Esdeath carefully sneaked back into the academy, Selene clinging to her tightly as they maneuvered through the halls. Avoiding the watchful eyes of students and staff was an exhausting task. By the time they reached her dorm room, Esdeath was drained.

She plopped onto her bed, her mind racing. Every day, she wondered how to reveal Selene's presence without causing chaos or breaking academy rules. It was frustrating beyond belief, and the constant worry gnawed at her.

After resting for half an hour, Esdeath remembered an errand. She had bought new clothes for Maruti and needed to deliver them. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the package and headed to Maruti's dorm room.

When she knocked, the door opened just a crack. Before Esdeath could say anything, a hand shot out, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her inside.

"What the hell—" Esdeath started, startled.

"Shhh!" Maruti hissed, pressing a finger to her lips. Her eyes darted nervously around the room.

Esdeath narrowed her eyes, lowering her voice. "What's going on?" she asked, her tone laced with suspicion.

Maruti hesitated before speaking. "I think… I might have messed up," she muttered, avoiding Esdeath's gaze.

Esdeath crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "Messed up how?"

Maruti fidgeted with her fingers, her face red with embarrassment. "I got into a small argument with Caramel yesterday. It wasn't a big deal, but this morning she gave me a long love letter and… well, she confessed to me."

Esdeath raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"Of course, I rejected her!" Maruti said proudly, puffing out her chest.

Esdeath pinched the bridge of her nose. "Go on."

"Now I feel like someone's following me everywhere! And the other students… they're looking at me like they're possessed or something!" Maruti whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

Hearing this, Esdeath immediately understood. She began pacing the room, muttering to herself. "I *told* you not to get involved with her. You can't do anything right, can you?"

Maruti shrank under her scolding, her shoulders slumping.

Esdeath sighed deeply, her frustration evident. "She was supposed to fall for Ethan, not you! Now who's going to distract him tomorrow?"

Maruti perked up at the mention of distraction, her curiosity piqued. "Distract? If that's all you need, I can handle it," she offered confidently.

Esdeath stopped pacing and gave her a pointed look. "You? Handle it? You couldn't even stay out of trouble with Caramel!"

Maruti straightened up, her pride wounded. "I'll make it work this time! Just tell me who thing about second arc first. "

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The evening faded into night, and like a flowing river, the night passed quietly, giving way to the soft hues of morning.

Lortell woke up early, hurriedly changing into her usual elegant clothes. She felt a burst of energy as she moved toward the door, ready to greet Esdeath with a cheerful good morning.

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But as she opened the door—

"Good morning!" Esdeath stood just outside, her innocent smile radiating charm.

Lortell's face lit up instantly. She bent down slightly, matching Esdeath's height, and pulled her into a tight hug. "Seeing your face first thing in the morning… how fortunate!" she praised, her tone warm and genuine.

Yet inwardly, Lortell cursed herself. *Damn it! I'm late! I should've been the one to greet her first. I'll wake up even earlier tomorrow!*

What Lortell didn't know was that Esdeath had woken up extra early deliberately. She couldn't risk Lortell standing by her door and potentially noticing Selene. Worse, what if Lortell decided to sneak into her room for a surprise and discovered Selene? That would cause utter chaos.

As Lortell hugged her, Esdeath's face turned slightly red, her heart racing as she felt Lortell's soft curves pressing against her.

"Urgh… no matter how much I prepare myself, I can't stop this feeling," Esdeath thought, frustrated. "If only I had a soul path method to separate my soul or a wisdom path essence stone to control my emotions."

Even though Esdeath owned hundreds of essence stones, not a single one could separate souls or suppress the overwhelming emotions she was feeling. She sighed inwardly, resigned to her fate.

When Lortell finally let go, she smiled brightly. "Let's go for a bath!"

Esdeath nodded, and they began walking toward the academy's bath area. Lortell casually rested an arm over Esdeath's shoulder, their closeness resembling two best friends heading out together.

As they strolled down the corridor, Lortell leaned in, her lips just inches from Esdeath's ear. "Today's the end of your competition, right? So… how about we go on a date tomorrow?" she whispered in a sultry voice, her warm breath sending shivers down Esdeath's spine.

"D-Date?" Esdeath stammered, her whole body stiffening as her face turned crimson.

