A girl had been watching everything from afar.
Without hesitation, she turned and walked straight to Dorm Room No. 2.
Knock… knock…
Charlotte, half-asleep, mumbled from inside,
"Louis… just come in…"
The door suddenly opened.
A girl stood there, clearly furious.
Charlotte jolted awake, eyes widening.
"Who are you? What are you doing here? This is the wrong room!"
She crossed her arms, glaring at him.
"I'm Lily Loren. And your friend just hurt a girl—her name is Lucy."
Her voice sharpened.
"If you don't fix this situation immediately, I'll report it to the principal."
Charlotte blinked, then sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"…Alright. I'll handle it. No need to make trouble."
—
A few minutes later, Charlotte found Louis.
He stepped in between Louis and Lucy, trying to calm things down.
"Louis, what you did was wrong," Charlotte said firmly. "She didn't do anything to deserve that."
Louis looked away, silent.
"Apologize," Charlotte added.
There was a brief pause.
Then Louis finally spoke, his voice low.
"…Sorry."
Lucy didn't respond.
—
Later that night, Louis returned to his room.
He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Lucy's face… her teary eyes… her trembling voice—
It kept replaying in his mind.
"…What did she even do wrong…?" he muttered.
He clenched his fist.
"I really was harsh to her… but… she reminds me of that painful past… and—"
He cut himself off, shutting his eyes tightly.
"…Forget it."
After a long silence, he finally drifted into sleep.
—
The next morning.
Louis entered the classroom.
His eyes immediately found Lucy.
She was sitting in the second seat.
He walked toward her before the teacher arrived.
"…Lucy."
She didn't look at him.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
No response.
She simply ignored him.
His chest tightened slightly… but he said nothing more.
—
The classroom door opened.
A tall man stepped in.
"I am your teacher, Eric Almond," he said calmly.
"I will be teaching you magical studies. Each of you must discover your power."
Silence filled the room.
Then he added,
"Who wants to go first?"
A boy stood up.
"My name is Nick."
He stepped forward and placed his hand on the crystal.
A purple light burst out.
Gasps filled the room.
"Thunder… incredible!"
Next, Charlotte stepped forward.
A white light appeared.
"Light… and stealth."
Then Lucy.
A blue glow surrounded the crystal.
"Water."
Then Lily.
A soft yellow light shone.
"Healing."
After some of the other students had taken their turn, Louis finally stepped forward.
The room grew quiet.
He placed his hand on the crystal.
A deep… black color spread instantly.
Before anyone could react—
CRACK!
The crystal shattered.
Silence.
The students stared in shock.
The teacher's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Louis.
Louis met his gaze, his mind racing.
…Could this be a bad sign?
Louis stared at the shattered crystal, his mind racing.