It had been about a week since the Heartslabyul incident and today Coach Vargas was giving them their first flying lesson.
"Myah!" Grim yowled when his broom flew up and hit him square in the face. Ace burst out laughing, losing control of his own broom.
"Trappola! Focus on your broom!" Vargas roared at him.
"Serves him right for laughin'!" Grim grumbled rubbing his face.
"Grim here. Place all four paws on the broom." Celeste said as she guided his paws into the right position. While the idea of using a broom to fly was strange to her, she still could give him plenty of helpful advice.
"There, like that! Make sure you stay balanced - don't be afraid to use your tail!" She hopped onto the broom behind him balancing perfectly on her feet as she stood on the narrow handle.
"Wha- Celeste?! What do you know about flying?! How are ya standing up like that?!" Grim looked back at her, startled and the broom started to wobble.
"Focus on the broom, Grim!" She sat down behind him unfazed. They were hovering about three feet in the air now. "Now think of a happy thought!"
"What? How's that gonna help?" Grim grumbled as the broom dipped lower.
"Think of the happiest things! It's the same as having wings!" She smiled as she told him the trick she used to help young fledglings take off for the first time.
"Just trust me, Grim! Flying is the only way to get around where I'm from so I know what I'm talking about!" She assured him, thinking of the floating land masses in the Celestial Realm. The regions were separated by the cloud sea- a thick blanket of clouds that hid the realm from the human world. There were no oceans in the Celestial Realm, only relatively shallow lakes and rivers.
"Hmmm. Well, that fried egg sandwich I ate this morning was pretty good..." Grim muttered and they started rising in the air. Their classmates all turned to look as they rose above them.
"Aw Yeah! This is awesome! I'm going to be the world's greatest mage in no time!" Grim declared excitedly, looking down at their peers. Celeste reached out and felt the wind with her fingertips, testing the air currents. Something she usually used her wings for.
"Careful Grim, there's a thermal about 5 feet to our left. We should avoid it since we don't want to go any higher." She cautioned him, looking down at the coach. Deuce and Harry rose next to them without much trouble but Ace appeared to be struggling to keep his balance. She reached over Grim and tilted the broom down so that they glided down to Ace's level.
"Ace! You're not positioning yourself right." She called out to him and he shot her an exasperated look.
"Oh, so you're a flying expert now?" He huffed gripping his broom tightly. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead as he struggled to stay upright.
Celeste ignored his quip and continued. "Put your legs together and relax your grip some. Tensing like that is causing you to lock up."
"I'd listen to her Ace she seems to know a lot about this stuff!" Grim said glancing up at her.
Ace begrudgingly did as she said, and sure enough, he stabilized and started to rise into the air.
"Oh hey! I'm doing it!" Ace said grinning as he looked back at them.
She guided Grim down to the ground and hopped off the broom. A little ways away the coach was working with a group of Sophomores. One of which seemed to be struggling even more than Ace, hopping up and down on his broom without taking off.
"Ashengrotto! You call yourself a sophomore?! The freshman are doing better than you, including the one without any magic! Are you even trying?" Vargas yelled at him as he fumbled with his broom.
"Of course, I'm trying. Would I ever slack off in your class?" The silver-haired boy grumbled as continued to jump.
The coach shook his head. "I'm so busy with you that I haven't even had time to check on the other students. I expect to see some improvement when I get back!" With that, the coach went to check on the rest of the freshmen.
Celeste left Grim with the broom and walked over to the struggling Sophomore, who was now hanging upside from his broom.
She had seen him around before, he was an Octavinelle student. He had wavy silver hair and light blue eyes. She noticed that he was quite handsome even with the frustrated look on his face as he adjusted his glasses so they wouldn't fall.
"Would you like some assistance?" Celeste asked tilting her head as she looked at him hanging from his broom.
"No, my broom is simply refusing to do what I tell it." He shot her an annoyed look as he dropped off the broom and stood up, trying to regain his composure.
"Now if you please- I'm trying to focus." He said dismissively as he climbed back on his broom and started hopping again.
"But you'll only wear yourself out that way." Celeste said with a worried frown. "Not to mention you're never going to get anywhere with that attitude."
He stopped to glare at her. "I don't need advice from a freshman." He said curtly.
"Flying is the only way to get around where I'm from. So I know some tips that might help you." Celeste smiled at him refusing to give up.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "What is it that you want from me?" He eyed her suspiciously.
Celeste blinked in surprise. "Want something from you? I want to help you fly is all. I do not know you so there isn't anything I could want from you."
He seemed taken aback slightly for a moment before clearing his throat. "Ah, forgive me. I am Azul Ashengrotto. Housewarden of Octavinelle dorm."
"Oh, you are a Housewarden? Well, I am Celeste, prefect of Ramshackle dorm. But you probably already know that." Celeste smiled at him and pointed at his broom. "When you mount your broom, try to relax and think of a wonderful thought."
Azul glared at her. "That's the advice you're giving? Do you take me for some kind of fool?"
Celeste shook her head. "It's as simple as it sounds. You're overthinking it. Negative thoughts will only weigh you down. Think of the happiest things, it's the same as having wings."
Azul scoffed at her. "Do you honestly exp-" He was cut off by a shout from down the field. Celeste turned to see Ace hanging from his broom while it jerked about.
"Oh dear, I warned him about tensing up like that..." Celeste sighed and turned back to Azul. "Just give it a try? It always works at home!" She bid him farewell before taking off across the field to help Ace.
Azul watched her go for a moment before looking down at his broom. He mounted it again, deep in thought. "It's the same as having wings..."
Her words had triggered the memory of that night he had seen the winged woman by the fountain. He would have thought it was all a dream if it hadn't been for the feather she left behind. The feather he now kept in a glass case on his desk.
Suddenly he felt his feet leave the ground and he realized he was hovering about a foot off the ground. He gasped in surprise, this was a first. Had her advice actually worked?
Azul looked over to where she was talking to her Heartslabyul friends and wondered just where it was that she was from.
Later at lunch, there once again seemed to be more students in the cafeteria than usual. Just as Ace was saying something about it a Cafeteria ghost floated up to them.
"That famous bakery from out of town is serving up their goods. It only happens once a month! Their stuff sells out fast so you better hurry!" The ghost explained to them before floating away.
Celeste looked over at the stall and was disappointed to see a stranger selling the food this time. Like with the apple pies, students were clamoring to get in line.
"Oh man, everything looks amazing. I'm gonna see if I can grab something." Ace said getting in line.
"Wow, they are almost as popular as that apple pie stand... Celeste, Grim what do you-" Deuce stopped in the middle of his question, realizing Grim had vanished.
Celeste gasped, while she had been looking out for her brother, her attention had slipped. "Oh no! Where'd he run off to?!" She said looking around wildly. To her dismay, she spotted him cutting in front of the line.
She darted over to him with Deuce and Ace on her heels. "I'm so sorry!" She apologized to the upperclassmen he had just cut off.
"Guess who just scored the last deluxe grilled cheese sandwich? This guy. That's why they call me Grim the great!" Grim proclaimed waving his sandwich proudly in the air, much to the irritation of the students in line.
