Chapter 1

It was none other than Narumi. The flames of the fireplace cast trembling shadows, barely illuminating his weary face. He seemed much paler, as if something precious had slipped through his fingers. His eyes were fixed on a tattered piece of paper, stained with words he could never forget.

I think of your smile

when I awake from solitude

Like a flicker of the night's embrace...

When old memories wither

when blossoms return anew

I long for the tale left unwritten...

Which was once ours – a long time ago…

At the end of the last phrase, a wave of sorrow surged within him - the same oppressive feelings that haunted his life. They overwhelmed him, forcing him to fall onto the carpet. The paper crumpled silently within his almost curled fingers. It felt difficult to breathe, and he couldn't stop the flashbacks that began to flood his mind.

…

(Six years ago)

It was a day in summer - the season of fireworks. Inside the classrooms, the students were starting to get tired. Especially those in the middle division's class-B, who had spent half the day sitting with nothing exciting happening. When Makihira came in, they were all acting sleepy and uninterested. He saw them for the second time that day and received the same response of being ignored.

"Pay your attention to me for a while. This is-" he stopped. There was no point in talking. His students would rather do nothing than listen to him. "-everyone, we have a newcomer here," Even though he knew exactly how to hit the right spot, Makihira had been their homeroom teacher for nearly five years. As he spoke, every eye turned to the front of the classroom.

They noticed a girl who had an exotic look. She had mid-length, braided hair as dark as a raven's feathers and eyes of rich brown that held no life in them. Things went quiet for five seconds until, "-this is your new classmate Akeshiya Rei-" he solved the common mystery, capturing everyone's attention of the girl named Rei. "-Tobita... Tell her about our rules-" He took a file out of his book bundle and handed it to the blonde-haired president of the class, Yuu Tobita. The boy accepted it readily. His gaze was still fixed on her along with the others. There were not many students present at that time. Half of them had gone out for their individual activities. Yet, there were enough eyes on her to make her feel uncomfortable.

"-Akeshiya, your partner will be Ruka. It says that you two have to work together in upcoming days, so you go and sit near him-" Makihira observed his new student, who was blankly staring at the class. It whispered volumes to him about her attitude. "-well everyone, please be nice to Akeshiya. Have a nice day!" Then he made his way out of the class.

Another three seconds of silence remained. Rei scanned the classroom, searching for Ruka. The concept of teaming up with a partner seemed smart. Having someone to rely on was an indirect survival ticket at the school, not that she knew that at the moment. Rei's thoughts were distracted as a crowd suddenly pushed her two steps backwards.

(Class-B students)

"I'm Anna, you can sit with us and why do you look so different?"

"What's your Alice? I wonder what they've let in this time. I'm Sumire by the way,"

"When you come to know your partner, you can come to me, and call me Yome,"

"Hey, what's going on with you? Something is blocking my way of reading your mind,"

"Koko, leave her alone for now. They'll take care of her,"

The first interaction brimmed with negativity. Rei found it all rather absurd. She uttered not a word. In fact, she was confused. They continued to surround her, determined to make her speak by any means necessary.

"Rei,"

There was a different voice. A warm yet composed one came from behind her. Finally, someone called out her name, offering an escape from the growing crowd.

Rei turned around. 'He looks innocent,' a feeling approached her when she saw the class president. The boy made the effort to smile at her. "I'm sorry, you can't sit near Ruka after they come back," he said with an innocent voice. "Um, okay?" Rei nodded patiently, even obediently, though she was not entirely sure what he implied. "I mean his friends. Don't worry. It's just the place, we all have a signature row and a seat in our class. That's why I'm telling you in advance. You can sit with Yome. It'll be good to avoid unwanted problems with your seniors," he added a smooth, apologetic explanation and handed her the student record book along with her new school ID card. "Thank you! So… Who's Ruk-?"

It seemed to be the most pressing question of the moment. Before she could even finish, everyone's hands pointed towards the last row where Ruka was sitting.

Rei had noticed him the moment she entered. He was charming. Adorable light blue eyes made him stand out from the rest. Despite the chaos unfolding at the front, he did not bother lifting his head. Quietly, continued whatever he had been doing. A small rabbit ran away from his lap, perhaps by the commotion caused by the gathering students. He resembled Chu Wanning, but not a cat, more like a rabbit.

"What is your Alice?"

Rei heard Tobita speak through her thoughtful observation. "The Plant-Growing," she answered. Her response was too casual, almost too convincing to be true. Only she knew the reality of it. Silence once again washed over the crowd.

The green-haired girl Sumire interrupted before Tobita could speak. "Wow…! You have to be kidding? Don't you dare tell us that you're going to work with him, understand?" 'No more sugar-coated words,' Rei thought, feeling a sense of threat. She had not known there was another Plant-Growing Alice user, let alone that it was a boy. With such diehard fans, who else could it be if not a male?

Tobita stopped Sumire before it turned into an argument. He requested everyone to leave. Rei and Tobita then walked slowly towards the last row. He explained the necessary details to her, leaving out the nature of her partner Ruka. He was sitting next to them as well. As expected, he did not bother to give even a side glance.

The first half of the day ended when the bell rang for the interval. Rei waited alone in the front corridor of class-B, having finished her lunch with no one to talk to, and there was nowhere to go. Her isolated presence caught the attention of some boys from the other class. They approached her as they pleased. It was not the normal behaviour of the school, but Rei was new. She was an exception. The increasing misbehaviour lasted for a while, until they finally melted away from her, coming to a vision of another boy from class-A.

"Hey, how are you doing?" He asked, waving his hand in front of her face to bring her back to reality.

