If I say I had a cardiac arrest, I would be lying and… that’s a tad bit to dramatic. No… I kept calm, kept my composer, thinking every possibility of why she is saying that she doesn’t know me.

I made my brain go overdrive, reviewing her reasons, seeing every scenario that might be a good reason, and… her weirdly genuine confusion.

But even if I can keep this stoic face, façade really… I can’t help to feel a sudden crack, gap… inside my heart.

I…

“Ohh wait! You’re Arthur Svard, right?” And suddenly my heart was healed. “It’s nice to finally meet one of the second heroes! My name is Ioctoria le Rath de Caisoleán!” And… my heart tore again as it seems… she doesn’t know who I am or… please don’t let it be… she’s purposely doing this bit to distances herself from me, which… I don’t know why.

“Yeah… Arthur Svard, a pleasure to meet you Ioctoria le Rath de Caisoleán…” I extended my arm and opened it to receive her handshake.

“No! the pleasure is mine, Lord Svard!” She shook my hand, like it wasn’t her first time.

* * *

I sat on Martyn’s office’s couch, holding the coffee that I just made with my head still clouded by that encounter with Ioctoria… I was so preoccupied on my mind, to the point the stillness of the coffee’s water made a clear mirror that reflects my unsettled and occupied face.

But that stillness was disturbed as Martyn finally came into his office, with a bottle of wine and a wine glass filling his hands. He placed it on the coffee table near me and went to his table first.

The paper ridden, document messed, table.

He was organizing some of it while taking some of the others to the coffee table, multitasking more or less, while he is going to listened to what I have to say about the Académie, the experience, and… Ioctoria.

“Aight…” Martyn sat down after putting some of the papers on the coffee table. “So, how’s the Académie?” He said while pouring the wine to his glass.

“You were right it was like the Clock Tower, more standard university rather than a secret school.” I said to him.

“Told you! So, what’s the mandatory classes?”

“Weirdly… our Highschool’s mandatory classes, just minus the mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology that we learned, also this world’s history instead of course, ours.”

“Any extracurriculars? or maybe elective classes?”

“There’s a couple, like magic classes, El’s taking it, familiar classes, El also took that, she more or less took everything that involves with magic, and I found a jousting and melee class!”

“You’re taking it?”

“Of course!” I said to obvious.

“Okay… so anything else?”

“Hmm… not much really, again it’s more Clock Tower than Hogwarts, but… we do have a duck as a professor!”

“Wait… a duck?” That bit of anecdote stopped Martyn’s attention to his papers.

“Yep.”

“I… I guess visiting it once won’t hurt.” His interest was piqued, but not for too long as he went back to his papers.

“Also… I met Ioctoria there.” And I dropped the last interesting thing to him.

“Ohh…” But… his respond was really unceremonious.

“…” I kept silent as I thought it was just him being late to the occasion, but… I counted and a minute pass with no follow up. “Dude…”

“Yeah?”

“Ioctoria is a student of the Académie.”

“Ioctoria? OHH! Wait isn’t she-”

“You already knew, right?”

“Yep.” And… I’m actually really livid.

“DUDE!!!!”

“Sorry! Sorry… I did want to tell you about this, but…”

“But what?!”

“Well… I thought a surprise meeting would be better!”

“…” I was still mad, but… I can’t help but to agree with him. “Okay, that is a good idea.”

“Right? Right! So how did it go?”

“She’s avoiding me.”

“Wait what?”

More or less I explained everything to Martyn about my situation with Ioctoria.

It was supposed to be a nice continuation, some jokes here, some laughs here, and overall just continuing where we left off. But every step of the way, from the classes we took, the occasional hallway bump, and even when we were paired up to help a Professor demonstrate something.

She, always, avoids me… God… and this continues for days! I thought… she would break in the end from our, though a majority of them are convenient, crossed paths. And yeah, she almost did, the reason why I fervently believe she is intentionally avoiding me.

Thankfully though, it didn’t get worse, not Eleanna’s kind of worst where she’ll teleport suddenly. But damn it! I want a normal conversation with her! I just… really want to talk.

