Chapter 27: My cat's got a great purr-sonality.

As Ezekiel boarded the carriage that would take him to his hometown, he couldn't help but glance up and see Lilly sitting in front of him in the same carriage. As he looked at her, he realized that they would spend the next few hours together in this tiny compartment, and it seemed that they were the only passengers. The feelings he once had for her had long since turned to ash, and only bitterness remained where there was once only sweetness. He knew that the journey would be a test of his willpower and resolve, but he was determined to remain stoic and unaffected by her presence.

As Ezekiel settled into his seat, he noticed that Lilly was avoiding eye contact with him. Her face filled with shame. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying a lot. She still looked as cute as ever, but it seemed that the time at Elementium had left its traces on her as well, and not in a good way. Ezekiel could see the pain and sadness etched on her face, and for a moment, he felt a twinge of guilt for not being there for her when she needed him the most. But he quickly pushed those feeling aside, knowing that it was for the best for them both if they moved on.

As the carriage began to move, Ezekiel felt his stomach drop with a mixture of excitement and dread. The journey home was going to be long, and he knew that the next few hours would be spent in close quarters with Lilly, someone who had once been so important to him. He tried to focus on the passing scenery, the rolling hills and the tall trees, but his mind kept drifting back to her.

The silence in the carriage was deafening, and Ezekiel could feel the tension building between them. He could see that Lilly was struggling to hold back her tears, and he knew that he had to do something to ease the tension.

"So, how was Elementium?" He asked, trying to make small talk.

Lilly didn't answer at first, and Ezekiel could see that she was struggling to find the words. "It was hard," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I missed you and Markus a lot."

As Lilly spoke of the struggles she faced at Elementium, Ezekiel felt a knot form in his stomach. He didn't know what to say to her. It had been hard for him as well, but didn't she just spit in his face when he told her that he had missed her? He couldn't help but feel resentment towards her, as she seemed to believe that she had been the only one who had suffered. He knew he should be empathetic and understanding, but the emotions were too raw, and the wound too fresh.

As Lilly continued to talk about her problems, Ezekiel found himself struggling to find any comforting words to say to her. He noticed how she was now wearing expensive-looking clothes and jewelry, and he knew that those must have been presents from Samuel. He remembered how she had just stood by and watched as he was almost beaten up in order to protect her honor. How truly stupid he had been back then. He couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions; anger, resentment, and sadness. He knew that he should be there for her, but he just couldn't find the right words to say. He couldn't shake off the feeling of betrayal and how she had chosen Samuel over him. He sat there in silence, lost in his own thoughts, feeling the weight of his own regrets and the distance that had grown between them.

As Ezekiel sat in silence, unable to find the right words to say to Lilly, there was a sudden loud impact coming from the roof of the carriage. In the next moment, a small but agile figure swung from the roof and entered the carriage in one smooth motion. It was Viola, the prodigy in wind magic. Without hesitation, she sat on Ezekiel's lap and began to rub herself against him like a cat. "Did you miss me?" she asked, with a sly grin on her face.

Ezekiel was taken aback by her sudden appearance and her bold behavior, but as he looked at her, all the negative thoughts he had, disappeared as if they had never been there. He gently stroked her head, and told her that he had really, really missed her. They had only been apart for a couple hours, but the time he had to spend with Lilly made him appreciate her company even more.

He looked at Lilly and knew that it was time for him to move on and let go of the past. He was ready to start a new chapter in his life, and he couldn't waste any more time agonizing about the past. As Ezekiel sat there, with Viola in his lap, a sudden realization hit him. He remembered that she was supposed to be meeting with her grandpa right about now, so how could she be here? They were only supposed to meet up in a week from now. He asked her how come she wasn't with her grandpa, but she didn't answer. Instead, she buried her head in his chest and remained silent.

Ezekiel waited for a moment, but when she didn't answer, he poked her in the ribs, trying to get a response. She made a strange noise in response, but still didn't answer. So, he poked her a little harder, and she finally lifted her head. But instead of answering his question, she hissed at him like an enraged cat and buried her face again.

Ezekiel burst out laughing at the unexpected reaction and began to stroke her head again. He knew that he couldn't be mad at her, whatever her reason was, and he was just happy to have her back in his life. He knew that whatever the reason for her being there, she would tell him in her own time. For now, he just enjoyed the moment and was grateful for her unexpected visit.

As the minutes passed in silence, Ezekiel noticed Viola's demeanor began to change, her body language relaxed, and she lifted her head from his chest. She then began to speak, telling him how her grandpa had informed her that they would be using the first week of the summer break to visit a huge number of parties and balls for nobles and noble scions. She explained how she had kicked him in the shin and flew away, coming here to see Ezekiel.

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Ezekiel couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and concern for Viola's grandpa. He knew that the man was getting on in years, and he couldn't imagine the pain he must have felt after receiving a kick in the shin from Viola. He silently prayed for his well-being, knowing that he must have been a strong man to handle such a fiery and independent granddaughter.

