Aiden’s eyes snapped open, forthwith his vision swamped by darkness.

Everything was dark. He can’t see–

The ravenette was just about to panic when he quickly realized the familiar space of a room, which was actually lit up a little.

There was dim light emitting from a table lamp on the study desk at the opposite side he currently was in, and a shine from outside peeking between the curtains of a window.

However, this was definitely not his room.

‘This is not my room. What happened?’ His eyes adjusted a bit to the dark, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

Aiden knew for sure that he was definitely in a student’s resident room. All the rooms in the student’s resident houses basically have the same furniture arrangement because of their university’s 5S practice.

Still, whose room was this?

His body froze on the unfamiliar mattress he was in, with blankets and pillows of unknown origin.

Aiden was about to panic again when he noticed a mop of hair at the side end of the bed rail.

Looking further.. it was Lias, who appeared to be sleeping while sitting on the floor, with his back leaning on the bed rail. Blonde hair stranding to the side of his face as his head hung low.

 ‘Huh? Why did he..? Did I faint again?’ The images of yesterday’s event were clouded in his mind.

Aiden immediately got off the bed, and bend his knee over the other man’s side.

“Lias..” The ravenette quickly shook the blonde haired man’s shoulder. Though, he did it rather gently. “Lias.. Lias, wake up..”

Lias’s amber eyes flutter open. He glanced at the side absentmindely, and startled to see Aiden.

The ravenette sensed his alarm pulled back a little. “Sorry for waking you up. But you have been sleeping on the floor.. and um.. how did I get here? Did I faint again?”

“Oh, you already awake, Aiden? Yea, you fainted this.. uh earlier.. One of the guys found you, and brought you here,” Lias answered, voice raspy dried from sleeping.

Then he proceeded to stretch his limb. How long had he been asleep? He was supposed to be keeping watch on the ravenette, but he ended up sleeping on the job.

Not like it was really a job. Gelaro or George or whatever, that bastard, just dumped the ravenette on them after he got into a ‘scuffle’ with the shadow hound they saw earlier. Actually, he dumped the poor boy to Len, who then dumped him in their shared room, and left to who knows where.

But Aiden didn’t know any of that anyway. He still looked confused. However his mind had concluded that maybe the one who found him fainted was one of the new guys, and that Lias had let him rest in his room.

“You’re okay?”  asked Lias with genuine concern.

Aiden hastily nodded. “Ye-yea, I don’t think I..” To be frank, is he really okay? He had been fainted a lot lately.

“We didn’t bring you to the.. infirmary because we.. forgot where it is.. and.. we totally forgot to ask the other students.” It was a lie. They didn’t want to create a scene, so they just ended up letting Aiden stay with them until he woke up.

Len’s [A Blank Space Held No Echo], or Memory Eraser ability can wipe out a selection of memories, but it will cause the person subjected to it to faint on the spot. Just like rebooting a computer. Of course there are limits to what  memories, as well as short and long term recollection he can erase from a certain someone’s mind. Other than that, it had no harmful effect.

“How? How did I faint? I mean, where did you find me fainted? Who’s bringing me here?”

“Calm down, calm down. I think it’s because of the.. hot weather,” Lias suggested, as he laid a comforting hand on the ravenette’s shoulder, noticing how it tense under his touch. “Uh.. George brought you here.”

“Wait, George! Snow! George Snow!” What happened that morning with the dark brown haired man came back to him. His memories were still clouded in a mist, but there were some bits that he could recall. Though, some parts didn’t make sense.

“How is he?!”

“Uh.. George?” Lias looked startled.

“Yea, I.. We were talking and..” Or was it fighting?

“Oh, he said that you were discussing work with him.. I think. Then, you suddenly fainted.” Seriously, Gelaro that bastard didn’t even give them any details and just fuck off like that. Lias felt like an ‘intervention’ with the brute man needed to commence soon.

Aiden, on the other hand, was frowning deeply. He tried to remember what happened, but his mind refused to cooperate. Something didn’t make sense.

“Did you guys tell.. Articus about this?”

The right corner of Helios mouth stretches downward. “We didn’t tell him yet. We–“

“–Thank goodness!”