"Ah, it's you," his sudden arrival brought a faint smile to Rei's lips. "Is everything alright? I've been watching you waiting alone. Don't you have a friend yet?" He smirked at the twinkle in her eyes, fully aware of how glad she was to have him there. "Yeah, only got Ruka as the partner," she replied with a sigh, to which he raised an eyebrow. "Ruka, funny…" The smirk went away as he asked. "Funny? You call him funny, huh? I was sitting next to him for an entire hour, don't know what's going on in his head," explaining her pathetic exchange with Ruka, Rei got confused upon seeing the visible anxiety on his face. "How about his friends?"

"Um… Yuu told me one or two things about them but I don't exactly know where they are," Rei felt a sense of unease lingering between their conversation. She had not been to many places before in her life. Having not gone far from home before coming to the city, she cherished the peacefulness she had left behind. Despite the calm atmosphere within the school there was an unsettling feeling that sent chills down her spine. This place was strange. Its people were fake. It was a maze, waiting to swallow her with a single mistake. And it did not allow her to stay the way she desired.

"Things are not looking good for you Rei, you have to be careful. I don't care for whatever the reason you come up with, don't you dare go out in the light,"

"Shiki…" she glanced at him.

"Alright, I'm sorry! Just please stay hidden," although he knew that she needed no advice, he still took his chance to remind her. "I won't make things difficult for you. You know Shiki, I didn't want to come if not for you and since now we're here, I don't want to act on my own," she said, her gaze fixed on something in the far corner of the corridor.

"What is it?" Shiki was curious but he was too lazy to turn back. "They're staring at us, or at me, perhaps, I think," Rei muttered under her breath. Not giving the girls present a chance to catch her words. "Ah that… What did you expect when I'm a celebrity?" he snickered, before casually whipping his slightly long, silky brown hair. His eyes, a mesmerizing blend of deep blue with subtle hints of grey, held a captivating allure that made him stunning beyond comparison. Almost everyone in the school knew of Shiki Masachika. Gifted with both looks and talent, he was adored by many, It was not surprising to see him having fans in all grades.

"Huh fans, that's enough nonsense for my first day. See you later, little one…" Rei sighed at Shiki, who was looking at her with an amused smile, gesturing for him to go back before walking into her classroom.

She had to go to the greenhouse when the next period arrived. As she approached, the scene that unfolded took her by surprise. She had not expected to encounter such beauty within the school grounds until that moment. The greenhouse was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. Its crystal walls began a few meters above the ground, making it impossible to see inside without entering.

"Excuse me, may I come in?" She knocked once on the door. "Yes," came a response in a male voice.

Rei was curious. The person inside had the same Alice as hers. Given the nature of her classmates, there was not much hope left. She was willing to work with anyone as long as it was not Ruka. Pushing aside her thoughts, she opened the door to what seemed like a mirrored palace. A soft breeze brought a romantic aroma of unfamiliar flowers.

A boy was watering the plants. "Misaki?" She asked him as politely as she could. "Yes!"

That was it, another Ruka. Rei once again confirmed her ceaseless bad luck. His voice held no warmth, as cold as snow. On the positive side, he was handsome, with a perfectly built body that she assumed he had gained from working outdoors with his Alice.

"I can come later," she turned to leave. "Those are all yours. If you need something, take from the storeroom or ask me," before she could take a step, he pointed to the left side of the greenhouse where there was a clean hall including a room, all while continuing to water the plants. "Well. Thank you!" Wondering if he would say anything further, Rei slowly walked to the other side of the main block. She felt hopeless with him. His self-sufficient nature prevented him from glancing at her, let alone learning her name. She felt pity for herself.

Rei spent the entire day in the greenhouse. When she saw the clock, it was too late. She was already thirty minutes late for the Science period. She considered skipping the class, but it was her first day. She did not want to add trouble to her newly started school life.

"Excuse me, Sensei!"

Rei entered the classroom. "Sit!" Jinno, their science teacher said dismissively, keeping his attention on the lesson. She walked to her seat through numerous looks and hidden smiles. Her late arrival was nothing worth laughing about. Only students like Tobita, Ruka, and Yome seemed to be focusing on the lesson. This time around, she noticed a few new faces in the class. A few girls and boys were present. Misaki was also sitting next to Ruka. She clenched her fists, burning with anger, ready to punch his jaw for leaving her alone in the greenhouse.

When there were only ten minutes left in the period, Jinno looked at Rei. "You, new girl, stand up. Tell me your excuse for being late for my period," he asked. She stood up. "I don't have a particular reason," said Rei, giving him a dull glance. Students gasped. Though she was brave, it was stupid to provoke him. No one said a word as they watched their teacher and their new classmate.

"We have rules. Today may be your first day, but that's no reason to let you go off the hook. I see… Who is your partner? When you do something wrong, your partner will be the one to get punished," Jinno was both angry and delighted. He had always considered every Alice owner to be unique. Somehow, there were only a handful of students who had that quality, especially among the girls until he met this one.

"Sensei," Ruka stood up with the demeanour of a wild beast, his voice hoarse.

"Ah, Nogi… You know the rules very well. Meet me in the staff room," Jinno ordered one of his favourite students who never had a negative behaviour. He immediately admitted that Ruka and Rei as a good pair of Alice users, but this would not affect their punishment. "Sensei, may I say something?"

Rei's interrupting voice echoed through the room. Jinno, Ruka, and the other students all turned to look at her simultaneously. "Punish me, I ignored him," she obviously did not want to be punished. But getting punished felt better than getting on the bad side of her angry partner. She was also mindful of Shiki's words. He asked her to act with caution.

Rei looked at their teacher's face, seeking an answer. It was not the first time Jinno saw a student like her, but not on the very first day at the school. Jinno nodded. He then left the class, not wanting to waste his time. There he found a satisfying sense of approval in the back of his mind.