Chapter 1

The fourth rebel shall rise,

The greatest land shall meet its demise,

Few shall fight,

For victory to take flight.

(This is way before Hanabi's capture);

"Gusion!" Guinevere calls as she steps out from her carriage. Her unwavering smile is plastered on her face, beaming with happiness.

The brown-haired guy sheathes his weapons as his eyes watch the lady and greet her with a smile.

"What brought you here?" Gusion asks.

"To visit you, of course. You haven't been visiting me ever since you started teaching in Lion Academy," replies Guinevere with a pout. She is used to having Gusion around her almost every time but since they both are working now, she seldom sees him.

"You know my family, we do not like goofing around," he simply replies as he carefully gazes at each every corner of her, observing any change, may it be little or not. "Did you cut your hair?"

Guinevere has never felt happier that day, her heart skipping a beat for the man takes notice even at the small details of the change in her. She once thought that he has forgotten about her but her mind can now rest at ease now that she confirmed he still notices her.

"Yes, you noticed it, huh," she says, trying to hide her smile by pursing her lips together.

"I am not yet done with my work so perhaps dinner would make it up for the trouble?" Gusion suggests. He is a man raised in a well-known family so he knows his manners, especially when dealing with people that his family has connections with.

"Yes!" Guinevere exclaims as she is finally asked by him on a dinner date after years of waiting. "Don't be late!"

She skips while humming her favorite song as she heads to the exit. Gusion watches her leave the school grounds, the smile he was wearing disappears and his face returned to its usual poker face.

"Gusion Paxley!" comes a hooting owl with his clock. Its large eyes reflects the image of Gusion himself. "The head mage is summoning you in his office."

"Thanks, Diggie," Gusion replies as he pats his head as a way of telling him how hard working he is before taking his leave.

Gusion's footsteps echo in the hallway, not another single sound could be heard. A smirk forms on his lips when he opens the doors of his father's office for he knew that there is a pair of eyes watching him from afar.

"There you are, my son!" Mr. Paxley exclaims as he sees his beloved son. His eyes are beaming with pride for everyone knows how the Paxley siblings are the best mages ever known. "You see, there had been rumors going around Magical City about the awakening of an ancient giant."

"You want me to take care of it," Gusion concludes. His poker face still plastered on his face for he had never been happy being called upon by his father who only knows nothing but to give him more and more bothersome missions.

His father whose wrinkles become even more visible as a smile is formed on his lips, he stands up and walked back and forth near the large map of their city as well as the surrounding lands. Despite getting old, he still has the strength of a man in his prime. His magic is still as strong as before he was at the peak of his youth. He slams his table with both hands, facing Gusion again.

"Yes! Good, good, you get what I want," he states.

"Then, I shall take care of it immediately," Gusion states blandly and is about to exit but his father halts him.

"Gusion! Gusion, you're already old enough, you know that. Why don't you take Guinevere with you? You know, you two should spend some time getting to know each other," his father encourages and from that, he immediately concludes that his family is planning to marry him off to Guinevere.

"Father, we've been together ever since we were ten. There is nothing to know more but I'll bring her with me," Gusion agrees before slamming the door shut.

Mr. Paxley's smile vanished as his son left. He heaves a heavy sigh and sat down on his leather chair.

"He is doing great as a mage," he claims. "But why do you insist that prophetic shit?"

A woman with a hair as dark as the night comes out from her hidden room above the attic of the academy. Her glittering scarf that has the moon and sun on each end sways on her side.

"Trust me, Paxley. The prophecy shall be fulfilled," Esmeralda replies as her feet touch the solid ground after climbing down the ladder. "The fourth rebel shall rise, it said so it shall be done."

"You must be mistaken. It said the fourth rebel, it did not state the fourth son," Mr. Paxley insists, still not accepting the prophecy that the woman had claimed to happen in the future. "Moreover, I do not see any rebellious actions from Gusion. He is obediently doing his responsibilities."

"There are things that the eyes could not see," Esmeralda whispers as her fingers spin the abacus lying on the table.

As Gusion walks by the hallway, he sees Fanny with some of the royal guards. They seem to be waiting for someone that is why they are just standing there like patrons.

"What brought you here?" he asks the assassin.

"Princess Odette wants to pass a message," Fanny replies as he hands him a letter written by the princess herself. "Tomorrow, I will be on a manhunt so I could not assist you with the case about the giant."

"Don't be nosy," Gusion jokingly states. "This is my work. Focus on your royal duties and don't steal the spotlight from me. And father has given me the same mission."

"See you around," says the assassin.

Fanny hits him on his shoulder before they part ways.

"Hoot! Hoot!"

Gusion lets out a sigh as he hears the diligent owl coming towards him.

"What now?"

"The head mage forgot to tell you. Ms. Vance is assigned on the same job you're taking," Diggie reports.

"That is..." Gusion shuts his mouth as he acts like he is against that idea.

