Yayyy I got this one done pretty quick! And it's not another almost 10,000 word one, although it is close to 6,000. Gonna have to try and work on that to see if I can get these done more frequently. I'm settled back in at my regular job, so hopefully that means I can work on a consistent schedule (consistent for me, I mean, lol). At least maybe now I can fit in some extra writing if nothing else :D

Thank you GinMado and WildeChild17 for reviewing! Hope you guys are doing well, and I hope you like this chapter just as much as the last!

I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.

Lucas reclined on his bed, reading from his textbook with an open notebook at his side in hopes of getting some homework done. Nero sat on the floor, a wicked fervor gleaming in his eye. Lucas tried to ignore it, staring blankly at the words on the page unfocused.

Nero was getting an idea.

They'd established a sort of routine, where Nero would come over nearly every day and the two would work on assignments together. Lucas had yet to visit Nero's dorm and he wasn't particularly inclined to do so. Unsurprisingly, he'd heard the fire dorms could get wild. Although he would've liked some alone time, Lucas found it did work in his favor; when Nero was over, his roommate made a point to find somewhere else to be. Unfortunately, Lucas hadn't been able to get a single (he'd almost been put in a triple, much to his horror), and it wasn't that he disliked his roommate, but he much preferred Nero's company.

Lucas dug his heels in, pretending to be extra interested in the chapter. It was no use. Nero was packing up his papers, shoving them haphazardly into his bag. In the next five seconds, Lucas would know exactly what he was thinking. He tried not to groan.

Nero hopped to his feet. "So. Don't you think it's time we tried exploring the sixth floor again?"

Lucas's eyebrows knit together. "Are you serious? Do you not remember what happened last time?" He put his book down.

"Yeah, we were fine. We didn't get caught."

"But we could have."

Nero waved his hand dismissively. "I don't dwell on could haves. It all worked out. It didn't happen and it's behind us now. There's no reason to worry about it."

"And there's no reason we should go back up there," Lucas said pointedly. "They know someone was up there, even if they don't know it was us. There's probably extra security now. It's too risky to try again."

Nero frowned, but Lucas knew that was only because he was trying to come up with a good rebuttal. "I guess, but it's already been a few weeks. Maybe they forgot about it."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Wishful thinking."

Annoyance prickled at the edges of Nero's features. "Where's your sense of adventure, Watson?"

Lucas turned onto his side on the bed and arched an eyebrow. "What did you call me?"

"Watson."

"So that makes you Sherlock?"

Nero gestured grandly. "Have you met me?"

Lucas snorted and Nero's features formed their signature pout.

"C'mon, Luke! You can't tell me there isn't something going on up there. The school's hiding something and it's not dusty old furniture. It's on us to figure it out!"

Intriguing as it was, Lucas didn't quite grasp why Nero just couldn't let the mystery go. Likely, it had something to do with his inherently rebellious nature and general need to defy authority, but Lucas was content to lie low at the moment. The last thing he wanted was any unnecessary attention. Hanging out with Nero, it seemed like a contradiction, but Lucas found he was content to be the dark to Nero's light in their friendship.

Lucas shrugged. "It's almost dinner."

Nero glared at the clock. "There's always an excuse. Fine, it can wait. But I definitely wanna get back up there."

Lucas thought for a moment. He didn't recognize the second man's voice- or the first's- but it had sent chills down his spine. There had to be some way to convince Nero otherwise.

"The top floor is hiding something," Lucas agreed. "But we aren't new anymore. If they catch us up there, we'll be in a lot of trouble- especially you. There's no way the teachers will believe what you tell them." It was true, Nero had already developed something of a reputation among the faculty. They respected his name and academic prowess, but begrudged him his attitude. "Didn't you say before most of the other buildings are more than a century old? Those might be worth checking out after all."

Nero pondered it. "Tomorrow, maybe," he conceded. Lucas smiled innocently. There was something wrong about the sixth floor, and he was going to do whatever he could to avoid it.