Lias had his eyebrows raised. He’s just about to cook up an excuse.

“Please don’t tell Articus about this! Or anyone about this matter! I don’t want him to worry..”

‘I have been fainting a lot lately. It will surely raise alarm.’ Thought Aiden, an uneasy feeling brewing inside his mind. Though, he didn’t plan to confide to anyone soon.

Lias just nodded dumbfoundedly at that. “Oh, okay..”

“Thanks. Oh, please inform your other friends too.”

“No problem. I’ll relay it to them.”

Satisfied with the answer, Aiden stood up slowly from the bed. “Then.. I should be going now. I need to return to my room. Thanks.. for taking care of me.”

Lias also stood up, taking him to the door. “It’s a no problem. Let me walk you to your room.”

“No, it’s okay. I can just walk alone. You should go back to bed. What time is it now?” asked Aiden when he noticed the outside corridor of the dorm had already been lit out in silence.

‘It’s already night, huh.. Oh, shoot, Articus must be searching for me!’

Aiden quickly checked his phone, but noticed it was missing. Not only that, he just now realizes the absence of his hoodie.

Lias raised his brows at the frantic ravenette before he realized what the other was freaking out about. He promptly went back to his room, and brought back the items that Aiden had been searching for.

“I took off your jacket and phone before laying you on the bed. I hope you don’t mind. Oh, and this is your bag.”

“Thank you very much. Really.” Aiden took back his items, with gratitude. He immediately went to check the time, but his phone was shut off.

Aiden wanted to turn it on but immediately blanched. ‘No doubt there will be many miss calls and messages.’ Articus will freak out again.

“Thanks again. I should go now.”

“You sure you don’t want me to walk you back? It’s already quite late.”

“Yeah, it’s okay. I won’t faint again.. ” But the ravenette faltered for a moment, before answering surely, “I’m feeling better now. I will make it fine alone.”

“You know what, I’ll just walk you there.” Lias went to grab the smaller man’s wrist, already slipping into his sandal and clicked to go.

The sudden tug at his wrist made Aiden freeze, in turn causing Lias to quickly release it upon noticing it.

“O-oh! Uh sorry for grabbing you so suddenly! I–“

“–It’s okay! I mean– No! It’s fine.”

“Bu-but I should have not done that! It’s really discourteous of me–“

“-No-no-no! It’s fine! Just drop it.”

“Ye-yea! We should drop this! I’m sorry–!“

“–It’s fine! It’s fine! I-I– Just drop it!”

Just drop it, but the both of them spend a minute stammering around. After that, a minute to awkwardly stand and fidgeting around. It was only the two of them in the quiet corridor of the dorm’s resident house.

“I.. uh..” Lias sheepishly rubbed the back of his blonde hair. Faltered momentarily from the absence of his long strands, before reminding himself of his current predicament.

The hand latched to his neck instead, as his brow furrowed on the wall next to him.

‘Right.. I’m currently in another world right now.’ Lias thought melancholy. The woeful feeling inside him came knocking on his mind again. ‘But I still didn’t learn my manners even all this time.. Always just take, and never ask.. I just never change.. I’m still.. just a foolish overproud..’

“Um.. I should be going now.”

The quiet subdued voice infront had reeled Lias back from his despondency, and the blond man immediately snapped himself out of it.

If Aiden felt concern about the blond man’s odd behaviour, he did not voice it. He just wants to return to his room.

However, Lias was still persistent. “But it’s so late. It’s already three in the morning. Are you sure that you’re going to be fine walking on your own like that? You just woke up and all..”

Aiden’s eyes immediately went wide like a saucer. “Three?! It’s already three in the morning?”

Before Lias could confirm, the ravenette had already taken off with a farewell. “I need to go back fast! Thanks again!”

Lias was left staring at the other man’s dust, then at his own hand.

 

♬•°♩°•♪*✦*♪•°♩°•♬

 

‘Articus will really freak out! I hope he doesn’t go accusing Caelum Rivers again!’

In his haste, his mind was vaguely remembering things as if it were a dream. He remembered talking with Snow– No, they were arguing.

