“Professor Luzeheart” Zielle was the first to strike a seemingly idle conversation with the only adult in the lab.

The sunset has long passed. They’ve been there for at least four hours from 4pm after classes ended. All we pretty focused with each of their roles in the potion making process. Well, Zayen surely isn’t pleased that he had to work close with Aediva whose mood turned foul after Cypher decided to join them that evening. With the atmosphere turning heavy and suffocating with Aediva’s displeased air around her, Zielle decided to at least gather a bit of intel about the adults’ outlook. After all, she is not the only one who thinks that what is happening in Efren Dorm was severely overlooked by the staff in the campus grounds.

“You said you had to take in a lot of classes today. Did something happened?” Zielle asked, knowing that Aediva who seemed like she was concentrating with ingredient prep is also listening their conversation. Cypher rubbed his chin.

“Zielle, I never took you as the busybody type” he said but Zielle giggled innocently.

“Aww c’mon~ I heard from Lord Marith that you’re a chill type of professor~” she said, and replied with Cypher snickering.

“That guy talked too much. Oh well, you guys probably already heard about it anyway. A lot of my colleagues had sick leave and some didn't even turn in for work. In the end, the principal asked me to become a substitute teacher for a lot of classes. Huh… And I was not supposed to start til next week” Cypher sighed. Zielle hummed with a nod.

“And a lot of teachers are also busy with Efren Dorm’s event that’s happening next week too. Ah, come to think of it. Have you been there, professor? That explosion last night was incredibly loud!” Zielle chirped with childish curiosity and Cypher fell silent.

“Ah, I went there. Although honestly, they insist it was an accident with their fireworks. I’m glad no one got hurt but…” the professor paused.

“Well, I’m glad no one got hurt too. Aediva was a bit worried last night since her friends are both Efren Dorm students” the young lady said with a frown on her forehead.

“I see… Well that would explain her face appearing pale all day long” Cypher said, turning around when hearing something cracking behind him. He peered at where Aediva and Zayen are - the latter already booming his voice at the ears of the girl who had accidentally broken a conical flask. In a heartbeat, both the teacher and student went to their place when seeing Aediva’s bloody palm - the one injured hardly flinched as she pulled out the large shard from her palm.

“Aediva! What happened?!” Zielle asked, panicking.

“She was distracted and applied too much force when holding that flask!” Zayen explained.

“Shut up” Aediva’s flat voice silenced the twins.

“Ms. Aediva, let me see your palm. We need to get it treated right away” Cypher said. Once again when he was about to touch the girl, she swats his hand away and glares at him.

“Please don’t touch me. I can handle this on my own” Aediva said - shot with disapproving look from Zielle.

“Aediva, stop being stubborn and just let the professor help you heal that gash” Zielle berates Aediva who suddenly looked forth absent-minded until she seemed to look like she was snapped back to her senses. Without much word, as if she had a really big epiphany, Aediva turned to the book she and Zayen were looking at earlier. With only a flimsy wrap around her left palm, she went to scribble things on a new page with undisturbed focus.

Scritch scratch.

Zielle and Zayen stared in silent shock with the female twin reaching out to Aediva - worrying that she snapped some sort of nerve but before she could touch Aediva’s shoulders, a large gloved hand held it back.

Zielle looked at Cypher who only shook his head like he was aware of what Aediva was doing.

“I got it. If we use this calculations Zayen counted, then this is at that amount…” she mumbled to herself. Zielle and Zayen frowned especially to the bloody towel in Aediva’s unoccupied hand.

“Zayen, what the hell are you doing there. Do these calculations for me” Aediva said, looking straight at Zayen who wanted to protest at her rather aloof tone when asking favors from him but Zielle pushed him towards the focused girl. Truthfully, Zielle herself is a little confused but seeing Aediva seemed so focused, she really doesn’t want to disturb her. Then she saw Cypher making his way beside Zayen - peeking at the boy’s calculations.

“Don’t use that formulae. Use this simple formula instead” Cypher corrected Zayen’s workings on the fly as the young man nodded. Aediva moving to the ingredients she had prepared earlier and finally noticing the bloody towel on her palm. She stared for a while before casually tossing it away to the bin nearby - the sight of her completely fine palm didn’t go amiss by Zielle who turned wide-eyed at the sight.

“Ms. Aediva” Cypher called and Aediva froze.

“Clean your hands before touching the ingredients. Don’t forget the gloves too” the professor said. Aediva jumped off her seat and moved to the sink in a heartbeat, quickly returning with gloved hands to prepare the ingredients.

“I’ll help you with the ingredients” Zielle said. Aediva merely nods - looking like she’s in her own world at that moment. The trace of any emotion but focus was lost from her face as she chopped the herbs and weighed it down to the calculations that had been done by Zayen and checked by the sole lecturer in the lab. While they prepare to make the potion with Zayen’s calculations and Aediva’s directive, they hardly realized Cypher leaving them alone in the lab.

By the time he returned, the trio was staring at the product of their brew - completely not noticing him entering the lab with food for dinner. So Cypher leaned against the table beside the ones the children are using.

“That doesn’t look like mana potion” Zielle commented at the disgusting green sludge in the bottle.

“No, it needs to be refined,” Aediva said.

“We can’t use the refiner unless the lab assistant is around,” Zielle said.

