At the other end of the corridor, Qana and Willow walked side by side, a white and a brown dire wolf chatting about something.

Qana's usual dark cloak moved slightly with his steps, occasionally revealing the metallic hilt of his sword, reflecting the light projected from above.

Willow, on the other hand, wore a formal gray and white suit, tailored to fit her well. Her height was almost at Qana's shoulder level, which was tall for a female wolf. She had a habit of pushing her glasses up and blinking her green eyes.

I could swear that I had never seen such a near-smile on the sword master's face before, and I noticed his gently swaying white tail and the almost protective body language. It seemed to confirm something.

I glanced at Aether, who responded with a knowing look, making me smile.

"Sword Master." After bidding Willow farewell at the previous corridor, Qana walked toward us. I lowered my gaze and ears, greeting him in a submissive tone, and Aether did the same.

"Richter." Qana seemed to just notice the black wolf. "Your... friend?" He raised an eyebrow, asking curiously.

"Yes, Master..." I was about to introduce them when I suddenly saw a black shadow flash by my side.

"It's really you!" Momus shrieked as he lunged at Qana.

The sword master hadn't anticipated an attack from a pup, his face full of surprise, ears standing straight up, but he sidestepped in time. However, Momus seemed to take Qana's reaction as some kind of encouragement or challenge and attacked again.

"Thank you..." Aether said softly. "For doing all this for Momus."

"Oh, it's nothing. We wolves who... 'can't meet the pack's expectations' should stick together." I replied quietly. "And I mean it, I think you're way cooler than Piqsirpoq." I turned to Aether, giving him a smile. The black wolf's pupils immediately dilated, ears perked up, showing a hint of blush.

Oh, so it's the smile?

I would definitely deny that the reason I was smiling more was because I felt proud. But who cares, I think I deserve some compliments now and then. We stared at each other for a moment until the pup's shriek, accompanied by Qana's roar, drew our attention again.

"I'm scared..." Aether muttered, looking down at the ground. "Sooner or later, I won't be able to continue looking after Momus." He took a deep breath and looked at the wolf cub clinging to Qana's leg. "For a wolf without the Senate's protection, the Canine Empire is a very, very dangerous place."

"I understand." I tried to make my tone sound more determined. "I probably won't be living in the Senate either. If it weren't for Master Frick finding me an internship at Oceanus Procellarum University, I wouldn't know what to do with my future..."

After some effort, Qana finally grabbed Momus by the scruff, lifting him up. But, as usual, the over-energetic wolf cub, with seemingly limitless energy, continued to thrash his limbs and tail wildly.

We watched the somewhat intense battle in silence, feeling the fear of the future lingering in the air, gripping us tightly. Both the certain and uncertain pressures were equally depressing.

Suddenly, a thought struck me--perhaps, wolves who "can't meet the pack's expectations" could stand together more firmly.

"I think I can also help ask around." I said softly, not wanting to sound too confident to avoid greater disappointment if things didn't work out. "I believe Oceanus Procellarum University would welcome wolves from the Nyx faction."

But Momus might need... more self-control than now? I thought as I watched the panting sword master and the energetic black pup.

"The moon, huh?" Aether said thoughtfully. "I think it would be a great opportunity. I'll talk to Momus about it."

Qana finally gave up resisting, looking resigned as he started drawing something on Momus' terminal with his finger. Probably an autograph, I guessed. If Momus could maintain this level of persistence academically, I believed Oceanus Procellarum University's gate wouldn't stop him. Nor would any other gate in the world.

"Thank you..." Aether said again, his gaze dropping to the ground, shifting his limbs and tail, perhaps trying to find a more comfortable position.

"It's nothing." I said sincerely. "I just want to do something for... others." I scratched my ear, trying to clearly express my thoughts. "I'm very lucky to have people willing to help me, even as an outcast from the faction. As for those less fortunate, I think I can at least offer my help within my abilities."

The wolf cub, with a victorious posture, came towards us, his black tail high and swaying slowly from side to side, followed by the exhausted sword master.

I think I found the answer to the dilemma between maned wolves and big cats.

A way for everyone to coexist... must exist. No matter how difficult, it's not an excuse not to try. The world is harsh, but it doesn't have to be. The world can be kind, depending on how much we care.

Psychics are supposed to create miracles, accomplishing the impossible, aren't they?

Just now, I had a preliminary guess about why psychics exist. I couldn't yet articulate it clearly or use logic to defend my vague feelings. But perhaps, nurturing this newly sprouted idea, given time, a towering tree could eventually shade the once barren land.