‘And then.. And then.. we were..’ He couldn’t recall some details. But one of the things he saw was that, Snow was injured and bloodied and everything.

That part was bugging him, because it felt so real. But based on what Lias had told him, it might have been his imagination. But..

‘I need to go check up on him– Wait–! It’s three o’clock already! I need to go back.’

As Aiden was running past the many blocks of student resident houses, he saw something at the fountain near one of the resident squares.

That something was so shocking to him that he stopped in his tracks.

It was one of the new students.

He was swimming in the fountain!

No. He freaking makes it like a Jacuzzi!

“What are you doing?” Aiden had blurted out before his mind could process.

Lelang or Len, who had been minding his business alone under the moonlight, was a bit surprised to see the ravenette pop up in the dark of night. The shine from the lamp post is the only thing illuminating the fountain, aside from the graceful moonlight.

“Oh, the tour guy. You’re already up and about?”

“Yea, I..”

“Come closer, I can’t hear you there.” Beaconed the black haired man, some strands of hair stuck to the side of his face. His single braid hung loose by the sides of his head.

‘Like hell I will.’ Aiden’s eyes went flat. “Uh.. Sorry. I need to go–“

“–Ah! I’m drowning!”

Aiden quickly drops his things, and sprint to the fountain.

When the ravenette arrived at the foot of the fountain, he could not see anything as the dark surrounding masked the water inside it.

But then emerged a figure from the water, splashing bits and drops everywhere. Some of the water even splashed at the ravenette.

Len whipped his hair left and right, smirking as he sank into the water again.

By then, Aiden remembered that the fountain was shallow. It was a fucking fountain. He instantly felt irritated for getting his leg pulled by a dumb trick.

“What are you doing?” Aiden inquired, and didn’t even mask the irritation in his voice.

“Soaking? Why?” Len asked back, unperturbed as he rested his front body on the foot of the fountain. Then with glassy half lidded eyes and seductive tone asked, “Care to join me?”

“As if!” Aiden instantly rejected, “It’s a fountain!”

“So? A fountain full of water.” The black haired man said, smiling widely like a fox.

You know what, Aiden was beginning to feel suspicious of the new students. He suspected that there must be some screw loose on some of them.

“You are not supposed to.. It’s a fountain.. Ah, whatever.” Aiden dropped it. He turned to climb over, before adding. “You could catch a cold.”

Len’s smile stretched at that. But beneath that mask, something flared up inside of him.

Just when Aiden was about to leave, a cold hand grabbed his wrist. Then, tugged it backward.

The ravenette’s eyes widened at the strong pull. In a sudden blur, his whole being submerged inside a cold water in a big splash.

SPLASH!

“What–?! Why the fuck did you do that?!” Aiden snarled, immediately trying to scramble up the fountain again. But it’s too late as most of his body had been drenched.

“Wow, rude. I just invited you in.” Len feigned offended, hand on his chest.

“You pulled me in here!”

“I invited you in here.”

“But I don’t want to!”

“But I insist.”

Aiden wanted to argue more, but then just sighed, rather loudly. He was already drenched wet.

“To hell.” As he dropped to the water.

Aiden rested his back on the hard surface, sinking a little into the cold water. It’s already quite late, and Articus must be asleep by now. He just made up a lie tomorrow.

Right now, he could spare to soak in a minute or two. Everything, everything had been too hectic lately.

Someone moved slowly by the ravenette’s side, the water rippled along the movement. 

“Refreshing, right?” asked Len, smiling gently as he leaned beside the ravenette.

“I seriously want to hit you.” Aiden gave him a flat glare from the corner of his eyes.

“Understandable.”

‘I don’t think you understand how much I want to drown you right now.’ The gray eyes glared further at the man beside him, looking innocent and shit.

It’s a good thing he left his phone with his other items, or else he will throw hands; new student or not.

Aiden moved away his eyes, and turned to gaze up at the sky. It was a starry sky tonight, with few clouds blocking the moonlight view.

As the ravenette lost in the sea of stars, Len was gazing at him, silently studying the being before him.

