My body was sore by the time I left the swordsmanship lessons. The sun was about to come up soon, and the professor had no choice but to let go. She didn't leave before asking me to meet her at the same time tomorrow.
"Should I take some pastries for her? Do you she likes sweets?"
"And that is going to help how?" Dantalian asked.
"Food to heart, I thought it was common knowledge? Ow, ow, she really whacked me huh?"
My neck burned and my stomach was sore. When I reached back to my room, I swung the bathroom door open, kicked the cat out, and leaned against the sink to remove whatever I had eaten yet.
Thus began my day.
***
Late mornings were worse. Late mornings, was that a term?
"Yuyu jinnyjin."
"What is it, Rizzler?"
"Hey, foul!"
"You two, can you shut up? Ms. Irina is already looking pretty pissed this way."
Luka intervened as Rizzler played his negative rizz on me.
"Shut it, Luka. You won't get it."
"Yeah, tell him."
"You brats in the back," as was natural, Luka was right and we did get scolded. "Shut up before we turn this into a practical class."
And of course, Luka would get caught up in the daggers that headed our way.
When classes would end, the two princesses and one childhood friend would surround Luka while my own two childhood friends approached me.
"Young master, let's play cards today."
"Ms. Lily, that's a brilliant idea! I have some stuff to tell you as well, so it would be good."
Lily said and Sophia backed her.
"What is it about?"
"You know, I have been keeping those twins at bay for you for a while now. They are asking me to introduce you to them."
At Sophia's words, I looked at my apparent cousins sitting at the front.
"Wrong bench, lord Eugene."
"Oh."
This time I looked at them.
"Well, no can do. You two should focus on your own—"
"Own thing for a while, yap yap," Lily spoke while sighing. "At this rate, we might score even better than you on the tests, young master. What are you even going to do other than hog the library? Even big sis Maria is getting out of hand now."
"I'm sorry, but it's important."
"Important this important that. It's like you've forgotten about us—"
"There, there, Miss Lily. You're getting too emotional."
Sophia dragged Lily away and Albert tapped my shoulders, thinking I was like this because of what happened a month ago.
"Heh, it's a circus." Titania would say and the next class would begin.
Circus it sure was. One big uncomfortable circus.
***
Afternoons, I looked forward to.
"My Lord Eugene, here are more books for you, there's also the latest forbidden romance in here."
"Hm, very good," I said, making Catene receive the books. Artifact lectures were only two days a week, and with the lack of time, it would be difficult to study the writings on artifacts. So for now, we were studying artifacts themselves.
"The writings serve as a substitute for magic circles…"
"Yes. But older artifacts have exponentially fewer writings than newer ones, My Lord Eugene."
I crossed my legs and leaned back.
"Interesting…" I muttered. "Maybe that language contains more information in fewer words."
"Oh! That makes sense! Many languages in the east are ideographic, My Lord Eugene!"
"Alright. If you can, bring me all such books that talk about unique forms of magic. It could be equally possible that their magic itself needed lesser input."
"Oh! How wise! I'll do it, I'll definitely do it!"
"Bring a dictionary too!"
"On it!"
The poor guy whose name I still didn't know dashed away.
"Easy, kids truly are easy. I love this."
"Let's go back to being adventurers. I enjoyed smarter problems."
Dantalian and Titania surprisingly disagreed on something.
***
Evenings were slightly better.
It was club time, after all. And while I wasn't in any club, someone else was.
Someone special.
"This club. Occult research. This is where Jimmy Ferris is enrolled."
Standing in front of the Island that had seven enormous buildings, including an arena for battle, a ground for a bunch of sports, and even a broomstick race track, I and Seeck Mohawk with his Sick Mohawk looked at the list of hundred-plus clubs registered with the academy.
"Did you notice anything weird in that guy's behavior?"
"Uh, Sir Dusk. Who is this person?"
Sick Mohawk, pointing his mohawk at her, asked about our third mate.
"This is Dawn. She's the one I told you about," I said. "Dawn, this guy is Seeck Mohawk."