"Grim! You should apologize to these students! And also no one calls you that." Celeste scolded him glancing nervously at the angry upperclassmen.
"Grim, you need to learn some restraint! I'm really sorry guys." Deuce joined Celeste as they apologized to everyone.
Ace sauntered past them and up to the stall. "Yo pops, gimme one of those roast beef sandwiches."
Deuce and Celeste glared at him. "Hey! You're cutting in line too!" Deuce snapped at him, while Ace pointedly ignored them.
"Honestly, if it's not one it's the other..." She sighed shaking her head.
"Pardon me, friend. I see you were able to get your hands on the highly prized deluxe grilled cheese sandwich. Incredible!" Celeste turned to see that a beastman had walked up to Grim. He had a sly smile and looked vaguely familiar. She realized he was the hyena beastman she'd encountered in the botanical garden a week ago.
Grim glared up at him, annoyed. "Who are you and whaddya want with my meat?"
"Oh, I'm just a guy who really, really wanted to buy that sandwich you've got there, but arrived a smidge too late." His ear twitched as he smiled down at Grim. Leona called him Ruggie right? She thought to herself as she walked over to them.
"Speaking of which, here's a proposition for you..." Ruggie reached behind him and pulled out a stale-looking hotdog bun. "Might you be willing to trade your sandwich for this very exciting hot dog bun?"
Grim scoffed at him. "Whaaaat?! You must be outta your mind dude!"
Ruggie's grin widened holding the hot dog bun towards Grim. "Oh, come now. Let's not be like that. Here, have the hotdog bun. I insist." He motioned for Grim to take the bun and to her amazement Grim reached out and took it, giving Ruggie his grilled cheese.
"Grim? You're actually going to trade?!" Celeste exclaimed, not sure if she could believe her eyes. Grim's mouth hung open in disbelief as he watched the sandwich leave his paws.
"Sounds like we have a deal!" Ruggie chuckled as he took the sandwich from Grim. "What luck that I found a kind soul that was willing to trade. You enjoy that hotdog bun, I do hope you can find something to fill it with. Anyway, nice doing business with you. Tootles!" With that Ruggie darted off, leaving Grim standing there in shock holding his hotdog bun.
They went to eat at their usual table, Grim sniffling as he ate the rest of his lunch.
"I still don't get why you even traded at all." Deuce said as they watched him choke down another pastry.
Grim frowned and slammed his paws on the table. "I didn't! It's like when he put out his hand my paw just shot out- like it was copyin' his! It all happened so fast..."
"Like a deer caught in the sandwich stealing headlights." Ace smirked at him.
"Nah, it wasn't like that at all. But I... I don't know how to explain it!" Grim cried out in frustration.
"Well, what goes around comes around. You shouldn't have cut in line in the first place." Celeste said sipping her water.
"Aw have some pity on him, Celeste. The poor little guy was so starved he ate the hot dog bun- along with what- five pastries?" Harry teased earning a glare from Grim.
"Watch it, bunny boy! I'll burn your carrots!" Grim hissed at him but he laughed at his threat.
"Oh, by the way guys- the Headmage said he had something to tell us after class. No clue on what it could be though." Ace said with a shrug looking at her and Deuce.
"It probably has to do with what happened to Housewarden Rosehearts a few days ago." Deuce said glancing at her.
"Yeah, I bet you're right." Ace nodded in agreement.
Celeste felt a twinge of nervousness at the mention of the Headmaster, remembering what he had said to her during Riddles overblot. Did he know? He hadn't spoken to her since then, but she had caught him watching her from afar.
Before heading to the Headmage's office Celeste stopped by Ramshackle to drop off her books. In reality, she was worried about what the Headmaster would do. If he had found out about her would he demand she leave? Or worse try to find a way to get a hold of her powers?
She changed out of her school uniform and into the outfit with the long blue coat. She quickly made her way out to where Deuce and Ace were waiting and they made their way to the Headmaster's office.
They knocked on the door and entered when they heard Crowley answer. He looked up at them over a stack of papers piled on his desk. "Ah thank you for coming. I'll get right to the point. Now that the Heartslabyul incident is behind us... I wanted to give you a proper debriefing in the matter."
"You called it overblot, right?" Deuce asked, curious and Crowley nodded.
"Celeste has talked about it some and my brother told me a little bit about it too. He says overblot happens to anyone who builds up to much blot. Though Celeste said something about negative energy and... Corruption?" Ace glanced over at her.
"Overblot and corruption are two different things. Though they are similar, only people where I'm from can become corrupted. And it's not caused by blot." Celeste said shaking her head.
"What is blot anyway?" Grim appeared confused as he looked up at her.
Crowley cleared his throat. "Blot is a form of waste that is created as a byproduct of using magic. Casting spells consumes magical energy and in the process expels blot. Research has been conducted on blot for centuries but we still understand very little about it. All we know for sure is that it's terrifically toxic, and excessive amounts can wreak havoc on a mage's mind and body."
"Toxic? Is that why it burns Celeste?" Deuce asked wide-eyed as he glanced at her.
"Celeste seems to be especially sensitive to it. It's best that she avoids it at all costs." Crowley said firmly, giving her a hard look.
"So you're telling me I could get sick if I keep using magic whenever I want?" Grim said growing alarmed.
"Not necessarily. Thanks to your magestone that I so graciously provided, blot accumulates inside of the stone instead of you. With sufficient rest the blot that accumulates vanishes. That's why magestone are so valuable to magic users. Not only does it aid your casting, it also acts as a lightning rod of sorts, to stop blot from accumulating in the caster." Crowley explained pointing to the stone hanging from Grim's neck.
"I see. So when our magestones get cloudy, that means it's time for us to ease off." Deuce said with a nod.
Crowley smiled and nodded. "Correct. Eat well and get plenty of sleep and most of the blot will clear away."
"Though those with a great capacity for magic must be meticulous in their efforts to avoid accumulating blot. Like Mr. Rosehearts for instance." Crowley added.
"So using too much magic is what made him go into berserker mode?" Grim asked blinking up at him.
"The accumulation of blot is significantly affected by the sorcerer's mental state. Anger, fear, panic, sorrow... Harboring those sorts of negative energies hastens the accumulation of blot by a significant degree." Crowley said and Celeste looked away feeling uneasy.
"Negative energies huh? Interesting..." Deuce murmured thoughtfully.
"Do you recall the giant shadow that appeared behind Mr. Rosehearts? Such manifestations are believed to be a result of a fusion of blot and negative energies. I'm afraid that's the extent of what current studies have revealed to us, however." Crowley sighed before turning his inquisitive gaze onto Celeste.
"... Celeste, would you perhaps care to enlighten us on corruption?" Crowley leaned forward in his seat as they all looked at her.
"Yeah like what's the difference between overblot and corruption?" Grim tilted his head curiously.
Celeste sighed as she carefully chose her words. "Corruption isn't caused by blot, it's caused by negative emotions and malicious actions. Minor cases can be treated with medicine but in extreme cases of corruption..." She trailed off trying to think of a way to explain it without giving herself away.