The Witch used to accompany him for his night soaking. Sitting on a trunk of a tree, lounge by the makeshift table of rocks and barks or following him into the shimmering water. Though, he always had to trick her into getting in the water with him.

Nevertheless, she was always there, waiting with a towel in hand.

Reprimanding him.

“You could catch a cold.”

And all other variations of concern towards his well being. Her warmth divaricated toward his cold-soaked skin as they intertwined for a dance under a moonlight shine. He terribly missed that warmth. Both her words and actions are his warmth.

Len teared away his gaze and turned to look downward, on the black casted water.

When dunderhead came to him, bloodied, and carrying the ravenette on his arms, he was alarmed at what had happened. But the brute beings just told him that he got attacked by that shadow hound they had met earlier, and that the tour guy happened to witness it.

Then, that bastard proceeded to dump the tour guy on him. It was troublesome, so Len dumped that man on Lias instead.

But still, to think dunderhead could get injured by that shadow hound. Even during their past journey, dunderhead had always been one of their heavy hitters. He was also their tank. No, he was the main tank if anything else.

What more, he almost.. drained.

Just as dunderhead forced the tour guy to his arm, the brute man immediately staggered and nearly fell over. If not because his ego acted as a crutch at the last moment, he could see the brute being kissing the ground. But that brute man still couldn’t hide his condition; bloodied arm and tattered clothes, not to mention the look of exhaustion on his face.

But yea, fucking dunderhead still acted all high and mighty. It would be darkly amusing if he would just finish off that barbaric ice demon at that time.

But Len relented. For now.

So the jewellery, the so-called assister, was actually nothing more than a limiter to their power. Len wondered how much of their power had been restricted. 70 percent? 80 percent?

It could explain why their hyper senses are a bit malfunctioning, and sometimes going haywire. Len could swore he had detected the Witch’s soul countless times already, but it all turned out to be a duped signal.

But it could also have been caused by the environment they were in.

If not, they could have caught the shadow hound by now, then forced whoever summoned it to come out. Maybe then, they could at least have a lead on what is going on, and why that shadow hound attacked them in the first place.

Despite all this, they couldn’t bring it out to the Witch Council. The council will surely, no, absolutely order them to abandon this mission.

And he definitely won’t comply with that. He might.. betray them if it were to come down to that.

Len remembered when–

“Ah, a shooting star.”

The sudden exclamation surprised Len a bit. It’s not loud per se, but because the black haired man had been lost to his own sea of thought, he still jumped a bit at the exclamation.

He turned to see Aiden staring up at the sky, looking at his aforementioned exclamation with wide eyes. Those clear gray eyes which seem to sparkle more than the starry sky right now, well, in Len’s opinion.

“Or.. not? It might be a falling satellite..” Aiden murmured disappointedly, “I’m just about to make a wish..”

Len observed the ravenette with interest. ‘Wish, huh? So this world also had that kind of thing..’

Tierra also had that kind of superstitious belief of a falling star that is said to be able to grant any wish to the person who saw it. Though, quite a lot of religions and cultures in his world that believe in the power of the star.

Len of course didn’t believe it.

A wish upon a shooting star is just an absurd belief made up to give the listener a sense of hope in finding a one in a million chances. How did a falling star able to grant a wish in the first place? There is no magifically explanation for that.

But the ravenette at his side already has his eyes shut, and gripping his hands together.

“Quick, make a wish.” Aiden had said this, but Len just stared at him in amusement.

Despite pessimistically said earlier that it might not be a shooting star, but here the ravenette is, trying to wish upon the star with all his being. Len couldn’t help but chuckle at it.

Looking at the sky, the black haired man didn’t see any shooting star. Maybe it had gone by now? Nevertheless, Len didn’t have anything to wish for right now. Maybe he should have wished for.. the chance to meet the Witch again.

But then again, he didn’t believe all that nonsense about wishing upon a shooting star. It’s just so.. absurd.

A sudden memory harks back to Len as his eyes widen. Before that black eyes cast down at the darkened water again. Body turned restless as he tried to calm himself down.

His mind tried to evocate one of his repressed memories. One that he rather stay repressed till the end of his life.

