Within the grand library of Rhodeia, there were offices hidden away behind rows of towering shelves, places where students could vanish into study and silence. One such office sat cloaked in half-shadow, its curtains drawn just enough to let the afternoon glow slip through in narrow shafts of light. Dust drifted lazily in the air, catching in the beams, but the desk before the window remained empty — no books, no scrolls, no notes.
Prince Asta did not come here to study.
He sat with his chin resting against his knuckles while his other hand was twirling a small dagger. Blow his emerald was the courtyard. From this height, the students scurrying about resembled insects — indistinguishable and insignificant.
He did not see scholars. He did not see future leaders. He saw pawns, a mass of bodies waiting to serve the inevitable. One day, they would kneel. Every last one of them. Until then...
Three sharp knocks disturbed his thoughts.
"Come in," Asta said.
The door creaked open, and Rudy slipped inside, bowing low with a hand pressed to his chest. His smile was thin, eager, and just a touch too rehearsed.
"My Lord."
"Speak."
"A mutual friend brought me word of something interesting. It seems Caelus de Luvelaine was not expelled."
"Not expelled?"
Asta's voice was mild, but his gaze cut sideways.
"Three days of absence would see anyone else cast out without hesitation. If that was not his fate, then what happened?"
"Alas, there is no clear answer... unless we pry it from the fallen noble himself."
Rudy smirked, leaning in a little, as though sharing a precious secret.
"But another detail may interest you more. During the Hour of Respite, Princess Aria made contact with Caelus. She asked to meet him after classes, which should be happening just about now."
"Hah. That wench... Always grasping at scraps. What does she hope to gain this time?"
"Perhaps she seeks forgiveness for turning you against him, My Lord. Or perhaps... she wishes to pull him into her orbit, now that you've shown him your strength."
"I see."
Silence lingered. Asta pinched his chin in thought, the light glancing off the curve of his emerald eyes.
"My Lord?" Rudy prompted carefully. "What troubles you?"
"What troubles everyone as of late. Caelus de Luvelaine. We were all too eager to dismiss him as a fallen noble, blind to what he truly was..."—he leaned back, a smile curling at his lips—"A Fourth-Circle mage. Remarkable..."
"Most in the third year barely touch the Third-Circle, and yet..."
"And yet, he stands above them already. Imagine what he will be by the time he graduates. A Fifth-Circle mage? A sixth? Or perhaps even a Grand Master like the Headmistress. Such a weapon cannot be wasted. He will stand with me. Whether by persuasion..."
His gaze flicked back to the window, pupils narrowing as the courtyard teemed with unwitting pawns.
"...or by chains."
"That may be difficult, My Lord. That fallen has already challenged your authority. Who is to say he won't do it again?"
"Patience, Rudikar. With time, anyone can change. For now, we shall let Aria be. No matter how hard she tries, she could never tame a monster like him. However, there is someone we must now turn our attention to."
"Taylor Reinhall. Despite his family standing with My Lord, he dared to publicly undermine your authority."
"My thoughts exactly. A skilled swordsman, just like his father. Alas, a dog that cannot be tamed is of no use to me. For that..."—he shoved the dagger into the table—"...we must cull the loose ends."
"Shall I see to it, My Lord?"
"Do what you must, but leave the fallen be for now. I have my own plans for him."
Somewhere else within the campus, Caelus made his way to an underpass where a small bridge connected two buildings. There, the crown princess was leaning against the wall, waiting. He noticed her rather downtrodden expression. He didn't bother to think about why.
"Aria," he said as he approached her.
For a moment, Aria's face lifted, but it faded away just as quickly.
"Ah... H-hello, Caelus," she mumbled, both parts relieved and afraid. "Um... You've been gone for three days, I noticed. Are you... okay?"
"It wasn't anything serious, if that's what you were wondering. I was just asleep. That's all."
"For three whole days?"
"Yeah."
He said it so confidently and nonchalantly that Aria almost believed it wasn't a big deal. Still, she was worried.
"Anyway, let's get to the point," Caelus said. "What was it that you wanted to see me for?"
"O-oh, right. I guess my main concern was your well-being. You seem like you're fine, so that's good. The second thing..."
With a deep breath, she placed her hands on her stomach before bowing at a perfect angle. Her long, golden hair nearly touched the dirty ground, but she didn't care.
"W-what the... What are you doing?" Caelus mumbled, a tad bit nervous.
"Caelus," Aria spoke firmly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to involve you in my affairs with my brother. I was shortsighted and careless. Though it wasn't my intention, I... I put you in an unfortunate predicament that I'm sure you would've much rather avoided. Please, forgive me."
"Seriously...? It wasn't your fault, Aria, so lift your head."
"Eh? B-but because of me, you're now an enemy of—"
"I really couldn't care less about your brother. His pretension and arrogance left a bad taste in my mouth. Even if it wasn't you, it would've been someone else, so relax. I'm not holding anything against you."
Simple were his words, yet they carved deeper into Aria than he could ever know. For so long, her life had been one of silence and shadows, where even her maids dared not meet her eyes, where every breath was taken under the weight of her brother's threats. Hope had long been a stranger to her; she had taught herself never to expect it, never to wish for it.
And yet, in this moment, something stirred.
It was as though a crack had formed in the endless black that had surrounded her since birth, and through it shone a light — faint, fragile, but real. At the heart of that light stood him. Caelus de Luvelaine.
He could have turned away, as all others had. He could have left her to her brother's cruelty, and she would not have blamed him. But instead, he faced it for her. He shielded her from Asta's venomous glare, spoke for her when she had no voice, and fought the battle she thought she'd fight alone until her dying day.
For the first time, she felt it: an unfamiliar warmth spreading in her chest, easing the cold grip that had always bound her heart. Hope.
He stayed... like a knight to his princess. And just the thought of it made her breath falter, her chest flutter, as feelings she had never dared to imagine pressed against the edges of her guarded heart.
"Aria?" Caelus called out.
"A-ah!" she exclaimed, stepping back. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to space out!"
"There you go again, apologizing for unnecessary things."
"Oh... S-sor...ry...
"Hah..."
Initially, Caelus had an impression of Aria. She was far too quiet for someone of the highest standing. Her attitude was the complete opposite of the crown prince's. She may seem timid, but she holds an air of quiet authority that makes it difficult to ignore her. One day, she may come to realize just how much power her voice has. At the very least, she was a decent person. That much, Caelus was grateful for.
"Well, that's that," he said. "I'll be on my way now."
"Eh? Where to?" Aria asked. "Don't we have a club meeting today?"
Caelus paused.
"...Club meeting? Was that today?"
"Y-yes? You didn't know?"
"I mean, I was kinda out of the loop for three days."
"Ah... right."
"Well, we should get going then. Otherwise, Senior Alicia's gonna give us an earful."