"Maybe the girls would be interested in checking it out," Lucas commented, hoping he could pawn off the adventure on one of them.

Nero shook his head. "Nah, I like spending time with you."

"But-"

"Do you know what those girls are doing right now?" Nero interrupted. "Discussing the dance and boys. I guarantee it. C'mon, let's head to dinner so I can prove it."

When they approached the table, Gin, Avari, and Stella were not talking about either topic, much to Nero's disappointment. Rather, the three were in deep conversation about their progress in their practicals, or lack thereof.

"It's not good," Gin wailed softly. "I've been trying bend one spoon for almost three weeks! Meanwhile, everyone else has moved on to levitating the spoons and tossing them across the room. The teacher keeps telling me it's totally normal, but it doesn't feel that way!"

"I'm sure you're doing your best," Stella comforted her.

Gin turned big, sad brown eyes on her. "But this is all new to you, too! And you can at least use your powers!"

"A little," Stella allowed. "I'm still behind everyone else."

Gin sulked. "I'm just afraid they're going to realize they made a mistake and send me home."

Nero flopped in his seat. "Don't worry, Gin. That almost never happens. I mean, there was this one time-"

Avari flashed him a glare. "Not. Helping."

Nero held up his hands in innocence. "Okay, bad joke. But seriously, they don't make mistakes, Gin, especially when it comes to outsiders. There's a reason 'normal' people are oblivious to magical society. If you're here, it's for a reason."

"It'll come to you," Lucas said, surprised he was reassuring her. "Look at Stella. Two weeks ago, she looked like she stuck a fork in a socket and now you can barely tell."

"Hey!"

Everyone else burst out laughing, and suddenly it became time to share horror stories.

"You think that's bad?" Avari challenged. "I melted a hole through the floor in my practical the other day. You can see the classroom below! I mean, at least nobody got hurt, but they wouldn't let me practice for the rest of the week and I had to reread a bunch of boring books on form."

Nero smirked. "Sounds like you're a little too toxic, Vari."

"Oh, please. I heard what you did during your first class," Avari snorted.

"Which would be?"

Avari eyed him knowingly, then gazed at the rest of the group. "Mr. Showoff here decided he was gonna one-up the rest of the class, but instead, he burnt the table he was working at to nothing."

Nero turned slightly pink. "That could've happened to anyone! Besides, it's not true. There was still one leg left after," he argued, then faced Avari. "How did you even hear about that? Nobody was supposed to say anything!"

"Obviously someone did," Lucas put in dryly.

The five went back and forth, trading tales of classes gone wrong, fighting over who had the worst, and who was doing the best. Avari and Nero looked ready to go at it over who's element was more destructive when Stella and Lucas had to respectively pull them back from jumping on the tables.

"You know they don't allow fighting between students," Stella chided Avari, fully aware it was unlikely the fight would've actually gone anywhere. Avari and Nero just liked to put on an act.

"Right," Nero sat down, smoothing out his uniform. "Now, for the more civilized members of this table, who's going to the dance?"

"Hard pass," Avari looked down at her nails, examining the polish she'd put on the night before.

"It'll be fun!" Stella said. "I bet it's a great opportunity to meet people. You have to go!"

"For you, it's an opportunity to meet people. For me, it's another opportunity for people to avoid me," Avari clarified. "Poison students don't go to school dances."

"They don't go to any events, right? But you went to the big senior showcase in the clearing last month," Gin piped up.

Avari pursed her lips. "That was different."

"Different how? You were the only poison student there, and it was a great time!"

"I'll think about it," Avari relented, persuasive images of colorful dresses popping up in her mind. "But no promises."

Stella and Gin exchanged a smile, knowing they had her.

"Is anyone thinking about finding a date?" Gin asked shyly.

Stella tilted her head. "Maybe?" she shrugged. "Probably not. There's this guy in my social studies class, though, King-"

"King?" Nero interjected. "Isn't he the one who landed you in detention?"

