Jackson hurled Fire Waves left and right, the blasts exploding against the shifting marble walls. Each impact sent chunks of stone crumbling into dust, the heat of the spell whipping against Rin’s face as she scrambled to keep up.

  BOOM!

  Another wall vanished in fire and rubble. Jackson didn’t even slow down—he just grinned, cheeks puffed out as if each spell were effortless, and fired again.

  “Are you sure this is the way out?!” Rin shouted over the noise.

  “Yeah! I got fed up with the maze!” Jackson barked back, already charging another blast.

  Rin nodded reflexively, though he couldn’t even see her. When she risked a glance behind, her chest tightened—several other students had started following her trail. Wide-eyed, panting, desperate.

  ?

  Then came the final thunderclap. The wall in front of them shattered, and a flood of blinding white light spilled through the gap.

  Rin threw her arm over her eyes as the blinding light swallowed her vision, legs still pumping forward on instinct. When she finally dared to lower her arm, she blinked furiously—daylight. Real, honest daylight pouring down on her face.

  Jackson stood just ahead, chest puffed out like a champion gladiator, cheeks red and grinning ear to ear.

  At the far end of the clearing, the instructor simply stared at them, mouth slightly open, blinking as though he had no idea how they’d even gotten out that fast.

  “Come on, Rin! This isn’t over yet!” Jackson’s voice barely cut through the noise—the cheering, the stampede of kids flooding into the light behind them.

  Before Rin could even process what was happening, Jackson had already taken off again. With no choice but to follow, she darted after him, her heart still stumbling to catch up with the madness.

  The frozen earth cracked under their feet, the first stretch of the terrain obstacle shimmering like glass. Rin’s steps wobbled instantly, arms flailing as her boots slipped across the frost. Panic seized her chest—if she fell now, she’d never get up in time.

  But Jackson only puffed his cheeks and strutted forward, shuffling his legs stiffly. “Easy! Just walk like a penguin!”

  Rin blinked. “That’s… what?!.”

  “Penguins never fall!” he crowed, shuffling faster. And, somehow, he was right—he didn’t fall.

  Biting her lip, Rin mimicked him. It looked ridiculous, but her balance steadied, and before long, she found herself giggling under her breath.

  #

  The frost gave way to sloshing mud, thick and sucking at her ankles. Rin groaned as she pulled one leg free only for the other to sink deeper. The mud clung like chains, cold and heavy.

  Jackson plunged in without hesitation. “Ha! This is nothing! I eat mud for breakfast!”

  “You what?!” Rin nearly shouted, her voice cracking with disbelief.

  He blinked at her with a grin. “Don’t worry about it!” He yanked himself out with a loud squelch, mud streaking up his legs.

  Despite herself, Rin laughed. The sound startled her—it felt so foreign after weeks of trembling.

  #

  Then came the whipping vines. Long green tendrils lashed out from the treeline, snapping toward anything that moved. Rin froze, ducking low, but Jackson simply swung his wand in wide arcs.

  “Back off, weeds! Fire Wave!”

  Flames roared across the vines, and they recoiled in a shower of sparks. Jackson puffed his chest again, triumphant. “See? Easy!”

  Rin clutched her chest, panting hard. Her legs trembled from adrenaline, but she was still upright. Still moving. Maybe—maybe she wasn’t as useless as she thought.

  #

  But the moment shattered like glass.

  A familiar voice slithered through the chaos: “Aw, look at this. Losers with a head start.”

  Rin froze. Her head snapped around. Drenco stood a short distance away, wand already raised, his two cronies at his back.

  Before she could even scream, fire erupted.

  The Fire Wave roared across the course, streaking toward her head. Rin’s body lurched sideways, the flames missing her by a hair’s breadth and exploding against the mud, spraying hot droplets that stung her arms.

  Her breath hitched. Her knees buckled.

  “You’ll never make it,” Drenco sneered, his smirk curling like a blade. “Losers don’t get to graduate.”

  Rin’s chest caved, the fragile pride she’d been gathering burning away in an instant.

  But Jackson didn’t hesitate. He stomped forward, cheeks puffed out, wand pointed squarely at Drenco.

  “HEY! What are you doing?!” Jackson shouted, mud dripping down his face. “You—you nearly hit us!”

  Drenco blinked, tilting his head. “You? The pig boy?”

  “What? No! I’m Jackson!”

  “Oh, for— I !” Drenco snapped, firing another Fire Wave.