"... It causes you to transform into something else entirely. The transformation draws energy into it, killing any plant life or small animals nearby. Your magic goes out of control attacking those around you. Usually, those who have started to transform are killed on the spot." Corruption was an angel's transformation into a demon. If the resulting demon couldn't be killed, it was sent to the underworld. She looked at her friends who had gone slightly pale.
"BRO WHAT?! That sounds ten times worse than overblot! And they just kill you instead of trying to save you?! That's messed up!" Ace cried out clearly disturbed by her description.
"Well, the transformation changes you physically... It alters your bone structure and consumes any positive energies inside you. There is no going back after you've changed. It's a mercy killing really." She responded quietly looking away.
"So wait... Are you telling me that could happen to YOU if you get mad or something?!" Grim backed away from her, flattening his ears.
Celeste sighed. "No, it usually happens to those who have some sort of complete mental breakdown and start lashing out. If they allow their negative emotions to get out of hand they start to corrupt- like how Riddle was before he overblotted."
"...How interesting." Crowley placed his hand on his chin as he paused thoughtfully. "Just how similar are overblot and corruption I wonder..."
"Headmaster? Did you need us for anything else?" Deuce asked after giving her a worried look.
Crowley looked up as Deuce pulled him from his thoughts. "Ah, no this concludes what I wanted to discuss with you all. You can leave, I have to prepare for the Spelldrive tournament meeting after this."
"Spelldrive?" Celeste blinked not familiar with that term.
"I guess it makes sense that you don't know what it is, since you're from like another plant or somethin'." Ace snorted and Deuce elbowed him with a sharp look.
"It's a world-famous sport! There's even a pro league!" Deuce said and Grim looked up at him.
"I ain't never heard of this either!" He said tilting his head.
"Spelldrive is played by competing teams of seven people. Basically, players battle for control of a disc and earn points drivin' it into the enemy's goal." Ace explained using gestures.
"Oh! That sounds interesting." Celeste said thinking that it sounded somewhat similar to a sport played in the Celestial Realm.
"Oh, I just realized you'd have a hard time actually playing. You need magic to play." Ace admitted rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.
"Oh yeah not only do you move the disc with magic, you attack and defend with it too." Deuce said nodding.
"The flashier the magic the better! That's how players show off their skills!" Ace added with a grin.
"Yes quite! This is why Night Raven College is known throughout the world as a leader in the sport! This school has produced countless pro players! That's why our interdorm Spelldrive tournaments attract attention from pro league recruiters. Yes, the tournament is quite an affair. The campus will be full of visitors and lined with various kiosks. And the main event will be captured by television cameras and broadcast worldwide." Crowley said proudly.
"Television cameras? Broadcast?" Celeste was confused by his choice of words.
"Wow Celeste, they don't even have TVs where you're from?" Ace said frowning at her.
"It's like a camera but it takes moving pictures and puts them on TV. TVs are like... Uh... You know kind of like Cell phones but bigger and they only show moving pictures and sounds." Deuce did his best trying to describe it to her.
"We'll have to show ya one at some point. There's one at Heartslabyul." Ace said and she nodded.
"That sounds exciting. So many people will be able to see it even if they are not present?" She asked tilting her head. It sounded similar to projection magic that was used at home.
"Yeah, that's right!" Deuce said smiling.
"Alright, that's enough. I'm a busy man, so off with you lot." Crowley said exasperated. They turned to leave but before they made it to the door Crowley called out to her.
"Celeste. You stay. I need to have a word with you in private."
Celeste felt her stomach drop as her friends gave her curious looks before leaving with Grim in tow. The door clicked shut behind them and there was an icy silence that filled the room.
Celeste drew herself up and looked down her nose at Crowley who was still seated at his desk. She eyed him coldly as he interlaced his fingers and took a deep breath. She tried her best to look noble and intimidating to hide the fact that she was nervous.
"... Celeste. When you arrived here, you told me you were from Eden. A place that I could not find on the map... It has since come to my attention that there is such a place, mentioned in history." Celeste stayed silent as she stared him down and he shifted uncomfortably under her blue gaze.
"The Garden of Eden, which was said to be located in the Celestial Realm. The realm directly above this one. The beings that inhabited that realm have long been thought to have gone extinct since none have been seen for centuries. But that's not true is it Celeste?" His shining yellow eyes peered at her from behind his mask which made his expression unreadable.
"What exactly are you getting at Crowley?" She asked coldly, tired of him beating around the bush.
"The celestial seal on your shackles, the blot burning you, you're not human are you Celeste? You're an angel." Crowley finally said what she'd been dreading and she sucked in her breath sharply.
Celeste let out a heavy sigh. "And if I am? What will you do about it?"
"Well see now that's a difficult question. There are definitely a lot of benefits to having you around. Your extensive knowledge for example. However... There is the threat of corruption. You've already fallen which means you've committed some sort of crime, meaning you could be already starting to corrupt. Not to mention phantoms seem drawn to you for some reason." Crowley remarked, fiddling with his pen while thinking.
Celeste hesitated for a second as she debated on how much to tell him. "... I was banished for using my time magic to save a human boy. Angels are strictly forbidden from helping humans. The crime I committed was a political one... I did not do something immoral that would cause me to corrupt."
"I see... So the Angels have cut their ties with the mortal realm." Crowley muttered before looking back at her. "Do you have any idea why the phantoms are drawn to you?"
Celeste thought for a moment. "I'm not sure... Phantoms are a problem in the Celestial Realm as well. They are drawn to us, if they overwhelm an angel the angel turns to ash. We haven't yet discovered why they target us."
There was another pause as Crowley thought hard about his next move. She could feel him studying her from behind his mask. "... Celeste you didn't arrive in that outfit... Are you perhaps still in touch with your family?"
Celeste eyed him warily. "Some provisions were dropped off for me, yes."
Crowley nodded. "I see. Then you have access to the medicine that treats corruption?"
Celeste blinked. "I suppose so yes. I have some with me right now." While it was only half a dose, she was pretty confident that Uriel could get her more if she required. Even if she never knew when or where he was going to pop up.
Crowley seemed to perk up, he clapped his hands together suddenly making her jump slightly. "Ah! Well, then I see no reason to force you to leave... You seem to be having a positive effect on the students- overblot aside. Vargas told me you practically taught the freshman how to fly this morning... Yes, it's like Night Raven has its own guardian Angel. I'm sure you must be overwhelmed by my generosity yes?" Crowley spoke with a beaming smile.
"W-well I suppose?" Celeste stammered taken aback by his sudden change in tone. "But Headmage listen... I wish for my nature to remain a secret. I fear the students might be frightened if they knew what I was. Does anyone else know what I am?" Celeste questioned him with a frown.
Crowley seemed to grow a little nervous. "Well, Sam guessed what you were first I'm afraid. And well I SHOULD probably tell the other staff..."
Celeste stiffened remembering how Sam had acted when he'd seen her shackles. So he had been the one to tip off the Headmage. She did feel a slight sense of relief, she had been concerned it had been a student who had seen her on one of her night flights.
