Taking a deep breath, I squeezed the hilt of my sword, feeling the leather straps sticking to my sweaty palms. Crimson mana gathered along the blade's edge, following a flourish that rattled the surrounding air.

“Focus,” Andras said, watching from the sideline with his arms crossed.

The sun shined from the east, partially obscured by the surrounding trees. Still, it seared from above as the hot summer days approached.

“Sword Arts: Crippling Blow!” Stepping into the swing, my horizontal slash managed to slice a quarter into the thick tree trunk, sending surges of mana that quickly dispersed, causing the blade to halt.

“There you go.” He clapped, smiling at me.

There was still a moment of disbelief that I did it, but I couldn’t express it as I was too busy pulling on the sword, desperately trying to get it unstuck.

“Right. . .” I muttered, my whole body aching from the intensity of our training.

His methods were comparable to Alice, so the thought of having to train with her later in the day made me regret having a big mouth. Though if it made her happy, pushing myself once in a while was hardly something to complain about.

I turned to look at him, saying, “Well, it only took me thirty-seven tries. . .”

“I warned you that this wasn’t going to be easy. Without a lower core, your body struggles to perform arts. It’s the same for me and casting spells. Honestly, I’m impressed you even got it at all, even if it’s the thirty-seventh try.”

“Yeah, I guess.” I sighed, gripping the hilt before using what strength I had left to pull it out in one go.

While his encouragement was welcome, the truth was I had a lower core, so my failed attempts were all the more frustrating. It wasn’t even something that should’ve been all that hard since it was equivalent to a first-circle spell, but it proved more of a challenge than I expected. I feared I lacked the talent for arts.

It wasn’t the end of the world if I couldn’t learn that many, all it meant was I needed to be picky, and the one we trained was particularly useful, sending surges of mana through someone’s body on impact.

It made moving difficult, and if someone who wasn’t a mage got cut, they’d be completely paralysed for a few seconds. However, mages still had to deal with their vulnerability to cuts since they couldn’t afford to wear heavy armour.

Fun fact, the more clothes one wore, the more their mana flow got disrupted. Hence why I often trained wearing nothing but my pants when by myself and why elves preferred loosely fitted robes above anything else.

Some still chose to don heavy armour, relying on supporting themselves through self-cast enchantments and aura, while others relied more on spells such as Dustin’s Arcane Armour and Shield.

“Hmm. . .” Andras looked to the sky. “We should end for today.”

“Think I peaked for today?” I asked, chuckling before letting out a sigh of relief.

“No, but I have a class to attend soon, and weren’t you thinking of visiting Ron?” He furrowed his brows.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I said, sheathing the sword and placing my hands on my hips.

“How’s he doing anyway?” Andras asked.

“They said he’s getting discharged tomorrow. But why don’t you pay him a visit? He’d appreciate it for sure.”

“I don’t think we were that close. . .” He muttered, dropping his gaze.

“Please. . . Ron’s the friendliest guy I know, and I bet he’d love it. Besides, won’t that help you two to get closer?” I argued, letting out a chuckle.

“Perhaps you’re right. . .” Andras looked back at me. “Maybe I’ll visit after class.”

“You got this,” I encouraged, blowing out air as my body began cooling off.

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

“So you’re really going?” Ron asked, sitting on his bed with his back pressed against the pillow. “I knew you wouldn’t listen.”

“Alice really wants to go, so why not?” I pulled the curtain, letting in a bit more sunlight.

“I told you already, Faedark Forest has a bunch of creepy shit wandering around. It’s not safe.”

“You’re probably right–”

“I am right. . .” He interrupted.

“We’ll be fine. . .” I chuckled.

“I can never tell if you’re being cocky or just dumb.” He huffed, throwing his head back. “Well, whatever. . . Not like I can keep you from going, but please. . . be safe.”

“Jeez, relax. We’re just going to explore a bit. If we find anything dangerous or suspicious, we’ll run back to the castle.”

Ron was still mummified, but the swelling had gone down, and his nose was as good as new.

“You just like getting into trouble, don’t you?” He asked, staring directly into my eyes.

“Not particularly. No,” I answered, walking over to the bedside table and pouring us water.

“Aham. . . Dustin, and now this?” He raised an eyebrow before taking the glass I was handing over. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” I said, gulping mine down in one go. It felt so refreshing after such an intense morning. Cold, so a bit hard to drink all at once, but just what I needed. “You worry too much. In what world was I supposed to let Dustin get away with what he did to you? And to be honest, I’m not sure I’m quite satisfied yet.”