  Jackson tried to dodge but slipped, planting face-first into the mud with a loud . Drenco and his two cronies burst into laughter, their voices echoing as they sprinted past.

  “Later, losers!” they jeered.

  Rin gasped and rushed to Jackson’s side, tugging frantically at his arm. “A-Are you okay?!”

  Jackson spat mud and wiped at his face, cheeks still puffed out in stubborn pride. “Yeah… he… he nearly hit us! We need to tell the instructors!”

  “Right! But—we also need to keep running!” Rin urged, panic still twisting her stomach.

  “Oh yeah. Totally forgot about that…” He gave a sharp shake of his head like a drenched dog, mud flying everywhere. Then, without another word, he darted forward, chest puffed out again as if nothing had happened.

  Rin stared after him, stunned by his resilience—or maybe his obliviousness. Shaking her own head, she forced her legs to move and chased after him.

  Rin’s legs burned as she caught up to Jackson, the sting of Drenco’s laughter still clawing at her chest. The echo of fire slamming against stone replayed over and over in her mind.

  She clutched her wand tighter.

  But Jackson was already ahead, cheeks puffed, chest thrust out like nothing in the world could touch him. Rin stared at his back for a moment, and something small and fragile flickered inside her—maybe if she just kept following, she wouldn’t fall apart.

  #

  The next obstacle loomed before them: a wall of stone that rose like a fortress, damp and slick from condensation. Students ahead were already clawing at it, slipping, cursing, their hands scraping raw against the uneven surface.

  Rin’s stomach dropped. “We… we can’t—”

  “Don’t say it!” Jackson cut her off, pointing his wand at the wall like it had just personally insulted him. “This is nothing!”

  He lunged forward, grabbing the stone with both hands and scrambling upward like a stubborn cat. His feet slipped, his arms shook, but he clung on, grunting through every inch.

  Rin hesitated, palms sweating. The wall felt impossible. Taller than anything she’d ever climbed. Her knees locked.

  But then she heard it—Jackson’s strained voice drifting down. “Come on, Rin! Don’t let me be the only one up here!”

  She bit her lip so hard it hurt. Her chest screamed to freeze, to stay, to fail. But her hands moved anyway.

  The stone was cold, rough, biting into her fingers. Her boots scraped against slick patches, her arms shook. Twice she nearly slipped, and both times her heart shot into her throat. But she climbed. One pull. One gasp. One step.

  And then—her hand caught the top. She hauled herself up, collapsing beside Jackson, mud still streaked across his cheek, grin wide and wild.

  “See? Easy!” he declared, puffing his chest again.

  Rin lay on her back, panting, her arms trembling too hard to even lower her wand. But her lips curved, just barely, into the smallest smile.

  She had done it.

  Jackson peered over the edge of the wall and whistled. “Whoa… that’s a long way down.”

  Rin’s stomach twisted as she crawled to the edge. The ground looked miles away, though she knew it wasn’t. “W-We can’t… we’ll break our legs…”

  “Nonsense!” Jackson barked, puffing his chest out again. He crouched, wiggled his fingers like he was preparing some grand move, and then—without warning—he leapt.

  “JACKSON?!” Rin screamed.

  A loud followed by an “Owwww…” answered her. Jackson rolled onto his back, arms splayed, groaning dramatically. “There’s a cushion… perfect landing…”

  Rin pressed a hand to her forehead. “Dummy…”

  But students behind them were already closing in. She bit down hard, sucked in a breath, and pushed herself off. Her heart screamed as the wind rushed past her ears—until her boots slammed the ground. Her knees buckled, but somehow she stayed upright.

  Jackson shot her a thumbs up from the ground. “See? Easy!”

  She couldn’t help it—her laugh burst out, high and breathless. “You’re insane!”

  #

  The laughter didn’t last.

  A guttural growl rolled across the path ahead. Out of the shadows emerged the Boroxes—summoned beasts shaped like wolves, their bodies woven from smoke and their eyes burning with red embers. They prowled low to the ground, claws scratching against stone, surrounding the next stretch of the course.

  Rin froze, every muscle seizing. These weren’t like the vines or the walls. These things

  Jackson, of course, puffed out his chest, wand already raised. “Shadow dogs? Please. Watch this, Rin!”

  One of the Boroxes lunged, its body flickering with ghostly fire. Jackson fired first. “Fire Wave!” A blast of orange light erupted from his wand and smashed into the beast, scattering its smoky form into sparks.