Lortell chuckled at her reaction, enjoying every bit of Esdeath's flustered state. "I was just teasing," she said, her tone light and playful. "What I meant was, the weather will be beautiful tomorrow. Let's hang out somewhere. You must be bored staying in the academy all this time, right?"

Esdeath let out a small sigh of relief, though her heart was still racing from the earlier comment. "Sure," she replied, her voice steady but her mind a mess.

Without waiting for Lortell, Esdeath quickened her pace, practically darting towards the bath area. Her steps were hurried, almost as if she were running away, leaving Lortell behind.

In her head, one word repeated over and over like a mantra: Date, date, date, date, date...

Lortell stood in place, watching Esdeath's retreating figure with an amused smile. Her sharp eyes glimmered with a mixture of satisfaction and intent.

"She does have some feelings for me," Lortell mused, her smile softening. "Just a little push, and she'll be mine."

Her expression shifted slightly, her gaze growing serious as darker thoughts crept in. "If only she would propose to me," she thought.

Her fingers tightened slightly as an old memory surfaced, filling her chest with a mixture of longing and regret. "I can't afford to make the same mistake as before, not again." Her jaw clenched, and for a brief moment, her thoughts darkened. "But If she rejects me... I don't think I could bear it. I might—no, I mustn't think like that."

Lortell's jaw tightened briefly, a shadow crossing her face as old memories surfaced. But just as quickly, she brushed them aside, replacing the grim look with her usual confident smile.

She thought firmly, stepping forward. "I know my sweet Esdeath won't reject me. She's already mine in every way that matters."

With that, Lortell followed Esdeath, her steps calm but purposeful, her thoughts a mix of affection and determination.

------------

In Ethan's dorm room, the first rays of morning light seeped through the curtains. Ethan woke up, stretching his limbs before rubbing his eyes.

Despite the early hour, his expression was serious, not a trace of sleepiness lingering on his face. He looked down at his hand, noticing the faint trembling in his fingers. He clenched them into a fist, his jaw tightening.

He knew exactly what this feeling was.

"Today is the day Violet got kidnapped," he muttered to himself, his voice heavy with regret. "And I couldn't do anything back then. But this time… this time, it will be different. I'll protect Violet, no matter what!"

For the past few days, Ethan hadn't been idle. Late at night, he had wandered the academy grounds, searching for clues, hoping to find the man who had been abducting students. Every corner, every shadow, he had checked for anything out of the ordinary.

He had also been investigating Corin's disappearance. The academy had declared Corin dead after finding large amounts of his blood in the forest. But Ethan couldn't accept it—not without seeing Corin's body with his own eyes.

Yet, despite all his efforts, he had found nothing. No clues, no traces, no leads. It was as though the culprit had vanished into thin air.

The only thing Ethan had to rely on were his memories from his previous life. He knew that today was the day Violet would disappear. He couldn't let history repeat itself.

"I've been keeping an eye on her since the day before yesterday," he thought, his mind racing. "What if they decide to act earlier this time? What if she's already in danger?"

His fists clenched tighter, his nails digging into his palms. "I made a grave mistake before. I let Emma die because I was careless. But not this time. I won't let anything happen to Violet. I'll protect her, no matter what!"

A voice broke the tense silence.

"I like your resolve, young man."

Startled, Ethan turned to see Gareth's soul floating in the air like a faint, ghostly figure. The old warrior stroked his ghostly beard, his gaze steady.

"Although I'm just a split soul now," Gareth said, his tone grave, "I haven't been able to find anything either. Whoever is behind this is a high-ranking individual. Be cautious."

Ethan nodded firmly. "I can't stay here. What if they try to take her now, in the early morning?"

Without another word, Ethan grabbed his belongings and left his room.

-----------------------------------------

Hear me out.. Hear me out...

From now on whatever happens, Maybe it can make you feel like it shouldn't hapve happened or feel like dropping this series... Or maybe not..

But if it does feel like do not do that, Only take the decision after the second arc finish completely... Not even when it feel like, "Yeah it is about to end but nothing different happened", Still a big NO!

Of course there will be nothing like r*pe, I still regret the moment of writing one at chater 30 " Desire", but i don't think I'm ever gonna repeat that again...

Only take that kind of decision after second arc...

And have a great day...