‘It’s all in the past now.. It doesn’t matter now..’ Thought Len indifferently, contrasted with his initial reaction.

He really didn’t care about the past. He didn’t care what had happened in the past. What’s important to him right now is to find his beloved Witch again.

“You.. you okay there?”

Len’s head turned to the side to find Aiden looking at him with concern.

“You’ve been spacing out..”

“I’m fine,” Len dismissed it, “I’m just meditating while waiting for you to finish wishing. Are you done now?”

“Whatever, dude.” Aiden turned bashful. He didn’t want to be perceived as childish, but still, a shooting star, is a shooting star. Plus, this is his first time seeing one, eventhough he’s unsure whether it is really a shooting star or a falling satellite or his mind playing tricks on him again.

“What do you wish for anyway?” The black haired man inquired.

Aiden frowned at him. “You can’t tell someone your wish, or else it won’t work.”

“Heh, is that so?” Len looked mirthful. “Do you actually believe that kind of thing? Tell me, how can a falling star grant someone a wish? That star might be too busy falling to even care about our wish. It might even be offended to be taken advantage of like that.. like it must be screaming on why we didn’t just wish for its safe landing or something.”

“Wha-whatever! Just let me be!”

“Haha.”

That light-hearted chuckle just causes Aiden to redden more. “To hell with it. Everyone had their own belief.”

“That’s true. I’m not judging you,” Len agreed charmingly, “Just find you amusing.”

Aiden glared at him at the corner of his eyes, but the black haired man seem unfazed.

“Hey, tour guide..” called Len, voice surprisingly low, but Aiden who was right beside him could hear it.

“It’s, Aiden.” uttered the ravenette, without looking at him, “My name is.. Aiden Vyce.”

Len is a bit taken aback, before smiling as he mouthed, “Aiden, right..”

Aiden lowly hummed. He didn’t want to be known as the ‘tour guide’ among those new students for the rest of his university’s life. Not that he will be meeting them that much, or at all. But still, getting called as a ‘tour guide’ felt a bit funny. Though, he got called much worse than that.

A hand on his shoulder stopped the ravenette’s mind rambling as he jolted a bit. It felt like everyone had been touching and closing on him nowadays.

Len was startled by his reaction, but then smiled in amusement. While Aiden just frowned at him.

“Hey, Aiden..” started Len suddenly, he turned fully toward the ravenette, closing in on him.

“Wha-“ A hand on his forehead, stopped Aiden in track. He peered at Len’s pitch black eyes, who staring at him intensely.

It was a stilled moment.

Then, the hand just brushed the ravenette’s hair to the back.

“Wha-what’s that?! Don’t go touching someone’s head so suddenly!”

Len didn’t answer that outburst, instead just pressed his mouth in a smile, a gentler smile from all the smiles he had given so far since coming into this world.

Initially, he wanted to make Aiden forget about their time together at this fountain.. but then decided against it. Plus, he didn’t want to carry a wet unconscious man to his room.

“Let’s stay here a little longer.” Len smiled as he tilted his head a bit, hand still smoothing the ravenette’s hair.

Aiden immediately got up, and climbed down the fountain.

This action greatly confused the black haired man. “Eh, where are you going?”

“To hell I want to stay here a little longer, I’m going back.”

“Wait, tour guy– I mean, Aiden!” Len quickly hrabbed the back of the ravenette’s pants.

“Let go of me!”

“Stay with me a bit longer!”

“Let me go.. or I scream!”

“Wow, you’re no fun.”

“Let me go!!”

 

♬•°♩°•♪*✦*♪•°♩°•♬

 

Aiden went back to his room very late. He managed to grab his dried clothes from the clotheslines area of their common room, and changed before going out again. He stayed in one of the discussion rooms downstairs, before returning to his room at dawn.

That morning, he lied to Articus that he had a group discussion, and decided to stay in one of his groupmate’s rooms.

Articus didn’t buy it, but he didn’t say anything to refute either. His only demur was that the ravenette didn’t inform him about it, and even turned off his phone.

Aiden had to bullshit his way through that morning.

And, he also caught a mild cold.