  Another charged from the side. Rin gasped and stumbled back—her wand trembling violently in her grip.

  “Rin! Do it!” Jackson shouted, already blasting another.

  Her pulse hammered in her ears. Drenco’s laughter. The alley’s attackers. They all pressed in like a cage.

  The Borox’s claws slashed down—

  “FIRE WAVE!” Rin screamed, thrusting her wand forward.

  But what erupted wasn’t a wave. It was a spear.

  A dense bolt of fire, white-hot at its core, exploded from her wand and tore through the Borox. The beast didn’t just scatter—it detonated in a plume of sparks that lit the path for several feet.

  Rin’s chest heaved, her wand trembling in her hands. The spell felt… ordinary, almost natural. Her arm tingled with warmth, not in pain but in release—like a heavy weight had just lifted from her shoulders.

  Jackson’s jaw dropped. “…That wasn’t Fire Wave. That was—WAY COOLER, RIN!!!”

  Up on the platform, the instructor controlling the Shadow Boroxes leaned forward, his quill frozen mid-scratch. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the smoke still curling where the beast had been.

  “…Impossible,” he whispered. “A Fire Bolt at her level? The Directors will want to know this…”

  Back on the track, Rin clutched at her chest, still trembling. She hadn’t meant to do it. She didn’t even know how she had done it. But for the first time, fear wasn’t the only thing in her eyes. There was something else—something fragile and dangerous. Awe.

  “Rin! Watch out!” Jackson yelled.

  “Ah—! Fire Wave!” Rin shouted, snapping her wand forward.

  Another bolt erupted—dense, fast, piercing clean through the lunging Borox. It hit the ground and detonated in a shower of embers.

  “Again!” Jackson barked.

  “Ahhh!!! Fire Wave!”

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  But the spell was no wave—it was another bolt, even brighter, crashing through not one but four Shadow Boroxes in a line. They collapsed, bursting apart in a chain of sparks that lit up the entire course.

  Gasps echoed from nearby students. Even Jackson stared, his puffed chest faltering for once.

  Rin’s arm shook, her breath ragged. She didn’t understand what was happening—only that, somehow, the power inside her was no longer hiding.

  “THAT WAS AWESOME, RIN! WE CAN DO THIS! WE CAN WIN THIS!” Jackson whooped, grabbing her wrist and tugging her along.

  Rin yelped, nearly tripping, before scrambling to match his stride. Her legs burned, but his excitement was so infectious she couldn’t help but try.

  A shadow darted up beside them—Drenco. His sneer cut sharp, his cronies a few steps behind.

  “Pathetic,” he spat, keeping pace with ease. “Pig-boy and traitor trash, pretending like you belong here. You’ll never make it.”

  Jackson puffed out his cheeks mid-sprint, veins popping from his neck. “WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!”

  “I called you a pig. Can’t you hear through all that hot air you’re wasting?” Drenco smirked, running easily, barely breaking a sweat.

  Jackson barked back, “Better a pig than a donkey with a carrot up his nose!”

  “That doesn’t even make sense!” Drenco snapped, his stride faltering for a second.

  “It makes

  sense! Donkey-nose-boy!”

  “Stop naming animals!” Rin cried, panting hard as she tried to keep pace, still being yanked along by Jackson.

  “Don’t tell me what to do, treacherous rat!” Drenco barked.

  “She’s not a rat— she’s Rin!” Jackson shouted proudly, puffing his chest even while running.

  “I ALREADY KNOW THAT!”

  “Jackson, please!” Rin wailed.

  The three surged neck and neck, their bickering echoing across the track. The instructors loomed ahead, which meant no spells—just raw speed.

  The finish marker came into view.

  “RIN, PUSH! WE GOT THIS!” Jackson roared.

  But with a final burst of speed, Drenco shot forward, crossing the line first. He threw his head back with a victorious laugh, slowing to a smug strut.

  “Losers. Just like I said.”

  Jackson stumbled across a half-second later, still dragging Rin by the wrist. Both of them collapsed onto the grass, panting like they’d just run through fire.

  “Rin…” Jackson gasped, cheeks puffing again. “At least… we’re not donkeys.”

  Rin pushed herself up, hands braced on her knees as she gulped down air. Her chest still ached, but her eyes scanned the sea of students, searching desperately for Eddie and Chippy. No luck—the finish area was a blur of uniforms, cheers, and tired bodies.

