"W-What the hell..am I witnessing?" Anastasia exclaimed as she stared at Callista rubbing her cheek on her cousin's arm "Did you put a spell on her or something?" she asked Ignis while pointing at Callista.

"I...I also don't know" he blankly said while shaking his head "Did something happen young duke?" Denovan curiously asked so Ignis can't help but recall what happened.

After the kiss yesterday, Callista was the first one to pull away and had the audacity to beam a smile at him before slipping away leaving him frozen in Ironclad Yard.

"Did you bewitch her young duke?" Denovan asked with raised brows in a mixture of amusement and confusion "What? Why would I do that?" was his quick reply with his eyebrows furrowed "Hey, did you hit your head this morning?" Anastasia asked so Callista looked at her.

"I did not" she said while blinking "Then why are you suddenly clinging to Ignis like that? You're like a different person from yesterday" she said as she stared at her suspiciously so Callista tilted her head.

"Why? I like him, obviously" she said and smiled up at Ignis who had his eyebrows furrowed and sighed while the other two had their jaws drop.

Ignis had the most trouble processing what's happening, she wanted to kill him just yesterday now she's professing her feelings for him, feelings that he had no idea where it even came from.

"L-L-L-Like him? Did I hear that correctly Denovan?" Anastasia stiffened as she held into Denovan's arm to balance herself "I shouldn't be, right?" she smiled at him, her eye twitching.

"Lady Ana, I think you heard her perfectly fine" Denovan said as Anastasia leaned onto him when she felt the sudden dizziness and his words finally killed her.

"Am I truly not hallucinating Denovan?" Anastasia asked "Unfortunately not, My Lady" they both looked at Ignis and Callista and could see her tail wagging.

"What's up my wonderful friends! Watchu doing?" Ivan came near them skipping with a huge smile on his face that quickly disappeared when he saw Callista.

"W-What is that witch doing here!?" he exclaimed and hid behind Denovan "Long time no see, Ivan" Callista cheerfully greeted him that gave him a chill up his spine.

"W-Wha... See!? How come someone can change their attitude like that! And w-what are you doing clinging to Ignis like that?! Are you going to eat him?! " he said while pointing an accusing finger at her.

"You better shut the fuck up before I take action of my threats the other day" Ivan quickly retracted his finger and hid behind Denovan.

"What is she even doing here? And worse, with Ignis?" Ivan asked the two with a horrified look "She said that she likes Ignis" Ivan froze at their words as his bottom lip slowly trembled "L-Like who!?" he exclaimed.

They don't know how scared Ivan was of Callista since the day she threatened his life, Ivan has been having nightmares about him getting amputated.

Unfortunately for Ivan, they all had the same Magical Ethics and Philosophy Class including Denovan who was a year ahead, sitting in on the lecture and all of them were at the same table.

"Callista, don't you have anything better to do?" Ivan asked her who was between Anastasia and Ignis

"You don't expect me to just leave while we are having the same class do you?" she asked back with a smile "Then at least find another table!" he scowled while pointing at the other vacant seats.

"Shut up if you don't want me to throw this table at you myself" she said and her expression quickly changed as she glared at him so Ivan cowered in fear.

"He's right" she quickly looked at Ignis when he spoke but this time with an innocent look "Why? You don't want me here?" she looked up at him with a pout as Ignis stared at her for a few seconds, his eye twitching before sighing and facing the board.

"You can stay but don't touch me" he said in defeat and leaned away from her "Are you serious?" Ivan quickly groaned in protest "I told you so!" Callista once again cheered when her attention turned to someone who had entered.

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"Who is that?" she asked curiously "Oh, them? They're the sons of Count Melbourne" Denovan answered.

"Now that you mention them, this is the first time I'm seeing them in person" Anastasia realized as she glanced at the newcomers "Why? Don't they attend the Academy?" Callista confusedly asked so Anastasia hummed.

"They don't usually attend classes because as you can see the youngest son is disabled, rumors say he chose to lock himself at the dorms than to show off with the others." she said.

"But the oldest son is talented in magic and with the mix of the other twin's intelligence, who knows what they can do?" Ivan shrugged.

"But they're just normal. A typical family who protects each other as the youngest, Jackson, has weak mana. The eldest, Jake, has the strongest." Denovan explained so Callista stared at the boy getting pushed on his wheelchair.