“You’re not planning on going after him again, right?” He asked, giving me a worried look.

“Nah. . . Besides, he went back to Eleron this morning, or so I heard.”

“Well, what did you expect? Certainly, you didn’t think he’d go running around Hamlet waiting to bump into you again.”

“Maybe?” I chuckled, joking obviously. “Though, I’m still confused about one thing. If he was expelled, how was he able to stay?”

“You mean at Hamlet? That’s because Grimhold doesn’t govern it.”

“It doesn’t?” I asked, previously thinking the Headmaster had complete autonomy over the whole island.

“Nah. Hamlet existed before they even founded the Academy, so they’re just as responsible for the safety of this island as we are,” he explained.

“So the founders just decided to lift the Hamlet along with the Academy?”

“Obviously not. Hamlet was a gathering place for all sorts of oddities – still is, but Grimhold’s purpose changed.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Ah, right. . . The witch hunts,” I recalled.

“Yeah. . . They helped with the construction. Oh, and maintaining the mist surrounding the island. Without them, it’d just be a regular floating island.”

“Well, whatever the reason, it’d be best if Dustin stayed clear. For all of us. . .” I sighed, looking out the window and then back at him. “Anyway, I should go find Alice. She’s probably waiting for me.”

“Don’t do anything stupid. Oh, and remember to say thanks for the flowers.” He chuckled, glancing over at the vase full of Orchids to his right.

Alice visited while I was training with Andras, but Ron was still asleep. She even left him a handwritten note wishing him a fast recovery.

“Sure thing,” I said, showing a soft smile before making my way out.

When I entered the hallway, I closed my eyes and sighed, thinking to myself how it was going to be a guessing game as to where I’d find Alice. If only–

“Alex,” Alice cut my thoughts short as if answering my prayers, making me smile as soon as I heard her angelic voice down the hallway.

“Alice,” I muttered her name as my gaze swept over her stunning figure while she approached, her skirt fluttering as she picked up the pace.

“I thought I’d find you here.” She gracefully stopped within arm’s reach, skillfully able to control her momentum.

“I was just about to go looking for–” I stopped short of finishing, noticing the meek look on her face. “You okay?”

“Huh? Yeah. . .” she muttered, forcing herself to smile and stepping closer, grabbing my arm without a hint of hesitation despite there being people around. “Anway, ready to go?”

“Umm. . . Yeah,” I said, checking to see if I recognised anyone.

“I could really–” Alice started talking but soon probed my ribs with her elbow. “Stop that.”

“What?” I chuckled, bending slightly to the side, hoping she’d stop.

“You know what I mean.” She sighed, lowering her elbow while clinging to my arm. “Looking to see if anyone’s around. Who cares. . .“

“Amm. . . You should?” I asked, furrowing my brows.

Alice rolled her eyes in response.

“Unbelievable. . .” Her tone completely changed, screaming annoyance. Even her gaze left me, now busy looking down the hallway in awkward silence. “You know, maybe we shouldn’t go.”

“Huh?” I mumbled, feeling her grip weaken as she let go. “You sure?”

Stupid question, but it was the only thing that came to mind after I blanked. She never spoke to me that way, and while I’ve known her to get annoyed, it was never at me. Surely she understood why I did so.

“Yeah.” She turned to the window. “It’ll rain anyway, and you already trained with Andras. I think I’m just going to practice in my room.”

“Want to do it together? We still have–”

“I. . . I think I just need some alone time for a bit,” she said, looking back at me before her gaze dropped.

“Oh. . . Like a day? A Week?” I asked, struggling to deal with the annoying feeling in my stomach, which made thinking that much worse.

“Huh?” Panicked, her eyes darted up. “I meant more like a nap! Yeah. . . like a nap or something.”

“Oh. . .” I awkwardly rubbed my neck, flustered as I jumped to conclusions.

“Yeah. . .” she muttered awkwardly, dropping her gaze again.

“Look, about what I said–”

“No, it’s fine.” She shook her head, letting out a sigh. “Think I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Not really feeling it.”

“I see. . .” There was some truth to what she said, or so I felt, but I definitely helped fuck things up.

An awkward silence followed again but was cut short by Alice’s sudden moan while stretching her arms back.

“If you want, we can hang out later,” she said, probably trying to smooth things over.

“Yeah, sounds good. . .” I agreed, accepting defeat.