"Her skill is very much useful," Diggie replies before leaving the mage who's smirk almost reached his ear.

Gusion heads to the inn where Guinevere is currently staying. In the lobby, he sees her reading a book.

"Hey," he simply says as he sits across her.

"My, you came. Is there something up?" Guinevere asks as she closes the book. "I know you ain't here just because you wanted to see me. And our dinner is still away from now. So what is it?"

"Have you heard of the giant rumor?" he asks.

"Yes, I've heard of it," she replies while nodding her head. "I was told he'd been wandering around the Land of the Giants. Are you tasked to go and check it out?"

A nod comes from the brown-haired guy.

"When will we go?" Guinevere asks when she gets the gist of the situation.

"Tomorrow morning, are you free?"

Guinevere nods in response for she could not be any happier than going on a mission together with the man she adores.

"I will be meeting you at the gates," says Gusion before taking his leave.

"Don't forget our dinner tonight!" Guinevere reminds him in case he forgets. Gusion simply raises his hand as a sign that he heard her.

He lets out a sigh as he walks down the street going to the Vance household.

Lesley Vance has never been on his good side. Ever since he met her in the assassination class, he could not help himself but annoy the hell out of her. But what annoys him the most is that she is always calling him nicknames and she never backs down until he gets annoyed instead.

"Harley, listen to me!" he hears someone yelling.

"Whatever!" he sees Harley banging the door close right in front of the pink-haired woman.

Their gaze meets but Harley looks away as he takes a right turn on the street.

Gusion is about to enter the gate, but Lesley comes out. Her usual stoic face is now plastered with panic as she goes down the stairs.

"Hey, Lesley!" he calls out to her while waving his hand playfully.

"Not now, little girl," Lesley replies to him with her teeth gritted.

"I really hate it when she calls me that," Gusion whispers to himself before running after her. Yet he has not given up yet.

"Harley!"

"Hey," he interrupts her by grabbing her arm and forcing her to look at him.

"Look, girly faced-Paxley, I do not have the time to play with you," Lesley says out of irritation as she rolls her eyes. "Now, get lost."

Gusion ignores her rude response and stated his purpose on speaking with her.

"Look here, pretty face," he teased for he knew too well that Lesley hated it when he calls her that way, "The head mage wants you to go to the Land of the Giants and solve the issue about the wandering giant."

"Why are you always behind the news, girlie?" Lesley asked as she clicks her tongue. "I have been informed about that this morning."

Gusion narrowed his sight on her, questioning her response.

"When I saw you enter the head mage's office, I knew what is to be done already," Lesley informs him, "Now, can I go?"

"You've been spying on me eh. Are you secretly falling for me now? " the brown-haired guy asks with his eyebrows going up and down. "Since it is you, I do not mind it. You could stalk me for as long as you want."

Lesley scoffed in disbelief. She blew off the few strands of hair hanging in front of her forehead and spoke.

"Why would I like a guy having a more feminine face than I am? Stop kidding me, girly-Paxley. I ain't laughing with that joke," she comments.

"Calling me a girl to cover your feelings would fool anyone but not me. Just ask me if you want to go on a date, okay?" Gusion further teases her as he playfully hits her with his elbow.

"I'll cancel my plans just for you," he added as he ran his fingers on the pink hair lock of Lesley. The female assassin slaps his hand off of her and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she says as she turns her back on him, "You'll always be the man with a girl's face. And if I do ask you out, it would be the end of the world."

Lesley is about to follow Harley once again but her arm is once again taken ahold by the man she truly dislikes.

She is forced to face him and before she could react, Gusion has curved his arm around her hips and in just a blink of an eye, her lips are sealed by a soft kiss from him.

Her eyes widen in surprise, the kiss was soft as if his lips simply brushed on hers. She could even feel Gusion's smirk before their lips part.

"That's what you like, ain't it?" Gusion snickers. "You just want attention, you don't want my heart."

While he is being proud of being good-looking, Gusion did not see a foot that has been lifted to the air and before he could even realize that, Lesley has kicked him right on his abdomen.

He falls on the ground right on his butt with a pained face.

"You insensitive piece of a jerk," Lesley glares at him with her deadly-looking eyes. "You have just stolen something that can never be returned. Shall I shoot you right on the heart and watch you die?"

Gusion stands up on his feet and instead of fighting back, another smirk curves on his lips.

"Do you mean that figuratively or literally? If you mean the former, then I am telling you that I have already fallen for you, no need for you to be so conservative about it," he claims.

"The feeling's not mutual, girly," Lesley states before flipping her pink hair locks and leaves to search for his younger brother.

"I should have deepened the kiss," Gusion mumbles, "The best revenge that she deserves is leaving her when she has fallen for me hard enough."

"He's not even Charlie Puth to say that line," Lesley thinks as she delicately holds her lips that still feel the warmth of Gusion's lips.