Celeste unfurled her wings to make herself appear bigger. Crowley jerked back in his seat in surprise, sending a couple of books crashing loudly to the floor. "Do understand that I have no intentions to stay here in the long run. I do not wish for it to be common knowledge that an angel is trapped in the human realm. Do we have an understanding Crowley?" She used a stern tone that echoed throughout the room. She wanted to make sure she got her point across.
Crowley nodded after closing his jaw that had been hanging open. "Y-yes. I understand. I'll see to it that it remains secret."
Celeste smiled and tucked her wings away. "Good. Then I shall be on my way." She nodded to him and left the room.
Crowley let out the breath he'd been holding as the door clicked shut behind her. Despite her short stature, with her wings unfurled she could appear quite fearsome indeed.
He sighed and checked the time and saw that he was already 10 minutes late to the tournament meeting. Still, he didn't make a move to get up immediately- he needed to collect himself after that encounter.
It seemed like she was intent on leaving the college- either when Grim graduated or simply when she saw no further reason to stay. He wondered if he could find a way to keep her there. After all, she most likely had vast amounts of knowledge that could benefit the human world not to mention her magical power. He could definitely use her to his advantage, perhaps with her, they could finally overtake Royal Sword Academy, thus earning him even more money.
He sighed as he pulled himself out of his thoughts and headed to the meeting.
"Grim, honestly are you going to just lay around all afternoon? How about doing your homework? I've already finished mine." Celeste looked down at Grim sprawled out on the floor.
"What's the point if I can't be in the Spelldrive tournament?" He moaned staring up at the ceiling. Apparently, during her talk with Crowley, Ace, and Deuce had broken the news to him that since he was in Ramshackle with only two students- he couldn't play in the tournament. So for the past few days, he had been moping and slacking off in his classwork.
Celeste scowled at him. "What's the point? I thought you wanted to be the world's greatest mage? I mean you didn't even know what spelldrive was until a few days ago."
"How can I be the world's greatest mage if I'm not in the spelldrive tournament?!" He wailed failing his paws pathetically.
Celeste sighed, it'd been a rough couple of days. She had even contemplated leaving now that Crowley knew the truth but something held her back. Perhaps she enjoyed spending time with the friends she had made here and was dreading what life would be like constantly on the move and utterly alone.
"What's wrong, Grimmy? Something got you down?" The ghosts appeared out of the walls and hovered over Grim.
"He's sulking because he can't play in the spelldrive tournament." Celeste said as she tried her best to patch up a hole in the wall- sighing when she only made it bigger.
"Why if you wanna play Spelldrive that bad we can play with ya! I was the team captain 90 years ago, y'know." The thin ghost said with a grin.
"But we need seven players..." Grim said still sulking.
"It's just for fun who cares?" One of the ghosts said pointing to a Spelldrive disc nearby.
"Why don't you go play Grim? Maybe it'll cheer you up." Celeste encouraged him and he pulled himself off the floor and followed the ghosts out into the yard.
Celeste sighed as she looked back at the hole in the wall. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing. She gave up and went and sat down on the couch that groaned under her weight. While she was there she just happened to catch a glimpse of Crowley walking up to the door through the window.
She got up quickly and opened the door, feeling uneasy. Outside Grim and the ghost were finishing up their game.
"I'm pleased everyone is getting along." Crowley remarked, watching Grim play with the ghosts.
"What brings you here today?" Celeste asked as Grim trotted over to them.
"I have a request to make of you both. Why don't we take this inside?" Crowley said and she let him in.
"What exactly is this request?" Celeste said narrowing her eyes at him once they were in the lounge.
Crowley cleared his throat. "There's been a rash of students being hurt in suspicious incidents on campus lately. I'm here to ask you to investigate the matter."
"What do you mean suspicious?" Celeste asked frowning.
"The specifics of the incidents differ but there has been a clear spike in injuries in the past few days. We now have 10 wounded students. This is far more accidents than we've had in past years. Furthermore, all of the wounded students were considered contenders to make their dorms spell drive teams." Crowley said frowning.
"That is rather suspicious. So you think someone is trying to even out the odds for the tournament?" Celeste asked, putting a finger to her chin in contemplation.
"I have no evidence of foul play. All of the accidents happened in public spaces, and all of the witnesses said the same thing. It looked like he was being careless." Crowley let out a frustrated sigh.
Grim snorted. "So they were just bein' careless. What do I care what happens to them? I can't even be in your dumb tournament!" Grim growled bitterly, lashing his tail.
Crowley sighed. "What if I allowed you to participate in the tournament?"
Grim gasped at his words and looked up at him, his blue eyes filled with excitement.
"Should you solve the case I'll generously allow your dorm to enter the spelldrive tournament. What do you say to that? Dazzled by my altruism?" Crowley grinned down at Grim who was bouncing with excitement.
"I'm in! I'll do it!" Grim cried out excitedly. "Right Celeste?" He looked at her expectantly.
"Ah and Celeste... I suppose I could arrange to have some of these holes patched up... If you agree to help..." Crowley said looking around at the walls and ceilings.
"Alright fine. You've got a deal." Celeste sighed and Grim cheered.
So Celeste and Grim proceeded to leave for the infirmary, where Crowley said the Heartslabyul student was. They walked in and were surprised to see Harry and Peter. Harry had his foot in bandages on one of the beds while Peter tended to him.
"Harry?! Oh my! Are you alright?!" Celeste cried rushing over to them.
Harry and Peter looked up surprised to see her. Harry let out a heavy sigh his ears flopping. "Yeah, it's nothing serious... But it's enough so I won't make the team."
"I'm sorry Harry. I'm confident you'll get a chance next year." Celeste gave him a sympathetic look before turning to Peter. "It seems you are in good hands though."
Peter adjusted his glasses. "Yes, usually I'm the one who's injured. Harry's the one with all the athletic skills."
"I guess this is my karma for calling ya total clutz all the time Pete." Harry huffed throwing his head back dramatically.
"Do you remember exactly what happened?" Celeste asked.
Harry groaned. "I wish I knew myself. Pete and I were walking along and then BAM! I was tumbling down the stairs. It all happened so fast..."
"Yes, it was odd. I didn't even see him stumble. He just went down." Peter added with a frown.
Harry shook his head, tussling his brown curly hair. "It was really weird. My body just suddenly lurched forward on its own. I can't explain it."
"Really? That's strange..." Celeste frowned at his statement. Though it did certainly seem unusual, there wasn't enough to go on for her to say for sure that there was foul play.
"No one brushed by you? Are you sure you didn't miss a step?" She pressed and he shook his head.
"I mean there were other students around but not on the stairs. And I know I didn't miss a step..." He said frowning.
"I see... Take care of yourself Harry and you too Peter." She wished them well and they thanked her for stopping by.
Next, they tracked down the Pomefiore student that had also been injured, and found him talking with one of his dorm mates. He was a black panther beastman, with dark skin and black hair that was in a long braid. His yellow eyes snapped over to her as she approached him.
The other Pomefiore student looked up as well, seeming curious. He was a cat beastman with black hair and ears. He had pale skin and dark blue eyes.