  “Jackson and Rin,” their instructor barked, clipboard in hand.

  Both of them snapped to attention.

  “Good job on making it. You passed with a C. Twenty-eight minutes, thirty-seven seconds.” He scribbled something down.

  Jackson’s chest puffed out instantly. “A C still counts!”

  Rin cracked a weak smile despite her exhaustion.

  “As for you, Vandergrift.” The instructor turned sharply to Drenco, who was doubled over, wheezing.

  Drenco blinked, confused. “…What?”

  “Times still ticking,” the instructor said flatly.

  Drenco’s face drained of color. “Wh—what!?”

  “The rules were clear. You cross with your partner. Yours is missing.”

  A blotchy red flush spread across Drenco’s face, deeper than Rin had ever seen. He spun wildly, searching the crowds. “Sh-she was right here!”

  The instructor didn’t budge. “No partner, no finish. Go back and find them. Otherwise, you repeat this next term.”

  Drenco’s jaw dropped. He stammered, “Y-Yes, sir!” before bolting back through the tide of finishing students, shoving and shouting as he ran against the flow.

  Rin blinked at the sight, still catching her breath. Then she glanced at Jackson.

  Their eyes met—

  —and both of them burst into laughter. Hard, loud, unstoppable. Rin’s stomach hurt from it, and for the first time in weeks, the weight in her chest felt just a little bit lighter.

  #

  Later that night, the three kids lounged in the house lobby, laughter echoing off the high walls like they were trying to chase away every ounce of stress from the day.

  “There’s no way! That Jackson kid really went at it with Drenco?!” Eddie wheezed, wiping at his eyes. “And here I thought I was the only one!”

  “Heyyy! Don’t forget about me!” Chippy cut in, looping her arms around Rin’s neck and clinging to her like a scarf. “I hate him too!”

  Rin’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much; her jaw ached, but she couldn’t stop.

  “And—and! He failed at the end anyway!” she added between gasps of laughter. “He was too busy trying to hit me with that Fire spell that he forgot about his partner!”

  “HAHAHAHA!” Eddie and Chippy collapsed against the couch cushions, tears streaming from their eyes.

  Rin’s own eyes watered—not from sadness this time, but from the kind of laughter that left her ribs sore and her heart lighter than it had been in weeks.

  “Serves him right! What an idiot!” Eddie roared.

  “Yeah! I bet he was red as a tomato!” Chippy snickered.

  “He actually was!!!” Rin said, doubling over before the three of them dissolved into another round of hysterics.

  “Alright, children. That’s enough!” The house master’s voice cut across the room like a thunderclap. Vanessa’s tall frame loomed at the entryway, arms crossed. “Curfew starts in fifteen minutes. Make your final comments, inscriptions—whatever it is you children do—and get to your rooms. Not a single one of you should be here when I return. Understood?”

  “Yes, ma’am!” the entire lobby chorused back, their voices overlapping.

  Vanessa gave them one last sharp nod before sweeping out, her robes trailing like a storm cloud.

  As the kids quieted, Rin sat back against the sofa, her smile lingering. For the first time since Vix’s harsh words, she didn’t feel like a burden. Just… part of something.

  “Are you ready for winter break, Rin?” Chippy asked, still clinging to her like she wasn’t planning on letting go.

  “Yeah…” Rin murmured, a soft smile lingering.

  “Oh hey!” Eddie cut in, stuffing books and parchment into his bag. “What’s with you two for winter break?”

  Both girls turned to him at once.

  “What’s what?” Chippy asked innocently.

  “You keep mentioning it. Rin’s coming over to your… home?”

  Chippy’s grin widened instantly. “Pft! What? Little Eddie wants to come over and hang with the big girls?”

  “What? No! Not—not like that!” Eddie whined, his voice cracking.

  Chippy snorted before breaking into a full-on laugh again. Rin giggled quietly behind her hand.

  “Do you want to come to Chippy’s home too?” Rin asked softly.

  Eddie’s face went scarlet as he looked away. “No…”

  “He totally does!” Chippy said, pointing at him like she’d just discovered a scandal.

  Eddie hugged his arm, blushing harder. “I just… want to meet him… that’s all.”

  “Ohhh! Right! I

  forgot about that!” Chippy gasped.

  “What?! How could you!!! That’s literally all I ever wanted!!!” Eddie snapped, throwing his hands up.

