Kaela sat up on her bed in the academy's hospital room and suddenly muttered, "Shit, I forgot to tell the Headmaster something."
Taro, lounging on a nearby chair, raised a brow. "About what?"
"The demon I fought," Kaela said, brows furrowing. "Before I could finish him off, he said the weirdest things. That he didn't want to be a demon, that he never wanted to kill anyone, and… that he wished he were human."
Taro blinked. "Huh. Mine said something similar. He kept going on about not wanting to die because of his family or something."
"So you heard it too!" Kaela leaned forward. "Don't you think that's strange?"
Taro shrugged. "I mean, I guess? But what about it?"
Kaela crossed her arms. "You'd know if you actually stayed awake in Professor Kobe's lectures. Demons aren't supposed to feel things. No guilt, no fear. But both of them clearly did."
Rin muttered from his bed, "Maybe you imagined it."
Kaela glared. "Imagined it? I saw it with my own eyes."
Rin scoffed. "Right. And when I say I saw someone, you all act like I'm crazy."
Taro sighed. "Just let it go already."
"Sure," Rin said bitterly. "Whatever makes you feel better."
Two days passed quietly.
The doctor entered the room, clipboard in hand. "Kaela, Taro—you're good to go. As for you, Rin, another two or three days, depending on how you're feeling."
"Yes!" Taro jumped up. "Finally, freedom!"
Kaela stretched with a satisfied groan. "Being stuck in one room is the worst."
Taro glanced at Rin. "Well, I guess you'll be alone. Later!"
He exited, leaving Kaela still standing.
She hesitated, then turned to Rin. "Hey… I'm sorry."
Rin looked over. "For what?"
"For… punching you. In the dungeon. I lost control, and I'm really sorry."
He waved her off. "It's fine. Your boyfriend's waiting."
Kaela smirked. "I can punch you again if you want."
Then she smiled faintly and said, "See you around."
As she walked out, Rin muttered, "Finally…"
Ella appeared beside him, sitting cross-legged in the air. "Wow, that was cold. You've got ice in your veins."
Rin rolled his eyes. "Shut up. And where the hell have you been? Vanishing for two days without saying anything weird to me?"
Ella smirked. "Aww, did you miss me."
Rin tried to punch her, but his fist passed right through.
"What the—?"
"Dumbass," she said. "I told you already. I'm like an evil spirit. You can't touch me. How dumb are you?"
"You didn't show up because I'd 'talk out loud'? You think now is better?"
"You're literally talking to a floating girl in front of an empty wall," she said dryly. "Totally normal."
Rin gave her a look. "So… that flower I saw. You were sealed inside it. Why?"
Ella's expression shifted slightly. "Because two thousand years ago, some so-called 'hero' tried to get rid of me. I was apparently 'the number one threat to the world.'"
"Oh really?" Rin said with a skeptical tone. "Number one? I doubt that."
She ignored him. "Anyway, before he sealed me, he said, 'No one will ever see you again until the world ends.' And then you showed up, proving him wrong."
Rin narrowed his eyes. "But if you're a spirit, how did he seal you in the first place?"
Ella paused, then answered, "Because I was human. He sealed me while I was still alive. After that, I became… whatever I am now. I call myself the Spirit of the Flowers."
"Lame."
"You're the lame one, talking to a ghost no one else can see."
Rin sighed. "Whatever. I should start preparing for the exams next week."
"Exams?" Ella tilted her head.
"Yeah. I need to study a bunch of nonsense, then spar with other students in the arena."
"I don't get the studying part," Ella said, "but if you're fighting your friends, you don't stand a chance."
Rin frowned. "Why not?"
"First of all," she said, counting on her fingers, "Taro's fire attribute is crazy strong. It's defensive and offensive. That's rare. And Kaela? She already knows how to fuse water and light"
Rin blinked. "How do you know all that?"
"I can see their power," she said, tapping her glowing eyes. "With these."
"So what should I do?"
"You're asking me?" Ella looked amused. "Well… since we're stuck together for life, I guess I can help."
She hovered in front of him. "You've got fire and electricity, right? Try fusing them."
"I can't even control my electricity properly."
"We'll work on that," she said. "For the next few days, I want you to focus on controlling your electric attribute."
"I'll blow something up."
"Don't worry," Ella said with a grin. "I won't let you explode. I am pretty strong, you know."
Rin sighed. "This is going to be a nightmare."
Ella winked. "It already is."
---
To be continued...