Cecelia's eyes of light-blue and silver looked into Louis's red eyes as he continued: "Your eyes tell no lie. You spoke with a certain modesty and your voice is just as beautiful as it is back at the Cultural Festival that I watched on TV last year. I do have one question. Why do you attend to this academy? From what I hear, you don't just make a decision out of the blue like that without a reason." Thinking that she could relax around music, he led her to the theater's piano and have her sit in front of it. The next thing that happened, her fingers started to play the piano keys. Her body starts to relax as she remembered this song called Sanctuary and it's like a melody to let go as she speaks through the performance: "I came to Cherryton Academy for a fresh start. And I have heard of this school having a difficulty of finding its Beastar from what I have been hearing about. So, I took this as a challenge to even uphold my heart's goal of being the Symbol of Inspiration. Although there might not be a guarantee that I would succeed, at least I can say that I tried." Louis nodded his head softly: "I see..." He gets one of her reasoning because of her personality to inspire the world through her eyes. He knows that there's more to it, but he didn't want to push it. Instead, he wold slowly open the door of opportunities for her. The way the song is being played, it's like being pulled into a dream where all creatures of all kinds can find their own sanctuary. He hears these words coming from her mouth:
I watched you fast asleep
All I fear means nothing...
In you and I, there's a new land
Angels in flight
My sanctuary, my sanctuary
Where fears and lies melt away
Music in time
What's left of me
What's left of me now...
Louis has heard many performances involving even piano. But at this moment, each one of them is pale in comparison as Cecelia's fingers danced along the keys in such a strong and harmonious interlude. When the strokes on the keyboard went from powerful to soft, another set of words escaped from her lips:
You've shown me how to see
That nothing is whole
And nothing is broken...!
In you and I, there's a new land
Angels in flight
My sanctuary, my sanctuary
Where fears and lies melt away
Music in time
What's left of me
What's left of me now
My fears, my lies
Melt away...
In you and I, there's a new land
Angels in flight
My sanctuary, my sanctuary
Where fears and lies melt away
Music in time
What's left of me
What's left of me now...
At moment, her hands shake as she tries to fight back her tears. She didn't cry, but there is evidence of her bottled up emotions in her eyes. Louis thought to himself: "Why do I see much of mixed emotions in her eyes? Certainly...there's no way her heart could have been broken." He sat down on the piano chair next to her and turned her head to the side so their eyes would meet. He then said these words while looking into her eyes: "I don't really know what you're going through, but I won't pressure you to tell me everything if you're not ready. I ask only of this one favor. Will you keep my words in heart when I say this? You have been setting yourself out in the world to save the lives of many as the Pro Hero that you are. Now, it's my turn to save you by making sure that I'm always here for you no matter what." He has no idea what drove him to say those words. Since she's the Redeeming Dragon Pro Hero and the Symbol of Inspiration, she's certainly much stronger than him in his eyes. But as soon as those words came out, he must have gotten through to her as she moved in close for his possible embrace as she spoke softly: "Thank you..." He could smell the scented oil on her hair: apple blossoms with waterlily flowers and a bit of sandalwood for the spring's summer meadow atmosphere. That night as everyone went to sleep, Cecelia's dreams led her to her final moment at the Cultural Festival:
It was when the sun is setting and school will start again for graduation that's coming soon. Cecelia was looking for the boy with the spiky blond hair and red eyes with the Explosion Quirk. His name is Katsuki Bakugou and he's driven with the goal to become a hero greater than All Might. He sees her as someone that he can trust and highly respect despite his former disdain towards her because of her magic that seemingly surpassed every Quirk due to giving her limitless possibilities. Cecelia said as she caught up with him: "Bakugou...there's something that I wanted to tell you but didn't want to make it like I'm desperate. But ever since the day I met you during the Battle Trial under All Might, I started to have my interest in you. At first, it was because we have some things in common such as training and cooking. But as the days go by, I started to even show you everything that I know and have learned because of the idea of being myself is the sign of trust and honesty. And my reason of allowing myself to be captured by the League of Villains...it's not just to get to All For One to stop him...but it was to also save you as you were originally their target to join their group...mainly because I'm in love with you..." Bakugou looked away and scoffed with a frown: "Tch! I appreciate all that you did for me. I also think that you did the right thing by not scaring me away if you confess too soon. But now, I feel like I'm going to be an ass for this." She looked up at him and wondered out of confusion: "Huh? What do you mean, Bakugou?" He turned to her and responded: "You see, I also have a crush on you too. But I started to fall for someone else. And the last thing I want is to be like a two-timing cheater. It's not my style at all." She felt her heart broken but forced herself to smile: "Hey. Don't worry about it Bakugou. And if you don't mind me asking...who was it that stole your heart?" He scoffed again and said this to her: "It's your cousin Camellia Verdant."
Cecelia woke up and touched her cheeks to feel tears. She began to dry them off when remembering that Haru is sleeping as they both are sharing a bunk bed. She looks out the window to see the moon and shaped her hands into a heart right in front of her. She thought of this question in her mind: "Will I ever find my place of redemption after everything that's been happening?" In one dorm room that belonged to one student alone, Louis was also sleeping but woke up as he sat up: "What the Hell? Was that...Cecelia? And who is this Bakugou?" For some reason, his dream was actually like her own. What he didn't know for now is that it's her past memory before coming to this academy. Whatever the case, he was also looking out the window and said to himself this question: "Would I be able to find my sanctuary or my redemption somehow?" This is unknown for now, but there's always tomorrow to strive and find out more.