"Yeah," Stella held her hands to the side. "But he's been really nice to me ever since. And he is pretty cute. Although I don't know too much about him, other than he's a gifted fire student."

"True," Nero acknowledged. "He's good, when he's not accidently blowing things up. He just has a little too much power without knowing how to use it. I've burned down one table, right? He's burned down three."

Lucas stared at Nero in amazement. "That's one a week since practicals started."

"Some people just have talent," he turned blazing eyes on Lucas. "So, you thinking of bringing anyone?"

Lucas looked him directly in the eye. "You have to ask?" His friend group consisted of the four at the table, Sophie, and Wales. Lucas had hardly met anyone else; asking someone was simply not happening. He found it ironic that Nero had been the one to stick his nose up earlier saying the girls would be the ones talking about the dance and dates, when he was the one who had actually brought it up.

"Well, you never know," Nero said airily. "You might just find the perfect person waiting for you there."

"Don't worry, I'm not bringing anyone either," Avari scoffed. "You can count on that." Her mind may have wandered to a certain boy from Stella's dorm, but she was not about to bring that up. She hadn't told anyone, but she also hadn't seen much of him since. They only shared the one class, and Avari made a point to try not to look in his direction as much as possible. Still, she peeked whenever she was certain he wasn't looking.

Just then, they were interrupted by a woman in a pink dress. One of the psychic faculty. It was weird teachers seemed to follow the same dress code as the students, sticking to their colors, but it did make sense, and ultimately it made things a lot easier. No one questioned it.

"Gin, do you have a moment? I'm sorry to interrupt your dinner, but I need you to come with me."

Gin's stomach tightened, no longer hungry. The others looked at her in confusion, but she found her mouth dry, unable to give her an answer. She'd been afraid something like this might happen. It was unfortunate it had to be in such a public setting.

Gin stood up. "Of course," she replied, faking a smile, forcing her feet to move. Every step was heavy, as though they were weighed down by lead.

She wondered where she was being taken as she and her teacher exited the dining hall. To Konzern Hall? To one of the administrative offices? Where did they take students who were in danger of being kicked out?

She gritted her teeth and took a deep, long breath in hopes of calming her nerves. She didn't know that was what was happening. For all she knew, this could be normal. Maybe the school did evaluations for students after the first month, to give them an update on their progress and encourage them.

Her shoulders fell. If that was true, she definitely would've heard something about them by now or maybe Nero would have brought them up at some point. Her brain was grasping at straws, desperately trying to figure out why this was happening to her, and what she could do about it, if anything. There had to be a way to save herself. She could think of it, if only she could ease her nerves. Gin knew that wasn't going to happen, though. Students weren't pulled out of class, let alone dinner for no reason. Whatever this was, it was serious.

She wanted to cry as they walked up the stairs to the fourth floor. Thankfully, most people were at dinner and hadn't paid her too much mind when she'd been summoned, so the halls were fairly empty.

With the exception of the one White Dorm student Gin was vaguely familiar with. They walked right past him, crossing paths along the staircase. This was the second time now she'd run into him there. Only now, Kyoya didn't say anything, merely cocking an eyebrow and giving her a mild fang-toothed grin as he watched her go.

She risked a look back. He was still watching her.

They stopped at the fifth floor. Gin's heart caught in her throat. Were they going to make her pack her bags? Was she being dismissed? Was this the end?

Much to her amazement, they walked right past the hall leading to the psychic wing, and headed for the classrooms. Gin felt more lost than ever as the teacher ushered her inside, motioning for her to sit.

Gin took a seat in the front row, right across from the head desk and waited nervously.

Her teacher sat down, elbows propped up and fingers intertwined as she studied Gin, who felt like she was about to start sweating profusely any second now. She almost wished they would get it over with and simply tell her what they planned to do.