  Chippy tapped her chin theatrically. “Okay, okay. Here’s the deal: I’ll invite you to my home

  you do my homework for a month.”

  “Deal!” Eddie shouted without hesitation.

  “Two months.”

  “What?! Nooo! You literally just said a month!”

  “Yeah. But you took that deal waaay too fast. So—two months.”

  “…Fine. Two months.”

  “Three.”

  “RIN! Little help!?” Eddie clasped his hands together, head bowed in mock desperation.

  “O-One month?” Rin squeaked.

  “Two months,” Chippy said firmly, arms crossed.

  “Fine! Two months!” Eddie groaned.

  “Deal!” Chippy declared with a smug grin, shaking his hand with a grip far stronger than necessary.

  Rin watched them bicker, laughter bubbling back to her lips.

  “EESSHH!!!” Chippy suddenly hissed, her shoulders stiffening. She turned her head toward Rin, teeth clenched, eyes wide.

  Rin blinked at her, tilting her head in confusion. “Chippy?”

  Instead of answering, Chippy leaned into Eddie’s ear, cupped her hand, and whispered something too quiet for Rin to catch.

  Eddie’s face immediately twisted with the same worry. His usual confidence drained in an instant.

  “I… we can go check now,” Eddie said, voice hushed.

  “Check what?” Rin asked, clutching her sleeves.

  Eddie looked at her, then nodded firmly. “Rin… come with me.”

  Before she could argue, he darted forward, tugging her along until they stood before House Master Vanessa, who was mid-conversation with another staff member.

  “We… we need to go to the main office,” Eddie blurted. “It’s urgent.”

  Vanessa’s sharp gaze cut to him. “Urgent? At this hour? If it were truly urgent, you’d have taken care of it already.” Her voice cracked like a whip, making Rin flinch and shrink back.

  “It’s our fault! Please, House Master, we won’t be long!” Eddie bowed quickly, desperation clear in his voice.

  Vanessa studied him for a long, tense beat. Finally, she sighed. “…Fine.”

  With a flick of her wand, the dorm doors swung open. She raised it again, firing a glowing cyan light into the night air. From the light, a knight of pure energy materialized, its armor shimmering as it lowered into a silent bow.

  “He’ll chaperone you two. Go quickly and come back. You’ll have ten minutes past curfew—no more.”

  “Yes, House Master! Sorry, House Master! Thank you, House Master!” Eddie and Rin chorused, bowing so fast their voices overlapped.

  The knight’s spectral horse reared, and then the two children were off—Eddie dragging Rin by the wrist as they sprinted into the courtyard, the glowing knight galloping behind them.

  “Eddie!” Rin yelped, struggling to keep pace. “What’s going on? Why are we going to the main office?”

  “Er… you… uhm…” Eddie stammered, his face flushed with nerves. “Let’s just reach the main building first, okay?”

  Rin’s heart pounded harder as they finally reached the center building. She and Eddie pushed the heavy door open, the hinges groaning, and stepped inside. Behind them, the knight didn’t bother with the door—it simply phased straight through the stone wall, its armored form glowing faintly as it followed.

  “It’s a summon,” Eddie explained quickly, glancing at Rin’s worried face. “I think it’s tasked to strictly watch over us until we get to the office and back.”

  “Really?” Rin asked, her voice small.

  “Yeah… I’ve been reading those books again and again,” Eddie said, rubbing the back of his neck. “And whatever Ra is, he’s definitely not a summon like this knight. He’s… different. Something else.”

  Rin turned her head, stealing a glance at the glowing knight. Its helm was lifted high, its posture regal, its focus locked forward—unyielding, unblinking. Not even curious about the children it guarded. A chill rippled down her spine, and she shuddered before snapping her gaze back to Eddie.

  “Well, again,” she pressed, “why are we here? What’s going on?”

  Eddie hesitated, his steps slowing. “…Rin… we know you don’t have parents. And… you need a parent’s permission to leave academy grounds for winter and summer break.”

  “…What?” Rin’s voice softened to a tremor.

  “I don’t know what happens next,” Eddie admitted, his tone uncertain. “But without your parent’s permission, they won’t let you leave. You can’t go to Chippy’s place—or anywhere at all. You’d have to stay in your home room for the entire break or just stroll around in the academy.”

  Rin’s stomach dropped. Her arms curled close as her fingers fidgeted against one another, her voice breaking into a whimper. “No… no, that can’t be…”

  “Hey, hey! Come on now, relax!” Eddie waved his hands, scrambling to sound encouraging. “We’ll figure it out! Maybe your uncle—uh, what’s his face, the rich guy—can write a permission form or something?”