* * *

I was sitting on the green grass ground of the Académie’s park, it was soothing, actually very calming as one week in to the Académie was really packed, from people hounding me about my Second Hero schtick, the very much, slightly nostalgic, school activities, to… well Ioctoria and her constant avoiding.

It wasn’t that bad, people here are really nice, unexpectedly for blue-bloods, and well-mannered, expectedly for blue-bloods. A lot of them were a blast to talk with, the interest they have, the reasons why they came here, and their passion.

And I got to meet the best of them, from the jousting and melee class.

“I’m telling you all! The Dragon King is right before our borders! And Silvaque won’t sate him!” Roibert d’Crenas, an aspiring mage that I met with Eleanna in Familiar class, was talking a tad bit too loudly not far away from me.

“You’re just paranoid d’Crenas! And even if this so called Dragon King marches to Albion, his grace, Margrave Ramon will shatter them like the Sanctiacob Army he shattered decades ago!” The one who speaks so highly of my teacher, was Charles de Maignory, my sparring partner in the jousting and melee class.

“This is different! This is the Dragon King! He has a damn dragon backing his conquest!”

“Justan Bard Propaganda.” Another man, not far from them and me, was working on his papers on the grass, said.

“…” Roibert was silent for a moment, before turning slightly vexed. “And how would you know this peasant?!”

“Easy, I have a friend who is a bard and they’re being paid handsomely by Justan nobles, that supports the Dragon King, to spread his somewhat true and somewhat false stories.”

“The peasant is right, the fact that you are shaking your legs Roibert, means that the Justan’s propaganda are working.” Charles agreed with the man.

“Told you!”

“But…” Charles then stood up and went to him with an awful lot of malice oozing. “You’re still a peasant, peasant! So, address us as appropriately!”

“…” The man silently brooded.

“Bloody peasant!” And… well… different time period, different norms and rules. The man more or less had to take and swallow the fact that Roibert just blew away his papers.

“I have a name you know!” But… wow, he actually talk back.

“Yes… we know, the Peasant who thinks he can be a Mage.”

“It’s Téodor.”

“Whatever, just remember your place peasant.” After that Charles and Roibert left the man, Téodor, to pick up the mess they made.

I am not excusing anything, this shit is just plain bullying, I don’t like it next to other sane people. But… it’s not my job to change this world, I’m just here to further its doomsday clock.

But of course, I’m helping him! As I captured a couple of his papers on the air and went to gift it back to him.

“Téodor, right? Here! And sorry, must be rough.”

“…” As I gave it to him, expecting a thank your or maybe a joke about his bullies, I got… a death stare… like I just struck a nerve on him. “Yeah, sure.”

He then took the papers from my hand and sprint very quickly… oddly, this feeling reminds me of someone from school.

I stood there for a brief moment, thinking… what did I do to offend him… I thought maybe he saw me doing nothing, but even then he was too occupied by his bullies.

But I do feel a slight déjà vu from this, I don’t exactly know what it is, but I swear to god that I had this somewhat same encounter and stare from school…

I put that thought aside for a moment, as I get back on track to the next class I was about to enter, Supply Chain and the War Economy.

The topic was fine on its one, heck it’s probably going to be a breeze for the fact I already learned that extensively with Margrave Ramon.

But on the way, déjà vu strikes again as I saw Ioctoria pinned by three noble girls.

I stopped and went to hug the wall, then peeking at them through the corners and hear what they four are talking about.

“You think your so great, huh? Bumpkin Bitch.” One of the noble girls, cussed at Ioctoria.

“We’ll admit that forest dwellers like you who can crawl here are noteworthy, arrogance too, as you deserve it, but we draw the line to people who actually mean something here!” Another noble girl spoke with an intimidating tone.

“Lord Svard is wonderful, he reaches to everyone, even that peasant! No malice can be felt, no other agendas, just sincerity that is a nice change of pace for this place.” And the last of the three, complimented me while still intimidating Ioctoria.

“…” Ioctoria kept her silence. “Is that all?”

“You!” And the first girl who was intimidating Ioctoria raised her and was about to slap Ioctoria.

But at a split second Ioctoria, grabbed and stopped her hand. She swift, as she threw it away and sent a firm message.

