Professor Horshwin was fickle. He curtly said "we'll be going out" before sprinting away with a gleeful gait. Aileen blinked once before being the first one to react, chasing after him. Everyone left in tow. Remis furtively attempted to twist his hands out of the two mens' clutches before finally giving up with a deadpan expression.

The trip was long. They left the academy gates, boarding a large carriage and bumping along the unpaved stone roads for half an hour. During that time, both Theodore and Cyrus refused to let go of Remis' hands. Lucius stared at the spectacle with an inscrutable gaze, his eyebrows lightly scrunched. He remained silent, his hands fiddling apprehensively in his lap.

As the successor to the throne, he not only needed to establish a good public image, he also needed to plant himself in the supporting faction to quash any political strife that may occur during his inauguration. So, in order to assist him, the King had been increasingly involving himself in his son's life. Lately, his father had been particularly adamant in understanding his relationships: specifically, his relationship with Remis Xenith, his newly selected aide.

Lucius' frown deepened as he flew further into a daze. He didn't understand, why was he hung up over something so trifling? His eyes were subconsciously fixed to Remis' face as he pondered.

Right. I don't know what I was thinking. We're obviously... just friends. His heart seemed to plummet to his stomach the moment the thought entered his mind, his jaw working as he struggled to stifle those unpleasant feelings in his heart.

----

Meanwhile, back at the academy...

Reask stood with his sword at the ready, facing his new sparring partner. His mind was blank as the events of last night circled his mind, again and again.

He wasn't able to sleep, his eyes bloodshot from the wakeful night. When the trainer hollered for the sparring to start, he remained still, in a daze, with his opponent charging towards him. The opponent's motions were sloppy, his attacks predictable and weak. He habitually moved his body, his hands moving to parry and his legs moving to veer and lunge. In just a few moments, Reask completely disabled him on the floor.

This is too easy, he thought, stepping away and withdrawing the wooden sword from his opponent's neck.

Reask never intended to enter Alsar in the first place. His future was set in the palace. A royal guard was the pinnacle of what a rookie knight could reach, and he knew his future was already littered with promotions. There was no need to leave his station.

But then he met Remis. The youthful beauty, with a joyful, radiant demeanor and an infectious smile that could rival the sun's brilliance. He was the son of a count, who entered the palace as a part of the crown prince's aide selection.

How could Reask live without him after seeing his bright, pure character, experiencing his cheeky capers? Without a moment's deliberation, he enrolled in Alsar as an exchange student. It was rare for a student to enroll after the fiscal year started, it was rarer for the student to be a swordsman without any magical capabilities enrolling in a magic academy. The school investigated further and found him to be one of the youngest royal guards in the palace. He was accepted.

When he arrived at the place he would live in for the remaining three years, he never expected to see that beautiful black-haired youth, disheveled on the floor with a surprised expression on his small face. Later, when he learned of the living arrangement system that the school had, where people of higher status are grouped together, he grew more confused.

What a miracle, he thought to himself, but how peculiar.

It was as if there was a force behind him pushing him towards Remis.

----

"We've arrived!" The professor said, his dress shoes hitting the soft mountain grass. Remis managed to shake off the hands binding his arms and was the first to dash out after Horshwin, hiding behind his rather scrawny figure in hopes of some vain protection.

Lucius strode out with a grave expression on his face and walked to Remis almost habitually. His focus was drawn downward to the black-haired youth's slightly flushed hands as he gulped. The urge to hold them, to replace the warmth given by the other two and feel the supple skin of his palms was pervading. No, what am I thinking? He shook his head and looked away hastily, dispelling his impulse. He's just my aide, Lucius frowned.

"Well, let's get started, shall we?" The professor clapped his hands brightly. "Today, we'll be monster hunting."

He pointed to the forest, the tip of his finger slightly shaking from excitement. "As the new S-class, I'm still assessing your current abilities and experience." His eyes flitted to Remis inexplicably as he said so.

"So no pairing up. You'll all split in different directions and come back in three hours, having collected as many mana hearts of monsters as you can." The professor dug into his bag and pulled out six black sacks, throwing it to each person.

"You'll know it's time to come back when I ring the bell." The professor lifted his coat up and revealed a shining silver bell, the size of a hand. "Don't worry about missing it, trust me." He said nonchalantly. Remis gazed at the bell puzzlingly, but just nodded along.

"Well, I guess it's time to start, isn't it?" Horshwin smirked. "Time starts now!"

----

Remis held the heavy burlap sack slung over his shoulder, his muscles throbbing. It had been two hours of walking, and the sack which was empty at first was now stuffed full with the mana hearts of monsters. Originally, he intended to cast a spell to create a fire bed and make it act as a catty, however, fueling the spell with mana took his full attention and prevented him from focusing on the hunt, so he could only carry it manually.

The small blisters forming on his hand burned the longer he walked. The image of Reask's muscular, almost heroic body structure flashed in his mind when he thought of putting the sack down to rest. Traces of resentment in his heart boiled over again at the memory. I really regret not working out now, Remis thought sourly. His mind continued drifting off in a strange direction as he continued meandering around the forest. It's only natural for the ikemen capture targets to be built, wasn't it? They probably have six or eight packs under their intricate expensive suits, with biceps and defined legs.

He became dazed at his strange thoughts. Thus, the slowly approaching heart-shaking sounds of hardy trotters hitting the ground remained unnoticed by him until it was too late. "Greeeah..." the sound behind him startled him out of his stupor. His surroundings had long been covered by the thick canopy of trees, and even the dirt underneath him had taken a grim quality to it. His irises constricted as he turned around.