  Rin’s trembling heart leapt at the thought, fragile but desperate. “M-Maybe he could… maybe he’d let me come over!”

  “Exactly!” Eddie grinned, trying to keep her afloat. “That’s why we’re here—we’ll ask the office, get it sorted out. It’ll be okay!”

  Rin straightened, clutching her wand tight as if it gave her strength. “Then what are we walking for? Let’s go!”

  She bolted forward, her voice breaking into a nervous chant. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

  “Rin! Wait up!” Eddie shouted, jogging after her as their footsteps echoed down the corridor, the ghostly knight gliding silently in their wake.

  #

  However, the brief office visit ended only in disaster.

  Rin stumbled out of the office with insatiable tears streaming down her cheeks, her chest convulsing in broken sobs. She pressed both hands hard against her eyes, as if she could hold the crying back, but it only made her small, muffled wails sharper.

  “Rin… I’m sorry…” Eddie whispered, hovering uncertainly at her side.

  But she was inconsolable. Her body shook with each tremor, her breath hiccuping as her tears refused to stop.

  “Hey… if you like, I can stay with you for winter break…” Eddie murmured, his hands landing gently on her shoulders.

  Her words broke between hiccups. “Ch–Chippy said… she said we’d…” Another hiccup. “We’d do nail polish together! We’d dye our hair together!” Her voice cracked, her eyes swelling red as she looked at him. “That I could be a normal girl with her!!!”

  Eddie’s chest tightened. “M-Maybe… maybe we can ask Chippy to stay too? Maybe her parents could bring all that stuff here! You two could still do it, right? In your rooms?”

  But Rin only shook her head violently, her tears spilling fresh. The sobs came heavier, the kind of sound born from a heart that didn’t just want—but

  #

  Chippy and Eddie stood bundled in thick winter coats, the academy’s main entrance doors rattling from the howling wind. The wide lobby bustled with noise—dozens of students huddled with their luggage, some laughing with their parents while others stamped their boots against the floor to keep warm. Outside, headlights glowed through the light flurries of snow as carriages and floating vehicles pulled up one after another, staff calling names and ushering children to the doors.

  Though rare, a handful of students opted to remain behind, gathering in smaller, quieter groups under the supervision of teachers. The air was alive with chatter, farewells, and the chaotic clamor of the year’s first true blizzard.

  Chippy’s coat was fur-lined and so oversized it nearly swallowed her whole, while Eddie’s hung stiff and plain, his scarf half-wrapped and uneven.

  “Are you sure you’ll be okay, Rin?” Chippy asked, her nose pink from the cold.

  “Yeah…” Rin managed, her voice soft. “I never wanted to keep you both here.”

  “I wouldn’t have minded.”

  “Eddieee…” Rin mumbled in a whiny tone, her cheeks warming as she tried to hide her smile.

  “No, really. I would

  have minded.” He said it again, deadpan, his brows furrowed in quiet insistence.

  Chippy blinked at him, thrown off by the seriousness in his tone, but before she could respond, the low hum of engines broke through the snowstorm.

  A large, floating SUV pulled up, its polished surface gleaming against the gray sky. A man in a perfectly tailored suit stepped out, white gloves immaculate, red tie sharp as a blade.

  “Master Chippy,” he intoned with a respectful bow. “We may leave when you are ready.”

  “Yeah… just one sec…” Chippy said quickly, turning back to Rin. The looming snowstorm pressed harder, urgency pushing in, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave without one last word. She darted forward and threw her arms around Rin, squeezing tight.

  Rin’s chest tightened, and Eddie, despite his usual reluctance, stepped in too, looping his arms awkwardly around both girls. Their warmth held against the bitter wind.

  “I’ll miss you!!!” Chippy whined, her voice muffled against Rin’s shoulder. “I really wish you could come! I don’t know what I’m going to do for the next two months! I know! I’ll just have my mom bail you out!”

  Rin shook her head, tears pricking her eyes again. “We already tried that… Uncle Remmy couldn’t do anything either. He has to stay in the academy…”

  “What?!” Eddie blurted, pulling back a little. “Your uncle works the academy?! How come I haven’t met him yet?!”

  He then pulled back and Chippy gave one last look at Rin.

  “I promise I’ll bring loads of stuff we can do together when I come back! I promise!!!”