"Excuse me, are you Nameer Noir?" She asked the black panther beastman.
"What do you want with me?" He said swishing his tail. She could tell from his tone that he wasn't in the friendliest of moods.
"The Headmaster has asked us to look into the accidents happening. I wanted to ask you what happened." Celeste noticed his hands were bandaged.
"Alright fine. I'll tell you and your little cub." Nameer leaned back against the desk.
"Hey! I'm a Great Mage!" Grim protested and Celeste quickly shushed him.
Before Nameer could continue he was interrupted by his dorm mate. "It happened in the laboratory. We were boiling a potion when his hands suddenly shot out and grabbed the hot cauldron. He dumped out every last drop. It was bizarre! It made a real mess too!"
Nameer shot him an annoyed look. "... It's like Louis said. It was like I had no control over my own body." He growled looking at his hands.
"That sounds incredibly painful... I certainly hope your hands are alright..." Celeste cast another worried look at his bandaged hands.
"I got some pretty nasty third-degree burns but Vil will make sure I don't scar. But I am out of the running for the Spelldrive tournament for sure." He lashed his tail in frustration.
This was more compelling than Harry falling down the stairs. Grabbing a hot cauldron and dumping it out seemed like a hard thing to do accidentally.
"Thank you for talking with me. I hope you heal quickly." Celeste said bidding them farewell as she headed back to Ramshackle with Grim.
The next morning Ace stopped by before class. It wasn't unusual for him or Deuce to come over to Ramshackle in the mornings to walk with her to class.
"Mornin'. Guess you're feeling better now huh Grim?" Ace noticed that Grim was up and about instead of moping around.
Grim rolled his eyes at him. "We're kinda busy right now. No time for kid stuff. Scram." He made a shooing gesture with his paw.
Celeste glared at him. "That's no reason to be rude Grim."
Ace shot her a questioning look, ignoring Grim's rude behavior. "Busy? What, you got a lot of homework or somethin'?"
"Ah, no. I'm afraid the Headmaster has us doing some work for him." Celeste said and explained the deal they had with Crowley.
"Injuries from suspicious accidents huh?" Ace said thoughtfully but Grim snorted.
"Nothin' we heard sounded all that suspicious." He huffed crossing his arms.
Celeste frowned. "You can't honestly think that hot cauldron incident was an accident."
Before Grim could say anything else Deuce came running in. "Ace! We've got a big problem!" He was slightly out of breath as if he had run all the way there.
"Deuce? What's wrong?" Celeste asked growing alarmed.
"Trey fell down the stairs! He's hurt!" Deuce said breathlessly and they all gasped.
"Oh no! Is he going to be alright?!" Celeste asked concerned. Mortals certainly were fragile creatures- injuries that an angel could heal in a matter of minutes seemed to put them out of the running for serval weeks.
"He's in crutches with a badly sprained ankle..." Deuce said looking downcast.
"Trey wouldn't just trip and eat dirt." Ace glanced at her.
"Let's go see what he's got to say!" Grim eagerly bounded over to the door.
They made their way over to the Heartslabyul dorm. Trey was in his room his foot propped up on some pillows as he lay in a large canopy bed with Cater at his bedside.
"How are you feeling Trey?" Deuce asked after Cater let them in.
"We came all this way to see your sorry face. It's cool- don't get up." Grim said as he sauntered into the room.
"Hello, Trey. Is there anything that we can do?" Celeste gave him a worried look.
"Wow, Trey. I'm super jealous, Celeste and Grim came to check up on you. Your rolling in it today." Cater smirked at Trey who smiled back at her.
"Don't worry Celeste, I'm pretty well taken care of here. Thanks for the offer though." Trey assured her as they gathered around him.
"So what happened Trey? How'd you get hurt?" Ace asked glancing at her again.
"Slipped on the stairs. Couldn't catch myself and my ankle got all messed up. I'll be on crutches for a while." He looked over at the crutches by his bed.
Grim looked down and twisted his ears as if conflicted. "Myah... I was hopin' your injury would be small enough to justify keepin' this but... Here I brought ya a get-well can of tuna. Feel better specs." Grim held out a small can of tuna to Trey.
"Heh. Thanks" Trey smiled as he took the can.
"I'm proud of you Grim. I'll make a decent magical beast out of you yet." Celeste beamed and Ace let out a laugh.
"Yeah, don't hold your breath, Celeste." Ace scoffed shaking his head.
Cater sighed. "Ugh, hashtag fail! Now that we've lost a power player, we have to redo our team roster!" Ace and Deuce glanced at each other excitedly at this news.
There was another knock at the door and Riddle walked in. He frowned when he saw them. "Why are there so many people in here? Trey is supposed to be resting."
Riddle walked over to Trey and began to fuss over him. "How are you doing Trey? Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"
Trey shook his head. "I told you Riddle you don't need to fuss over me like this."
Riddle looked down with a guilty expression. "But it's my fault that you got hurt."
"Trey didn't mention that." Celeste gave him a confused look and Riddle sighed.
"I needed to talk to him, so I went to the junior classroom at lunch. And then when I started to fall on the stairs Trey ran up to stop me- losing his balance in the process. Trey never would have slipped if he hadn't caught me when I was about to tumble over." Riddle closed his eyes and made a solemn face.
"Yeah, but if I hadn't, you would have just broken your fall with a flight spell. It was stupid of me to intervene. So you don't owe me anything." Trey tried to reassure him.
Ace leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Hey Celeste, d'you think...?"
Celeste closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes, it's definitely possible." She whispered back.
"Riddle come on! It's not doing Trey any good to have you harshing the vibe here. It's lame that he got hurt, but you'll rock the field that much harder to make up for him, right?" Cater said to Riddle who still looked downcast.
"Well, I suppose that's true." Riddle admitted, perking up some.
"Alright peeps, we should let Trey get his rest!" Cater declared and ushered everyone out of the room.
They went to the Heartslabyul lounge, the antique furniture, and heart-shaped fireplace matched the dorm perfectly. Vases of red roses were placed on the tables and ornate clocks and mirrors decorated the walls.
Once they were all in the lounge Riddle turned to Cater. "Alright Cater. Was there something that you didn't want to tell me in front of Trey?"
Cater smirked at him. "You're always one step ahead of me Riddle. I get the feeling Celeste and company know something about it. Want to fill us in?" Cater looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
"How very perceptive of you Cater." Celeste smiled at him and explained to them about the investigation they were conducting.
"So the Headmaster asked you to investigate? I must admit I found the circumstances odd as well. I've had Cater look into it for me." Riddle said nodding in Cater's direction.
Cater pulled out his phone. "I've found out that all of the victims are talented players."
"It sounds like you were the intended target and not Trey. Did you notice anything strange when you fell?" Celeste asked Riddle who frowned slightly.
"It wasn't as if I'd been pushed or slipped but I did feel a peculiar sensation. Like my body was moving of its volition." He narrowed his light grey eyes as he recalled the event.
"That's basically what everybody else said!" Grim's ears perked at Riddle's words.
"There is definitely a pattern..." Celeste nodded and Riddle continued.
