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"I can't sleep so I'll just read some books"

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"Oh, that's cool, anyways I saw something... suspicious at the training grounds... Do you, happen to know anything about that?"

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"Nope" Ace says while thinking "pls don't recognize pls don't recognize"

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Athena quickly dropped everything off in her dorm, cast a quick illusion spell to make it seem like she was in bed, then proceeded to leap out the window which was conveniently right next to her bed. Her space was slightly larger than the other student's, tucked into a corner at the edge of the dorm. This was the closest to normal treatment she could get, and the extra space would prove useful. In future. Noooootttttt that she would know that.

Letting herself relax into her routine habit of checking out the school grounds, leaping from roof to roof, blasting a wayward Minder with some harmless flames, she couldn't help thinking back to the feeling she'd felt when fighting the beasts. It was different from triumph when a prank was successful, more energising, more alive. There was just no way to put it into words.

"well, well, well. What's a princesa doing out here, hm? Aren't you a bit out of your zone, niñita?"

Kendo had somehow appeared behind Athena, the outline of his tall frame flickering with blue light. His gin was wide, his longsword slung over one shoulder.

1 minute ago

He could vaguely feel Jack's presence. She was probably still awake. He sighed, getting up. He stretched, with a yawn. He could hear the pitter-patter of footsteps on the roof, the vague presence of Atticus and Ayran. He wanted to talk t Jack, but he thought it would probably be best to leave her alone while planning. Ayran and Atticus were probably doing something. That left one thing to do. The footsteps.

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Atticus was in the tree across from her window. Minders scoured the grounds for wayward students, traitors among their own rates. In the distance, the princess leapt from roof to roof.

As if she thought the girl sitting in the window of the dorms she had just left out of wouldn't see her.

She wasn't in the mood for talking, even though her thoughts weren't a very nice place at the moment.

Kendo appeared next to the girl, undoubtedly to cause chaos. Atticus was still in the tree.

Jack closed her eyes, feeling the magic coursing through the architecture. She let the power flow through her, another unbroken link in the eternal cycle. Silently affirming her plan, she let the magic heal her psyche.

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"First of all, niñeta isn't a word." Athena jumped, almost losing her footing. "Secondly, do I look out of my zone?" Giving up on balance and sitting down, she crossed her legs and tried to ignore Kendo's presence. There was one sudden moment of clarity before the panic set in. She'd been spotted. By a student. Who was no doubt going to tattle. Who wouldn't? In all the scenarios she'd imagined her cover being blown, being followed(?) by a student definitely wasn't one of them. And she was careless this time. Thinking her senses would alert her, when she was off floating around in her daydreams.

Trying - and failing - to cover up her crazy turmoil of thoughts for what was going to happen next. She couldn't push him off the roof, could she? Even if she wanted to. She couldn't magic his memories away. That was messy. There was a story about it somewhere, about a girl who looked suspiciously like her... And he had strong defences. She also didn't see how threatening him would work...

The always moving hand holding the quill paused. Ayran sighs, and leaned back against the hard wooden chair and closed his eyes.

It seems like tonight won't be a quiet one.

He could sense Atticus outside by Jack's dorm room, Kendo and... someone unfamiliar together. Ayran frowned, the energy this person have is strong for the person's age. Is it perhaps a new student?

Unfortunately he was not at the sorting, so he didn't know every new student there was yet. It was one of the moments that Ayran regrets missing out on.

It was because he missed out on the sorting, he didn't know who the rumored princess was beforehand, thus he can only wait until tomorrow where the first class is going to be held.

Suddenly Ayran had a funny idea, what if the unfamiliar energy is the princess? The theory isn't far off, since the rumor said that the princess was a prodigy for her age.

The more Ayran thought about it, the more it seemed like he was closer to the truth.

He all of a sudden, had a bad omen, what if Kendo accidently pissed of the princess?? Ayran in a span of less than a minute, goosebumps rose, if that happened, it'll literally be 'Off with your head!' for Kendo!

Ayran slaps himself in the face and shook his head repeatedly, no Kendo wouldn't be this rash, afterall he survived with Jack for so long he should be fine..

But Jack has a patience of a buddhist that is about to achieve immortality, not everyone has that kind of patience...

As if black lines covered Ayran face, what if the princess was the impatience kind?!

Wouldn't Kendo really be 'Off with your head!' if he pisses the princess off!?

Ayran got so caught up in his imagination that the he got ink blotches on his hands. Ayran sighs, he really should calm down. It was unfortunately a bad habit of his to get paranoid when he doesn't get any sleep, or don't go to sleep. Cause then his brain goes on a over-drive and thinks of all kinds of crazy scenarios.

At this point, in order to calm down his paranoia, he could only force his mind to focus back on the task on hand, aka work on some homework he set for himself, Atomic Magic.

If he is able to get proficient at this type of magic, then not only will it be extremely useful, but it can become a crucial incase of an emergency.

Unfortunately, it is harder than it looks...

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"Well, ok then. Maybe I was hallucinating and just need some sleep. Good night Ace." Sobble goes back to dreaming about curry.

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"Relax, relax, niñita. I'm not gonna hurt you."

He snapped, the sword disappearing.

"My name's Kendo, 8th year, basically second-in-command of Riparian. Nice to meet you! Athena, right?"

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“…


Who’s gonna tell her…?”

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"Mmmm, finallzzyyyy curryzzz. You guyzzz did a greatmmmm jobbbbbb."

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Ace was relieved until he felt sleepy so he decided to rest

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he laughed, putting his hands in the pockets of his hoodie as he talked.

"You look like you're gonna push me off, niñita. No need for that, I can survive the fall anyway. I should know, I've been pushed off here twice before, after all."

He put a finger to his lips.

"Don't tell Jack, though."

His outline sparked with lightning. His grin was wide, though there was a flash of pain in his eyes.

"Causing mischief on the first day? Tsk, how naughty."

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"Don't tell Jack what?"

Atticus smiled warmly behind Kendo. "It's nice to know I'm not the only one keeping things from her."

He circled around to get a better look at Kendo's face.

"I'm not the best at heights, but I saw you and wanted to talk. I came and heard the last bit."

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He looked back at Atticus, smiling.

"Oh, Atti, m'boy! What a coincidence! I was just saying, Jack doesn't need to be bothered with things she wouldn't care about."

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"Hmm. Nevermind then. She might care about my plans. It would... interfere with the ah... someone's life."

He extended his hand, light and color coming out of it.

"Would you like to hear my plan as long as you help me with it?"

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He looked at Atticus, his smile dropping. He turned away.

"I'm not doing any sort of plans, Atticus. I don't know if you know this, but I'm gonna say it right now."

He looked back at Atticus, his mouth set in a thin line.

"Jack's plan. It's gonna fail. And if you guys do plan on moving forward..."

he shrugged.

"Then, I'll have to interfere."

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"I wasn't planning on carrying out Jack's plan. You see, I support the larger authority figures. That includes this school's heads. I really do admire Jack and... she really is valuable to me as a friend, but I have to give some things up for this."

His eyes' joy faded away to sorrow.

"I'm sorry if you are not prepared, but I need to... do... I need... I have to..."

He stuttered for a moment.

"Kendo, come to my dorm and we'll talk there. I don't need you doing anything drastic. I just need you to keep a secret from Jack for me."

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He crossed his arms.

"Atticus. I think you don't understand. I have no respect for the authority figures here."

He stared right at him, seemingly annoyed.

"I just don't want to see Jack getting hurt."

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