"As I'm sure you are more than aware, we've been monitoring you and your classmates for the past few weeks. While we are confident in your psychic abilities, we are concerned that you are having trouble manifesting them." She added, "As I've mentioned before, this can be quite normal, you are in a new environment and it can put a lot of stress on you, which does affect your powers. That being said, we feel the best course of action is for you to take private lessons twice a week after class to help you improve."

Gin didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to jump up and down and scream with excitement, she was so glad they weren't kicking her out. The other half was shell-shocked in utter disbelief.

"O-okay," she managed.

"Excellent," her teacher beamed. "Now, again I apologize for pulling you from dinner, normally we'll schedule these lessons right after classes. How does meeting me here Tuesdays and Thursdays sound?"

"Great," Gin dared to let a teeny smile sneak out, now that it felt like a massive weight was being lifted from her shoulders.

"Since you're here now, I'd like to spend a few minutes practicing now if you don't mind. Just to see if we can get somewhere before the start of the weekend." Her teacher produced a silver spoon from her desk. Gin walked over to it.

Three weeks in, she was well aware of what she needed to do. She visualized it bending, saw the process, but still nothing happened. Gin shut her eyes tight and tried it that way. She just couldn't clear her mind to concentrate. Here she was being given a second chance, and she was screwing it up big time.

After ten minutes of failed attempts, they decided to call it a night.

Her teacher wore a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, Gin. We'll get there."

"I'm just so sorry!" Gin let out a frustrated apology. "I know I can do this. I don't understand why it's so hard! My powers are definitely there!"

"It's okay," her teacher soothed. "It takes time."

Gin was on a roll now. "They're there. Half the time, they just won't go away. I'm constantly picking up on everyone's thoughts," she ranted. "I can't bend a single spoon, but I can hear what they're thinking-"

Her teacher's eyebrows shot up. "What was that, Gin?" she asked sharply.

Gin exhaled, feeling the fight leaving her. "I can, you know, read minds. Not very well, but I can pick up on the thoughts of most people. I know we haven't covered it yet, but that I don't even have to try. It's the opposite of bending the spoon."

"This changes everything," the other woman breathed softly.

Gin felt sick to her stomach. Should she not have admitted to that? Her teacher eyed her curiously now, in a way that made Gin uncomfortable.

"I can't help you anymore," her teacher informed her, standing up. "But I know someone who can. One moment." She walked over to the phone and dialed a number, speaking in frantic hushed whispers while Gin debated whether or not to bolt for the door.

Several minutes of following silence later, there was a knock at the door. A man opened it, wearing a dark purple suit. Gin had never seen him before. The man's hair was dark and spiky, with one yellow strand in the front and he wore rectangular glasses. There was something about him, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She assumed that was because she couldn't read his mind.

Psychic. This man was psychic. She'd always been able to read the minds of anyone she came across, unless they were psychic, which seemed to give them a protective shield around their thoughts. Normally, she was still capable of at least picking up the emotions of other psychics, even if she couldn't properly tell what they were thinking. From this man, she got nothing. It was as though there was a cloud around his mind, protecting his secrets and keeping everyone else out.

Whoever he was, Gin noted his outfit, he seemed to be above the whole color-coded dorm thing. She knew in an instant, from a single look, that he was extremely important.

"Good evening, Gin," the man said smoothly, extending his hand. "My name is Doji. I too specialize in the exceedingly uncommon art of reading the mind. Therefore, I will be taking over your training."

Five minutes later when Gin left the room with a slightly adjusted class schedule, she didn't know what to think. Doji gave off a unique vibe, but she couldn't place it.

Power. He radiated power.

It was a bit frightening, she thought, and was grateful when she came across Ranmaru and Hikaru on her way back to the dorm.

"Guys!" she said breathlessly.

"Hey," Hikaru's greeting was friendly. "What's up, Gin? You seem pretty excited."

Gin filled them in on the details in quick bursts, still trying to comprehend herself.