"I believe we can safely surmise that players are being targeted."
"It doesn't make any sense, I mean you'd know if you got pushed off the stairs by a gust of wind magic right?" Cater said twirling his ginger hair in his fingers.
"Certainly I felt no external force." Riddle confirmed with a nod.
"Perhaps someone is using a form of telekinetic magic." Celeste said thoughtfully.
"Ah, that could be. If that's the case then we are dealing with someone talented." Riddle's eyes went wide at Celeste's suggestion.
"Tele- what now?" Grim said looking back and forth between Celeste and Riddle.
"It allows you to move things without physically interacting with them." Celeste explained to him.
"Grim have you not been paying attention in class?" Riddle gave him an exasperated look.
"Anyway the culprit will tell us how he did it when we capture him." Riddle continued with a determined look.
"Oh? You are going to help us, Riddle?" Celeste gave him a surprised look.
"One of our housemates was injured and we intend to find him justice." Cater smirked at her.
"We're all house buds here count us in!" Ace and Deuce stepped forward eagerly.
"Well I originally was only doing this because Crowley insisted but now I wish to seek justice for Trey as well. He was so kind to us when he helped us make that tart." Celeste smiled at them but Riddle and Cater narrowed their eyes.
"While I'm sure Celeste is sincere... You two are gunning for that open spot on the team aren't you?" Cater looked over at Ace and Deuce.
Ace let out a laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh. Was it that obvious?"
"N-no! That has nothing to do with it! I wanted to avenge our housemate!" Deuce denied it but he looked a bit guilty when he glanced at her.
Riddle sighed and shook his head. "Fine... Your performance during the investigation will be taken into consideration."
Ace and Deuce cheered as Riddle continued. "Now if we are going to apprehend this culprit we need to stay one step ahead."
"So we will need to know who his next target is... So a stakeout then." Celeste said and Riddle nodded.
"I've already identified a number of potential targets. I'll form a group on Magicam and give you access to the album." Cater said tapping his phone.
Ace and Deuce's phones pinged and they pulled them out to view the information they had been sent. "Wow Cater this is a ton of information!" Deuce said his eyes wide.
"Incredible! Just how many uses do these cell phones have?" Celeste looked at their phones in wonder.
"Oh, hon... It'd take all day to explain it to you, maybe another time." Cater sighed and shook his head.
After class, they made their way to the Pomefiore dorm. Celeste gasped when she saw the building, amazed at how much it reminded her of home. It looked very much like a miniature castle. Eden's palace was, of course, bigger but this was a dorm not a castle after all.
Walking inside the decor was similar to her home as well. The walls and furniture were gilded in gold while the lush carpet was purple.
They peered around a doorway at a group of boys sitting in the lounge. One young man sat on what appeared to be a throne with a peacock design. He was talking with two other students.
Cater pointed at the boy with a blond bob cut and fedora. "That's a junior named Rook Hunt, he's one of the potential targets."
"Ah, I believe I've seen him around before..." Celeste said frowning. She had noticed him watching her on several occasions and while it wasn't unusual for her to draw people's gazes- something about his unnerved her. It almost felt as if she was being studied... Or hunted under his green gaze.
"Rook is an exceptional player. He did extremely well in last year's tournament. But he is a bit of an... Odd duck one might say." Riddle whispered behind her not wanting to draw attention to them.
"Whoa, that dude's like a glitter bomb in human form. He's basically sparkling!" Ace said next to her seeing how they all wore eyeshadow.
Rook was talking with the man on the throne who seemed very refined. He had medium-length blond hair that turned to purple at the ends and two braids that held back his bangs. The eyeshadow and eyeliner he was wearing brought out his lavender eyes. He was sighing and shaking his head as Rook tried to teach a third student how to properly hold a teacup. The third student- a boy with lavender hair and wide blue eyes seemed to be struggling.
"He seems rather vigilant... I doubt the perpetrator will be able to find an opportunity to go after him." Celeste noticed his eyes flickering in their direction. She quickly ducked behind the doorframe with the rest of them.
"Yeah, that's a good point. Let's move on." Cater said and they quickly left before they got caught.
Next Cater took them to the courtyard at the school. He gestured to two tall green-haired boys next to the fountain. "Next on Cay-Cay's list of potential targets are Jade Leech and his twin brother Floyd. They're both sophomores at Octavinelle house. They work so well together on the field that other teams don't know how to counter them."
"They've got the same face!" Grim gasped as the twins turned their heads. They both had a black streak of hair framing the side of their faces though it was on different sides for each twin- presumably a way to tell them apart.
"Identical twins..." Celeste said feeling a pang of sorrow that she couldn't be with her own twin.
"Celeste? Why'd ya look so sad?" Grim's ears twitched when he saw her expression.
"Ah, they just reminded me of my brother and myself. We are twins as well though not identical." Celeste admitted wistfully.
"Don't worry hon I'm sure you'll see him again." Cater tried to reassure her.
"Of course I will. We are twins after all. We can always find each other." Celeste said with a smile.
"So you got that weird twin thing going on huh." Ace said raising an eyebrow at her.
"Ace!" Deuce hissed at him before continuing. "...So do you think they are in danger?" He asked Riddle who was eyeing the twins apprehensively.
"I don't know about that. If I were the culprit, I'd save them for last." He said with a frown. Just then one of the twins spotted them and his lips pulled back into a wide toothy grin.
"Oh ho ho! What is UP Lil goldfish?" He shouted bounding up to Riddle who recoiled in alarm. As he got closer she noticed that they had different colored eyes- one brown and one yellow. She also noticed that his teeth were unusually sharp, meaning that he most likely wasn't human.
"F-Floyd... I've asked you several times to stop calling me strange nicknames." Riddle glared up at Floyd who was towering over him.
Before Floyd could answer Celeste stepped out from behind the apple tree that they had been using for cover. Floyd noticed her his eyes going wide.
"Hello, we wanted to ask-" She started to say but he ignored her cutting her off.
"You're the same size as goldfish! You must be that girl everybody has been talking about. I had no idea you were so small!" He moved closer to her as she frowned at his rude behavior.
"Yes well, I don't see what that has to do with anything." Celeste said crossing her arms as she looked up at Floyd.
Meanwhile Jade had followed his brother over to them, his mismatched eyes taking in their entire group. "My, it would appear a contingent from Heartslabyul House has paid us a little visit. Here to assess the competition in advance of the Spelldrive tournament perhaps?" He spoke in a very courteous manner but narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Oh no that's not-" Celeste started to say but Jade didn't seem to believe her.
"We take a dim view of spying at Octavinelle. I would ask you to justify your actions, suspicious as they are. And please spare no detail." He said with narrowed eyes.
Celeste started to speak but Ace and Riddle grabbed her and began dragging her away. "Quit trying to talk to them and RUN, Celeste!" Ace shouted pulling on her sleeve.
She protested and shook them off but kept running when she turned and saw the twins giving chase. "Oh dear, well I did at least try to be civil." She sighed while making sure she didn't leave her friends behind.
"Civil isn't in Floyd's vocabulary Celeste." Riddle panted as he ran, it seemed that he was the least athletic out of all of them.
