Mia hadn't uttered a word as she made her way to the library. Her neck ached from her nervousness. Ethan was right behind her, impassive. She really wanted to join her friends. The prospect of a walk outside, accompanied by a distraction from her conflicting thoughts, seemed particularly tempting. If only she could go without the vila tagging along. Which, apparently, wasn't an option.

When they reached the library doors, Mia turned to the young man, who was wearing a smug smile, about to speak before he was interrupted by her.

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say!" she complained.

"Oh, I do," he chuckled. "You were going to try to convince me with some 'everything will be fine with my friends, you don't need to come, they can protect me' argument or something like that."

"Tss," she hissed, grinding her teeth, annoyed.

Ethan quietly laughed as Mia pushed open the library doors and entered the sacred place. She didn't really appreciate being so predictable, especially when the vila took such delight in teasing her right afterward. All of this just to ask for something she knew he would refuse.

She ignored him, sulking, as she browsed the shelves in search of a book to read. Ethnology, magic, architecture, history, herbology... Nothing seemed appealing to her. Even looking up information about the human genocide felt incredibly dull. Of course, she was curious, but the idea of confining herself to the infirmary while her friends were having fun outside seemed terribly bland.

"Alright, fine," she sighed, "you win."

A victorious smile appeared on the vila's lips, which made Mia feel murderous.

Don't get used to it, she thought, sending a dark glare at the young man.

They headed to the infirmary, still having about half an hour to spare. Since Lily would be joining the group, Mia had decided to arrive early and help her with the morning tasks if she hadn't finished them yet. At least it would keep her occupied.

Lily called out to her friend as soon as they entered, not remotely concerned about the vila's presence. The fairies rarely took sides.

"Ah, Mia!" she exclaimed, joyful.

She greeted Ethan with a simple nod, devoid of hostility, which he returned with composure before turning her attention back to her friend.

"We thought you might need some help before leaving," explained Mia.

"I was just about to head to the cafeteria to pick up our picnic basket. You're welcome to come with me, and then we can wait for Arry and Andrei together," she offered, winking at Mia.

The blonde furrowed her brows, perplexed by the fairy's gesture. However, she quickly forgot about it as they made their way to the cafeteria. Lily shared a few anecdotes from her morning that Mia listened to attentively during the journey. Her friend's enthusiasm was contagious, and her gloomy mood began to dissipate. She even managed to completely ignore Ethan, who was two meters behind them, giving them a semblance of privacy.

Lily entered the kitchen and returned a few seconds later with the picnic basket, which she thrust into Ethan's hands without warning. Out of reflex, he grabbed the object to prevent it from falling to the ground, but he immediately shot a stern and displeased look at the fairy, as if to say, 'Do you think I'm your servant?'. She giggled, quickly joined by Mia in laughter, as they left the cafeteria and headed towards the castle's entrance.

Arry and Andrei were already waiting, ten minutes ahead of the established time. They were engrossed in a passionate discussion but turned to greet their friends with smiles when they spotted them. Arry's smile briefly turned into a discreet grimace upon seeing the vila, which she quickly erased to hide any discomfort. It was evident that she wasn't very comfortable in his presence, which pained Mia. Oz, for his part, kept his distance from Ethan, preferring to observe from a few meters behind.

"Don't worry, she'll get used to it," Lily whispered to Mia before joining them.

I wish she didn't have to get used to it, but oh well, Mia thought.

Ethan remained true to himself: unperturbed and silent, hands in his pockets. This time, he stayed close to the group, which Mia noticed with relief. At least she could almost pretend that the situation was normal. In a large group of friends, there was always that one person with whom you had the least affinity or even disliked but tolerated because they were friends with the rest of the "gang." Ethan was that person. Ignoring him was all she had been trying to do since the beginning of the morning.

They chatted merrily during the thirty-minute walk to their destination. Mia had no idea where they were heading, but she trusted her friends to have chosen a beautiful spot. They traversed a few hundred meters of forest, zigzagged left and right, and finally arrived at the edge of the woods.