“Then, what’s that guy’s function here if not to bypass that problem?” Aediva said, sounding a bit like she was growling as she pointed her thumb to the back. Zielle and Zayen stood frozen and speechless the moment they heard Aediva’s nonchalant remark in quite a disrespectful tone. With the scowl and the frown that never disappeared since the beginning of their time at the lab, the twins looked at each other.

Zielle being the more patient and understanding one and Zayen already wanting to voiced out his opinion on Aediva’s attitude. Zielle punched Zayen in the stomach the moment he tried to open his mouth while Aediva growled annoyed - all under Cypher’s watchful gaze at their various teenage antics. He cleared his throat and except for Aediva, the students turned their heads to look at him.

“I bought dinner. I’ll go get the refiner for you to use. So why not rest a bit?” Cypher said.

“Professor… You’re too nice”

“Thank you for the meal, Lord Luzeheart!”

Zielle and Zayen responded. It was at that moment when Cath suddenly jumped on Aediva’s head and kicked her head to get to the other table where the take-away foods are - at last energetic after the whole day lazing around Aediva rubbed the back of her head that Cath used as a stepping stone to get to the other table, almost feeling murderous at that damn monster for his attitude.

“Food! Food!” Cath chanted as Cypher left the lab to go to the where the lab assistant would store a lot of other equipment - leaving the students at their devices. He returned soon after he got the refiner but it seems that Aediva’s mood turned a lot fouler than it already was. He could only assume that either Zayen or Zielle might’ve said something to her about her attitude towards him.

Seeing how Aediva refused to even get close to him even to take the refiner that she so need to complete the potion, he eventually thought that she definitely doesn’t want to have anything to do with an adult. Not that he doesn’t know about what they’re preparing for. In the end, he watched from afar as Aediva finally took the refiner with plenty of grumble and growling, reminding him of a very angry little cub.

Although, he’s not against just watching the kids at work. A certain feeling pricked him deep inside his chest but he brushed it away as he looked at Aediva focused with her work. Normally students aren’t even allowed to stay late in the lab but he allows them. He can’t exactly lie when Zielle asks why he stayed with them, “Hm? Well, let’s just say I’m intrigued with what you kids are doing. I’m not exactly surprised if you’re actually planning to go to Efren Dorm with the potions.”

He knew how much Aediva turned more annoyed at what she heard even though he’s quite far off from their place.

“... You’re pretty impatient” that familiar voice ringing in his head startled Cypher a bit. Suddenly he smiled with a frown creasing his forehead.

“Marith, I didn’t expect you to be around in the school building at this hour” Cypher thought.

“I was searching for Zayen. That boy has never strayed for too long from Naffael’s side. Now I know that he’s with Zielle and little Aediva. She seems awfully foul-tempered. I thought your kind would know better than to invade children’s privacy when they least wanted” Marith’s voice berates the professor who remained silent with a dry smile.

“... Huh… I’m the one being berated for child-rearing now?” Cypher let out a sigh.

“That kid has an impeccable instinct of people around her but her distrust of adults clouds her judgement. If you want her to like you, you can’t simply butt into her personal life like this…” Marith said. Cypher let out another sigh, one that made Aediva glanced at him for a while.

“Oh!!!” the sudden voice escalation from the group of teens made Cypher look.

“... It’s done” Aediva said with a dragged-out sigh as her one hand rubbed at the back of her neck in tiresome.

“I can’t believe it… Zayen’s calculations really helped, huh? But… There’s only one bottle of potion…” Zielle said. Zayen frowned, looking at Aediva who was rummaging her bag in silence instead of staying with them.

When she took out the one piece of paper from the book in her bag, Zayen and Zielle looked at her confused.

“Time for you to be of use, Yen” Aediva said, eyes boring into Zayen’s mint-coloured eyes; the previously sharp look turned horrified when seeing what was in store for him.

Once more...

It was dark. It was cold.

The gripping feeling of alone in the void of space where she stayed.

The sense of yearning that was somewhat fulfilled as she stayed in the warmth. All while feeling the twining coldness at her back - beckoning her to return.

“Is this not where I belong? Is this everything that she had yearned?” she asked herself. In the end only her own voice echoed in the spaceless void. Somewhere in her heart, maybe she truly does know of the vague truth or her desires.

The reason she should never turn back.

If choice is what she seeks, it was there laid in front of her.

Those silver orbs stared at the obsidian surface of the mirror looming in front of her. Her body shivering in the cold, her bare feet starting to feel a little numb and cold sweat damp on her skin - the feeling of soft fabric of her nightgown sticking on her curves don’t exactly feel that comfortable.

The voice at the back of her head echoed from her dream gradually disappearing as the chime from the Black Mirror rang clear in her ears.

“... There’s no battle where sacrifices are not made…” she murmured to herself as she looked at her palms. The sting in her right hand becomes a new burden for the young soul.

“At last!” the voice echoed proudly in the large hall. The ominous green glow of lighting every corner of the room as a large smile carved on her face.

“Comrades! Our work is finally done! The stage is finally ready for our greatness!” her voice boomed to her spectators. A sea of black and red before her - spectating with varying degrees of emotions in their eyes. At the side, a certain pair of young lass and a young lad looked with concern concealed in their emotionless look - directed at the lone redhead boy standing not far from them who is also watching the gathering and ‘the Creation’ looming over them.

Hanzel and Fay hold each other’s hands tight as they closed their eyes. As light gathered around them, they braced themselves.

Another long week has passed. What they see is the beginning of a battle.