As the crowd of students who had gathered to gawk at Kai finally dispersed toward the dining hall, only Celeste, Lily, and Ophelia remained. Celeste stood rooted to the spot, her mind replaying the way Kai’s glare had burned into her. 

Lily and Ophelia lingered, unsure how to comfort her, exchanging glances that spoke of their silent concern. Even Cleo, who had briefly considered dragging Celeste along, hesitated. But before anyone could act, a low grumble echoed from Lily’s stomach, breaking the tension.

“Oh, I’m holding us up, huh? Sorry about that, you guys,” Celeste said with an awkward chuckle, scratching her cheek as if that could dispel the lingering unease.

Lily and Ophelia both smiled at her attempt to return to normal.

“It’s alright, I don’t blame you,” Lily said, waving a hand dismissively. Then, as if the previous moment had never happened, she grabbed both Celeste and Ophelia by the wrists. “Buuuut, I’m way too starving to stand around, so let’s go already!”

Celeste let herself be dragged along, and Ophelia followed without protest. As they entered the dining hall and made their way to their usual table, plates of food appeared before them, the delicious aroma filling the air. 

Yet Cleo, even as she settled beside Celeste, couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Celeste had put on a good front, and despite the fact that she hadn’t known her long, Cleo could still see the cracks in her composure. She hesitated for a moment before leaning in, resting her head against Celeste’s shoulder, her snout hidden beneath the cascade of orange curls.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she murmured, her voice quiet enough for only Celeste to hear.

The question had an immediate effect. 

Celeste’s grip on her fork faltered, nearly dropping the sausage link she had been about to eat. Cleo pulled away, watching as Celeste turned to meet her gaze. 

The turmoil in those forest-green eyes said far more than words ever could, but all Celeste offered in response was a small, fragile smile.

“I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.”

It was a lie, and they both knew it. 

But Celeste needed it to be true, needed to push past the lingering questions clawing at her mind—who Kai was and why he had singled her out with such anger.

Cleo didn’t press further, but that didn’t stop her from worrying either.

Before the silence between them could stretch any longer, the sharp clinking of a glass rang out, commanding the room’s attention. At the teachers’ table, Helion stood, his expression unreadable, his presence imposing as his gaze swept across the hall.

“Good morning, everyone,” he began, his voice steady, but heavy with something unspoken. “I have an announcement to make. Judging from the commotion earlier, some of you may have already encountered my guest from the Lupenyr Federation.” A brief pause, as if allowing his words to settle. “He is here to assist in finding the missing students. Until his task is complete, I must ask that you do not disturb him.”

A weight seemed to press down on the room, but Helion didn’t linger on it. With a curt nod, he sat back down, and just like that, the normal buzz of conversation resumed.

At their table, however, the girls remained quiet. Celeste focused on her food, and Ophelia and Lily wordlessly agreed that bringing up Kai again was the last thing she needed. 

Instead, Ophelia steered the conversation towards a much more intriguing topic.

“So,” she said, taking a sip of her orange juice. “What did you learn about Cleo, Celeste?”

Celeste froze, her spoon hovering over her plate before she carefully set it down. Her gaze flickered toward Cleo.

“Can I tell them?” she asked softly.

Cleo smiled, finding a strange sort of comfort in Celeste’s consideration. She nodded.

Celeste turned back to the others. “Okay. So, you both know how your familiar and their body are born from a sliver of your soul, right?”

Ophelia nodded, and Lily leaned in, eyes alight with curiosity.

“Well… only half of that applies to Cleo.” Celeste gestured toward her with a flourish, as if presenting something grand.

Lily’s jaw practically hit the table, and even Ophelia, usually composed, sat up straighter.

“For real?! Do you think that’s why she can talk?” Lily gasped, the gears in her mind turning at an alarming speed. “Wait—does that mean the same thing happened to the Mad Emperor's familiar?”

Celeste nodded. “We think so. But… their relationship seems different from ours.”

A sudden thought struck her, and she turned toward Cleo. “You wouldn’t make me turn evil and use dark magic… right?” Celeste asked, pulse quickening at the mere thought.

Cleo shook her head immediately, reassuring her.

Celeste let out a breath, as if she’d been holding it in. Ophelia chuckled.

“Were you actually worried?” she asked, dabbing at her face with a napkin. “Cleo seems too sweet to even think about things like that.”

“Well, not exactly, no,” Celeste admitted. “But it’s still good to know!”

She scooped up the last of her meal, and soon enough, the girls left the dining hall, Cleo trailing comfortably behind them.

‘I wonder what our schedule is today? Will we be going to that older lady’s class—the one with the huge Venus flytrap? Or maybe it’ll be something different today?’

Cleo barely had time to consider things further before a familiar groan echoed in her mind.

‘You’re still too loud, dog.’

Cleo nearly jumped from surprise as Kiki’s voice cut through her thoughts, sharp as ever.

‘I won’t cut you any slack just because you used to be human. Work on that, got it?’

Even Siren, curled around Ophelia's neck, turned her head back and bobbed slightly in agreement.

Cleo’s head fell. She had falsely assumed that Lumosa's gift had solved this problem as well, only to find out the truth the hard way. ‘I guess even SHE can’t fix everything.’

“Cleo, come on! You really don’t wanna miss out on Professor Vexley’s class!” Celeste called out, her mood noticeably lifted at the mention of the professor’s name.

With no other choice, Cleo picked up her pace, following the girls through the hallways toward their next destination—the Magical Item Innovation classroom.

To be continued…