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Yūken walked with a smile on his face, looking at the town of Sage Island, where he had gone with Grim to do some shopping for Ramshackle and for the Unbirthday party that Riddle wanted to celebrate with all the Heartslabyul students before the fourth-year students left for their internships.
"Hey, Yū, when we're done shopping, can we go to a café and get something to eat? I'm starving," Grim grunted at the Japanese boy's feet, who smiled and nodded.
"Of course. You earned it for not complaining at all," Yūken replied, chuckling softly at the sound of Grim's stomach rumbling.
They both passed by some stairs that led to an upper level of the town, and there, a golden glimmer caught Yūken's eye.
Looking up, the boy saw a very pretty girl a few steps away, with long, wavy hair that reached her waist, the color of ripe wheat but with small golden streaks. Her eyes were the color of lemon quartz, and her cheeks were round and rosy like a child's; however, from the rest of her features, Yūken guessed she was a teenager. The girl was wearing a vest similar to the ones worn at the NRC, but sky blue, a white shirt with the top two buttons undone, and a skirt that reached mid-thigh, though from the knee down she wore white socks.
When Yūken looked at her legs, his eyes widened in surprise, since she was wearing some kind of device attached to her waist that covered the outer sides of her legs.
"Wow," Yūken whispered, amazed by the girl's beauty.
"I thought you were into men," Grim teased him.
"I have eyes in my head, Grim. If a girl is pretty, I'm not going to deny it."
Yūken turned his gaze back to the girl, who was now frowning with concern.
"Damn it, where is that blasted chair?" the girl muttered to herself, worried.
As she started to step down a couple of steps, her knee buckled involuntarily and she tripped, alerting Yūken.
"Watch out!" The boy dropped the bags on the ground and ran a few steps, catching the girl in his arms before she hurt herself.
Carefully, and before she could say anything, he set her down on the ground, standing.
"Thank you so much," the girl smiled broadly at Yūken, who suddenly felt a great sense of peace.
"No problem," he managed to murmur, a little confused.
"Are you alright? It's like your knee gave way, and you were suddenly falling." Grim approached the girl and looked up at her.
"Oh, what an adorable creature!" The girl crouched down and suddenly scooped Grim into her arms, stroking him under the neck after rocking him gently. "Is he your pet?"
"More like, I'm the pet," Yūken joked as he watched Grim purr in the girl's arms. "Excuse me, what's your name?"
The girl seemed surprised by the question, but quickly smiled and said:
"Oops, how cheeky of me, please forgive my manners. I'm Willa Lyre, a third-year student at Golden Apple Academy. I’m the housewarden of D’Isigny House,” the girl said, giving a slight bow before tilting her head back to Yūken, who was still holding Grim. “Judging by your uniform, you must be a student at Night Raven College, right?”
“Yes, I am,” Yūken replied. “Excuse me, which school did you say you attend?”
“Don’t you know what I mean? Ah, buddy, you’ve been living under a rock,” Willa joked before chuckling softly. “Although perhaps it makes sense, after all. Our school is in the waters surrounding Sage Island, but it’s hidden from prying eyes. Only students, faculty, and authorized guests can see the academy, floating above the water.”
Yūken raised both eyebrows, surprised by the story. In all the time he'd been in Twisted Wonderland, he'd heard of a few academies besides the two for boys on Sage Island, like Noble Bell College, but he'd never heard of an all-girls academy.
"Excuse me, buddy. It's nice talking to you, but I have to go right away. If I don't, I'll be standing still before I can find my wheelchair." Willa set Grim down after giving him a kiss on the nose, then smiled and said: "Thanks again for helping me. If we meet again, I owe you one."
Yūken watched as Willa began to walk away with heavy steps she tried to hide, so he turned to her and said:
"Wait. Did you say you're looking for your wheelchair?"
"Yes. Here I am, walking just like you, only because of the exoskeleton on my legs", Willa gestured to her legs, specifically to the frame around her waist and lower limbs. "But the battery is running low, so I need to find my wheelchair to get back to the academy, but I can't find it. I was so excited to go for a walk around town that I forgot where I hid it".
“We can help you,” Grim said, stepping forward, surprising Yūken by offering his services.
“Really?” Willa asked, her eyes lighting up.
“Of course,” Yūken nodded and smiled. “We can’t let someone in trouble go without trying to help.”
“Oh, thank you so much!” Willa clapped her hands before excitedly hugging Yūken. “I owe you two now, buddy… Ah, how cheeky of me again.” She pulled away from the magicless student and tilted her head before asking: “What’s your name, buddy?”
“My name is Yūken Enma, but all my friends call me Yū,” he replied.
“And I’m the great Grim, and I’ll find your wheelchair with my amazing investigative skills!” Grim exclaimed, leaping onto Yūken’s shoulders.
"The adorable Grim, I'd say," Willa said, raising her hand and stroking Grim behind his ears, making him purr again.
*
“So, this is your second year at Night Raven College,” Willa said, walking with her hands behind her back. “I heard your first year was pretty chaotic for the whole school.”