"Right. The person who would be infiltrating that club, our spy."
Seeck and I nodded. Then, the Mohawk man continued.
"I did find strange things. He would always frown whenever a lot of people talked to him, he would also wipe down everything that someone else touched… and worst of all… I brought up theology in class just to see his reaction and he immediately ran away."
"Hmm…"
It wasn't suspicious, honestly.
"That's very suspicious," I said so anyway.
"I'll be joining the club today," Seeck Mohawk said. "Sir Dusk. I am not very strong… but if this can help."
"Don't worry. You handle this, and I'll make sure no one even gets a scratch."
Seeck nodded and clenched his fists.
"I'll go."
Leaving those words, Seeck Mohawk stood up and walked into the building, leaving the two of us alone.
Dawn and I watched him leave when her fingers brushed against mine.
I gently held her hand and squeezed it.
"Hm, I could have gone in his place."
"And what if you got hurt?"
"Then I would have been hurt."
"It's not worth the risk."
Dawn looked away, but the hand I held squeezed me back.
***
At nights…
I would usually be the first to be back on the Island anyway.
After getting into my room, I would work out more. Meditate and increase my Magic and Ki while also practicing them both.
"That angel sure is clingy."
"She's cute, like a child. But you're a demon, so you won't get it."
"Shut up, insect. Hey, Eugene, why do you always act so protective of her, huh? Do you like her or something? An angel? I don't approve."
"There there, what are you saying?" I sighed and pulled Dantalian's cat form onto my lap. "She has her uses… as far as liking someone goes…"
I closed my eyes.
Titania nestled herself on my shoulders.
"Trash can only stick with trash."
Titania smiled.
Dantalian's cat form changed into her normal demon form as she straddled her legs around my waist before I could react. Her hair fell on my lips while she wrapped her arms around my back and buried her head in my neck.
"You're right…"
I held her back, and leaned down on the bed.
I would take a bath.
Sleep.
And two hours later, the same type of days would begin again.
Over and over again.
Same mornings where distances reduced with every swing of the sword and increased with every ring of the class bell.
Same afternoons with a dreaming boy getting tricked into teaching me all he held.
Same evenings with too pure a punk ready to lay his life on the line, not knowing he's only going to help what he wants gone.
And the same nights….
My feet came to a halt.
"Meow?"
"Oh…"
The two who could never shut up stopped and stared ahead.
A woman. The most beautiful one in all the worlds, that never even showed another her face, but even I who could not see faces could tell the judge of the afterlife with utmost conviction, that no one more beautiful had ever taken a breath in this world.
No one.
Seeing her, I turned on my feet.
And started walking away.
"Why…"
She was pained.
"Why are you still doing this… why are you ignoring me?"
I continued walking away.
Only the sound of my feet resounded on the empty Island.
"I was supposed to be dead."
I stopped.
"I was born to be sacrificed, but you rejected it. I was going to be forgotten, but you forced me to remain. You! You did all of that like a selfish bitch!"
My breath stuck in my throat.
"I thought it'll be fine but now you selfishly run away…"
I was the only person who remembered her.
Even if she wasn't being forgotten now, she already was forgotten before. Those memories would never return.
I was the only one who remembered.
"I'll kill myself."
A loud whistle rang out. Titania, sitting on top of the cat's head tweeted at her declaration.
"If I am going to live while being ignored by you then I don't want to live. I'll kill myself. I'll do it today itself—"
"—If…"
I spoke up.
I tried to turn back but stopped when I saw Dantalian and Titania. Staring at their backs as they faced her… at them… I continued…
"If I was to live while being ignored by you… I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't think of killing myself."
The sound of something crashing filled my ears.
It was a sound only she and I could hear.
Weak taps resounded, and when I finally turned back…
… she was gone.
I felt an arm wrapping behind my back and locks of familiar hair draped over my eyes.
"It's alright," the demon whispered. "Trash can only stick with trash… We only have each other in this world. Only us."
From that night.
I lost my sleep.
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