The trio now sat in a loose circle around the crackling campfire, its warm light flickering against the peaceful dark. Overhead, the twin moons hung high, their glow reflecting softly across the surface of the nearby pond.
Kain watched in disbelief as Rosalina was finishing up her third skewer. She had devoured a chunk of meat with little grace but full satisfaction.
"My god," Kain muttered. "How long's it been since you've eaten?"
Rosalina wiped her mouth with the back of her glove, her crimson eyes gleaming in the firelight.
"Two days," she replied bluntly.
"W-what the...? You trying to lose weight or something?"
"Nope. Just didn't have time."
As she spoke, she took the final bite from her skewer and let out a small, satisfied sigh. But her gaze didn't stay on the fire for long. It drifted toward the last remaining skewer resting over the flames.
Kain was quick to notice, a grin tugging at his lips.
"What, was three not enough for you?"
Rosalina stiffened ever so slightly before clearing her throat. It was slight and a tad bit too aggressive to be casual.
With a scoff, Kain put up his hands as if to wipe off the subtle insult he had just thrown out.
"Hey, don't look at me. I've had my fair share. Besides, Caelus was the one who cooked them. Go ask him."
Caelus was just about to decline when he caught Rosalina shooting him a look. It wasn't sharp or challenging like before. If he didn't know any better... he'd think she was pouting.
He sighed, already regretting his decision.
"Take it."
Without wasting a second, Rosalina grabbed the last skewer like it might disappear if she hesitated. The moment she bit into it, a quiet hum of approval escaped her lips — a sound so uncharacteristically soft it made Kain chuckle again.
"Damn. Never thought I'd see the heir of House Sigurdia get taken out by hunger."
Rosalina didn't even acknowledge his blabbering, for she was too busy eating.
The campfire crackled, the moon continued its slow rise, and for a brief moment in the chaos of their strange, dangerous orientation, the three of them sat in peace.
"So..." Kain broke the silence, leaning forward on his knees. "How've you been faring so far, Rosalina?"
She exhaled through her nose, satisfaction clear in her voice.
"Better than ever now that I've eaten. Woke up late today, rushed to orientation, and it's been nothing but walking through this damned forest and slaughtering demons since."
"You split off from your group, too, huh?"
"I'm more surprised that you did," she mumbled, eyeballing a certain someone. "Especially with... never mind."
"You might as well say it if you're gonna make it that obvious."
"I don't know what you're talking about. Anyway, has it only been the two of you?"
"Well, we landed here with about fifty others — His Imperial Highness included. But Caelus decided to wander off on his own."
"And you followed him?"
"Of course. I wanted to see what the so-called fallen noble was really capable of."
Rosalina stared at him, unamused. Then, her gaze shifted to Caelus, though his expression remained hidden behind those gleaming glasses.
"You should be careful, Caelus," she sighed. "Kain might just be looking to score some easy points off you."
"Eh?! I'd never!" Kain squawked, sitting upright in protest. "Knights are sworn to a code of honor, you know!"
"You can call yourself a knight all you want, but last I checked, it won't be official until you graduate. Which means... that code doesn't apply to you yet."
"I... S-Still! I wouldn't pull something like that! You believe me, right, Caelus?!"
Naturally, Caelus said nothing. He took another quiet bite of his skewer, his gaze fixed elsewhere as though the entire conversation were background noise.
Rosalina smirked. "There's your answer."
"Aw, come on, man..."
Rosalina finished the last of her skewer and casually tossed the stick into the fire. Though her gaze remained steady, Caelus could tell how distant her eyes had grown.
"Well..." she sighed. "At least you two seem cordial enough."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kain muttered, raising a brow.
"Not in a bad way, you dimwit. I'm just saying... It's nice to see a little order among nobles who are supposed to represent elegance and class."
She closed her eyes for a moment, then gave a quiet, humorless laugh.
"No. Never mind."
In that fleeting moment where her icy demeanor cracked, the other two could sense something heavy behind the words. They exchanged glances, never quite understanding what she was getting at.
"A-anyway..." Kain cleared his throat, eager to shift the mood. "Apart from us, run into anyone else?"