As Ezekiel sat with Viola in his lap, he noticed a change in Lilly's expression. He saw that she had an ugly look on her face, and he realized that he had been so caught up at the moment with Viola that he had forgotten that Lilly was even there. Viola also noticed his gaze and turned her head to look at Lilly. She could feel the wind Mana coming off of her and was surprised that she didn't know who she was.

As the leader of the wind faction, she thought it was strange that she didn't recognize this girl. So she turned to Ezekiel and asked him who she was. From the way those two were treating each other, Viola could sense the tension between the two and knew that there was a history between them that she was not aware of.

Ezekiel struggled with how to introduce Lilly to Viola, unsure of how much to reveal about their past. In the end, he simply told Viola that Lilly came from the same village as him. He could see that Viola was curious and sensed that there was something more to the story, but she didn't press him for an answer.

Instead, she turned around in Ezekiel's lap and looked at Lilly with curiosity. She introduced herself formally and stretched out her hand for Lilly to shake. Lilly, still in a state of shock, took her hand and greeted her back. Viola could see that there was tension between them and decided not to pester Zeke further, she would figure this out herself. Viola, after all, loved mysteries and secrets.

Lilly was completely shocked when she heard Viola's introduction. She was the publicly recognized leader of all the wind mages at Elementium. She couldn't believe that she was sitting right in front of her. For a moment, she hesitated to take Viola's hand, but then she steeled herself and shook it, introducing herself.

Viola, noticing Lilly's reaction, began to pepper her with questions, determined to find out her connection to Ezekiel. Lilly struggled to keep up with the rapid-fire questions, feeling overwhelmed by the situation. She tried to keep her answers short and vague, not wanting to reveal too much about her past with Ezekiel. But Viola was persistent, her curiosity piqued by the mysterious girl sitting in front of her. She could sense that there was more to their story than what was being said, and she was determined to uncover the truth.

Lilly found herself struggling to keep up with Viola's line of questioning. She told her about how she came to the academy with Ezekiel and Markus, and about how she was discovered to have a greater wind affinity. But as she spoke, Viola noticed that there was no more mention of Ezekiel in any of the stories she told.

Viola, deducing that something must have happened between them around that time, asked directly why Lilly didn't spend any more time with Ezekiel after they arrived at the academy. She told Lilly that Ezekiel had had a very hard time right after coming to the academy and that he could have really used a friend back then. Lilly was taken aback by the directness of the question and found herself flustered, unable to come up with a proper answer.

She made several excuses, saying that she had been busy with her studies and that she had thought that Ezekiel had found new friends. But as the words left her mouth, she could see that Viola was not buying it.

Viola's line of questioning became more and more detailed, causing Lilly to become increasingly annoyed. She felt as though she was being interrogated, and as the pressure mounted, she found herself losing her cool more and more. Eventually, she had had enough and let out a scream of frustration.

"I didn't want to be seen with him anymore, okay? I didn't want to get bullied as well! I had a hard enough time making friends as it was, I couldn't risk losing all that because of Ezekiel!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Lilly realized what she had just said and to whom. She felt her face turn pale as she realized the impact of her words. Lilly felt ashamed, realizing how much she had hurt Ezekiel, and how much she had been motivated by her own fears.

The moment Lilly finished talking, Viola's expression changed to one of absolute disgust and loathing. Ezekiel couldn't see her face, as she was sitting on his lap, looking away from him, but he could see the change in the way Lilly's entire body tensed and a look of fear appeared on her face. After a moment of silence, Viola spoke. Her voice was colder than Ezekiel had ever heard it before.

"You know, Miss Lilly," there was no trace of warmth left in the way she addressed Lilly, "I wholeheartedly believe that friends are the people that stay by your side when the times get hard. You said you were one of Ezekiel's best friends and that you cared about him, but I think the only person you really cared about all that time was yourself."

Viola's words hit Lilly hard. She knew that she had hurt Ezekiel and lost his friendship, and she didn't know if he would ever forgive her. She apologized and tried to explain her thought process, but it was too late, the damage was done. Viola listened to her, but didn't offer any comfort or forgiveness.

Ezekiel watched as Viola turned around in his lap, gave him a quick hug, and then nestled herself into his chest again in order to sleep. He felt a mix of emotions, he was angry at Lilly for the way she had treated him and hurt by her words, but he also felt grateful for having Viola as a friend, someone who always stood by him and supported him no matter what.

As the carriage rolled on, the tension between Lilly and Viola was palpable. Viola's words had struck a nerve in Lilly, and she sat in silence, her eyes downcast. Zeke, for his part, didn't want to get involved in the drama either. He closed his eyes and focused on practicing his mind magic spells, using the quiet of the carriage to help him concentrate. He could feel Viola's presence next to him, her steady breathing indicating that she had fallen asleep. The silence in the carriage was broken only by the occasional clop of the horses' hooves on the road. It was clear that Viola was done with Lilly, and the girl was left to stew in her own thoughts for the remainder of the journey home.