At that moment, he said only one word.

"Shit." His hands clenched into fists, and the mana started flowing as fast as the adrenaline as he faced the creature as tall as maple tree. I'm so screwed.

----

The monster staggered. Its body had gashes the size of a human body and burns with crumbling flesh. It's head was so disfigured it was impossible to make out.

It wobbled for a few seconds, catching itself before faltering again, until finally, its body fell, hitting the ground with an earth-shaking thud. Bits of black dust began chipping off of its remains, carried off by the damp wind, until it dissipated into nothing. Only a hulking black mana heart was left, pulsing gently on the forest floor with a sinister air.

Remis closed his eyes as he panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. At that moment, the bell rang in the distance, signaling the hunt to be over. Remis groaned, his entire body cold yet hot at the same time, with aches and shivers running through his strained muscles. He stared at one of the trees, wanting to slump against the roots for a few hours, but eventually shook his head. Collecting himself, Remis bent over, picking it up and placing it into his already full burlap sack. He raised his tired right hand and began chanting a spell. Fire spiraled out from his palm and formed a bed of warm fire, levitating gracefully in front of him. It was the transportation spell, meant to bring him back to the clearing.

With adrenaline still coursing through his veins, he hoisted the hefty bag onto the fire bed before settling onto it with care. Gritting his teeth, he uttered another chant, prompting the fiery bed to soar out from the canopy of trees and head towards the sound of the bell.

Just a bit longer, and I'll be there... he assured himself. He shivered as beads of cold sweat rolled down his back as he continued flying. His brows were furrowed. He felt his depleted mana on his last legs, and his body going as soft as a pillow.

When he arrived at the clearing, he was lightheaded. His eyes were hazy as he struggled to stay conscious. He dazedly closed his fist, withdrawing the spell and causing him and the sack to fall, crashing bluntly onto the floor.

"Remi?" A voice from above him said, but it resonated dimly around his mind and remained unregistered by the black haired youth.

He held his forehead as he frowned, the dizzy and disorienting feeling throbbing through his body once more.

"Is that... a wound? What..." Hands reached out to steady him, but he simply shook his head in response, his mind too muddled and woozy to speak.

"I... have the mana stone, at least..." Remis muttered dazedly. Then, with a final throb rushing through in his head, he fainted, the faint sounds of shouting muffled in his ears.

----

Remis' unconscious body was rushed to the infirmary. The healers swarmed around him as soon as he was placed onto the bed, their hands moving fast to disinfect and treat the wound. The long gash was a bleary black, snaking all the way down from his stomach to the lower part of his leg, frightening even one of the most seasoned doctors.

Through the haze of bodies, Cyrus watched the sleeping youth's heavy breaths as he laid uneasily on the bed. Cyrus' jaw was tense, but he could only contain his emotions and stare impatiently at the scene with a tight heart. Why... did this have to happen? He thought. The urge to grab Remis' hands, to press them against his forehead and comfort him, kissing their smooth skin was pervading, yet he could only restrain himself.

Theodore stood silently behind him. He recalled the infected gash he saw in that clearing. It was deep and black, making his already fair skin even paler in contrast. His expression grew more cold in response. The wound wouldn't just disappear under the layers of gauze. It was still there, causing excruciating pain for Remis. Theodore's hands were balled into fists, growing tighter and tighter until his knuckles turned white. It felt like his entire body was frozen, rendering him useless. If only I had been there, then maybe he wouldn't have been... he looked down at the sterile white floors with a complicated, pained expression.

Syvlien was the first to rush closer when the medics cleared. His wispy persona seemed to crumble instantly when he saw the youth's now serene expression. He wanted to reach under the bedding, to assess the wound, to shake Remis awake to confirm his well-being, but he knew he couldn't. He sighed and instead gently caressed the sleeping youth's soft black hair, massaging his forehead with a gentle touch.

He had fallen for Remis long ago. How could he not? His letters were animated, beautiful, enthralling. Each one shook his originally unreachable heart. When they mentioned other men, Syvlien's eyes burned with envy. The black-haired youth's dense personality prevented him from seeing even the most obvious suitor. It made him both frustrated and helplessly happy. At the same time, he wanted to jump to Remis' side and ward off those annoying pests as fast as possible.

Yet, he stayed, because Remis didn't want him to come, while his patience was slowly wearing thin. And now that he no longer had to restrain himself, now that he finally met the one he had been longing for, Remis was hurt, unconscious on a hospital bed. Sylvien made a pained, helpless expression and looked away sadly.

Please, just wake up already. I don't want to waste any more time waiting to talk to you.

Lucius stepped outside of the tent, his brows tightly furrowed as he walked away from the spectacle. His heart was downtrodden and confused as he took a sparing glance at the unconscious Remis on the hospital bed.

Lucius stepped outside the tent, brows tightly furrowed, distancing himself from the unfolding spectacle. His heart felt both downtrodden and confused as he stole a sparing glance at the unconscious Remis on the hospital bed.

"What is your relationship with that count's son?" His father's question echoed relentlessly through his mind, again and again until he could barely breathe.

He finally knew. He finally knew why he got so worked up when he saw someone else touching him, why he felt that unattainable and bone-shaking joy from his kiss so long ago, why he enjoyed Remis' homemade desserts so much, and why his heart would beat as fast as a race horse when Remis complimented him or touched him—all of it finally made sense.

"I like Remis," he murmured. "I've always... liked him."

Slumping onto the floor, he covered his mouth with his hands, eyes wide. His face flushed hot as the realization shook him down to his soul. "That's the reason... I've been feeling this way."