"Not a soul," Rosalina replied.
"Damn. So they really did just toss a thousand students into a forest full of demons, huh?"
"Looks like it. I thought we'd at least see a professor lurking around, but they couldn't even be bothered with that."
After picking his teeth with the skewer stick, Kain pointed it at her.
"Which makes this whole thing even sketchier. If this is some kind of trial, it's a damn reckless one. I get it — Rhodeia's supposed to produce the best of the best, but not every noble's a trained knight or a prodigy mage."
"I wouldn't worry too much," Rosalina said, brushing off her gloves. "I'm sure the faculty knows what they're doing."
"And if they don't?" Kain challenged. "What if someone hijacked this whole thing? What if no one was supposed to be fighting demons tonight? I highly doubt a death trap was on the orientation agenda."
That bold statement made Rosalina hesitate. Just long enough for Caelus to notice the flicker of unease in her eyes.
She swallowed, her voice softer.
"Then... we can only hope that isn't the case and keep moving forward."
"Forward, huh?" Kain scoffed, leaning back on his palms. "And where exactly is forward? It's nightfall. Who knows how many students are left, and we're still nowhere near the exit. Wherever that exit is."
For once, Rosalina had no answer. She could try to rationalize the situation all she wanted, but the fact is there. This kind of assignment was far too dangerous to be intentional.
Meanwhile, Caelus remained silent, lost in thought.
Rhodeia College. Orientation. A test. A forest teeming with incarnations of strife.
No matter how he turned it over in his mind, none of this felt deliberate.
By nature, humans feared demons as much as they feared the wrath of the Goddess. It made no sense for the college to risk its carefully curated students — the scions of noble houses, the empire's future — in a place crawling with Incarnations of Strife.
Even in Vellum, they posed a threat. He'd hunted them enough to know firsthand. This wasn't a test. Not one sanctioned by anyone sane.
"Oi, Caelus."
His name snapped him from his thoughts. Both Kain and Rosalina were staring at him now, waiting for some kind of answer.
"...I don't know," he admitted. "Whether this is a test or someone's idea of an elaborate prank, it doesn't matter. The only thing we can do now is survive. Either until the proctors call it a day... or we fall like the rest."
The fire crackled. The pond rippled. And somewhere deep within the woods, something howled.
Without missing a beat, Rosalina stretched her arms overhead, let out a yawn, and casually threw herself into one of the makeshift tents.
"Hey!" Kain barked, leaning over the tent's entrance. "Get outta there! That tent's not for you!"
"But I'm already inside," Rosalina replied flatly.
"That doesn't matter! I made these for two people! Spoiler alert, you weren't one of them!"
"You wouldn't seriously leave a noble lady to sleep outside, would you?"
"Hell yeah, I would!"
Their bickering seemed endless. If Caelus hadn't known that they were just acquaintances before this, he would've assumed they were best friends.
"It's fine, Kain," he sighed. "I'll sleep outside."
"Eh? You're just gonna give up your cozy tent like that?!"
"I never really had the luxury of choosing on the battlefield."
The weight of those words hung far heavier than he had intended, but it sure was effective. Kain opened his mouth as if to argue, but the fight left him.
"I'll be fine," Caelus added. "If Rosalina wants it, she can have it. Besides... someone needs to keep watch in case more demons show up. Might as well be me."
Without waiting for a reply, Caelus made his way over to a tree at the edge of their camp, planting his back against the trunk. He released one last airy breath, letting his eyes slip shut.
"Tch... I still don't like it," Kain grumbled. "But if you say it's fine, guess I've got no choice."
"That's right, pretty boy," Rosalina teased from inside the tent. "Now go to sleep."
"Y-You...!"
"Drop it, Kain," Caelus called over without opening his eyes.
Kain muttered something under his breath, probably some petty insult aimed at Rosalina, before stomping toward his tent.
The wind howled. The trees rustled. The fire cracked. The night held its breath.
Minutes later, Caelus cracked one eye open. He glanced toward the tents, watching the faint rise and fall of sleeping figures within.
Then, barely a whisper, he spoke to the darkness.
"Alune. Can you hear me?"