“Oi, you’re not dead are you?” she asked as soon as she grabbed her simple breakfast bread from the pantry, going straight to the couch where the stranger boy was lying on - still pretty much asleep. She ripped the bread apart with her teeth as her eyes trained on his sleeping form.

“Fuaaa… Hey, Aediva. Where’s my breakfast? I want some bread too” Cath said as soon as he reached the ground floor, stopping in his track and straightened up when seeing Aediva inspecting the boy on the couch with a rather serious face. The monster climbed on the armrest - overseeing what she was doing curiously.

“His mana is still not recovering as much. That’s odd” she murmured, touching the red blemish around his neck.

“You know, his body is kinda war. Maybe he got fever?” Cath said. Aediva pulled back her hand, looking at her palm - contemplating whether she should try to cool the stranger boy’s body down with her own magic. Before she could proceed on with her thoughts, she stopped herself.

“...”

“Let’s just get him to the infirmary now. I don’t want to be snuffed out by those flies for sheltering one of their students” she said, fireman-carrying the still unconscious boy on her shoulders and walking out of the dorm - all prepared for school despite the early hours where students would still be awake to prepare themselves.

That day, she arrived to her locker early and as if the case of the unconscious boy collapsing at her door wasn’t enough, she saw a few students - their black uniforms embellished with red with the emblem of snapdragon and a heart, entering the infirmary right after she had just sent their dorm-mate there.

After a while lingering at her locker, she heard them - the group of Efren students, coming out of the infirmary with the other two unconscious students along with the boy she had sheltered last night.

She closed her locker’s door silently. The students went past the hallway she is in - completely unaware of her for some reason. Cath craned his neck to the direction of the student leaving in a haste.

“...What are they doing I wonder… It’s suspicious as hell” the monster said to her as if things couldn’t be more obvious. Aediva let out a sigh. She ignored the group in hopes she would just go on with her life.

“Let’s follow them, Aediva” Cath said to her, pulling at her hair.

“No, thanks. I’ll just act like nothing happened” she simply replied, cold. Cath dropped his jaw - looking at his partner in disbelief. Before he could say anything, Aediva spoke first.

“Don’t even try to tell me to do shit. I’m not going to do anything or get involved in any of what Efren Dorm is doing” she said. Cath was immediately silenced, his ears turned flat on his head.

“... What if both Arthur and Eden are--” Aediva shoved a little bun into the monster’s mouth.

“Shut up” she said as she walked away to the class - noticing that students are now starting to fill the empty spaces of the large castle turned the main school building. She walked in the hallway to her class with Cath grumbling all the way and her glancing at the courtyard where she first caused quite a disturbance in the academy ground.

She sees there are still white patches of grass on the ground, the benches were fixed. She looked at the trees, some of which were completely white from branches to the leaves, with new bright green leaves growing.

Wait, it’s still growing?

She stopped in her tracks, looking at the sole tree at the centre of the courtyard with patches of bright greens among its white leaves. She thought everything that has been touched by her powers died that day as they froze into ice. She knows the grasses are slowly being replaced by the gardeners but she never noticed the trees (or rather, just that one tree since she’s sure that the other trees are already uprooted) is still alive.

“Ah… As usual that tree is still amazing to look at” hearing the voice of an unfamiliar girl at her side, Aediva turned to look. A pair of sea green eyes looked at her, bright and cheerful. Aediva was honestly surprised. She didn’t even hear that girl approaching her.

She inspects the stranger girl. A flowy pale green wavy like the sea waves, pale skin gleaming under the gentle sunlight. Standard black uniform with golden embellishment and an emblem of a dragon. She’s from Kazbelius Dorm.

“... Did I scare you? Sorry, I don’t really want to disturb you looking at the Jennifera Tree” the girl said, looking at Aediva with her mint-coloured eyes with snake-like pupils.

“Yennifera Tree?” Aediva muttered after her. The girl smiled.

“Yeah. That tree is actually a part of the World Tree, Yggdrasil. It’s named after this one witch Yennifera who was rumored to have the most amazing earth magic. It’s just a rumor though. Everyone knows the World Tree sprouts at the oddest place, wherever they want. Isn’t it amazing?” the girl explained, looking back at the tree. Aediva remained silent as she looked at the tree swaying with the gentle morning breeze.

“... So there is something that survived that blast…” Aediva murmured. The girl glanced at the frost mage, straightening herself as she faced Aediva.

“Hey, wanna be friends? You’re Aediva, right? I’m Zielle. Zielle Sabil Mythey. I’m from class 1-A” the girl introduced herself, reaching out her hand towards Aediva who blinked at her, a little startled and confused. The girl with platinum blonde hair looked at Zielle’s hand, a little hesitant to grab it when remembering how much Arthur and Eden seemed to repel her bare skin.

“Aediva… Class 1-B” she siad, reaching out timidly to the Zielle who didn’t even flinch at the coldness of her hand when in contact. Her new female acquaintance merely laughs cheerfully, shaking at Aediva’s hands excitedly as her smile widened - showing a glimpse of her canine teeth.