They stopped once they reached the main street, the twins had given up chasing them. "What's the deal with those guys?!" Grim panted glancing back to make sure they were gone.
"I'm afraid there must have been some sort of misunderstanding..." Celeste sighed and shook her head.
"Those two have baffled me since we were freshmen together. There's no understanding them." Riddle huffed as he smoothed over his clothes.
"Well, I don't think anybody is going to mess with them. So I guess we should move on to our next stop. It's getting late so let's make this the last one for today." Cater paused to pull out his phone to check his list.
"Jack Howl from Savanaclaw dorm. Rumor has it that he's a great athlete. Scouts from all the major teams are fighting to sign him on." Cater read out his notes.
"I'm afraid that I must return to the dorm. I need to make sure no one is breaking the rules in my absence." Riddle said checking the time.
"That's alright Riddle. I appreciate your help today. I suppose we will see you tomorrow?" Celeste asked and Riddle nodded.
"...Yes of course. I intend to see this through to the end." He said before excusing himself.
After seeing Riddle off, they departed for the Savanaclaw dorm. They passed through the mirror entrance to find themselves in an arid environment vastly different from the one they had just come from. The air was dry and hot and the sun beat down on the soil.
The dorm itself appeared to be carved out of a cliff side and large bones were scattered around the entrance.
"Is... This really a dorm?" Celeste said shocked at how different it was from the other dorms. Grim pawed curiously at the large bones as she looked around.
"Yep. The air here feels so... Primal. It's like we've left the bounds of civilization." Cater said describing how she felt perfectly.
"So what's this Jack guy look like?" Ace said looking around at the students who all appeared to be training.
"He's a wolf beastman, with silver hair and tan skin." Cater said shielding his eyes from the sun.
"You mean like that guy runnin' laps over there?" Grim said pointing his paw at a muscular man running around on a track nearby.
"He's doing laps in this heat?" Celeste turned to look in the direction Grim was pointing.
"Yep, that's him! Good eye Grim." Cater confirmed with a grin.
"With a build like that, he'd be an asset to any team." Deuce admitted, noticing how muscular he was.
Celeste walked towards him and waved. "Excuse me! May we speak with you for a moment?" Jack stopped and turned towards her his ears twitching.
He made his way over to her with a questioning look. "What do you want? Make it fast I was in the middle of training." He grumbled, his eyebrows furrowed in a scowl.
"There have been several incidents involving Spelldrive players recently. The circumstances are suspicious and we were hoping you'd be willing to help us catch who's responsible?" Celeste explained to him and he raised an eyebrow at her.
"We plan to stake out the criminal's perspective targets. What do you say?" Cater added standing next to her.
Jack crossed his arms. "No. I can take care of myself I don't need your protection."
"Are you certain? The perpetrator seems quite skilled. It might be a good idea to have backup." Celeste gave him a worried look.
Jack frowned at her. "... I told you I don't need help. Besides, I don't think I'm gonna be a target. See ya." He said gruffly and left.
Cater let out a disappointed sigh and Celeste slumped her shoulders. "Can't say we didn't warn him." Grim said with a shrug.
"Hey what are you lot doing here?" They looked to see two Savanaclaw students heading towards them. One was tall and muscular with strange stripe-like tattoos over his dark tan skin. He brushed his long curly black hair out of his dark grey eyes and he menacingly moved towards them.
"You're a long way from Heartslabyul House." The other student said sauntering up behind the first student. He was leaner than the first man but still very muscular. He had somewhat shaggy gray hair with a small braid on the left side of his face. He was a bear beastman, with a pair of fluffy grey ears that matched his hair. His skin was also a dark tan and his brown eyes gazed at them curiously.
"You must be a bunch of lackeys sent by Mr. Red baby. You think you can just barge onto our turf and walk away?" The man with the long curly hair snarled his lip curling to reveal sharp teeth like Floyd's.
"That's ok! We were just leaving!" Ace said backing away with Deuce and Cater.
The bear beastman laughed. "Aw don't be like that mancubs! We just wanna play a little bit! I'll even show ya some boxing moves!"
"Sabu, Mano, cut it out." Another voice stopped them in their tracks. Celeste turned to see Leona and Ruggie coming out of the dorm.
"Leona these minnows are trespassing on our turf." The curly-haired man who Leona had called Mano continued to glare at them.
Ruggie's ears twitched when he saw Grim. "Ah, I believe we met earlier in the cafeteria." He smirked at Grim who bristled.
"It's the Grilled Cheeseburglar!" Grim huffed glaring up at him.
"Hey now, let's not get carried away. I have a proper name, it's Ruggie Bucchi don't wear it out." Ruggie defended himself from the accusation.
"And you're that girl from the botanical garden." Leona narrowed his eyes at her and swished his tail, clearly remembering when she'd stepped on it.
"Yes. My name is Celeste. I apologize my friends and I were just leaving." Celeste said hoping to avoid a conflict.
"Oh yeah, I thought I recognized you. You're certainly hard to miss." Ruggie gave her a smirk.
Mano let out an annoyed growl. "C'mon Leona let us rough 'em up a bit."
Leona shot him a stern look. "You know my policy when it comes to women. Besides do you really wanna risk a fight before the tournament? What if you get disqualified?"
"You're really gonna let them walk all over us? I'll let the pretty fish go if you insist." Mano said giving her a dismissive glance.
Celeste let out an insulted huff and crossed her arms. Out of all of them, she was the only one trained in combat and though she wanted to avoid conflict it was frustrating that they all thought she was helpless.
"I never said I was going to let them go. We're gonna resolve this with a friendly game of Spelldrive. After all, it doesn't violate any school rules to cast spells during a game of Spelldrive." Leona said with a sly grin, his emerald eyes locking on her Heartslabyul friends.
Celeste narrowed her eyes realizing his plan. He was going to use the game as a cover to bombard them with attack spells. He had no intention of playing a fair game.
Ruggie snickered. "I doubt those weaklings could endure as much as a single game." His comment successfully riled up Grim who eagerly took the bait.
"I'm not takin' that lyin' down! We got no choice but to fight!" Grim said looking up at Ace, Deuce, and Cater.
"I don't think we had a choice to begin with." Deuce sighed and shook his head.
"Alright fine! You're on! Cater remember this when you pick the official team." Ace said confidently not fazed in the slightest.
Cater seemed to know better however and let out a heavy sigh. "Are you kidding me? All right let's do this. Celeste you'll have to watch from the sidelines. Try to read their movements and convey them to us ok?"
Celeste nodded and they made their way to a Spelldrive field within the dorm. As soon as the match started it was clear Savanaclaw had an advantage, especially with Leona. No matter how many warnings and strategies she called out, Leona was simply too fast and too skilled for them to compete with.
She bit her lip as Ace took yet another tumble. He climbed to his feet, covered in mud and looking worn out. Mano was repeatedly slamming them with water spells and they were all drenched and miserable.
Finally, Cater braced himself on his knees winded. "Listen, Leona, Sweetheart... Everyone knows you're a Spelldrive legend. You know we can't compete against you!"
