The night was quiet, painted in silver by the moonlight that spilled across the lake. The water mirrored the sky above, a canvas of endless stars shimmering faintly with each ripple of the still surface. The fragrance of night-blooming jasmine lingered in the air, subtle yet soothing, carried by the faint breeze that rustled the grass along the shore.

Luca stood there for a moment, twin sabers still sheathed at his sides, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. The violet-haired woman sat on the edge of the lake, her reflection flickering across the dark waters like a phantom. Without a word, he walked over and sat beside her, lowering himself onto the cool grass. For a while, neither of them spoke. Both gazed forward—her serene, him with a storm still lingering behind his eyes.

The silence stretched, filled only with the soft hum of crickets and the whisper of the night wind. Finally, she broke it, her voice as calm as the lake itself.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Luca didn't look at her. His eyes stayed on the horizon, as if seeking answers in the line where the lake met the starlit sky. A pause hung heavy in the air before he thought to himself: No.

"I want to…" His voice was quiet, strained. "…but I won't."

She tilted her head, violet strands of hair catching the moonlight. "Hmm?"

Luca exhaled, the weight of his thoughts pressing against his chest. "It feels good to share my worries with you," he admitted, his voice steady though his eyes never wavered from the distance. "But… I feel like I should deal with this myself. Otherwise….. I may not be able to grow."

Her gaze softened, unblinking as she listened.

"There will be many problems in the future," he continued, his tone heavy with conviction, "each one bigger than the last. But I can't always rely on others to face them for me, right?"

Her lips curved slightly, a quiet smile tugging at them as she leaned just a little closer, her voice laced with a teasing warmth. "So, am I 'others' now? I thought we'd be friends by now."

For the first time that night, Luca turned his head to look at her. His expression was calm, his eyes clear, yet there was a gentleness in them that hadn't been there before.

"We are friends," he said firmly. "And that's exactly why I don't want to burden you with all my problems. I want to share my happiness with you as well. I want to be someone my friends can rely on… someone they can trust."

His own words struck him, widening his eyes with sudden realization. That's right….. I have to prove myself. I need to trust them… trust Aurelia, trust all of them…If I want them to trust me. If they don't see it yet, then I'll make them realize. There's no point in being frustrated over it… not when I already know the path I must walk.

A small chuckle escaped his lips.

The woman tilted her head, curious. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he replied, a faint smile breaking through. "I guess just seeing you seems to solve my problems."

She giggled lightly, though for a fleeting moment her eyes clouded with a melancholy Luca almost missed. "It's good to know that I can still help someone."

He blinked, puzzled by the shadow in her gaze. But before he could ask, she spoke again, her tone quieter, almost contemplative.

"I looked into the books, trying to find more about the ancestor of your family. There was indeed one hero with the surname Valentine. But… there wasn't any concrete information about him. I'll look more into it."

Luca nodded, the fire within him tempered by her words. The two of them sat in silence once more, the lake before them a mirror of stillness.

After a moment, he turned slightly, his eyes on her profile illuminated by moonlight. "Still don't want to tell me anything about yourself?"

She looked at Luca and smiled faintly, though her eyes carried a distant glimmer.

"There is nothing to talk about my life," she said softly. Then, almost absentmindedly, as if speaking to herself, she added, "My life… it's not colorful at all. It's a life not worth talking about. Neither as painful as others, nor as happy as others."

Luca studied her expression. That same smile lingered on her lips, but he could feel the weight hiding behind it. He didn't press further. Instead, he turned his gaze back to the lake, to the calm reflection of the stars, and spoke slowly:

"Which life is not happy? Which life is not painful?

Without experiencing pain, can we ever truly enjoy happiness?

And without happiness, can we really understand pain?

Someone's pain is another's happiness, and someone's happiness may be another's pain,

But isn't it the mixture of both that makes life beautiful? That makes every life meaningful?

Which life is not happy… which life is not painful?"

Her eyes widened, caught off guard by the unexpected depth of his words. For a long moment she simply stared at him, as though he was no longer the boy she thought she knew. Then, a soft chuckle escaped her.

"Didn't know you were a poet as well."

Luca smiled lightly and shook his head. "What poet? It's just some words that happened to sound good together."

He rose to his feet, brushing the dust from his trousers, the moonlight catching on his dark eyes. "As I said, every life is meaningful. If you ever feel like it someday, I'll be here. I'll listen. Good night."

She hesitated before nodding, her voice quiet, almost reluctant.

"…Good night."

With that, Luca turned and walked away, the night breeze tugging at his hair. The lake shimmered faintly behind him, the woman still seated at its edge, watching his figure grow smaller. The soft fragrance of jasmine drifted in the air as he made his way back to the dormitory, each step steady, as though his heart had grown just a little lighter.

***

The next morning, Luca woke with a groan, his body protesting every movement. Pain crawled along his muscles like snakes coiling tightly around his limbs. He rubbed his temple and muttered under his breath, "Looks like I overdid it yesterday…"

Dragging himself out of bed, he shuffled awkwardly toward the shower. The first splash of cold water hit his body like ice, forcing a sharp exhale from his lips—but almost instantly, the soreness began to ease, tension melting away beneath the chill. By the time he stepped out, droplets still trailing down his skin, he felt a fraction lighter, more collected.

He slipped into his academy uniform, fixing the cuffs absentmindedly before heading out. His legs carried him toward Class A, each step steadier than the last, when suddenly a familiar arm draped over his shoulder.

"Oi, bro-in-law, how are you doing?" Kyle's teasing voice cut in with his usual grin. "And uh, sorry for yesterday. I just… don't want to commit to something I'm not sure of."

Luca glanced at him, not surprised but faintly amused. Just when you're needed. With a straight face, he replied, "Don't you think you should at least make it up to me then?"

Kyle raised a brow. "Oh? And what exactly do you want?"

Leaning closer, Luca whispered something low into his ear.

The effect was instant. Kyle's eyes widened more and more with each word until he stiffened, trembling as if struck by lightning. "D-do you want to kill me or something? Isn't that too high of a price?"

Luca tilted his head, smirking. "And here I thought you weren't afraid of anything."

Kyle's gaze darted away, his bravado faltering. After a beat, he forced a laugh, scratching his neck. "O-of course I can do it! Just watch how I handle it."

Luca smirked. Knew it.

Together, they stepped into the classroom. Luca slipped into his seat, leaning back casually, though his thoughts weren't as calm. I hope this will solve the problem with Aurelia…

The classroom filled with voices and footsteps as the rest of Class A filed in. Soon, the chatter died down when Seraphina entered, her sky-blue hair glinting beneath the morning light. She swept her gaze across the room, her tone firm yet carrying that hint of grace only she possessed.

"Today," she announced, "we will have a class with the new priest instructor, in order to prepare against darkness."

The words lingered in the air like the toll of a bell, drawing the attention of every student.