Seeing this might get ugly, I stepped in to defuse the situation, but before hearing one of them saying something quite piercing to Ioctoria.

“Keep doing this de Caisoleán, because your enemies won’t only be the three of us.”

It struck a bit to me, making me wonder… if she’s doing this to everyone. And in retrospect… there’s only a couple people she has talk to in our classes, from her tone and mannerism, everything yells that she’s not looking for a friend, she’s looking for a fight.

I didn’t see it like that, more or less because I was focused on why she is avoiding me. So put it to question on what her reasons might be, what her goals are from alienating herself.

But for now, I have to tell her off too. As making enemies is a shitty way to live.

“They’re right you know!” The three of them were caught off guard as I said this.

“Lord Svard!” The noble girl that complimented me, said in surprise.

“I only want to talk to you about… that. But you’ve been avoiding me like I’m some kind of nuisance to you.”

“…” She was silent while wearing a livid face.

“And I am not only talking about me, I’m talking about the others too Ioctoria! Continue this and you’ll just make things harder for yourself.” I told her the truth.

“Remember that you Bumpkin Bitch!” And… of course I had to show these over the line noble girls their place.

“But, you three don’t have the right to pinned her like that!” And they were of course surprised, Ioctoria too. “This is between me and her, so get the hell out of here! You three already made it into my shitlist.”

And as they heard my grievances, they stepped back and left me with Ioctoria, to finish our private matters.

“Can you at least tell me what I did?” I asked her, the very thing that I wanted to know.

“You… you didn’t do anything.” What she said… relieves me, but… I feel like this is a half-truth, until of course she further explains it. “It’s the deal we made, the part where we keep it just a dream… just a vague memory… I… It’s hard you know! I am going to live for more than a century! I’ll see many people go past their prime, go… into their graves…”

“…” And I was silent as her fear is something I can’t argue against.

“And then you came into my life! Dragging me into a weird sort of date in place where the date is dancing… haha…” She chuckled slightly and I chuckled too. “I’m not blaming you for anything, I do want to make memorable things with people, but… I feel something was there Arthur… and I am scared.”

“…” Again silence was the only thing on my mouth, as there’s nothing I could say, nothing I could refute… but I know for a certain that she is. “Coward…”

“Did you just say…”

“Coward! If you walk through life like that, then there’s no meaning and joy to it! You better off killing yourself now.”

“You… you don’t know what it means to see the people you love pass before your eyes, while you still trapped in a pretty much immortal body!”

“No, I don’t, but I know what I’m seeing right now! The fact that you are coward!”

“I’m not a coward! I left, LEFT the forest, the place I wouldn’t need to meet and see people that I might care for, die!” Hearing of this bit of information, piqued my interest.

“Then… why are you still afraid?”

“Maybe… because I met a lot of good people, maybe… because I have experienced it… and maybe… because I met you too…”

“…” I went back to silence, a bit touched, but… still thinks that this is foolish of her.

“I’m sorry Arthur… but, it’s better if we’re just acquaintances.” And after saying this she tried to leave, but I stopped her and pulled her back in. “Arthur…”

“Let’s start over then! Let’s start as classmates!” I then let her go and showed her my right hand, ready to shake another arm. “Hi! My name is Arthur Svard! I am one of the second heroes and I would like to be your friend!”

“Arthur…” She was reluctant, but in the end she caved. “I’m… Ioctoria le Rath de Caisoleán, daughter of Oisín le Gaiscíoch de Caisoleán, the Count of Caisoleán… and… it, would be lovely to be friends with you! Arthur Svard.” She shook back my hand, still reluctant, but she knows what I’m trying to say with this.

We shook hands, exchanging information about us and started a new… Which I would I say if, Ioctoria was wrong about what she said, about… feeling something from… that.

As the handshake we exchange, lasted longer, kept in a perpetual slight motion of up and down. For what? Because… as she feels something was there towards me, I too… feels something towards her…

But I don’t know if I can… I’m still not over Caitlin, I’m still the afraid boy that don’t want to see the world turned colorless.

It’s so laughable, saying she’s a coward, even though I’m a coward myself.

Well for now, I’m glad I can at least be friends with her.