Y/n was blanking staring towards the spot where her friends were. 'I can't believe even Yuu got collared...this is much scarier now that I'm experiencing this in person...I'm sorry I couldn't do much..' she had a sad look on her face.

Seeing Y/n in such a state made Riddle's heart hurt a little. "I'm sorry, my rose, but it must be done," he said, carefully coaxing her hand.

"They didn't mean it, Riddle.." Y/n spoke, causing Riddle to flinch at the expression she was making. It made him...heartbroken...as if he saw that expression before. His eyes widen at the sight of a familiar woman, standing next to Y/n, making the same expression Y/n was making. " They didn't mean it...darling..." the illusion spoke before fading away.

'what was that...'

"They were only here for about...three days. They never got the chance to read the rules because you kicked them out, Riddle..." Y/n said again.

"The decrees are too strict. The queen of hearts was known as a tyrant who executed a lot of people for breaking the simplest rules" Y/n place a hand on Riddle's shoulder. "I'm going to check on my friends. Please don't walk on the path of Tyranny.." Y/n said, before teleporting away, leaving a trail of butterflies.

"Y/n...!" Riddle reached out but it was too late, she was gone. Riddle didn't know how to explain the sudden pain in his heart.

'don't get influenced by her, Riddle, after all, rules are far more important to keeping order!' Ira spoke again, causing Riddle to slowly nod his head.

Riddle turn to the crowd of students, changing his expression to a smile, "Now, to collect ourselves and continue where we left off. We've got a croquet tournament to kick off today, after all."

Riddle then looked at the time, "See? We're ready 15 minutes behind schedule! How lousy!" Riddle frowned, as his magestone only darken with blot.

There was only silence, as most students were all shocked by the recent chaos.

"...Hey" Cater turn to Trey, "You sure this is ok with you?"

"There's nothing I can do to stop him now." Trey frowned, as Riddle continued with the activities, ignoring the pain in his heart.

"Dammit, man!! I'm ticked!!" Ace shouted in anger, clenching his fist. "That lil-red-headed tyrant! Who does he think he is? The queen of hearts herself?!"

"You guys sure, fucked up big time" Y/n moaned in annoyance.

"Literally thrown out for defiance...my dream of being an honor student is slipping away..." Deuce sat down on the floor, sighing. Yuuna sat next to him, rubbing his back in comfort, "Don't worry Deuce, it's still not too late" "Thanks...Yuuna.."

"Gah! It's so tight and heavy!" Grim whined.

"Those meowching collars of yours look pretty Ace." a voice said, scaring Yuuna, Deuce, Ace, and Grim who turned towards the sound of the voice.

A head then appeared in front of grim, "A floating head!!" Grim shrieked.

"Furgot my body, oops." the head said.

"Who are you?!" Deuce asked.

"The name's Alchemi Alchemevich Pinka! A cat-like, magic-usin' peculiar purrson!" he says, revealing his body.

"Hello your majesty" he greeted with a bow towards Y/n, who nodded in a greeting way.

"Wha?!"

"You know him, Y/n?" Yuuna asked.

"Of course. His grandparents are from Permafrost. They head over there for spring and winter break" Y/n explained.

"Alche...one more time?" Deuce asked, trying to say the cat boy's long time

"Haha, yep! Most just call me Chenya. A guy who's in a different league altogether."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Look, our little Tyrant's demands harshed my vibe. So beat it." Ace tried to shoo Chenya away, who only backed away with a cheeky expression.

"Riddle, a Tyrant...? Well, you just might be right about that." Chenya grinned, hopping on a pole, and playfully spinning around it. "He's always been so serious, even when he was little..."

"You know our housewarden?!" Deuce asked.

"Myebbe there's things I know, and myebbe there's things I don't" Chennya stated, making Grim have a dumbfounded expression.

"Which is it?" the raccoon asked.

"Soooo? You wanna know more about Riddle?" Chenya asked.

"Who wouldn't? I'd love to hear the lore behind that control break" Ace huffed.

"You better ask that four-eyes all about it, then."

"Four-eyes...you mean Clover-senpai?" asked Deuce.

Chenya made 'ok' sighed and put them over his eyes, like glasses, letting out a smirk. "He's known Riddle since they were nothing but little Rugrats."

"So...they're childhood friends?" Yuuna asked.

