behind her as she leaned back made quite a contrasting picture to her tale. Essairyn's eyes glittered at Izra's positivity and ability to use such an experience to her advantage. Instead of staying in her village, she decided to make use of the newfound potential and enrolled in the most prestigious magic school.

"Izra." Essairyn suddenly grasped Izlende's hand and stared at her seriously. "You're so cool!" The black-haired girl jumped on the shocked silverette who quickly recovered and returned the hug with equal enthusiasm.

"Hahaha, stop being so adorable!" Izra giggled and squeezed the other girl's cheeks.

"AH! You can't do that!" Essairyn huffed and puffed her cheeks. The expression only made Izlende chortle harder.

However, Essairyn wasn't at all bothered. She needed a good laugh. And being with her and Akari made Essairyn feel warm and cozy inside. If only they could have these good times everyday with none of the messy conspiracies and plots. Then again, perhaps it was due to bad times that made good times all the more meaningful.

"Oh, by the way, Aispin had wanted to speak to you earlier. Did you guys get a chance to talk?" Izlende suddenly remembered that enigmatic guy's words. Despite knowing him for two years now, she still felt he was a bit of a stranger. No matter what happened, what missions they had taken together, Izra never quite felt like they had become close, just enough to call each other a simple friend. She had a gut inkling that he was holding back a lot. But she wasn't the type to force anything out of anyone. Rather, she opted for mutual trust.

Although, regrettably, Izlende had a bad habit of being too open and accepting. Thankfully, Ennrion had been by her side since youth to rein her big heart and antics in before she got truly hurt. Sometimes, it was to the point that it infuriated her. Still, she loved that dumb idiot more than anything. Sighing inwardly to herself, she got up and headed toward the door.

"Well I'm going to take a nap now after getting no sleep and using up so much of my magic. Make sure to talk to him, okay? It looked like he had something important to say."

Essairyn replied she would, and Izlende went on her way. Mulling over what Izra said, Essairyn wondered what Aispin wanted to tell her. Is that why he came to find me earlier? She glanced over at Akari, sound asleep, before quietly getting off the bed and exiting the room.

It didn't take long for Essairyn to track down Aispin. She discovered him leaning against a tree trunk with a cup of coffee just outside of town. It was the same direction from where she had wandered off to earlier in a fit of depression.

"Enjoying your drink outside?" She casually commented as she approached him.

Aispin smiled and took a small sip before replying, "Yes, something about being outside makes the coffee taste better."

"Mm, I approve. Being out among nature does that. Although, I prefer tea over coffee, so we can't be friends."

Aispin chuckled at her cheeky mouth. "That's too bad then, I really wanted to be friends."

His sincere straightforwardness caught Essairyn off guard. "Oh," she uttered with a slight blush before catching herself from further embarrassment. Stupid Essairyn! He didn't mean anything special by those words! It's ordinary! Ordinary! You just got momentarily blinded by his stupidly good looks. Yes, that's it.

"Um, head in the clouds again?" Aispin waved his free hand in front of Essairyn's blank face.

"Huh? Ah, sorry! Yes, haha..." Damn it girl! Get yourself together! This isn't some confession scene! ...Shit. Now I just made myself more needlessly nervous. Essairyn sighed at the hopeless case that was herself. "You wanted to talk about something?"

"Yes, I hope I didn't bother you? I know you were treating Akari. Is she okay?"

So polite! Essairyn fawned inside. Erp—! I mean— "Yes, she's all better now and is resting." Her face was neutral almost to the point of blankness. At this expression, Aispin unexpectedly suppressed a chuckle. This reaction confused Essairyn more, and her face turned into one of puzzled concern.

"Haha, sorry, your face was just too funny."

"Funny?!" Essairyn almost exclaimed in shock.

"Cute! I mean cute, hehe." One eye closed in apology, making it look like he was winking.

Essairyn's face was stony. Damn you, boy. You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Fooling with my girlish heart, eh. Stupid... cute... giggle. Ugh, I make me sick.