“Hey, what about me?” Cath suddenly asked, popping from Aediva’s hood at the back. Zielle peeked over Aediva’s shoulder.

“Oh, sorry little kitty. I thought you weren’t around. What’s up” Zielle greeted the monster who pouted at her.

“Another noisy one comes to join as my minion” Cath said as Zielle giggled, amused.

“I’m not joining your legion, sorry. I’m already someone else’s minion. Oh?” suddenly Zielle stopped. It was then when they all heard the bell ringing.

“Time for class. I’ll see you during lunch then, Aediva. Cath. Bye!” the other girl said as she immediately jogged to the other direction. Aediva let out a sigh, the faint smile on her face remained as she walked to the class.

The somewhat calm morning was immediately ruined the moment she entered the classroom. She noticed how at least quarter of the class population are gone. Although it was a fact that their class is dominated by those of Fyerbius, Efren and Alfala, having most of the Efren Dorm students disappeared at the start of the class is a little… disturbing.

She went straight to her normal spot in the classroom and leaped over the bench to sit in between both Arthur and Eden who were both too tired to even greet her anymore. Both of them laid their heads on the table, probably asleep.

Maybe it’s the drop in temperature that always accompanies her that woke them up. Aediva looked at the two as they turned their heads to her direction.

“Oh… Hey there, boar…” Eden’s greeting was weak.

“Sorry, Aediva. We’re… really tired…” Arthur’s words were equally lethargic.

Aediva wordlessly grabbed their collars and pulled it to reveal their neck. The red bruise around their necks…

She narrowed her eyes as she released them. Usually, the always immaculate Arthur would grumble if she as much as pulled his shirt and fixed the crease. Eden would be grumbling too because of her icy touch.

“Can you both tell me about ‘the Gallows’ already?” she asked. Arthur and Eden visibly flinched when hearing the word ‘the Gallows’. Their trembling didn’t go amiss to her eyes. Aediva looked at Cath who looked at her in silence as well.

“... It’s hell… Can’t you believe he asked us to cram in the Gallows so early in the school year?” Eden said.

“Ah… And anyone who tries to escape the Gallows gets instantly shocked by the collar. We’ve only been there once… We…” Arthur paused.

“Never tried to defy the Dorm Leader again” the two boys sighed in unison. The one female in the group stopped scribbling on the papers on the table - pulling both of the boys to sit up straight when seeing the teacher entering the class. The whole few classes, which thankfully are all lectures, she holds them at the back to avoid them from being so obvious to sleep and be scolded by their teachers.

As soon as the lunch bell rings, Arthur and Eden stirred from their sleep - feeling odd that there’s no teachers scolding them that day. Feeling a bit refreshed after a few hours of naps, they stood up from their seats.

As usual for the past week, they left Aediva during lunch to get back to their dorms lest they wish Daniel’s wrath upon their tardiness. As they left, they hardly noticed the piece of paper Aediva slipped into their pockets.

She only waved at them goodbye before returning to their usual spot and looking back at the engravings on the table.

“You never told me you’re good at charms,” Cath said.

“I never said I’m bad at them. Charms are different from practical magic after all” Aediva quipped, placing both her palms on each engraving where Arthur and Eden were laying their heads on that morning. For them to be so tired that they didn’t even noticed her using charms to actively avoid the teachers from going towards them…

“The charms I placed on them are going to help them recover faster. But what are the odds that their mana are also running low like that boy earlier?” Aediva wondered to herself, destroying the evidence of her ever using charms in class without the teachers’ permission. When she left, their tables were completely pristine.

During lunch time, she didn’t stop at the cafeteria for long. Enough to buy a bit of snacks with whatever little she has (which made her sigh), before going to the library to browse some of the books.

She sat at a corner surrounded with piles of books, alone. Until someone appeared before her. The second time that day she appeared, Aediva already remembered her presence.

“Zielle. Sorry if I don’t look. I’m researching some things…” she said to her new friend whom she didn’t even bother to look to know she’s peering over her shoulders at what she’s browsing through. Zielle blinked.

“... Aediva, are you looking for a recipe for mana potion?” Zielle asked, turning her head to the chair Aediva kicked gently for her.

“Hehe~ Thank you~” Zielle said, accepting to Aediva’s wordless invitation to sit beside her. The Kazbelius student glanced at Cath who is sleeping in Aediva’s hood - smiling at the sheer adorableness of the scene. Aediva taps the book in front of her with the pen in her hand, flipping the pages as her free hand reached out for a book in the pile to her right. Zielle looked at the book placed in front of her.

“Eh~ You want me to help?” she asked Aediva who snickered at her question.

“I don’t plan to keep someone who is useless as a friend. You’re free to leave of course, no one is going to force you to stay” Aediva said with a smile. Zielle laughed.

“Wow! You really didn’t bother to hide your mean side” the girl said, her mint-coloured orbs trained on the silver-eyed girl who looked at her with an impassive cold look with a dark smile. Zielle took the book from Aediva’s hand - still smiling, her eyes mischievous.

“Sure! I’ll help you find what you need! I’m good at finding things anyway” Zielle chirped as both her and Aediva chuckled at each other with a dark smile on each of their faces.