  “Yeah! I’ll be right here! Waiting…” Rin said trailing off at the thought of being alone.

  Chippy nodded heading off to her vehicle. The man held the door open as she slid in. Eddie followed looking at Rin one last time.

  “Hey… I’ll see you soon, alright?”

  “Yeah! I won’t forget.”

  “Then we can finally figure out that skeleton guy thing.” He said with a wink.

  Rin giggled despite herself as he ducked into the car beside Chippy. A moment later, the vehicle lifted off and disappeared into the sky.

  The sound of laughter clung to her ears long after the SUV was gone, but her lips had already fallen still. Rin stood frozen at the academy entrance, snowflakes melting against her lashes. Her smile unraveled into a trembling line.

  The courtyard buzzed with students reuniting with their families—warm voices, shouts of recognition, hugs that melted the cold. And in the middle of it all, she was the only one left standing with no one waiting for her.

  Her chest ached, the weight of it pressing down until she felt she might sink into the snow. She hugged herself tighter, but it did nothing to fill the hollow. It was like the whole world was tilting away from her, again and again, until she couldn’t tell if it would ever steady.

  “Please…” she whispered to no one, her voice barely a breath. “Don’t… leave me all alone.”

  “Rin?” A man’s voice called softly from behind her. “You’re staying in the academy, yes?”

  “I—I am…”

  “Alright then. Head inside. The snowstorm will be starting soon. You don’t want to freeze to death out here, do you?”

  The words were meant kindly, but they landed like a hollow echo in her chest. For a brief, flickering moment, the idea of just staying out there in the cold felt almost… welcoming. But she only nodded, quietly, and turned back toward the doors.

  The academy’s entrance halls were usually alive with sound—chatter, footsteps, echoes of laughter bouncing off the high ceilings. Tonight they were cavernous and empty, a ballroom stripped of music. Her shoes clicked against the polished marble, each step too loud. She remembered the first day Vix had brought her here. Back then it had been different. Warmer. She had known less, felt less.

  Now she knew what this emptiness was. It seeped into her bones as she drifted down the long corridor toward the South House courtyard. The snow would fall soon; all she could do was sit there and hope someone—anyone—might visit during the break.

  Most students felt relief at winter break’s arrival. She felt only the slow, cold pulse of hopelessness. She hated it.

  Rin reached up and brushed her fingertips over her own eyebrows, as though testing if she was still real. A new feeling was engraving itself into her mind with every step. Loneliness—so sharp and clear it almost had a shape.

  Until—

  “Caw! Caw!” A crow swooped down the corridor, its wings beating sharply in the silence. It landed on the stone floor right in front of her. “Rin! To the office! Rin! To the main office!!! Caw!” it cried, before launching back into the air and vanishing into the shadows above.

  Rin blinked, frozen in confusion. But her feet moved anyway, carrying her toward the main office.

  The lobby was lit in warm, golden lamplight. Two men stood there talking. One was massive—broad shoulders filling out a cream shirt with its cuffs rolled up, light brown stripes running faintly across the fabric. Dark suspenders strained to hold up his charcoal-gray trousers over the bulge of his sizeable gut. He was tall, ferociously so—perhaps taller even than Mister Vix—and his booming laugh echoed through the chamber.

  The other man was smaller, though not frail. His hair was a deep, vibrant brown—bushy yet neatly trimmed. His sweater was white and thick, layered beneath a fitted black vest, with dark brown pants clearly lined for warmth. When Rin entered, he turned. His smile faltered instantly, softening into something unreadable as his eyes locked on hers.

  “Ah! There she is!” the tall man—Cannus—declared with gusto. “We haven’t met yet, but I’ve been keeping my eye on you, Miss Arthur.”

  “…Miss… Arthur?” Rin repeated, voice wavering with confusion.

  “My name is Cannus. Steve Cannus. I am one of the directors of this academy,” he said, extending a large hand. Rin gingerly placed her own in his grasp, startled by the firmness of his shake. “Pleased to meet you, missy! Now, I just need a small favor.” He pulled a form from his jacket. “Sign here, and you’ll be free to go home with your father for break.”

  “Father?!” Rin gasped, spinning to the shorter man.

  He stepped closer, his eyes glistening with warmth that felt too sudden, too sharp.

  “Rin, sweetheart… it’s been too long…”

  Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She stared back, wide-eyed, her heart thundering in her chest—ready to leap out and run away.