She paused for some air. "Oh!" she said with realization. "It's Friday night, isn't it? I'm sure you guys are busy, so I'll leave you be!" With that, the dark-haired girl rushed off.

Ranmaru and Hikaru exchanged a confused look.

"Odd..." Hikaru mused. Her expression morphed to one of worry. "Do you think she'll be okay?"

There was no easy way to answer the question. Settling on an answer he wasn't particularly fond of himself, he responded, "We'll find out."

There were two types of psychics: those with telekinetic powers and those with telepathic powers. The latter was extremely rare, even moreso for Gin, who already broke the mold. She came from the non-magic world, which almost never happened with true psychics, and now she was being pushed into even deeper territory. Mind reading was almost exclusively a family trait. It was no wonder it'd taken the teachers so long to figure out why she couldn't access her powers: they never expected her to be anything but telekinetic. The thought was simply preposterous. There were other minor abilities that came with the territory, like seeing the future or auras, but those were the two big categories and the ones by which their domain was ruled.

"She'll be fine," he amended. "Gin's a smart girl. And Doji is just about the best there is when it comes to mind reading from what I've heard." Ranmaru had never met the man, but he had heard the legends. Doji was a critical, high-ranking member of Elite Academy, yet he was almost never seen by students. Only when a student possessed extraordinary talent did he come out of the shadows and personally take them on. Even then, it was only psychic students he was interested in, though it made sense, the man being psychic himself.

"I know. I'm just worried about her getting in over her head," Hikaru fretted.

A familiar friend of theirs came into view: Kyoya.

"What brings you to the fifth floor?" Hikaru asked in amusement. Wind dorm students were housed on the lower floors with the other natural science elementals.

Kyoya looked up and down her cyan uniform. "I could ask the same of you."

Hikaru placed a hand on Ranmaru's shoulder, causing his heart to race in surprise while he struggled to maintain a calm exterior. "I'm with a friend, can't you see?"

Kyoya ignored her teasing lilt. "Was that Gin I just saw you with?"

"Y-yeah, you know her?" Ranmaru asked.

"We've met," Kyoya gave no further explanation.

Hikaru's grin widened. "Why the sudden interest? Looking to find yourself a girlfriend?"

Kyoya sneered. "Hardly. Just thought I'd recognized her." He stalked off, not wanting to endure any further interrogation.

Hikaru giggled. "No one casually comes up just to ask who you were talking to. He's interested."

"I know. He can't hide his aura, not from me." Ranmaru was equally entertained. His statement set off another peal of laughter from his companion.

Ranmaru found it hard not to be happy around her. She was so alive, despite what one might think based off her element and attitude. Then, most people didn't know Hikaru the way he did.

He could ask her to the dance; he could do it right now even. But Ranmaru faltered.

They were friends, and really good ones at that. Admitting he saw her as something more could either work out wonderfully, or more terrifyingly, blow up in his face. He wasn't sure he wanted to do that. It was a dangerous gamble. If only he could be certain. If he knew there was at least a chance, he might be inclined to take the risk. But the way things were, he only balanced at the edge of a precipice, going back and forth unable to make the final decision.

If Gin could read minds...

No. Ranmaru firmly shut that thought down before it could percolate. He would not invade Hikaru's privacy like that. Not only would it be a gross intrusion, it would undoubtedly backfire. He would figure this out on his own.

It was senior year though. Sooner than he liked, they would be going their separate ways. He had to make the decision, one way or another. It was now or never.

Well, he still had some time. He could push it off.

Just ask her.

He tried to speak, but his words got caught in his throat. Hikaru looked at him expectantly.

"It's nothing," he brushed it off. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah," Hikaru nodded. "Dinner's still on with Kyoya and the others."

As she walked away, Ranmaru got the distinct feeling that for some reason, she may have been disappointed.

Walking toward the psychic wing, Ranmaru noticed a man he had never seen before that gave him pause. He watched the man pass, trying to seem uninterested, more focused in getting to his dorm. The man seemed distracted anyway.

