Sister!

Aether's insistence that Claire avoid him or at least pretend not to know him wasn't because he hated her. In fact, it was the complete opposite. Aether loved his sister more than he'd ever dare admit out loud. That was precisely why he wanted her to keep her distance.

If people learned that he, the so-called hopeless non-gifter, was the younger brother of Claire — a promising mage, a Child of Light of her year no less — then wouldn't that make them look at her differently? Maybe they'd whisper behind her back, question why someone so brilliant was saddled with a brother who couldn't even spark a candle flame. Or worse, maybe they'd start avoiding her altogether out of scorn for him.

And Aether absolutely wouldn't allow that. Family always came first for him, even if he never showed it on the surface.

Of course, Claire didn't exactly make it easy.

There they were, still stuck in the middle of a courtyard that was slowly emptying out after the headmaster's speech, Aether's exasperated sighs echoing through the breezeway while Claire puffed her cheeks out in defiance.

"Yes, yes, I remember you said all that before," she huffed, arms folding under her chest as she leaned forward to glare at him. "But do you really think it's that easy to pretend I don't see my own little brother? I'm not some cold-blooded snake, you know! And besides, how could I possibly just walk by when it looked like you were in trouble?"

Aether pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out another long, weary breath. "I'm only telling you this for your own good… Besides, when exactly was I supposedly 'in trouble,' dear sister?"

As he cracked his knuckles for emphasis, Claire rubbed the side of her head, eyes darting away with a tiny guilty grin. "Ohh, you weren't… eheh… exactly. I just thought you were, so I—"

"Enough with the excuses." Aether cut her off, waving a hand. "I get it. You're hopeless. Now why did you track me down in the first place?"

Claire glanced around, then grabbed his wrist lightly. "Come walk with me. I'll explain as we go."

So the two siblings ambled across the sun-dappled courtyard, Claire's long white hair catching the breeze like silk. She finally broke the silence.

"I heard the new Child of Lights for this year were chosen today, so I thought I'd come by to congratulate them. Plus, I figured it was a good excuse to check in on you."

Aether tilted his head, eyes half-lidded in mild suspicion. "Sigh… And? How were they? The new golden children."

Now, for anyone curious why Claire would bother congratulating this year's freshly minted Child of Lights — it was pretty simple. Claire herself was a second-year chosen one. Yes, that meant she got to flaunt a completely different uniform than the standard mage students, an outfit that looked even finer up close. Naturally, this only fueled Aether's silent envy every time he had to look at it.

Claire tapped her lip thoughtfully. "They're mostly alright, though you should keep your eye on the vice president. Lucas, was it? That boy's got a serious complex about losing. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to stir up trouble for you just to prove he's the top dog."

She winked and gave a small triumphant smile. "But don't worry. If he so much as breathes funny in your direction, you just come find me. I'll handle him for you."

Aether groaned, running a hand through his hair. "No thanks. I can take care of myself. I'd be happier if you could just avoid talking to me altogether."

That earned him an exaggerated, wounded gasp. "You're making me sad, you know! Hmph. Anyway… how's your dorm? Made any friends yet?"

Aether's shoulders relaxed the tiniest fraction. "Dorm's big. Comfy enough to sleep in, though finding it was a headache. As for friends… I've got one, I suppose."

Claire's eyes brightened immediately. "That's wonderful to hear! Anyway—"

She rummaged in her pocket, then pulled out something small and metallic.

"Here. This is for you."

Aether stared at the tiny key she placed in his palm, brows drawing together. "Why are you giving me… a key?"

Claire crossed her arms, looking both proud and embarrassed. "It's my spare dorm key. If you ever need anything, just let yourself in. Or if you need to leave me a letter or something. Rely on your sister, will you?" Her voice softened, her crystal-blue eyes warm with genuine affection.

Aether's lips almost twitched into a smile. Almost. Instead he turned the key over in his hand, then pocketed it with a dismissive snort. "Like I'd ever need to use it," he told himself in his heart, though deep down he appreciated it more than he could say.

Then he noticed something unsettling. Claire's gaze had changed — she was watching him like a puppy expecting a treat.

"Wha—what's this weird feeling?" Aether's mind spun. He quickly blurted out, "What? What do you want? I don't have anything to give you in return!"

Claire gave a sing-song little laugh. "Oh, I don't want anything… except maybe… since I gave you my key, how about you give me yours, too? Hehe."

Aether pressed a hand to his forehead, sighing hard. "So that's what you were planning all along. Great. Now I can't exactly refuse since I accepted yours."

Seeing her eager expression, he relented with a resigned shake of his head. "Fine. It's not like you'll easily find my dorm anyway. I didn't bring my spare with me, but I'll give it to you later."

Claire's grin stretched ear to ear. "Yay! Make sure you don't lose it when you give it to me, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah—" Aether started, but abruptly his eyes sharpened.

"Someone's coming. I'm out of here."

Without even waiting for her reply, Aether pivoted and strode off, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Hey! Wait—hmph! He didn't even say goodbye." Claire puffed her cheeks out again, mumbling under her breath. But the fond little smile tugging at her lips betrayed how happy she still was.

Not long after, another girl — long auburn hair tied up in a neat ribbon, books clutched to her chest — approached Claire.

"Hey Claire, that boy you were talking to just now… you know him?"

Claire's heart skipped a beat. Her mind raced. If she told the truth outright, Aether would kill her later for blowing his secret.

So she settled for a vague answer. "Yeah, I know him. He's someone I met here."

The girl leaned closer, eyes sparkling mischievously. "He's cute. Handsome, too."

Claire nearly choked on air. Her hands flew to her chest like she was experiencing a full-on heart attack.

"W-What! Oh no, my brother's already being targeted! I knew girls would start falling for him, but my age group too?!"

It was almost comical how she clutched her chest, groaning dramatically as though her precious treasure had been stolen. Still, beneath all her melodrama, there was a small spark of pride.

"Well… I guess I should be happy he's that charming, even if it's troublesome," she admitted to herself, cheeks slightly pink.

Until—

"It's a shame he's a non-gifter, though," the other girl added offhandedly.

Claire's smile faltered. The reality of it, the heavy truth that had always hovered like a dark shadow behind her brother, slammed back into her heart.

She remembered his words before leaving home — how he told their parents with a crooked, forced grin that he'd do fine even without magic. The ache that settled in her chest then returned, bittersweet and raw.