"That's weird.." she mumbled "What's weird?" Anastasia asked so she shook her head and smiled "Oh, nothing. Is he blind?" she asked when she noticed his eyes.

"Yes, I heard he was born with it" Anastasia said while studying Callista's face "Is that so?" she said with a smile "Why are you suddenly interested in them?" Anastasia asked curiously.

"Because it's the first time I've seen them since I got here" she said and turned to Ignis who had been playing with his pen "Okay, class. Let's start the lesson" Professor Mildred finally arrived inside the classroom.

****

When the class had finished, Ignis decided to escape his friends including Callista, and laid underneath a tree as he stared at the leaves moving from the wind.

He doesn't know why Callista suddenly had a change of heart or the reason for that kiss she gave but he's too tired to think. After what happened yesterday, he already wasted his time thinking about what happened at the lake.

It's not like she's a spy or something for him to be on alert although she is a threat.

How he was able to assure that, you may ask? Aside from having a bipolar personality there's nothing else wrong with Callista.

"There you are" Callista's smiling face came into view as he sighed "You suddenly disappeared when we left the classroom. Isn't this also where we first met?" she asked when she noticed the surroundings.

"How did you find me?" Ignis asked so Callista looked down at him "Hm? I just did" she shrugged and sat beside him "Did you put a tracking spell on me or something?" he asked and looked at him suspiciously.

"Oh? Why would I dare?" she raised a brow with a smile and chuckles "By the way, what's that necklace? That's also the one you dropped before." he said and glanced at the pendant laying on her chest.

"Oh, this? It helps me control my powers or stop me if I go rogue." she said so he looked at her with furrowed eyebrows.

'If she goes rogue? That means...all of the power she had shown was just an ounce of it?' Ignis thought.

"Is it okay for you to tell me that?" he asked so she looked at him "Why not? I like you" she straightforwardly said so he choked on his spit and turned away.

"And you expect me to believe that? Why would you even like me when you tried to kill me yesterday? You also threatened Ivan." he said so she pouted "I thought we already got over with what happened yesterday after I kissed you..." she said while blushing.

"Got over? after we— Do you think I could get over something serious that quickly?" he asked with furrowed brows as Callista chuckled "I don't know, there are some things better to be left to wonder" she said.

She had a sweet smile on her face as she stared at the scenery in front of them, with her brown locks being blown away by the wind.

Ignis just couldn't get himself to make that smile disappear so he decided not to answer and stared at the sky. Why wasn't she answering any of his questions?

****

From the shock of yesterday's incident, Anastasia contacted Ignis through a communication device that they both used and confronted him as he got ready for class.

"Just what exactly happened for her to be acting that way?" Anastasia demanded an answer from the communication device in his room

"Like I told you, nothing happened. I don't know why she's suddenly being like that and I don't have an answer to give you even if you pester me for it" Ignis responded stoicly as he looked at himself in the mirror while he fixed his hair

"Then why is she being like that? It's giving me a bad feeling!" Anastasia exclaimed "Does Denovan think the same?" he asked. Anastasia fell silent from the other side of the communication device as he fixed his tie.

"Well, no..." she trailed off.

"Did you ask him why?" he immediately asked again.

Anastasia fell silent for the second time "I don't know okay! For some reason it seemed like he didn't mind at all!" she exclaimed and huffed "Then that just means that Callista isn't an initial threat like how we assumed her to be." he said.

"Why are you suddenly taking her side all of a sudden? Weren't you the one who said she was suspicious?" Anastasia asked in confusion from the switch in his side "It was because she immediately sticked to you on the first day, not everyone has the guts to do that" he explained

"And your conclusion?" Anastasia asked back "Let's just observe her for a few days and if you still think she's suspicious then just kick her out of the Academy" he said "What!? I can't do that!" Anastasia immediately exclaimed

"Then think twice before you become merciful with the enemy Ana" before Anastasia could respond, Ignis cut off the communication device and wore his autumn uniform.

He looked at himself in the mirror and furrowed his brows "What the..." he leaned closer to see his own reflection in broad daylight, he slowly stick his tongue out showing the sigil on the skin of his tongue.

He stiffened when he caught sight of this as he backed away "What the hell?" he looked at himself in confusion.