Sneaking one last glance behind him, Ranmaru noted the man bore a striking resemblance to the one Gin had described earlier. It seemed the mysterious Doji was finally making his presence known.

Ranmaru frowned. That wasn't what was bothering him.

The man had no aura.

Aurora waited outside the fitting rooms for Sophie and Daphne to finish up. Next to her on the comfy red leather couch she sat on was a black paper shopping bag, the contents nearly spilling over.

The girls were finishing up dress shopping, prepping for next week's dance. Aurora had tried on and picked out a dress, found matching shoes, paid for both, and the other girls were still mulling over their options by the time she returned. Daphne, at least, appeared to be close to making her selection. Sophie on the other hand... Aurora didn't want to think about it, remembering past shopping excursions. Or as Sophie so often called them, the hunt.

The three of them spent time together frequently, being the only three girls in their social circle. It was only natural they'd decided to pick out the perfect outfits for such a major event as a group.

Sophie tossed another rejected dress over the stall door, groaning. Finally, she came out wearing an emerald green number she seemed pleased in.

"This should do it," she decided, glancing down at the price tag. "Perfect."

A few minutes later, all three left the store with bulging bags.

"I wish we could go to the pool," Sophie complained.

"It would be nice," Daphne commented. "It's too bad they only keep it open for classes."

It was an unusually sunny fall day, hardly a breeze in the air, the perfect weather for one last dip. Unfortunately, the academy's pool was off-limits to all but water students, who used it for training purposes once they became upperclassmen. It was much easier to practice advanced skills with a large source of water readily available. In the winter, when it froze over, ice students were given permission to use the pool. Much to the dismay of the student body, regular swimming was not allowed, though the temptation was great.

"It's mocking us, you know?" Sophie continued. She grumbled, "I guess I'll have to settle for a bath later."

Aurora laughed lightly. The longer you'd been a student, the better the perks were. After the past two years in doubles and triples, Sophie had finally scored a single thanks to her position at the top of her class, and with it a private bath. More than a month into the year, she'd yet to stop talking about it.

Since the dark dorm was barely a quarter the size of the water dorm, Aurora had been a bit luckier. Only her first year was she in a double. True, this was the first year she had her own bathroom, but when she was sharing with her floormates, there weren't that many of them. As far as Aurora knew, Daphne was in a similar situation, her dorm only marginally larger.

It was hard not to smile as Aurora looked down at her bag of purchases. She couldn't wait to wear the dress.

Sophie yawned. "So, have either of you decided who you're going to the dance with?"

Daphne deflected the question. "Has Wales asked you yet?"

"Of course," Sophie nodded. "It was a given."

"I'm not worrying about getting a date," Aurora said softly. "I just want it to be a good time."

Sophie didn't push her; Aurora was so shy and quiet. She was simply glad her best friend was going. "Daphne?"

"I don't know for sure yet," Daphne admitted, keeping her tone level. "But you'll be the first to know if it works out."

Sophie led the way to the next store, satisfied. It'd been a smart answer, Aurora thought. Non-committal, but enough to pique everyone's interest and keep them wondering. She pondered who could've caught Daphne's eye.

Sophie made a beeline straight for the history section. Aurora loved coming to the bookstore. She was always up to find a new book for her hobbies. She quickly located the herbalism section.

She slid her finger down the spine of a book, crouching then to look at the lower shelves. She had quite a few of them, but something new had to have been published recently. She straightened back up, scanning the shelves once more. She was about to give it up and go look in the astrology section, when she caught a glimmer of movement out of the corner of her eye.

It was just a flash of silver, but she struggled to locate the source. There was a boy several rows up she noticed a moment later with long hair that fit the description. Aurora stood still as she watched him go.

Sophie came over to her, clutching an enormous book on underwater archaeology. "I can't believe they have it!" she crowed. She noted Aurora's focused gaze. "What is it? What do you see?"