"If anything, he seems cold and distant when he's looking after our dorm leader" Deuce noticed.

"If you're oh-so-purrceptive, then why're you even asking me?" the cat jumped down from standing on the bars. "Catch nya later."

"Wh- hey!" Deuce tried to reach out but Chenya disappeared like the Cheshire cat. "He vanished?!"

"Trey-senpai, huh."

[back at heartslabyul]

"By the decrees of the queen of hearts, article 249: ," Riddle spoke towards a student cowering in fear. "So why aren't you wearing anything in pink?" he asked.

"I'm sorry...I-it's in the wash...please don't cut off my head!" the student pleaded. "This is your second rule infraction..." Riddle shouts.

Riddle has been acting more of a tyrant, ever since Y/n left the unbirhtday party. "You're to write a 5,000-word apology essay, and pick weeds from the garden for a week."

The student trembled in fear, "that's....urgh..."

"I won't be lenient with rule violations, for everyone's sake. It that clear?" Riddle turned around, leaving the room, "Trey. Cater. Take him outside."

"Yes...housewarden.."

[Next day of school, inside of the library]

Yuuna's POV

"Clover-senpai." Ace called out, as Trey turned towards us. "You guys....!"

"We figured you'd come to return a cookbook with the help of Y/n, so we waited here" Deuce says. "Listen. We don't guy into our housewarden's approach" Ace says as Trey lets out a sigh. He was completely over with people, especially how Y/n was taking Riddle's side to please him.

"I can imagine..." Trey says, pressing the book back into the shelf. "You guys are childhood friends, right?" I asked.

Trey seemed to look at us in shock, "Sooo, did the blatant ass-kissing start ages ago or what?" Ace asked the vice housewarden.

"Who told you that?" asked Trey. "Some guy named Chenya" Deuce spoke.

"Chenya...you don't say..."

"I mean, aren't you a year older than Riddle? Just go ape 'n let 'im have it" Grim asked, who was on my shoulder.

"Well...I'm always ready to do what I have to do...but that...that I can't do. I can't be the one who scolds him." Trey states, making me frown a little. I can't tell is he is trying to be a good friend or a bad one.

"Why?!" Ace shouts a bit.

"Because...it must be due that strict rules...they're what created Riddle," I said, feeling heartbroken for the boy.

"Huh?" Deuce was confused.

"His parents were famous magical healers. Everyone, where we're from, knew their names. His mom was especially talented, and she really wanted Riddle to live up to her legacy, after all, they had received blessings from the spirit king of water, Lady Leviathan, for all the hard work. So, from the moment Riddle woke up to when his head hit the pillow at the end of the night...Every aspect of his life was planned, down to the minute, by the education program she made for him." Trey explained. "That just sounds lame," grumbled Grim.

"What he ate, what he wore, what soap he used, who his friends were - every last detail had been predetermined for him. And to please his parents, Riddle obediently completed every task they'd laid out for him. He mastered his signature spell by age ten. He's been the top student in all of his classes. I can't even imagine how hard he must have had it..."

"That sounds terrible..." Yuuna murmured.

"If he does nothing about the rulebreakers...he'd be denying his own existence created by rules." Ace looked up at Trey, "...that what you mean?"

"I get why you think Riddle's a Tyrant. And believe me, Y/n thinks so too...that his way of doing things isn't right. But I..." Trey frowned deeply. "I still can't force myself to current him...!"

"That's some past..." Deuce mumbled. "Fnyah..." Grim said,

"Okay, I totally get it now." Ace thought for a bit, closing his eyes. He then walked up to Trey, "Riddle's like this all because of you!" he tapped Trey's shoulder with a finger.

"Wha?!" Deuce and Grim were surprised as my mouth hung open.

"No one can choose their parents. That's a fact. But...you knew they were setting him down the wrong path all along." Ace continued, ignoring the others.

"That's.."

"If you think he's following in their footsteps...then say so. Put him on the right track as his friend!" Ace continued to nag his senior before him. "How's indulging him just because you feel bad about helping? Are you just gonna watch him deal with the hate and isolation?"

"H-hey...Ace!" Deuce called out to him. "Or what? You gonna keep quiet 'cause you're afraid of losing your head? Or perhaps experiencing it from Blood's refrain?" Ace then snapped. "" Trey's eyes widen in realization.

""