“Well, things got a little out of hand, and it got kind of wild, but the people at that school make it worth trying again,” Yūken explained, smiling. “Once you get attached to them, there’s no going back.”
“Yeah, I know that. I have a friend, Nadja, who knew one of the students, who’s now a fourth-year, when she was little, and she told me that little belladonna was adorable! I think they still talk occasionally,” Willa replied before letting out a giggle, making Yūken raise an eyebrow, unsure who this “belladonna” was.
“Hey, so how does that thing on your legs work? I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” Grim remarked from Yūken’s shoulders.
“Oh, it’s simple: my friend Mellie had them designed. They’re a technomagical artifact. They run on a very rare crystal that never permanently loses its energy, but that’s why I have to recharge them.”
“A rare crystal? Like the magic stones in the blot?” Grim asked, tilting his head.
“I’m not supposed to talk much about it, but I can tell you this. It’s history, after all,” Willa replied, a smile playing on her lips. “You see, there’s a hidden island beneath the seabed…”
“The Island of Woe? Where S.T.Y.X. is located?” the feline-like figure interrupted, making Yūken hiss.
Willa blinked, mouth agape, before smiling, clapping her hands, and saying:
“If you know about that, you must be friends with the Shrouds! Oh, Mellie knows about them too. In fact, the island I was telling you about connects to the Island of Lamentations. It’s…” Before she could continue walking, Willa stopped abruptly, almost stumbling. Staggering, she gave a sad smile as she looked at her exoskeleton, which glowed with a faint light, and said: “Oh, the battery’s dead.”
Yūken frowned, so he asked Grim to get off his shoulders and placed the shopping bags on the ground before crouching down in front of Willa and saying:
“Get in.”
“What? Oh, no, no!" the girl blushed, embarrassed, and added: "It's not necessary."
"You can't walk, and I'm not going to leave you here. Come on, get in, it'll be like when I carried my sister," Yūken replied, offering a reassuring smile.
Willa frowned, still lost in thought, before using her hands to move her legs and adjusting herself against Yūken's back, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her chest against his back.
Once he noticed the girl behind him, Yūken stood up and carefully slipped his arms under Willa's legs, lifting her properly.
"Wow, I already owe you three..." the girl giggled softly, making Yūken's smile widen.
"Well, you can use magic. Can you do anything about the bags I was carrying?" Yūken asked, looking at the bags at his feet.
Willa blinked before nodding briskly, and after picking up a kind of magic wand with a stone in the handle, she recited a spell, making the bags levitate.
"Now they'll follow us until we find the chair," the girl declared, smiling again.
"And now you only owe me two," Yūken concluded before setting off again, with Grim following beside him.
*
“The last time I saw my chair was around here. I used a camouflage spell, so I don’t think it’s easy to spot,” Willa said, pointing to an area of the town’s west harbor.
Yūken looked in that direction, seeing a pile of crates, fishing nets, hooks, rods, and other items belonging to the harbor fishermen. There were several identical piles.
“Well, let’s go look,” Yūken said, approaching one of the crates, still with Willa on his back, and sitting her down. Then, he and Grim began searching for the chair.Together, they sifted through the items to see if they could find any clues to the chair, but as they went from pile to pile, they came up empty-handed.
However, when they reached the last pile, a golden glare blinded Grim, who complained, “Ugh, the sun’s shining right in my eyes!”
Yūken approached Grim, and blocking some of the light with his hands, reached for the object that had reflected the light.
"Oh, a necklace with a harp pendant," the boy murmured.
As they took the pendant, an even brighter light blinded them, and then, when they looked around, they saw a wheelchair with a silver frame adorned with gold decorations.
"Good, there it is!" Willa clapped from where she was sitting.
Yūken smiled before approaching the girl and picking her up, carrying her to her wheelchair and seating her in it. Then, he knelt before her and handed her the necklace.
"I think this is what made the spell work," Yūken said, then placed the necklace around Willa's hands, which she held to her chest.
"Thank you so much, Yū. Thank you for helping me all afternoon. Sometimes, my own happiness blinds me, and I forget what's most important," Willa confessed, smiling sheepishly.
"I have a friend who's just like you; I'm sure you two would get along well."
Willa giggled softly before putting the necklace around her neck.
"It's been a pleasure meeting you, Yū. But I should get back to the academy: I promised my friends I'd sing for them this afternoon," she said.
"Oh, you sing too?" Grim remarked, approaching her.
"Aww, why do you have to be so adorable?" the girl asked before picking him up and hugging him again, without Grim protesting. "Yes, and they tell me I'm very good at it. I'd better be, or my Unique Magic won't work properly. Maybe I'll show it to you someday, but now I have to go." Willa set Grim down, making him smile.
“I’ll be waiting for that day,” Yūken smiled before pointing to the port and saying: “Would you like me to accompany you wherever you go to the academy?”
“Thank you, but no need. I have my tricks,” Willa winked before reciting a spell, making the wheelchair move on its own. “Until we meet again, Yū. I still owe you two.”