"Oh." Aurora pulled away, ungluing herself from the spot and returning to reality. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

Daphne joined them, a book in her hands as well. "I'm ready whenever everyone else is."

Less than half an hour later, they were back on campus, walking across the grounds to Elite Hall. Aurora was still thinking about the boy, perplexed as to what it was exactly about him that had held her riveted. She hadn't even seen his face. She wasn't even sure he was what had captivated her in the first place. It could've been the sunlight hitting one of the metal displays for all she knew. She only happened to catch sight of him as he exited the store.

"Daphne," Julian strode up to them. "May I have a moment?"

Sophie's jaw dropped slightly only to be replaced with a knowing smile.

"Sure," Daphne responded, glancing back at the other girls uncertainly. "Do you mind?"

"No, not at all," Sophie said smugly. The two girls departed as Daphne followed Julian over to the western, shaded side of Konzern Hall.

Daphne pasted on an upbeat smile that she hoped made up for her fast-beating heart. Any louder and she was certain he would've been able to hear it. No one could blame her if they knew. It wasn't every day Julian Konzern sought a girl out. Daphne picked up on a few students eyeing them curiously as they passed, some with interest, others with barely suppressed jealousy. Once beside the stone structure, they were well hidden, making for a convenient private setting where no one else could see.

She bit the inside of her mouth to keep from smiling too grandly prematurely. Daphne was confident she knew the reason for their secluded meeting. Ever since that day after history class she'd noticed him paying more attention to her. That cold exterior she knew all too well seemed to have melted a little. Maybe it wasn't all that hard to get to his heart after all.

"I would've preferred to do this in a less social setting, but I did not want to miss out on the opportunity while I had it," Julian explained. "As you know, the dance is right around the corner. Daphne, would you do me the honor of going with me?"

Her smile was bigger than she imagined as she took the hand he offered. "Absolutely."

When he returned one of his own, Daphne thought she might be the one who was melting on the inside.

For a few more wonderful minutes they spoke, making plans. Daphne showed him the color of her dresswear and jewelry, lifting the fabric from the shopping bag she still carried while avoiding showing him the dress itself, so he'd have something to look forward to. She wanted it to be a surprise when she met him the day of and she was certain he wouldn't be able to anticipate her outfit with what she'd chosen. He assured her he would have something to match. With that, he saw her off before entering Konzern Hall and she made her way back to the main building, debating what he might be doing in there during the weekend. Most of the academic buildings were open during the day, but students rarely went inside on days off. She didn't dwell on the thought, fully aware Sophie would be waiting to pounce as soon as she saw her. No wonder the other girl had practically dragged poor Aurora away. She must've had an inkling of what Julian was up to.

In an odd way she couldn't place, Daphne felt different. She couldn't contain her grin, that was for sure. No one knew he had asked her, and she wasn't about to advertise it, other than to tell her friends, who would assuredly find out anyway. Julian, proper as ever, wasn't the type to go around bragging about it either.

Somehow though, she'd done it. Daphne had pulled it off without being a psychic student- even more impressively, she'd pulled it off as a ghost student in a society where people weren't quite sure what to think of her, not that it mattered. They might not have been dating- yet- but the dance was a good sign. It was a start. Julian wouldn't ask just anyone to go with him. Eyes would be watching him. He would've thought the situation out very thoroughly, weighing his options. In the end, he'd still chosen her. She didn't know why, or what had been the deciding factor to draw him to her, but it didn't matter. Their friendship had gotten them this far, and chances were it was about to take them even further.

It would probably take time, and some adjusting for her, too, not being used to the exceedingly high-class world he came from. Dating him might not be easy, but there was no doubt in her mind in would be worth it, especially once he finally broke down some barriers and let her in, giving her the opportunity to see the real him.

That was more than enough for her, she decided as she opened the door to her dorm, gently placing her bags on the bed.

More than enough, indeed.