Wrestling a Bear twice and loosing

Corin woke up late. The night shift had taken more of a toll than he had expected, and the gray sky outside his window didn't make it any better. The thunder in the distance suggested that the rain would return.

His plan for the day was clear: watch the tournament, a short theory session, then back on duty. But as soon as he entered the cafeteria, he sensed that something was different.

The cafeteria was unusually quiet.

Not empty, just... Muffled. Voices didn't echo like they usually did, the clinking of cutlery seemed more cautious. Corin stepped through the doors and felt it immediately: attention that was not directly directed at him, but which rearranged itself like an invisible wave when he arrived.

A group of students had gathered at the front of the notice board. Curiosity mingled with rejection, approval with mistrust. Some stood with their arms folded, others whispered as soon as they turned their heads to the side.

He stepped closer.

A notice board.

Black on white, soberly formatted.

 Names. Pictures. Notes.

"Temporary suspension - disciplinary observation - suspected cases"

Ten students. All from rank 0 or 1.

A boy with red hair cursed quietly.

"What are they doing? Half of them were harmless. I know Tarris, that guy can't even bring himself to yell at someone."

A girl with a raspy voice muttered:

"Maybe that's exactly why. The quieter ones tip first, they say."

Others nodded silently. An older student snorted and turned away.

"At last. Maybe someone will wake up. It's been unbearable for days."

Corin examined the list briefly, then let his gaze wander over the crowd. Between the murmuring, the secret frowns and the open skepticism, he noticed one thing:

No one really understood.

He stepped back. The energy of the room felt... wrong.

Like a room full of water rising silently without anyone knowing where the tide was coming from.

But he had other things on his plate.

Corin didn't think twice. Florence's offer to learn two days ago, it had seemed casual at the time, but now...

Now he needed someone who really understood this material. Theory alone was no longer enough.

He left the main building, walked along the covered walkway, past the old statues of the founders.

Florence.

'Probably in the west wing, library, or maybe... Garden?'

But he couldn't find her anywhere.

No sign of the light hair, no calm gaze that met him casually. No shadow at the window.

Almost reluctantly, he stepped back into the main square, where a group of noble girls were chatting under a pavilion. Light laughter, expensive school uniforms, glances that demanded every inch of attention.

He had seen them together before. He stepped closer.

The conversations stopped abruptly.

One of the girls, red-haired, made up, almost a little too over-present, raised an eyebrow.

"Denoir, wasn't it?"

"I'm looking for Florence," Corin said directly.

A smile twitched across another face."How... Surprising."

"She's not easy to find, you know. Florence goes wherever she wants."

"Why are you looking for her?" the third asked, half-curious, half-challenging.

Corin was silent for a moment.

"She mentioned something about the death zones. I need help with the essay."

The red-haired one leaned forward slightly.

"Oh, so she's educating you. How... touching."

The laughter that followed wasn't malicious. But not friendly either.

Then:

"She's often in the old reading room. The one with the skylight. If she wants you to find her... you will."

Corin nodded briefly and turned away.

The wind still carried the girls' laughter as he changed direction.

The air in the reading room was different.

Dust particles danced in the light that fell through the large, round skylight. Dark wooden shelves stretched up to the ceiling. Books lay open as if someone had just read them and forgotten to close them.

Corin entered, cautiously, almost hesitantly.

And then he saw her.

Florence was sitting at one of the window tables, a cup of tea beside her, an old, leather-bound book open in front of her. The light painted pale gold highlights in her white hair. Her posture was upright, her hand moving slowly over the edge of the page.

When she noticed him, she lifted her gaze and for a moment there was something in her eyes. No polite mask, no prepared expression. Just a tiny flash of surprise.

And... Joy?

"Corin?" Her voice was soft, but bright. "I didn't think I'd see you today."

He stepped closer, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat.

"I remembered your offer."

"For the death zones?"

He nodded.

"I did not get far on theory alone. And... You sounded like you meant it."

A subtle smile.

"I'm serious about a lot of things. But on this subject, especially."

She closed the book slowly, inserted a bookmark card, then folded her hands in front of her.

"I'm free tonight."

"I'm on the night shift," Corin replied quietly.

A tiny moment of silence.

Then Florence said, almost as if it were a matter of course: "That's not a problem. Afterward, then."

 She raised an eyebrow, gently, almost amused: "I can wait."

Corin scrutinized her.

 Her gaze was calm, open.

 Not demanding. But there was something there, a kind of quiet insistence. 

He nodded slowly.

"Afterward, then."

She smiled. Not too big, not too little.

 Just enough to make him wonder if she'd known he was coming beforehand.

Florence tapped two fingers against the empty seat in front of her.

"Go on, have a seat. I didn't make tea to drink alone."

Corin hesitated briefly, then settled down opposite her. The afternoon sun bathed the room in warm light, her smile almost as natural as the casual way she crossed her legs.

"You look like you've wrestled a bear and lost. Twice."

"Committee, tournament, training. Take your pick," Corin muttered.

Florence laughed softly.

"Have you ever thought that maybe you're too ambitious?"

 She raised her cup to her lips.

 "Or... Are you just afraid of stopping?"

"I want everything to be under control," Corin said.

 "And I can't do that if I don't understand what's happening here."

Florence lowered her cup, eyed him.

"That's an honest reason. Most people here would tell you they're fighting for honor, glory, their family, or their stupid bloodline."

 She grinned.

 "But you just want to know how to keep things in hand."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"When you say it like that, it almost sounds selfish."

"I don't think so," she said immediately.

"Sounds like someone who doesn't like being clueless. And that's bloody understandable, especially here."

A brief moment of silence, then she leaned forward.

"So. You really want to study with me? After your shift?"

"If the offer still stands," Corin said.

"Of course it stands."

She winked at him.

"I mean, I wonder if you ever sleep anyway. Maybe I can at least help you not stumble through Death Zone Theory, too."

"I'm going to be on night shift," he warned. "It will get late."

Florence waved him off.

"I'm a Everhart. Late is my normal."

 Then she added with a grin: "And I work better when I know my study partner looks even more exhausted trying hard than me."

Corin raised an eyebrow.

"That's a strange compliment."

"I'm trying hard to be original."

She stretched slightly, relaxed.

"Besides, at the rate you're running through life, someone's going to have to say something nice to you eventually before you forget."