The Lady's Fury

"What do you know about that kid?" Lady Luna's words surprised Erika.

"I don't think I follow, ma'am." She spoke. "Who are you talking about?"

"Aether Yotsura." Lady Luna replied. They were seated in her office. She seemed uneasy, agitated even. Seeing her like this made Erika feel uneasy as well. What could have happened to make such a powerful person feel so… insecure?

"Umm…" She fiddled with her hair. "He's Iris' brother. I think," She added, remembering his protest when she stated this to him. "His summoned creature was a butterfly. Does that help?" She asked, her confusion reflecting on her voice.

"No." Lady Luna sighed. "Whatever," She shook her head.

"May I ask why you wished to know?" Erika asked hesitantly. Lady Luna's sudden curiosity had struck as odd, not to mention her apparent anxiety and unease. Had Aether done something?

"Clara likes him way too much." Lady Luna pouted. "She's always been distant to others – why would she be so interested in him of all people?" She clenched her fist. "Not to mention, last night…" She stopped mid-sentence, then just sighed.

"Let's leave that aside for now. Are you sure you are capable of what I ask of you?" Lady Luna's eyes narrowed. Her previous unease was still there, but now she carried an air of authority around her.

Erika nodded. "Yes. I still have enough time to practice even more too!" Her eyes sparkled. She hadn't thought Lady Luna would even consider it, let alone ask her about it.

"Then, you will start practicing now." Lady Luna's words brought a smile to Erika's lips. "The sudden changes in rules are putting the other academies in difficult positions too. Make sure you are as well prepared as you can."

"Yes ma'am!"

Clara watched the young man with half open eyes. How long had he been at it now? Ten hours, maybe a little more. How was he not exhausted yet? She yawned and turned on her back. Above her, the blanket of leaves covering the forest hustled with the gentle breeze.

"Someone is coming." Aether's voice startled her. "Erika," He added before closing his eyes and once again focusing on his training. The young woman rolled her eyes. "That's not a way to ask me to deal with it." She grumbled as she got up and walked towards the academy.

She didn't have to search for long as the excited voices of two women reached her ears.

"She told me to start practicing!" Erika exclaimed with glee in her voice.

"That's a relief." Mara's shy, reserved voice surprised Clara for a moment. "But what about the other first years? I'm sure Iris will be upset because she didn't even get the chance to show off her skills."

Clara furrowed her brows. Was this what she thought it was? "Hey girls!" She called out to them with a cheerful tone. She needed to know what was going on – now.

"Clara!" Mara exclaimed. "I'm glad we found you."

"Yeah! We were looking for you." Erika vigorously nodded. "We need your help!" She grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the woods without giving her a chance to ask what this was all about.

Aether opened his eyes momentarily as the two girls dragged Clara away, then chuckled and continued to pour his mana into the chain. Hours passed, and once the last rays of sunlight disappeared and the moon began to climb the sky, Aether finally decided he had worked hard enough for his day.

He took the chain, then headed back to the dorms. As he reached for the door, he noticed someone move by the window. Was that red hair?

"What is this? Ridiculous!" Iris' voice surprised him as he opened the door and stepped into the common room of the dormitory.

A crowd had gathered around the screen on the wall. Usually, the device only showed class periods and other events – it was a glorified calendar. But now, a massive red text was shown.

Below the massive alert were more details in fine print, though Aether couldn't quite read it from where he was standing. He watched as the students all nodded in agreement. "Why is everyone so annoyed though?" He mumbled.

"It's a free day tomorrow, remember?" Erika's low voice sounded. He glanced to the side to look at the young woman standing behind the curtain. "Aw, why aren't you startled?" She asked, pouting.

"I noticed you." He said with a grin. "You do realise that you were standing by the window, right?"

Erika giggled. "Fair." She glanced at the agitated crowd. "I'm sick of this." She mumbled, shaking her head.

"She is making a commotion." Aether's eyes focused on Iris, who continued to loudly declare her opinion about the next day's meeting. "It's really not such a huge deal."

Erika nodded. "Took the words right out of my mouth. I don't want to interfere though – I think she dislikes me." She stole a glance as Aether narrowed his lips.

"Probably." He said after a moment of consideration. Dumbfounded, Erika's eyes shot wide open. "Don't say that so nonchalantly!" She protested. "How rude!"

Aether chuckled. "Take it as a compliment. Iris is a prideful person – she likes to keep those she can control around her and pushes away everyone else. She pushes you away – she respects you more than she does me." He patted Erika's shoulder, then walked away. "Good night, Erika."

"What on earth does that mean?" The young woman mumbled. Her gaze leapt between Aether and Iris – two very different people who had the same last name. "I should do some research." She mumbled before heading to her room as well.

Iris gritted her teeth. How dare he act like that? How dare that pawn of her father's look at anyone with that smile? Her eyes burned with hatred. That second year's arrival had completely changed him.

"I don't like this!" She declared, standing before the board. "Not at all. A last-minute notification like this is simply disrespectful to us – our time is valuable as well!" Her anger flowed out with her words, and the flock of sheep who looked up to her nodded in agreement.

If only they knew how little she cared about their time. Her gaze followed the young man as he walked up the stairs. How dare he?!