"Ah, there you are." Ravina spotted Earl sitting alone in the classroom, his usual lively demeanor subdued in the quiet. It was rare to catch him like this; he’d been busy lately, helping others with their studies. She approached with a confident stride, the hem of her uniform swaying with every step.

Her black hair cascaded down her back in intricate braids, styled meticulously by the maids that morning. They had gotten a little more emboldened by the arrival of her father. Deciding she needed to look twice as impressive and it was starting to get easier to just let them use her as a doll.

"I'm glad I caught you alone," she said, lowering herself into the seat beside him.

Earl blinked, startled by her sudden presence. "You are?"

"Yup! I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had a chance to talk to you about the blink spell."

"I see." He nodded slowly, then smirked. "I thought you were too busy with old fish eyes—uh, I mean, your boyfriend." His face flushed as soon as the words left his mouth.

Ravina’s brows lifted slightly before she let out a low laugh. "He is not my boyfriend," she said, though a flicker of irritation crossed her face. "Honestly, ‘fish eyes’ is a pretty accurate nickname." She thought back to Rupert’s pale, lifeless gaze. It was fitting, though hardly worth the energy it took to explain further.

"So," she said, continuing. "About that spell—remember when you asked me to try it?"

"I... uh, yeah?" He blinked, feeling off-balance. Her sudden pivot back to the topic caught him off guard.

"Guess what." Ravina stood up, and in the next instant, she was behind him. "Boo!" she teased, poking his sides.

"Ah, h-hey!" Earl yelped, nearly jumping out of his seat. He turned to face her, bewildered. "Wait… what?"

Before he could gather his thoughts, Ravina blinked behind him again. "Yup, it works," she said with a satisfied grin, her arms crossed.

Earl spun around, his jaw slack. "What?! But… how?"

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Ravina shrugged, her long hair shifting over her shoulder with the motion. "It’s partly thanks to you," she admitted, her tone almost casual. "Your theory about slipping through a parallel plane instead of moving directly—it made sense once I thought it through.”

“What are you talking about!” He demanded, “Doing things half-ass is dangerous with ancient magic!”

Ravina looked at him, and humed, watching the light highlight his brown eyes. “Dangerous…” she mused remembering that small cold celler. She escaped completely in tact but… “yes,” she agreed with a shrug “but… well, I had my reasons."

"Reasons?" Earl repeated, his frown deepening. "It’s lethal for someone to play with the ethereal like that!"

"And yet, here I am." Her lips curled into a small, self-assured smile. She sat back down, her posture relaxed, but her gaze shifted toward the fountain visible through the classroom window. "You’ve got a knack for figuring things out, you know. You just don’t give yourself enough credit."

“Credit!?” Earl blanked, her words catching him off guard. He hadn’t expected her to acknowledge him like that—especially not with such… was that sincerity? "I just... wanted to help," he said, his voice quieter than he intended.

"And you did." She glanced at him, her expression softening for a brief moment before the familiar glint of mischief returned to her eyes. "So, are you ready for the next bet?"

Earl’s brow furrowed. "Next bet?" he echoed nervously.

"Yeah," she said, leaning slightly toward him, her voice taking on a teasing edge. "It just so happens I need a date."

Her words struck him like a lightning bolt. His heart pounded as he scrambled for a response. "A... a date?" he stammered.

"Mm-hmm," she said, leaning back with a faint smile. "Graduation ball. Nobles and obligations and all that nonsense. Apparently, I have to attend, and I can’t exactly show up alone, now can I?" Her tone was light, almost mocking, but Earl could sense a flicker of vulnerability beneath it.

"I... uh..." Earl’s thoughts raced, his face growing warm. "What happens if I win?"

Ravina’s smile widened slightly. "What do you want?" she asked, her question both playful and pointed.

Before he could think, the words slipped out. "You."

Ravina’s brow furrowed, her playful demeanor faltering. "What?"

Earl’s eyes widened in panic. "I... I mean, I’ll decide later!" he blurted, his voice rising as he tried to recover.

For a moment, there was silence. Then Ravina let out a low chuckle, shaking her head as she stood. "Hmm... that’s fine. Take your time," she said, her tone unreadable as she turned to leave. Her long hair swayed behind her like a dark curtain, and her footsteps were soft but deliberate.

"I will," Earl called after her, his voice trembling. He remained seated, his heart racing, as her figure disappeared into the hallway.