Leona sneered cruelly. "Giving up already? Get up herbivores, we're having a rematch!"
Celeste had seen enough. "No, you're not. That's quite enough. Your opponent has forfeited!" Celeste said in a stern tone as she marched onto the field head held high.
"Someone's acting high and mighty. You think you can just order us around?" Ruggie said raising an eyebrow.
Before she could answer a voice sounded behind her. "What's going on here?" She turned to see Jack walking onto the field with a furious look on his face.
"Just having some fun with the trespassers." Leona said dismissively with a shrug.
"What's fun about tormenting amateur players?" Jack growled flattening his ears.
Ruggie let out a snort. "What's thiiis? Jack the hero, standing up for the downtrodden! How admirable." He snickered as he teased him.
"I'm just saying this is a disgusting spectacle and I don't want to see it." Jack snorted glaring at Ruggie and Leona.
"Well, thanks. Now you've ruined all of our fun." Leona looked away seeming to lose interest.
"Whoa, Jack you do know who you're talking to right?" Sabu, who had lounged on the bleachers the entire time, sat up and gave Jack a surprised look.
"If you're gonna play the upperclassmen card then act the part." Jack huffed unfazed.
Sabu shrugged. "I'm just saying, man... You ought to watch your own back."
Leona narrowed his eyes. "Pretty bold frosh. I guess I can respect that. I'm getting bored now anyway. Come on Ruggie." Leona and the rest of the Savanaclaw students left the field, leaving only Jack.
"Are you all alright?" Celeste walked over to her friends giving them a worried look as they rubbed their sore muscles.
Cater let out a weak laugh. "Can't say that was my finest moment on the field."
She pulled out one of her handkerchiefs and handed it to him so he could wipe the dirt from his face.
"Thanks for helping us, Jack." Deuce said but Jack just snorted.
"Save it. I ain't in the business of charity work." He grumbled looking away.
Ace let out a groan. "I'm covered in mud let's call it a day."
"Goodbye Jack, we will be taking our leave now." Celeste nodded to him to show her thanks.
"Don't get into any accidents you hear?" Cater called out to him as they turned to leave.
"You've got a lot of nerve to be worrying about me. Now scram already." He growled but she thought she could see a flicker of worry in his eyes before she followed her friends back home.
Azul sighed as he signed forms in his office. His eyes flickered up to glare over at Floyd who was lounging on the couch. Floyd had been distracted his entire shift and made the night incredibly difficult for everyone at Mostro lounge. Jade sat next to him adjusting the budget to cover the losses of the evening.
He had been busy enough as it was, with the lounge, the upcoming tournament, preparing for exams, and school work. At least professor Trein had canceled that paper they were supposed to write on the Age of legend- something he had never seen him do.
Azul glanced over to the book he had already checked out in preparation for the paper. He supposed he would have to make time to return it in the morning.
"Hey, Jade... I've finally decided what to call her." Floyd said sitting up suddenly.
Jade stopped typing and raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? You mean the girl? I believe they called her Celeste before they ran off that is."
Azul looked up from his paperwork when he heard the familiar name. "I'm gonna call her Angelfish because she moves and talks all elegant." Floyd said with a grin.
"Don't tell me the reason you've been daydreaming all night was because you were THINKING OF A NICKNAME." Azul growled at him, his grip tightening on his pen.
Floyd continued to grin unfazed by Azul's foul mood. "She was really interesting... I wanted to squeeze her but her Heartslabyul friends dragged her away." Floyd pouted slightly kicking his foot.
"She certainly didn't seem afraid of us. It's truly a shame Heartslabyul got to her first." Jade looked disappointed as well.
Azul pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "... She spoke to you? About what?" He caved and finally asked them what had happened.
"She and her Heartslabyul friends were watching us from afar. Being so close to the tournament I assumed it was some sort of spying." Jade explained.
"Angelfish wanted to talk but Goldfish dragged her away... I wanted to a least squeeze her talking cat." Floyd sighed.
"... I see. I suppose we'll have to keep a close eye on her." Azul frowned slightly. He hadn't thought from his previous encounter with her that she was quite so devious.
He went to grab another pen but accidentally knocked over the book on the Age of Legend. He gritted his teeth at his clumsy mistake and bent down to retrieve it.
It had fallen on its spine, causing it to open up to a page with an illustration on it. Azul froze his eyes going wide.
The illustration was of a four-winged woman, just like he had seen the night several weeks ago. He gingerly picked up the book and brought it to the light so he could see it better.
Underneath the picture was the description: High Ranking Angel. Perhaps he wouldn't be returning this book after all he thought as he looked at the feather on his desk.
It was almost midnight when Celeste finished another twisted wonderland history book. She had been catching up on the history of the human world on the nights she didn't sleep.
She sighed and stood up to stretch her legs. Grim was asleep in the other room, talking in his sleep. She pulled out her sword, Starfell, from her bag, its scabbard was decorated with jewels. Her fingers trailed over the winged cross guard. She attached it to her belt and stepped outside to stretch her wings.
The cold night air caressed her face as she walked out onto the lawn. She unfurled her wings and looked up into the night sky. The north star shone high in the sky above her and she smiled sadly.
"...Father." She whispered softly reaching toward the shining star. Every angel was linked with a star in the night sky. The north star that shone in the sky year-round was her fathers. Legend said that a piece of an angel's soul lived in each burning star. Unfortunately, her and her brother's stars, Castor and Pollux were not visible this time of year.
There was a slight rustling sound behind her and she spun around trying to cover her face. There in the darkness was a tall horned figure with glinting green eyes. Her feathers ruffled as dread washed over her, a demon had found her at last.
"If you think I am an easy target then think again!" She grabbed her sword and unsheathed it. White hot flames ignited along the blade lighting up the area.
Celeste immediately froze upon seeing the figure clearly. He looked rather startled and was wearing a school uniform, one of the house Diasomnia.
She quickly sheathed the blade, her stomach dropping as she realized they had both gotten a good look at one another.
"...Forgive me. I did not realize you were a student." She said eyeing the horned man wearily.
"Are you... A child of the stars?" The man asked with a look of wonderment moving closer to her. He had mid-length black hair and pale skin.
"Ah, I haven't heard that in a long time... Yes, I'm an angel." Celeste gave him a confused look as he fearless moved in her direction. How was he not afraid of what he had just seen?
"I've only read about your kind. I certainly never expected to find you here. Do you live here? I was under the impression that this dorm had been abandoned for some time." He said in a casual tone.
"I'm staying here for the time being. I am the dorm perfect Celeste. Can I ask that you not mention to anyone that you saw me like this? I wish to be seen as human to my peers." Celeste said hoping he would agree.
"I see. I suppose I can relate to that, alright I will keep this meeting between you and I." He said with a nod and Celeste relaxed a little as he seemed genuine.
"As for my name... You may call me what you like." He said with a cryptic smile.
"If... That is your wish." Celeste said wondering why he didn't want to give her his true name. "I'll bid you farewell. I trust that you'll keep your word yes?" She leaped up into the air hovering just long enough to see him nod before soaring into the starry night sky.