Past !

The story beneath the sunset

By the time Shanny and Aether finished clearing the last traces of broken gears and scorched plates from the arena floor, the sun was already tilting low. Long streaks of rose-gold painted the world, making the ruin-strewn ground look strangely gentle, almost warm.

Nearby, Shanny's mana beast — the sleek panther with luminous green eyes — lay stretched out, paws tucked under its chin, its chest rising and falling in slow contentment. Even so, its half-lidded gaze remained keenly aware of everything around them.

Aether wiped his hands together, shaking off fine metal dust. Then, with a soft sigh, he turned his attention fully back to Shanny. Her expression was more thoughtful now, touched with an oddly distant melancholy.

"So… about Luke and his familiar"

After a small silence, Aether finally said, in a voice lowered as if to not disturb the sleeping shadows around them, "So… is there really something wrong between your president and his familiar?"

Shanny blinked. Her green eyes — normally so lively, so subtly mischievous — clouded over for a heartbeat. She glanced at the ground, then at her panther, then at Aether. Finally, she let out a slow, resigned breath.

"You're sharper than you look, first year," she murmured.

He offered a faint, half-teasing smirk. "I get that a lot."

Shanny crossed her arms loosely over her chest, letting her weight fall onto one leg. Her shoulders drooped, her voice growing softer. "It's… complicated. But since you noticed it yourself, I suppose there's no harm in telling you."

Back to the fourth year

Her gaze seemed to drift away across the field, as if trying to look backward in time.

"It happened when we were in our fourth year. Luke was the president of the fourth year Chosen Ones, and I was vice president then, just like now."

She paused, lightly biting the inside of her lip. "The behavior you see in Luke today? That relentless hunger for power — it's nothing new. He's always been that way, ever since he stepped through these academy gates. He only ever thinks of growing stronger, gaining more control, pushing himself to the top. Other people, to him, are… afterthoughts."

Her voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of sadness threading through it, like a minor chord played beneath a bright melody.

The fateful day of choosing

"And then came the day of the Familiar Choosing event," she went on, exhaling as though it was a story she'd carried for too long. "As you probably know, back then only fourth years were allowed to form pacts with familiars. It's changed now — the academy is… shifting in many ways. Who knows where all this is headed."

For a fleeting second her eyes darkened, almost anxious, before she shook it off.

"But anyway. On that day, they brought out the mana beasts. Fifteen in total. Each one impressive in its own right — powerful, intelligent, proud. But one of them stood above all the rest. A lion."

Aether's interest piqued instantly. He folded his arms, golden eyes keen. "A lion. That must be the one bonded to Luke now."

Shanny nodded. "Yes. It radiated strength, confidence. Even the other mana beasts seemed to instinctively give it space."

The beasts' choice

She drew a breath. "The rules were simple: we did not get to choose them. They chose us. The dean believed — and rightly so — that a bond freely chosen by the beast would always be stronger, more genuine."

"Honestly," Aether interrupted, nodding slightly, "that's how it should be. If the mana beast makes the choice, the resulting connection is bound to be deeper."

"That's what all of us thought too," Shanny agreed with a small, wistful smile. "And so we stood, one by one, in front of the cages as they were opened. The beasts emerged, approached us, inspected us, and chose their partners. Not by power level or by rank — purely by instinct, by affinity."

She gave a tiny laugh, almost embarrassed by the memory. "I was trembling when it finally came to my turn. Half terrified, half giddy."

Aether chuckled. "I can imagine. So… your panther was the one that came to you first?"

The unexpected choice

But Shanny shook her head slowly. "No. That's the thing."

She paused, eyes faraway. "The first one to approach me… was the lion."

Aether nearly choked on thin air. "What? You mean that lion? Luke's lion?"

"Yes," Shanny confirmed softly. "Everyone was shocked. Even me. For a second I honestly thought I must be dreaming. The strongest of all the mana beasts — the one everyone assumed would go to the most dominant mage — walked straight up to me. It nuzzled my hand. It chose me."

Her expression was bittersweet, eyebrows drawing together just a little. "I was so overwhelmed. My heart was pounding so hard I thought I might faint. But…"

She trailed off. Aether waited, his expression gentling.

Power over bond

"It didn't last long," Shanny said at last. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Because right then, Luke stepped forward. Calm as anything, like it was the most natural thing in the world, he said, 'Excuse me, but I planned to take that mana beast.'"

Aether's jaw tightened. "He… what?"

"Everyone was stunned. Some argued that it couldn't be done — the beast had already chosen me. Others argued that because Luke was the president, the strongest among us, he should naturally have the strongest familiar."

Shanny exhaled. "Luke was unmovable. He was determined to get that lion. Even tried to call to it. But the lion refused him. It kept close to me."

The dean's ruling

"What happened then?" Aether pressed, his voice sharper.

"The dean stepped in," Shanny said. "She was gentle, but firm. She told Luke there were two ways a bond could be formed. The first — which we all accepted — was by being chosen. The second… was by overpowering the mana beast and forcing it to yield. If he truly wanted that lion, he would have to prove his strength to it, make it submit."

Aether closed his eyes a moment, then let out a soft exhale. "So that's what he did."

"Yes." Shanny's voice was low. "Luke was already at the level of many fifth year Chosen Ones even back then. He unleashed his power and forced the lion to bow. It was brutal. The lion's eyes afterward… they were nothing like when it had approached me. The bond formed, yes — but it was forged from dominance, not mutual choice."

Aether's quiet judgment

Aether's hands curled loosely at his sides. He stared off toward where the last of the sun slipped beyond the horizon. "So that's why their connection feels… hollow. It's not true partnership. It's more like servitude."

Then he looked back at her, eyes softer. "You must've been hurt. It chose you first. That bond could've been yours."

Shanny followed his gaze, down to her panther who was now softly snoring on the ground. A small, genuine smile curved her lips. "Yes, it hurt then. But not for long. Because right after the lion was taken, this little troublemaker came up to me and practically draped himself over my feet."

She gave a small, affectionate laugh. "He chose me wholeheartedly. And I wouldn't trade that bond for any amount of raw power."

Aether's gentle assessment

Something relaxed in Aether's chest. Almost involuntarily, he stepped closer, crouched down, and extended a hand toward the panther. It lifted its head blearily, gave him a slow blink, then butted its broad skull into his palm with surprising force.

Aether chuckled, rubbing its ears. "He's a good one. You know… with the right training, he'll easily be AA Class before long."

Shanny's eyebrows flew up. "Really?"

"Of course," Aether said, smiling up at her. "It all depends on how much effort you put in. But he's got incredible potential. I can feel it in the way his mana resonates."

The vice president looked quietly stunned for a moment. Then she beamed — a radiant, unguarded smile that made her seem years younger. "Thank you, Aether."

A quiet promise under starlight

They stood there for a long while after that — just two mages, a boy and a girl from different years and worlds, united for a moment by the soft breath of twilight and the steady rise and fall of a panther's breathing.

At last, Aether rose, dusting off his knees. "Anyway. I'll be expecting the compensation details soon," he teased lightly.

Shanny rolled her eyes, but she was laughing. "Yes, yes, you greedy little first year. I'll make sure it gets sorted."

She started to turn away, then paused. Looking back at him, her voice softened. "Hey, Aether. Keep building those mechanisms, alright? No matter what Luke or anyone else tries. They're extraordinary."

Then, with a last nod, she walked off into the growing night, her panther slipping silently at her heels. Aether watched them go, the corners of his mouth lifting into a small, thoughtful smile.