In the grand halls of Rhodeia College, a lone cat skipped along the marble floor without a care in the world. Left foot forward, right foot back. Right foot forward, left foot back.
Her hums echoed along the walls. On one side was an array of massive windows, the faint rays of moonlight leaking in. On the other side was a series of doors.
"Hehe~ This is so fun!" Alune chirped, her tail flicking playfully. "What a neat little playground for human kids. Noble kids, bleh. I take it back. This place sucks! Way too bright compared to Vellum. And Lord Arkus isn't here. I miss him..."
Suddenly, Caelus's voice echoed in her mind.
"Alune. Can you hear me?"
She stopped mid-skip.
"Cael? Hey! Why are you interrupting my relaxation time? It's the middle of the night! Are you back at the dorm?"
"Stop jumping to conclusions. I need your help."
"Eh? What's wrong?"
"Something happened this morning in the orientation hall. Something... inexplicable. After we were greeted by an apparition claiming to be the headmistress, a mass teleportation fell upon all students present."
"Teleportation? For what? A test?"
"That's what we were told, and I might've believed that... had it not been for one glaring issue."
"And what's that?"
"Incarnations of Strife."
Alune's playful expression vanished.
"...Spawns of Lord Arkus?" she whispered. "Are you sure, Cael?"
"After the hellish training Lord Arkus put me through, I'd be a fool not to recognize them. We were dropped into some forest, but the incarnations we've fought so far have been the lowest class. Easy enough to handle."
"Doesn't matter. Not even Lord Arkus can control the incarnations. The humans know that, so why would they toss a bunch of kids into a place crawling with them?"
"Exactly my question. And that's what I need you to find out. However, more than anything else, I need to know where we are. This place... feels too familiar."
A sly grin crept onto Alune's face.
"Heh... you came to the right person, my lovely human friend. Just stay put. I'll get back to you whenever I can."
Alune skipped along the marble corridor, her tiny paws making the faintest of taps against the polished floor. Smooth and graceful, she ducked behind one of the massive columns.
And then, something changed.
Where the cat had disappeared, a figure stepped out from the darkness. Gone were the four dainty legs and soft fur. In their place were long, slender human legs wrapped in obsidian boots. From the shadow's embrace emerged a girl, clad in a sleek bodysuit that hugged her small frame. A short, tattered cloak was draped loosely around her waist.
A hood covered her head, but two pale cyan cat ears pierced through the fabric, twitching at every distant sound. Her movements still retained the unmistakable flexibility.
She let out a long, breathy sigh as she bent backwards unnaturally far, her bones cracking in quiet relief.
"Phew~! Much better," she murmured. "Think I stayed in that little furball body for way too long... My bones are practically dust."
Rising with effortless grace, she lifted her head, the hood slipping just enough to reveal a cascade of pale cyan hair. Piercing through the veil was a pair of luminous violet eyes, gleaming like twin shards of amethyst under the moonlight.
A mischievous smirk curled her lips.
"Well now... shouldn't keep my favorite human waiting, should I? Let's see what secrets this pretty little school is hiding."
She then slipped into the halls of the night, her footsteps silent yet leaving a faint trail of glittery mist.
In another part of the college, a pair of professors strolled down the corridor, their voices carrying softly through the air.
"The second-years are rather fiery this semester," one of them chuckled.
"I would hope so. Surviving Rhodeia's first year is no small feat. Anyone who makes it beyond that trial has earned their edge. If anything, I'd be concerned if they weren't sharper than before."
"Haha, quite so. That reminds me... I wonder how the first-years are faring."
"I'm sure they'll manage. And if not... well, they'll get another chance next year. Come. We'd best hurry before the lounge runs out of coffee."
Their voices faded as they rounded a corner, disappearing into the distance.
From the shadow of a nearby doorway, a pair of gleaming violet eyes blinked into existence. Alune slipped from the gloom, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Hmph... Couldn't have dragged it out just a little longer, huh?" she muttered, mildly displeased. "Almost had it figured out — first try. Still... a 'simple test' involving Incarnations of Strife? No way. Humans are dumb, but not that dumb."