"Anyway, you don't have to be so nervous around me. It's nothing bad, I swear! This day's been pretty awful, but I hope that despite it you'll..." When his words trailed off, Aispin paused and restarted the subject in a different way as if dissatisfied with his approach.

"What do you think of Hyd' Tyml?"

Essairyn scrutinized his somber expression before carefully responding, "Their goal sounds courageous and innocuous enough, but their means are not justified."

"I thought you might say that." Aispin half-smiled with slightly creased brows. Feeling the awkward atmosphere that he had created, he took a deep breath.

"You see, I've been trying to discover Hyd' Tyml's whereabouts for a long time. I guess you can say that I was one of the first to know about them. I... lost my younger sister to them." He gripped the handle of his coffee cup tighter, almost making the knuckles white. "I couldn't save her from that demon. But I know she's still alive. I'm not really sure why I think that. Ahah, maybe it's just my heart wishing for that to be true. Regardless, I've been chasing at H.T. to find the truth and expose their hypocrisy." His cup shook in an accompanying gesture of resolution, almost making the coffee inside spill out. Essairyn reflexively grabbed it and upon realization of his touch, quickly retracted her fingers.

"Sorry, I'm being a little too emotional right now, huh?" Aispin gave an apologetic smile. He looked up at the treetops and narrowed his hazy eyes. "She's my only family. And we're the only survivors from our village. If it's the last thing I do, I'll make that bastard and those demons or humans or whatever pay for what they've done." A murderous glint flashed in his dark blue eyes.

"That's where you come in." He gazed at her earnestly. "The others have to go back to the Academy, but I'm not bound to it as I've been assigned a running mission that encompasses the H.T. case while they were just here as a one-off. Can you join me in following H.T.? W-wait!" He held up a hand when he saw Essairyn open her mouth to speak. "Don't say anything yet! Just think about it, and let me know later okay? I know it's a lot to ask of you, especially since this was the first time you've experienced...such horrifying events, so..."

Essairyn placed a reassuring hand on Aispin's wrist. Surprised, he peered into her lavender orbs, wondering what she meant by the gesture. She held the gaze and confidently replied, "I'll help you."

"W-what?" Confused, Aispin didn't know whether she meant she would join his mission or help some other way. But his heart sped up a little from her fervent gaze and comforting touch.

"I'll help you find your sister."

"Ah— this—" Placing a hand on his forehead, he couldn't help laughing derisively at himself.

At his unexpected reaction, Essairyn didn't know how to respond. Before she could ask if she said something wrong, Aispin suddenly embraced her. Shocked, she became as stiff as a board while countless thoughts spun incoherently in her head, even more so when he plopped his head on her shoulder. F—!! Too close! Her eyes seemed to swirl in a daze of bewilderment.

Unbeknownst of the girl's internal breakdown, Aispin clutched her tighter. How long had he waited to hear words like those? Everyone had found his reason for chasing after H.T. to be silly if they didn't first think that chasing after them was stupid. After all, before today, they had never caused any manifest problems. And they were too secret of an organization to be able to be of any use to investigate for the Knights. The Order had bigger concerns to deal with than a mere boy's revenge.

Even after today, they might argue that she was already dead as others had said previously. It had been almost five years by now. Still, he would never give up as not only was she his family, she was his only link to his past. His memories from his hometown was foggy, especially from the day that H.T. massacred everyone in it. He felt that this emptiness inside him and desire to regain what he lost would be solved along with his questions if he met the leader of the organization.

To finally find someone that didn't question nor mock him, but accepted his reason and sincerely agreed to help him, Aispin momentarily lost himself. Hugging her, he surprisingly felt more at peace. This sensation slowly woke him up to the realization that he had just intruded upon the girl's personal space.

"I'm sorry! It just meant a lot to me that I overreacted like that, I—!"

A tinkling giggle halted whatever else was about to spew from his mouth in apology. "That's okay! I was a little surprised, but I understand. You love and miss your sister very much, don't you?"

Aispin bashfully turned his gaze away from Essairyn's sweetly sunny smile. It was now his turn to be excruciatingly embarrassed. "Yes, I do. So thank you...Sairyn."