"It's a bit far, but we shouldn't encounter other students here," Arry explained to Mia.

Indeed, the young human was starting to feel a slight fatigue in her legs, and her pulse quickened with the effort. She had never been much of an athlete, and it had to be said that her situation hadn't improved upon arriving at the Arena, but the scenery that unfolded before her was undoubtedly worth the two and a half kilometers they had covered.

The landscape consisted of a wide meadow full of flowers, surrounding a small lake, itself encircled by a beach made up of sand and small pebbles. It didn't seem as comfortable as the fine sandy beaches in her world, but it was authentic and natural. The blue sky, the gentle caress of the sun, and the birds' cries gave the place a magical appearance. Mia immediately felt soothed and light as cotton as she crossed the meadow to get closer to the lake.

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Oz, who had accompanied them on the journey, quickly headed back into the forest after exchanging a glance with his mistress. Mia watched the animal's fur disappear at the edge of the woods, curious. The pair didn't often separate.

"He's going to hunt," Arry explained.

Mia then observed Andrei closely, who promptly cleaned a section of the beach using an intriguing spell. He had merely placed his hand on the ground, uttered a few words, and the pebbles sank deep into the sand, leaving the area clean and ready for their setup.

"I usually use this spell to create quicksand, but it has its uses in situations like this too," Andrei explained to the young human with a wink.

Mia smiled and nodded. She preferred to see this kind of constructive magic: harmless, used simply to help someone or make life easier. The tournament experience had somewhat put her off offensive magic, or at least when she was a direct witness to it.

Ethan, whose presence she had momentarily forgotten, placed the picnic basket on the prepared area and sat down, observing the lake with a bored expression. Mia's three friends took off their sandals and placed them a little meter away, disturbing the sand around Ethan, who got some inside his closed shoes. He swore discreetly as he took them off, causing giggles from Mia and Lily.

Mia quickly discarded her sandals too, eager to join her friends who were already wading in the shallow waters of the lake. The warm water tickled her toes, and she felt her body invigorated by the sense of well-being that enveloped her as she made contact with the lake. She wouldn't describe it as warm, but the gentle rays of the sun more than compensated for the temperature of the liquid.

"Watch your step," Lily cautioned, her nurturing nature taking over. "Some stones can be slippery."

"I'm not made of glass, you know," Mia laughed, wading into the lake until the water reached her knees, dampening the bottom of her beige dress.

If she had turned around and caught the look Ethan gave her after her remark, she might have strangled him right then and there.

Mia might not have been a fragile little thing, but she hadn't escaped Lily's prophetic warning. Andrei had decided to playfully spray Arry with water, and Mia, trying her best not to be collateral damage, ended up stepping where she clearly shouldn't have. Her body fell backward as she lost her balance, and she found herself completely submerged in a rather inelegant splash.

Slightly dazed from the unexpected fall, she managed to get back on her feet, realizing that Ethan hadn't wasted any time admonishing his friends and was now grabbing her arm to help her stand.

Fortunately, they had ventured a bit further into the lake, and the water was only at mid-thigh level, which was more than enough to soften her fall (that, along with the flat landing that caused the splash) and she emerged without any injuries, except that she was now soaked to the bone.

"Can't you guys be more careful? Seriously!" Ethan roared, still holding onto her arm.

"Oh come on, she's fine," Arry retorted, rolling her eyes. "No need to be so dramatic."

Ethan finally released her when he realized that Arry was right. Mia rearranged a few strands of hair that had fallen in front of her face, and she looked at her friends for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. They promptly joined in, except for Ethan, who decided to head back to the shore, not finding the prospect of his soulmate getting hurt amusing.

Killjoy.

