Black Mirror.

One of the seven artifacts belonging to the Grand Mages - more specifically Kazbel, the God of Carnage and Chaos himself. Out of all artifacts left by the seven legendary figures, it is said to be one of the most powerful capable of seeing into the past, the present and the future. Such omnipotence that becomes sort of a beacon of the academy which mostly involves the affairs of the students’ selections and sorting into the institution itself.

It was a question that had gnawed at her ever since the day after she returned from the hospital.

Why did the Black Mirror say she had no magic in the first place?

She stopped right in front of the obsidian glass - staring at her own image on its shiny surface. Her own reflection stared back at her, and somehow now, it felt like she was still looking at someone she hardly knows.

Who is she truly? Where is she from? Why is she the way she is right now? Why does her instinct seem a lot more different than both Arthur and Eden? What is the lingering feeling of grief she always feels faintly in her? And why grief?

So many questions that she wished to know its answer but she always pushed it back and feigned ignorance. She let out a sigh.

“... Maybe I do have a truly incompetent part, huh?” she said as Cath stared at their reflection on the Black Mirror. He then looked down to Aediva’s face as he craned his neck from the top of her head.

“What are you going to ask to this weird huge mirror?” Cath asked her. Aediva stared at the mirror for a while, her face impassive.

“Nothing special. Just wanted to ask it if it still can’t feel any magic from me” Aediva said and the Black Mirror pulsed. They turned their full attention to the mirror - remembering the first time it interacted with them, specifically the young female.

“... Is it just me or this mirror just really don’t want to even say anything to me?” After a while of pure silence in the room, Aediva let out a frustrated complaint which was quickly imitated by the monster on top of her head.

“Is it just me or this mirror is actually ignoring us?” Cath sighed. Aediva shrugged.

“This goes just like I think it would. Of course, this damn thing would actually not answer my question. Huh… Here I am thinking that I would at least got a little answer for my many questions” Aediva said before turning to her back, stepping down the steps of the platform housing the reflective artifact.

“Let’s go to the library…” she sighed, scratching the back of her head.

“Wait, you’re skipping classes?” Cath asked, sounding somewhat absurd and excited at the change of pace from his partner. Aediva let out an empty sigh.

“I don’t think the old book reader would even realize half of her class went missing anyway. Plus, I still need to research those ingredients for my pot--” suddenly Aediva stopped in her tracks, hearing a familiar faint humming from her back. She turned to look and found Black Mirror’s surface swirling like molten obsidian - twinkling at the light from the ceiling.

“... What do you wish… to know…” the supposedly inanimate object spoke - the voice sending chills down her spine from the foreboding quality to it. She stepped close but then she decided to stop shyly by the stairs, remaining down the platform as she looked up at the huge mirror.

“You’re terrifying. Never thought I would be scared of some mirror but here I am…” she said. The Black Mirror pulsed as it hums pleasantly as if pleased of what Aediva just said.

“It has… been years…” it suddenly said, prompting Aediva to lift her eyebrow questioningly.

“... the last time I converse with someone…” it told her.

“I see. Well, I’m here to ask you something. Will you be cooperative and answer me? I read from a lot of books about your vast knowledge beyond time” Aediva said. The Black Mirror pulsed again.

“Very well… What is it that you wished to ask of me?” it said. Aediva shoved her hands into her sweater’s pockets.

“That day when I first arrived - mind addled and and feeling like a newborn without memories of myself or my past. You said you didn’t feel any magic from me…” she said.

“Indeed. And I feel no magic from you now either. How have you enrolled in this school, child?” the Black Mirror asked. Aediva frowned.

“I have magic” she said to the mirror but the mirror pulsed rapidly and a laugh ruptured from within.

“Do you now?” the Black Mirror asked her, sounding rather condescending as Aediva’s forehead creased into a deep frown.

“... You’re not worthy…” it said, making Aediva growled a bit.

“Of what?” she barked at the mirror.

“Of magic” the Black Mirror replied to her.

“Then why did the magic explosion happen if I have no magic? Or if I’m not worthy of it?!” she asked, now starting to feel more and more frustrated at the cryptic and condescending message from a damn mirror. The Black Mirror pulsed.

“... It doesn’t matter for it has no connection,” it said.

“You do not believe in magic. Only destruction and chaos. A creature trying to wear a porcupine’s quills trying to protect herself” the Black Mirror told her. Aediva balled her fingers into fists.

“... You will never be able to master magic that you do not own…” it said again as it pulsed repeatedly as it speaks. Its words leaving Aediva trembling in swirls of emotions as she storms off the hall - unable to utter any other words, let alone other questions that the mirror might be able to answer. But she was too overwhelmed by her own emotions that she simply leave.

In the end, she sat at the most secluded corner of the library surrounded by piles of books - her fingers vigorously scratching letter to letter on her notebook. Each time she started to think back of what had happened that day during her visit to the Hall of Black Mirror, she poked the pen to her hand - grounding herself with the painful sensation of being stabbed by the blunt tip of the pen.

Cath could only stare at Aediva as she trembled from time to time, ignoring her growling stomach from hunger or thirst from a whole day of not moving away from the table. The lack of energy that made her fingers tremble. The little monster had lost count how many times she dropped her pen after it slipped from her fingers.

“... Aediva?” Cath tried to call her but she blatantly ignored him.

“... It’s late. We should go back to the dorm” he said to her but she pretended to not hear him. Her fingers are still busy with scribbling on the papers while her other hand - the hand with a lot of bruises on the back of her palm, flipped through the seemingly endless pages of the book.

When Cath stepped closer, he was startled at the sound of something being crushed and it didn’t take him long to find the source of the sound when Aediva stabbed the pen to the table - denting it and leaving the pen to an inky mess.

“... Go back… on your own…” she said, her voice weak, hardly energetic. Cath stepped back, fell to all fours and went away without any words but he stopped in his tracks when seeing Aediva trembling as she planted her head at the top of the table.

He looked back and forth to the girl and the direction of the exit, probably contemplating whether to just leave her be or stay with her. In the end, albeit with a pout, he jumped back to her shoulders - wrapping its short front limbs around the back of her head.

It was just complete silence as they stayed there with the moonlight pouring into the dim-lit room through the skylight dome overhead.

“Gods, you’re a real mess of a kid to take care of…” Cath murmured to himself.