She's Here !

After the dust — a surprising revelation

After Aether finished giving the sleek panther one last firm rub between the ears, he straightened up with a satisfied grunt, brushing his palms together to get rid of stray tufts of black fur. His golden eyes flicked back toward Shanny, who stood watching him with an easy, content smile.

"You know," Aether said, tilting his head toward the lounging beast, "your mana beast's strong too."

Shanny's smile softened. Her eyes dropped affectionately to the panther, who rolled lazily onto her back, exposing her dark belly to the warm fading sun. "Yeah… he is."

Aether's brows twitched. Then he let out a low, amused breath and turned to continue walking away. Just a few steps out, he stopped, shoulders shaking slightly as if he was trying to hold in laughter. Without looking back, he casually called over his shoulder, "By the way — it's not a he. It's a she."

The delayed shock

Shanny blinked. "Huh?"

It took a full three seconds for her to process what he'd meant. Then her entire face slackened in slow-motion horror. Her pupils grew wide, her mouth popped open, and she whirled on her panther as if the creature had been hiding a national secret from her this whole time.

"Wait… Clyne… are you a girl?" Her voice cracked embarrassingly. "Not a boy?"

The panther, Clyne, paused mid-lick, then flicked an ear and gave a very dignified little nod.

Shanny's gasp was so sharp it could have sliced through steel. She clamped both hands over her mouth, eyes popping so wide it seemed they might tumble right out. "You're — you're a girl? All this time? Clyne, you're a girl?"

Merciless teasing

A faint chuckle drifted on the breeze. Shanny's head snapped up just in time to see Aether still strolling away with that ever-infuriating smirk.

He didn't even bother turning around. Just lifted a hand lazily and called out, "Wow… you couldn't even tell the difference? How pure are you anyway, Vice President?"

"Wha— hey!" Her entire face turned beet red, ears to chin. "D-don't say it like that! You… you…!"

But Aether was already too far to hear her flustered squawking. His shoulders shook again, a laugh rising into the evening air.

Left alone, Shanny pressed both palms against her glowing cheeks and groaned. "Gosh… that boy. He's so—! Ugh!" Then, almost immediately, she dropped to her knees beside Clyne, wrapping both arms around the big panther's neck. "I'm sorry, Clyne! I didn't know you were a girl this whole time… oh spirits, how embarrassing!"

Clyne, entirely unfazed, simply let out a low rumble and began happily licking Shanny's face, smearing her with warm, scratchy rasps that somehow managed to soothe her mortification. It almost felt like the panther was chuckling to herself too — or saying, "Took you long enough, silly girl."

A tiny mystery

When Shanny finally calmed, she stood, brushing strands of pink hair behind one ear. Her gaze drifted toward where Aether had vanished, his presence already swallowed by the golden evening haze.

She crossed her arms under her chest, tilting her head. A tiny pout formed on her lips. "Hmph. Didn't even say goodbye. Not like we're close anyway… but still."

She lingered there a heartbeat longer. Her mana beast watched her with those luminous emerald eyes, blinking slowly.

Suddenly, Shanny stiffened. A strange thought struck her with the force of a thrown brick. Her head swung sharply toward Clyne, eyes narrowing. "Wait… wait a minute."

She pointed an accusing finger at the panther. "Clyne… did you just let him touch you? He was rubbing your head."

The oddness of it all

For anyone else, it would seem trivial. Just a boy scratching a mana beast's ears. But Shanny knew better. In all their time together, Clyne had never — never — allowed anyone else to lay hands on her. Even Shanny's close friends had learned to keep a respectful distance after getting menacing growls. Yet Aether had rubbed her head like they were lifelong companions, and Clyne had enjoyed it.

The panther gave Shanny a blink, then tilted her head, as if confused by the concern. If anything, she looked pleased.

Shanny sighed, slumping a little. "Yeah… I guess there's no problem. You must have taken an interest in him too, huh?" Her voice turned into a murmur. "That boy, Aether… he really is different from everyone else. Makes you wonder what he'd be like if he was a mage."

Jail? Probably

She shivered suddenly, imagining Aether wielding destructive spells with the same playful, reckless grin he gave when he teased her. A small shudder crept up her spine.

"Yeah… no. He'd probably be in jail for blowing something up by now."

