A gloomy air loomed over the residences of the princess and her old friend. Adelia, the green haired young child and, Hoya, the princess of Schwarz. Despite being two great friends that couldn't stay separately for long hours, despite being of different purviews in almost everything, they would always let go of their walls and talk with each other.
But now, both of them didn't say a word.
Watching them like this, Dawn felt a small pang in her heart. She had been sent here to watch over the regressors, and this was one strange turn of events that definitely needed her involvement amidst the regressor's lives the most.
A month had already passed since the beginning of the academy.
And within that month, during the very first tower exploration assigned to the students, an unheard of incident took place that led to a temporary ban for the students to climb or raid the Elysium tower.
On the first raid by the first years, a student passed away.
Dungeons were already territories that the gods that Dawn used to serve were wary of. They were different spaces, intertwined dimensions within their own dimensions. Not every human could use the kind of spatial magic it would require to escape from such places, and that was why only beings that could use Holy energy or the most refined forms of powers could ever escape from them.
Aether, Soul Ki, Holy or Demonic Energy… and the powers of Alfheim. These refined energies would make it possible to move in and out of such a subspace.
That was why fairies, that could use the abilities of Alfheim were tied up to humans exploring dungeons.
"But someone still died…?"
Dawn had a hard time believing it.
In the room were the quiet princess Hoya and Adelia. Despite the light of the sun pouring in from the windows, Dawn couldn't help but see the room as shadowy. The shadows of their eyelashes landed on their faces already cast with a deep sense of gloom.
"Hoya…" Adelia muttered. "Do you really think she wasn't a regressor…?"
Hoya's eyes trembled.
These two were too shaken up to keep the secret in front of Dawn. Having judged that this guard of hers was more than trustworthy, Hoya did not do anything but admitted the claims with silence for Dawn.
"I… don't know…"
One of them had died.
During their expedition, the friend from a different class that would eventually become another of the game's protagonists lovers had died.
The people that had somehow returned to the past after witnessing the end of the world were stumped.
For they couldn't even protect one of their own.
They couldn't even retrieve the corpse of their own.
"It must be that Eugene Hall—"
"It's not possible," Hoya cut down her friend with a sad face. Dawn watched the two as they spoke. "I think the theories that we never investigated must be true…"
"What do you mean…?"
"The seven dungeons of the Academy City… you know what they said right?"
The place where most of the games' events took place.
The Academy City and its seven dungeons, the spot with the most distorted space.
Hoya held her breath and continued.
"I think, they might be the gateways to the outer gods…"
'OUTER WHAT CHICK!?' Dawn wanted to jump up right then and there and shake these kids to cough up an answer, but with all her angelic powers, she held herself in spot.
Adelia raised her heads, and then buried her face in her arms.
"What's the point of thinking that now?" Her voice was tinged with pain. Even if they were not close to the person that had died, she was full of grief. "Sometimes, I wonder why we came back at all…"
Unbeknownst to her, those words lit a flame in Hoya and eventually in Luka as well. A flame that would bring them back to their feet.
***
Dawn was walking alone in the streets of the outer islands of the floating archipelago. Already rarely visited by other students, the outer islands were perfect spots to bask in solitude and go over your thoughts. Unfortunately, as soon as Autumns rolled over in the academy, all those spots would be filled with couples of the academy aiming for their next rendezvous
As she strolled underneath the fluttering leaves of the swaying trees in the outer islands, a familiar frame entered the edge of her sight.
A white-haired boy with locks of his hair reaching only to his shoulder, a deep scar running down his chin all the way to his chest. Wearing a simple white shirt and a white vest on top, the boy leaned against a tree with a flower in his hands.
Not too far from him was a black cat and floating around, a familiar fairy.
"Dusk…"
The boy dropped the flower in his hand and turned toward Dawn.
His eyes widened slightly before spreading into a bright smile.
A genuine, bright smile.
A smile she had never expected this crazy bastard of a man to make, but ever since an incident happened a month ago, she was slowly growing used to his smiles that would send many hearts aflutter.
Unfortunately for him, she wasn't so easy.
"Dawn, fancy seeing you here."
"Is it? It's more fancy seeing YOU here. Shouldn't you be in class?"
With a gentle tone that didn't betray his smile, the boy continued.
"It's not a place I should be at. There are too many people hurt there."
Hurt. Gentle.
These words didn't fit the image of the adventurer she had known, but for some reason, she couldn't hate them.
Dusk slowly approached closer and placed his hand over hers. Slowly, he placed his fingers between hers and pulled her along.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothing," he shrugged. "Let's just walk."
"Like this…?"
"It won't be the first time."
"But in the academy—"
Smiling, Dusk tightened his hold on her hand and leaned closer to her.
"I don't care what others would think, do you?"
"Back off, brat!" Dawn pushed him away, but the blush on her face wasn't hidden. It was too unusual. Him acting like a charming snake trying to wrap itself around her, it was too much stimulation even for the casual fairy that could flirt with him for days straight.
It was too…
Sincere.
Dusk gently pulled her along and the two started walking. With no one reaching the outer islands of the academy, it was just the breeze and them that had the moment to themselves.
Gently tightening his grip on her hand, Dusk continued walking around Dawn. The more his hand pressed into hers, the more her cheeks flushed.
"Dawn, how are they like?"
"You mean the regressors?"
"Uh hm."
"They are shaken up," Dawn answered. "But I don't think you need to worried much, they aren't blaming you."
"What do you mean?" Dusk asked, looking at her.
"It doesn't seem like they will."
"Dawn…" Dusk stopped and grabbed her other hand too. With a wry smile, he spoke. "I am a bit worried. They are still regressors. If it's ever dangerous, you should run away from them."
"It will be dangerous for you instead," Dawn averted her gaze, his hands were too warm.
"If that happens, won't you protect me?"
Dawn now lowered her gaze.
The gentle smile, the wave of his hair, the fluttering leaves in the back, it all made him look like an angel.
It suited his face much more than the nasty looks he used to make before.
Unlike before, now Dawn felt her heart fluttering at his words.
"They think there are some outer gods in the dungeons,"
His hands tightened.
"You aren't going to be blamed."
Dusk puffed his cheeks and pulled her close.
"I am not worried about that," he said. Gentle as ever, he lowered his lips near Dawn and whispered. "I just want you to be safe."
Leaving those words, Dusk left a peck on Dawn's cheeks.
"Uwa! Seriously, back away!"
Dawn pushed him aside and stepped back.
Too much. He really was being too much for her heart.
"Heh, someone's shy."
"Tsk. Bastard."
"Haha, sorry."
And then, after walking around for a few more hours now totally hand in hand, Dawn separated from Dusk, from Eugene Hall, and went back to her dorms.
She felt rather happy, rather fluttery.
It was a strange feeling.
To be adored.
***
"She's really easy, that angel girl, meow!" A black cat scratched its ears as it spoke.
"Stop with the meowing, seriously! Eugy! Tell this bitch to stop!"
"I am not a bitch but a cat, you insect."
"Now, now, don't fight," Eugene smiled and stopped them. "Well, she really is easy. Isn't that endearing, Titania?"
"I don't know, I don't care about angels."
"Endearing huh? She seems more like an idiot than an angel. I am sure you can do better than that, dear Eugene."
"Shush…"
Eugene placed his arms on the cats head. He slightly lowered his fingers and scratched its neck.
"I won't accept insults towards Dawn now, even if it's you…"
"Dantalian."
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