The next thing I knew, I was all alone with nothing to do, so I went back to Ron, hoping he had something wise to say.

“Man, you really fucked up, huh. . .” he teased, though he had a sympathetic smile.

“I’m telling you, things were great yesterday. I’ve no idea why she was so. . .”

“Moody,” Ron added.

“Yeah. And the next thing I knew, she was mad at me for simply looking around,” I explained.

“You told me already. . .” He sighed, watching me walk around the room nervously. “Look. Just let her sleep it off. I’m sure everything will be fine the next time you see each other.”

“Maybe. . . but there’s still going to be awkwardness,” I explained, finally stopping in place to look at him. “And I know for a fact she thinks the same.”

“Sit down already, will ya? You’re making me dizzy.” He gestured to the edge of the bed, shifting over to the right. “And so what if it’s a bit awkward at first? You just had your first couple’s fight – though it wasn’t really much of a fight. . .” he muttered. “–Besides, you were the one complaining yesterday about her being all over you.”

“First of all, I wasn’t complaining. And second, that’s not even what I said. . .” I argued, taking a seat.

“Yeah, but you were either complaining or boasting, and now that I think about it, I’m not so sure which makes you a bigger asshole.” He chuckled.

“Ha, ha. . . real funny.” I sighed.

“Oh, lighten up,” Ron said, pushing himself up and adjusting the pillow. “Pretty sure being lovey-dovey with a princess still beats sitting here all day, even if there’s drama.”

“You’re not helping. . .” I muttered.

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you. Perhaps you should’ve asked what her favourite flowers were.”

“You think I don’t know?” I raised an eyebrow, standing back up, feeling uncomfortable just sitting around. “Perhaps I should just go and apologise.”

“Don’t know why you didn’t already, but might as well let her enjoy the nap now.”

He was right. And I hated it.

I shook my head and walked over to the window, letting out a prolonged sigh as I watched the rain begin to pour.

It was becoming hard to see in the distance as the dark grey clouds formed overhead, and I’m not sure what compelled me to look so intently toward the forest, but I was glad I did as I spotted a lost princess making her way in.

“No way. . .” I said, popping the window open despite the rain.

“Alex?” Ron uttered my name. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Alice. She went to the forest without me,” I explained, getting ready to jump.

“Amm. . . W– what are you doing?” Ron asked, staring at me worriedly.

“You said it was dangerous. I can’t let her go alone,” I said, jumping out.

“Alex!‘ Ron’s voice echoed as I began falling fast.

The winds were strong, and the rain unruly, forcing my eyes shut. It was up to Mana Sense to help guide my feet to the ground.

“Feather Fall.” I copied Alice’s spell.

Mana gathered around me, cupping my whole body before gently grounding me. It felt exhilarating, but at the same time, my mind couldn’t help but focus on one thing – catching up to Alice.

“Alice!” I yelled in the rain, chasing after her. “Stride.”

She was no longer in sight, but with the help of mana coursing through my body, I reached the forest in no time, continuing to run after her.

What was going through her head? I asked myself, thinking how she was already breaking our promise made just yesterday. Though, I was confident she’d argue that by me chasing after her, she wasn’t alone, and thus the promise remained unbroken.

Thankfully the darkness wasn’t a hindrance, but more importantly, the forest had begun to change, making me stop in place. I’ve noticed that the rain struggled to push past the cobweb-covered trees, and scattered across the ground were green leaves turning pale. Nothing about this place felt natural, but the longer I waited, the further she’d get.

“Dammit, Alice. . . Where did you go?” I was talking to myself, clueless as to where to go. “Alice. Alice!”

Raising my voice, I called out to her a few times.

“Alex?!” I heard my name echo in the distance.

“Alice?” Taking deep breaths to counteract how exhausting it was to breathe in such poor weather, I mustered what little strength I had left and kept running toward her voice. “Alice!”

“Alex! Over here,” I heard her yelling loud and clear but couldn’t see her. “Alex, help!”

Lightning flashed in the distance and soon followed a thunderous boom as it struck the forest, sending a shiver down my spine while imagining the worse as I heard her cry for help. Thankfully, I still heard her voice, but the closer I got, the further away it felt.

Frustrated, I blinked past the last few bushes keeping us apart, finally setting eyes on her, a hooded figure hiding in the shadows.

“Alice?” I muttered before a sickening feeling surged through me.

My vision blurred, and I had no idea what was happening, but despite my best effort to stay conscious and on my feet, I still dropped, helpless in the rain.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.