That morning, everyone looked like a saggy bag of potatoes - all except Cath of course. That monster is still as boisterous as he always is. Too much energy for the three students to handle. Especially since they all lacked sleep after what happened that early morning, specifically, at 3am in the morning. Imagine the look on Aediva when seeing both Arthur and Eden half-dead faces at the dorm’s door.

She was groggy and cranky from having the ghosts waking her up. To think that the two were running away from their own dorm. And also hiding at the secluded corner of the main school campus during lunch as if they feared something chasing after them.

She returned with all of their lunch food and their combined lunch money change. Being forced to walk from the cafeteria to the greenhouse is definitely not a pleasant thing for her. Why is she being asked to do things by the two boys?

“Alright, you both have to explain the hell is going on” annoyed, she asked them. Eden and Arthur looked at each other before looking at her.

“... We’ll tell you at the dorm. I honestly don’t want to even mention his name. He had the ability to appear from thin air if we even speak of his name” Eden grumbled, massaging the back of his neck. Arthur let out a sigh.

“Tell me more about it. It’s as if we’re not suffering enough with these ridiculous drills” Arthur sighed, stuffing his mouth with the yakisoba bread. Both boys let out a shaky sigh, enjoying the explosion of flavors in their mouth. Aediva raised an eyebrow.

“Right. Then don’t mention the name and tell me. You both instantly evaporate into thin air as soon as the last bell rings” Aediva said, reacting nothing when Cath slipped to her lap and rolled around to find his sleeping port. Two hours of lunch time is definitely her favourite - if only she doesn't have to worry about the next class after lunch. Oh well.

“So?” she said to the two boys who sighed. Arthur seemingly relenting and telling her about what had happened since last week.

“We’ve been subjected to magic drills since last week” Arthur revealed.

“Hah! For you, maybe! I had to march around the damn field!” Eden growled.

“The point is, all of our dorm residents have been woken up early in the morning to train in preparation of this one dorm event… And lately…” Arthur paused, scratching his cheek. Eden slammed his palm to the wooden floor of the platform they’re sitting on.

“WE’VE ONLY SLEPT FOR LIKE TWO OR THREE HOURS FOR THREE DAYS STRAIGHT CAUSE THAT DAMN GUY SAID WE’RE STILL LACKING!” Eden shouted, fuming.

“Damn” is what Aediva could say in response.

“Damn indeed!” Eden spat, ripping the bread in between his teeth roughly.

“Must be an important event, huh? Still don’t know why you both went to the dorm so early in the morning though” Aediva said. Arthur and Eden sighed.

“Lately, we’ve been training until midnight. And he sounded the alarm around 3:30 in the morning last Friday so we would wake up early and start before classes. It was… bad” Arthur explained. That was honestly to say the least about what they had been through.

“And so you both escaped to Aval Dorm thinking you’re both safe?”

Both boys almost threw up what they had been eating the moment they heard the familiar voice. Their faces turned pale as a sheet when seeing the dark-haired male student and a girl with the most beautiful strawberry blonde hair, standing behind Aediva as she sat there emotionless while eating her lunch.

“Senior Fay! Vice Dorm Leader Hanzel!”

Aediva almost spurts out her drink when hearing the two boys panicked shout, their voices cracking. She heard the two new strangers chuckled and giggled behind him - the girl quickly made herself comfortable beside Aediva as the boy stood near the boys who were looking at them like Grim Reapers.

“Do you mind us joining you here?” the boy asked with a smile. Aediva eyed the two boys practically huddling to the side as if repelling the newcomer’s presence - their heads vigorously shaking at her.

“Yea sure. You’re welcome to join us” she chirped at the older-looking students.

Ah… the sound of two boys dying inside as they screech incoherent words was the music to her ears.

“So who are you exactly, seniors?” Aediva asked, tilting her head at the two students joining them during lunch. The young man with dark hair and eyes the colour of amber, fixes his glasses.

“My bad. I should have introduced myself and this girl first. I’m Efren’s Vice Dorm Leader, Hanzel Beryls, 3rd Year student” he introduced himself. The girl with strawberry blonde hair and pink eyes grinned.

“Fay Aria Drewe! 2nd Year student from the same dorm. I’m also the Vice Dorm Leader~☆” she introduced herself cheerfully, turning to look at Aediva closer with a happy beam on her face.

“So you’re little Ms. Aediva~ The Prefect of Aval Dorm~ You’re a lot cuter than I thought! It’s dangerous for you to be alone with two young wolves you know~” the strawberry-blonde said, sing-song. Aediva blinked her eyes at the female senior student.

“What wolves?” she said, to the female senior who quickly turned bewildered at Aediva’s under-reaction.

“That was an insult and you know it! You damn boar!” Eden shouted at Aediva who smirked at him - knowing the salt she just thrown to his wounding pride as a male. Arthur held him back, already used to this turn of events where Aediva mercilessly jabbed at them. The imp snickered at Eden when she heard Hanzel cleared his throat.

“So why are you here, seniors?” Aediva asked, steering her attention away from the pissed off raven and knightly blond towards the two intruders who had joined them. Her face is still smiling but her eyes sure are not. It was subtle, but both Hanzel and Fay could detect it by the chill running down their spine. The girl whom they approached thinking she was nothing more than a little chick turned out to be something more than she shows.

Hanzel and Fay let out a laugh, subtly nervous as they try to keep their composure. Aediva only stared at them, anticipating while Arthur and Eden tried to keep their calm all the same because of their fear of the intentions of the two seniors.

“Now now~ You don’t have to be so on guard~ We’re learning in the same campus so we should get along~ Do you want to exchange phone number with me?” Fay asked, showing her smartphone to Aediva who looked at it, like a child who had never seen it before.

“Phone…?”

“Oh? Could it be that you don’t have a phone? Oh yeah, you really have nothing at all when you are summoned to the academy! Tehehe~ You really are a mystery, Aediva~” Fay hummed.

“Fay, now you’re just being rude” Hanzel quickly scolded the girl who quickly let out a nervous laugh and scratched the back of her head.

“Ehehe… I’m sorry” she apologized. Aediva didn’t say anything.

“Sorry about this girl. She doesn’t mean any offense of course. We’re here to get to know our juniors. And maybe… advice a little about escaping training…” Hanzel said with a reassuring smile. Aediva looked at the two boys who in turn, looked away as well. She narrowed her eyes at them, noticing them sweating with their lips pressed thinned.

“Hm? But they complained that they didn’t get much sleep because of the drills and march practice? I don’t exactly know a lot about things outside class and Aval Dorm isn’t like any other Dorms anyway” Aediva asked, genuinely interested.

Fay and Hanzel let out a small sigh with smiles on their face.

“Ah~ Having this some freshman talk is so refreshing~ Okay! Big sis here will tell you everything you want to know~!” Fay said excitedly. Hanzel fixes his glasses.

“We still have plenty of time before lunch ends. As one of your seniors, I suppose we have to tell you things you’re curious about” he said. Aediva take a bite of her sandwich.

“So what’s with the training and drills, they’re talking about?” she asked, turning attentive.