She crossed her arms, her tail flicking once before vanishing into mist.
"Better keep digging."
And with that, she set off once more.
A thin wisp of black smoke trailed along the floor, weaving through the gaps in the stonework like an elusive serpent. More than once, it brushed against the feet of passing faculty members, yet none of them noticed.
At last, Alune reached a set of double doors tucked away at the end of a deserted hallway. She stepped out of the smoke with a lazy stretch, arching her back like a contented housecat.
"And what's behind door number twenty-two?" she mused with a sly grin.
With the lightest touch, she nudged one door open, and whatever thoughts had filled her mind instantly dissolved.
The room beyond was dimly lit, filled with the soft glow of alchemical instruments and glass vials. At the center of what appeared to be a laboratory, a man gripped a woman by the waist as she sat atop a cluttered table. Their mouths were locked in an aggressive, desperate kiss.
Alune couldn't look away. Her hand lifted instinctively to her mouth, and her violet eyes gleamed with mischievous anticipation.
They broke apart with a subtle smack.
"We shouldn't be doing this here," the woman murmured breathlessly.
"Where else if not here? The college is the only place without a dozen eyes watching us."
"But what if someone catches us?"
"No one will. We just have to be careful."
The woman's brow furrowed, her voice trembling.
"I... I love you. I really do, but... hiding this from my husband—"
Gasp.
Alune's sharp breath broke the fragile moment like glass. Both lovers snapped their heads toward the doorway, eyes wide.
"Who's there?!" the man barked.
"Oops!" she squeaked, vanishing into the shadows in a puff of black smoke.
The man rushed over and flung the doors wide open, but the corridor was empty. Not a sound, not a soul, not even the lingering scent of mana.
"What the... was it my imagination?"
Meanwhile, a delicate wisp of smoke slithered past his boots unnoticed.
Around the next corner, Alune emerged, pressing her back against the wall with an exasperated sigh.
"Phew... That was way too close," she grinned. "But damn, what a plot twist! A forbidden romance right under her poor husband's nose. So scandalous! Hehe... Humans never disappoint."
She paused, her tail flicking as if debating with herself.
"Ugh... Now the suspense is killing me. I have to know how it ends."
But then she groaned, remembering her mission.
"Ahh... fine. Another time, you star-crossed lovebirds. The things I do for you, Cael. Missing out on primo drama like this..."
Alune melted back into the shadows and continued her search.
Her violet eyes scanned every empty hallway, every flicker of candlelight. Then, from around the corner ahead, the hurried footsteps of two figures broke the stillness.
"What news from the headmistress?" one whispered urgently.
"She still hasn't issued a statement to anyone, not even her assistant. That poor girl's running herself ragged trying to calm the others down, but the faculty's starting to lose patience."
"Rightfully so. The headmistress is pushing it this time."
"What makes you so sure she's behind it?"
"What makes you so sure she's not? It took seven of our top professors to craft that mass teleportation circle. She is the only one with enough authority and power to alter its workings alone. And she's been dead silent ever since it happened."
"I mean, you've got a point, but... why? What could the reason possibly be for such a drastic change?"
"Why else? Because she's a megalomaniac who thinks she can rewrite the rules whenever it suits her. Sending the first-years to the outskirts of Erinel Forest, of all places? That's suicide! Demon territory, for the love of the Goddess! Even you can't tell me that's justifiable."
"Alright, alright. Cool it. I get where you're coming from, but getting worked up like this won't help. For now, we should—"
Their voices trailed off as they rounded a distant corner, leaving only the soft echoes of their argument behind.
At that same moment, one of the grand portraits lining the corridor shimmered unnaturally. The painting, once depicting a regal woman enjoying tea at a fancy café, rippled as a dark mass overtook the figure.
In her place now sat Alune, her legs crossed casually in the chair while delicately holding the teacup. She took a slow, satisfied sip.
"Heh. Jackpot."
The cup clinked softly against the saucer as she vanished once more. The portrait settled back into its original state as though nothing ever occurred.