Aura could hear giggling when she arrived at Caster's place. She rang the doorbell, and Mirror answered. She was wearing an apron and an oversized T-shirt. More notably, she was covered in flour. Caster was still chuckling when he appeared behind her. He had on an apron too, with a flour handprint on his cheek.
"Hi Aura! What brings you here?" Mirror chimed.
"We were making a pizza," Caster explained shyly while dusting flour from his clothes.
They invited her in. Caster moved into the kitchen to clean up and work on the dough alone, while Aura gave them the details.
"Just Caster?! What about me?" Mirror asked shakily.
Aura grinned, taking both of Mirror's hands.
"We need more people, and I think your powers will be really useful. I'll talk to Fenix, so you can come too," she replied. Mirror exhaled, looking relieved.
"I'll do it," Caster called from the kitchen while putting the pizza into the oven. "I'd feel even better about going if Mirror comes, though."
Aura stood up.
"I'll go talk with Fenix and Pierce now," she assured.
Aura sprinted toward the door, adding,
"We'll have a meeting soon, I'll call with the details!"
After she left, Caster sat down next to Mirror.
"I've gotten so complacent here, I forgot what was going on everywhere else," Caster mumbled.
"Well, soon... things will be peaceful in other places too," Mirror replied optimistically.
He smiled weakly as he drifted deep into thought. Then she took his hand and said,
"Even if it takes years, I believe we can do it. I know we can."
He met her gaze. The resolve in her eyes moved him. His expression softened, and he squeezed her hand.
"I think so too... as long as you're by my side," he muttered softly. Mirror nodded and rested her forehead against his.
They stayed like that until the oven's timer went off. Caster jumped up and hurried to put the pizza on the counter.
Mirror watched him and thought about the day they met.
3 years ago,
She'd just been promoted to A-rank. She noticed him right away, but didn't have the nerve to speak to him because he always had a crowd around him.
Loved by all ages and genders, there was a long list of people fighting to be Caster's friend.
He looked like a bad boy, with his dark blue hair cut with a taper and fade. He had icy-blue eyes and a small cursive tattoo of his name under his right eye.
Despite that, people were drawn in by his charming smile and easygoing personality.
Months went by without them interacting at all.
Caster came to her after midterms, making sure to send his friends away so they could talk alone.
"My math scores were awful. I heard you got the top grade. Would you mind helping me out sometime after school?"
He put his hands together as he pleaded.
"Sure... should we meet in the library, tomorrow?" she asked while putting books into her bag. Before replying, he looked around, confirming that no one else was around.
"... I'd rather meet up somewhere more private... Would your place be okay?"
Her heart skipped. Under any other circumstance, she'd assume she was being hit on, but she couldn't imagine Caster doing that.
"Sure," Mirror replied.
"Today?" Caster added with a smile. She looked at him questioningly but nodded. She then wrote down her dorm room number and said,
"I'll be free after five."
He picked up her note with a bright smile.
"See you then!" Caster said cheerfully before going to his next class.
He was waiting outside her room at exactly five. A few nosy students were watching him and whispering to each other.
Mirror panicked and rushed over,
"You're early for our study session!" she declared loudly, so the eavesdroppers could hear.
"You said five," Caster replied, sounding slightly confused.
Mirror entered her key code wrong several times before throwing the door open and pushing him inside.
Caster sat down at the kitchen table, and Mirror sat beside him, pulling out the textbook and her notes.
"So, where should we start?" she asked. He placed his elbows on the table and studied her face silently. After some time, it became awkward, so she couldn't help but become flustered.
"Why are you staring at me?" Mirror asked, holding up her hand to block his view.
"Because you're pretty and I like you," Caster confessed naturally.
Mirror slowly lowered her hand and looked at him in disbelief.
"What did you say?"
Her voice trembled.
"I like you," he repeated. Then he leaned forward and lightly pecked her cheek.
Her breathing hitched, and he smiled at her fondly.
Mirror pinched herself and tried to get his words out of her head, deciding to start tutoring him from the beginning of the chapter that the class had gone over recently.
He listened well and understood the formulas suspiciously quickly. When it was time to go, he asked to return, which was strange because he didn't seem to need help at all.
Every day, he confessed to her again, bringing flowers, leaving notes in her desk, writing flirty comments on the practice tests she designed for him. Even after this, she struggled to believe him until he met Aura.
She panicked, seeing them chatting in front of her room. Every boy who ever showed interest in her quickly wavered as soon as they met Aura.
Aura barely noticed their affection, but it cut into Mirror's self-esteem each time. She loved her sister, but Caster was hers, and she didn't want him stolen away.
When she inched closer, his voice echoed through the hall.
"I have a big crush on your sister," he admitted shyly.
Aura wished him good luck with a disinterested expression. It was at that moment that Mirror started to believe him. The next day, they were a couple.
Caster gradually brought Mirror into his friend group. Anyone who made her feel uncomfortable or left out was corrected by him, so harshly that everyone else showed her the utmost respect.
From then on, they were rarely apart.
Mirror hugged him from behind while he sliced the pizza.
"Don't distract me while I'm holding a blade," he warned playfully.
"I'm not," she replied, nuzzling her cheek against his back and hugging him tighter. He put the pizza slicer down and turned around to look at her.
"You are being very distracting," he argued.
"You're the one who said you were hungry," Caster added with a hint of exasperation.
"I just... really felt like holding you," she grumbled. Caster sighed, and Mirror looped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. "Are you mad?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Not at all... but if you keep playing around, the food will get cold," he warned sweetly. Mirror looked at him defiantly and planted another kiss on his lips. Caster laughed, then lifted her over his shoulder,
"Cold pizza it is," he said while carrying her off to the bedroom. She kicked her feet and giggled the whole way.
Later, as they were reheating dinner, Aura sent a message.
"They agreed to let you join. There will be a meeting in three days at noon. We'll meet up at Lightning Rod."
Mirror felt much lighter after reading it. Caster called her to the dining table.
She showed him the message as soon as she got close.
"This is exciting and scary all at once," she whispered. He took the phone from her and placed it on the counter.
Then he pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Yeah... I'm just glad we'll be together," he admitted, resting his forehead against hers. They stayed like that for a short while, then sat down to eat.
Mirror pushed the unease to the back of her mind and focused on how happy she was to be allowed to support Caster and Aura.
Three days later, everyone met up at the meeting place. Three additional people were in the room, Panther, Shade, and Cantarella who were recruited by Fenix.
Madam Cantarella was the most surprising person to see; she was the Foraging and Herbal Medicine instructor at Maledictus Academy. Aura wanted to say something to her but missed the chance when Pierce walked into the room.
He stood behind a podium with a slide projected behind him. Then he went over the travel plans, expectations, and explained each team member's role thoroughly. He ended his speech with,
"I'll make the arrangements. We leave in three days, so make sure to be ready."
Aura raised her hand, so Pierce pointed to her and said,
"Yes, what is your question?"
"Where will we be staying during the mission?" she inquired. He tapped his chin and replied,
"There are plenty of rooms on the Thunderbird. However," Pierce paused, raising his voice to add, "no one will be sharing a room on this ship." There was a chorus of groans. Pierce continued, "This is a mission, not a vacation; you need to remain focused at all times."
His voice was stern, with no room for persuasion.
Aura accepted this without much reluctance, while Fenix's false smile faltered and his leg shook with anxious energy.
Veil shrugged, rocking in his chair, and Flow stared blankly ahead, visibly devastated.
Mirror and Caster held hands, both dreading the eventual separation.