Mia hadn't felt this relaxed since arriving at the academy. Surrounded by her new friends, life felt as normal as it could be in a world inhabited by dangerous creatures. She still felt sadness when thinking about Eva, Lydie, and Maxime, but that feeling gradually faded, replaced by a simple nostalgia. They had often gathered at the pool or the sea to enjoy the summer temperatures. The group of friends always loved spending as much time as possible outdoors in each other's company. The irony of her new trio of friends wasn't lost on her. She had simply replaced them.

Can I really be blamed for seeking friendly faces in a world seemingly determined to hate me?

A rhetorical question. Once she arrived at that conclusion, Mia brushed away those gloomy thoughts and focused on the present moment. There was no use feeling guilty for things beyond her control. It's not like she had chosen the direction her life had taken.

"I'm going to dry off a bit over there," she said, shivering and pointing to their picnic spot.

Spring temperatures or not, the air wasn't very warm, and even the slightest breeze sent shivers through her limbs. The image of a nice, hot bath popped into her mind, like a distant dream. Her clothes clinging to her skin also wasn't the most pleasant sensation.

A detail that hadn't escaped Ethan, who was fixating on the young human with clenched jaws. A mischievous smile formed on Mia's lips. She wasn't particularly modest, and the idea of teasing him just a little bit with something so simple seemed rather satisfying.

"Something wrong?" she teased as she walked toward the vila, her mischievous expression still plastered on her face.

He twitched, looking away, running his hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable. Mia took advantage of the moment to stretch, raising her arms behind her head and pushing out her chest. She accompanied this with a little sigh of contentment as she cracked her neck, fully aware of the effect she had on Ethan. The action had lifted her clingy dress a few inches on her thighs, and her nipples proudly pointed through the fabric due to the cold and the friction.

Ethan was struggling to appear composed, but his lips forming a thin line and his eyes burning with desire betrayed his emotions.

When Mia finally sat down beside him, she felt utterly intoxicated by the control she had over the young man. That, coupled with the irresistible masculine scent he exuded. She placed her nails on his shoulder and slid them down to his hand resting on his knee. They then shifted to the inside of his thigh, slowly, sending shivers through him.

"Stop," he ordered, gripping her wrist and pushing her away.

"Why?" she whispered in his ear, inhaling his musky scent deeply.

Frustration was starting to get the better of her due to the vila's rejection. She had been caught in her own game. Her intoxicated mind had only one thing on its agenda: to press her lips against his and close the gap between their bodies. The presence of their friends a few meters away didn't seem to matter in that moment. When Mia's dark eyes met Ethan's, he let out a plaintive growl, clearly engaged in an internal struggle that he didn't intend to lose.

"Because it's the pheromones acting, not you," he explained through clenched teeth.

Pheromones?

A moment of clarity swept over Mia, freezing her in place. She wasn't usually shy, but she had never been this forward. This wasn't her. However, her desire seemed quite real. Although it quickly diminished, being replaced by embarrassment, it didn't seem to disappear completely. Once the fire was lit, even if it was extinguished, the embers remained warm.

The blonde raised her head to observe her friends, remembering their presence, fearing they had witnessed the entire scene. Andrei and Arry were still busy having fun and chatting, but she had no doubt that Lily had witnessed the events. The fairy gave her a mischievous little smile, to which Mia responded with a pleading look before burying her face in her palms when her friend showed no mercy or compassion.

To her relief, Ethan didn't comment on what had just happened. She didn't even dare to look at him, afraid of his reaction.

"Who's hungry?" Lily asked, finally coming to the rescue of the young human.

Two 'me's quickly followed from the magicians as they rushed back to the shore. Mia wasted no time either, springing up to greet her friends and sitting beside them. She couldn't help but want to put some distance between herself and the vila after what had transpired. Lily unpacked the picnic basket, revealing a bottle of grape juice, four sandwiches, and some fruits.

"Ethan?" the fairy inquired, pointing to the food.

"No thanks," he simply replied, sighing.

Mia managed to force down a few bites of her sandwich to save face, but her appetite was clearly absent.

Well, it's going to be a long day, she lamented internally.