Clyne let out what might have been a snort of agreement. Shanny gave a reluctant giggle, pressing a hand over her mouth. Then she ruffled her mana beast's ears and finally turned back toward the dorms, letting the last warm rays of sun slip across her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Aether…

Not far off, Aether himself was practically skipping down the path to the cafeteria. His stomach let out a mighty growl, which made him laugh out loud.

"Heh. Figures. All that destruction today and I still end up more worried about food." He stretched his arms behind his head, cracking his neck with a satisfied sigh.

His thoughts drifted back briefly to Shanny and her shocked face. Then to how, the very moment she learned Clyne was female, he felt the panther's mana ripple upward — almost like her spirit brightened. It had been subtle but real.

"Seriously…" he muttered to himself, a lazy grin spreading across his face, "how can someone be so purely dumb? It's kind of charming, actually."

The compensation joy

But his mind quickly veered off toward more urgent concerns. Like the compensation he'd be getting soon from the year five Chosen Ones for using his mechanisms.

"Ohhh yes," he practically purred, eyes sparkling. "Contributions. Sweet, sweet contributions. Which means…" His eyes darted toward the grand doors of the cafeteria ahead. "…I can afford to splurge on something heavy tonight."

He was so delighted that he started humming under his breath, a tune growing louder until he was practically chanting.

"Mount Everest ain't got shit on me," he crooned, pumping his fists.

"'Cause I'm on top of this world…"

He spun on the ball of his foot, startling a passing second year.

"I'm on top of the world, yeah!"

And off he danced toward a truly indecent quantity of roasted meat, bread, and pudding.

Far across the academy — the Dean's office

While Aether was busy celebrating his anticipated riches through bad dancing, the grand office atop the central spire of the academy remained calm. There, behind a polished oak desk piled with scrolls and elegant ledgers, sat the Dean — an older woman whose eyes held the steely calm of decades of power.

She was busy scribbling neat, precise notations on a roster when a knock came at her door.

Without looking up, she called, "Come in."

The heavy door swung inward with a faint sigh. A young woman stepped through — or rather, glided, her every step graceful, her presence leaving a faint floral aroma in the air. Long, silky light pink hair cascaded down her back, catching glints of lamplight. Her eyes, an arresting shade of crystalline violet, swept the room with regal calm.

The Dean looked up, and a smile bloomed across her lined face, warming her otherwise stern features instantly. "Ah… Vivien. My little granddaughter. Finally decided to show yourself here, did you?"

Beauty and the hidden ties

This was Vivien — famed across campus not just for her extraordinary beauty, but for the aloof chill in her gaze that seemed to keep everyone at arm's length. Even the air around her felt delicate, perfumed, enchanted somehow, so that any passing young man might forget to breathe.

Vivien gave a small, polite bow. Her voice when it came was soft yet firm, with the kind of disciplined composure born from years in a noble household. "Yes, Dean. I've made my decision. I will enroll at your academy, as you requested."

The Dean laughed, waving one hand as though brushing aside a swarm of bees. "Pah! You still call me Dean even in private? Just say Grandma. Or do you think it'll scandalize the portraits?"

Vivien's composure wavered for a mere heartbeat — a faint, wry smile ghosted her lips. "Would that not be favoritism?"

The Dean's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Who cares? You're my little angel. Besides, I've let far worse slide. Why, even that little terror Aether calls me Granny when he's trying to escape extra chores."

Vivien actually laughed at that — a soft, clear sound like crystal chimes, almost never heard by anyone. Then she composed herself again, smoothing her skirts. "As long as it does not disrupt your official duties, Grandmother."

The Dean's smile softened, a rare, fond vulnerability shining through. "Vivien, my dear… I've waited a long time for you to walk these halls. I don't care what it disrupts."

And far away… Luke's reason?

Unspoken between them, floating just beneath the surface, was a quiet implication: perhaps this girl — with her noble lineage, with the power shimmering just under her serene exterior — was also the reason behind Luke's obsessive climb, his desperate need to stand unrivaled.

Could it be that his ruthless ambition had always been about proving himself worthy to catch the eye of a certain cold, fragrant princess?

Or perhaps it was simpler than that: Luke was a boy who needed to conquer everything around him. Vivien simply represented the ultimate, unreachable crown.

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