The boy waved goodbye, and Grim did the same with his paw. As she walked away, Willa smiled and began to sing until her voice faded into the distance, leaving both Night Raven College students with a feeling of comfort.
“What a curious girl. Every time she said something, she made me feel good, and it’s like my motivation is rekindled. I’ve even lost my appetite!” Grim commented, looking at Yūken.
“I find it strange that you lose your hunger,” the Japanese boy remarked, before laughing. “I thought I was the only one who noticed it, that feeling of peace. But how pleasant.” Yūken’s smile widened before he picked up the shopping bags Willa had left on the boxes and headed back the way he’d come with Grim on his shoulders.
As he walked, Willa’s song echoed in his mind, prompting him to sing along, knowing he’d heard it somewhere before.
“In my favorite dream everyone is so delightful. No one’s mean or spiteful in my favorite dream…”
*
Riddle was writing a draft of the speech he would give at the Unbirthday Party, in honor of the fourth-year students, while sipping from his teacup, enveloped by the sweet aroma of pastries that filled the kitchen.
"What are you doing here?"
The housewarden of Heartslabyul turned his head at the sound of Yūken's voice, making him smile before he returned to his notes and replied:
"I came to make myself a cup of tea while I did some chores."
"I thought it was Trey who made your tea," Yūken smiled as he approached Riddle with long strides.
"Me too, but when I went to look for him, he wasn't in his room, and I didn't want to repeat what happened last time," Riddle feigned a shiver, making Yūken laugh.
"I think he was helping Deuce with something today, but better safe than sorry."
Yūken approached Riddle from behind and carefully wrapped his arms around his chest, resting his chest against Riddle's back and his cheek on the top of his head. The housewarden of Heartslabyul smiled tenderly before raising his left hand to one of Yūken's and gently lifting it, kissing the back of it.
"How's the village?" Riddle asked, glancing up at Yūken.
"I bought what you asked for; I left it on the low wall by the front door," the Ramshackle prefect replied before sitting down on a stool next to Riddle. "Oh, and I met someone. Turns out she was a student at an all-girls school."
"The Golden Apple Academy?" Riddle tilted his head before taking another sip of tea.
"Uh, yeah. Wow, you're really up to date," Yūken said, leaning his elbow on the kitchen island.
Riddle's smile widened as his cheeks flushed crimson, then he focused on his notes and said:
"Well, one should know about the surrounding area. Not that I know much, but I know it surrounds Sage Island, making it the third wizarding school in the region. Oh, and its founder was a friend of an ancestor of Ambrosius 63rd, the headmage of the Royal Sword Academy.
"Oh, really?"
"All I remember is that they called her 'The Fairy of Wishes', nothing more", at that answer, Yūken nodded, as if to indicate that he knew what he was talking about, "So you're saying you've met someone from that school. And how was it?"
“She was a very pretty and cheerful girl, a third-year. Her name is Willa, and I helped her find something she’d lost at the port.”
“Willa? Wow, that name sounds familiar…” Riddle muttered, pouting. “I’ll have to ask Cater, I’m sure he knows. Ugh, but it’s on the tip of my tongue.”
Yūken tilted his head, looking at Riddle more closely: the boy was drumming the fingers of one hand on the handle of his teacup, while with the fingers of the other he was absentmindedly drawing a heart on the kitchen island, as if he weren’t even aware of it.
“I just noticed that when you concentrate like this, you draw hearts all over the place,” Yūken pointed out, gesturing to Riddle’s hand resting on the kitchen island.
“Oh, dear. It's a habit I picked up as a child, and apparently I've still got it," Riddle protested, frowning slightly.
However, his expression softened when he saw Yūken take his hand, intertwining their fingers, and affectionately kiss the back of it. Then, with his lips still brushing against Riddle's hand, Yūken gave the housewarden of Heartslabyul a mischievous look, making him shudder.
"I know that look. If you say what I do is adorable..." Riddle muttered through gritted teeth.
“What do you plan to do, cut off my head? It doesn’t affect me at all, and you know it. That takes away your power,” Yūken whispered, teasing his boyfriend affectionately. “What’s your next move, your majesty?”
Riddle raised an eyebrow before moving the stool with a flick of his legs and leaning over Yūken, startling him with a kiss on the forehead.
“You still make that scared cat face when I surprise you with a kiss. And it’s a great prize for me; check,” Riddle whispered against his lips.
Yūken boasted before standing up, and with his hand still intertwined with Riddle’s, he pinned him against the edge of the island, surprising his boyfriend.
"Checkmate," Yūken said, releasing Riddle, cupping his cheeks, and showering his face and neck with kisses, making him giggle from the ticklish sensation.
"No, stop! Have mercy!" Riddle laughed, raising his hands to push Yūken away, who seemed completely absorbed in his task.
Yūken smiled before ending the "ordeal" with a kiss on Riddle's lips, who closed his eyes contentedly.
-MGGBBRAE