Ever since his first day, Caelus has always been the topic of discussion. He was a fallen noble from a disgraced house, but then he survived the week-long orientation at Erinel Forest. Somehow, he was on friendly terms with Rosalina Sigurdia and Kain Diadalin, two of the most well-known names in the noble society. Not only that, rumors began to circulate about a possible hidden relationship, as Castorica Lancinox came to his defense and dragged him away by the hand.
Words weren't the only things following him around. No matter where he went, there never seemed to be a shortage of watchful eyes.
That was why today is a special occasion, for no longer were those eyes directed at him. Instead, they were looking at the mesmerizingly beautiful woman walking alongside him. Every step she made was like a pounding heartbeat. Every time she glanced over, she cast an illusion spell without even trying.
"Whoa... Who is she?"
"Don't know. Never seen her before. Maybe she's our senior."
"But the second and third years have an entire section of the campus to themselves, don't they? What's she doing down here? And why the hell is she walking with that fallen?"
"What the hell, man... First, it was Lady Castorica, and now her?"
"He can't keep getting away with—"
Celine let out a loose chuckle, which captivated the hearts of her newfound admirers. She peered down at her younger brother.
"Everyone seems to think that you and I are in a relationship," she smirked. "Isn't that so cute?"
"No. It's gross."
"Aw~ You don't mean that. In any case... what's this I'm hearing? A fallen? Is that seriously what they've been calling you?"
"Yeah."
"Tch... These kids ought to be taught a lesson," she muttered while cracking her knuckles.
"Just drop it, Sis," Caelus sighed as he gently pushed her hands down. "Not like it's affecting me anyway."
"Still, this isn't right. They have no idea what you've been through — what we've been through. The Shaduwar ended because of our sacrifice. Father's sacrifice... and we're supposed to just let them talk?"
"There's nothing more we can do. The ignorant will remain ignorant. It's not their fault. They didn't see what we saw, so they would never understand."
Celine stared at the back of Caelus's head, wondering if he truly meant what he said. He'd always been the quiet type, even after acclimating to the demon realm. He seldom spoke unless he had to. Always bottling his thoughts and never letting them spill.
"You're too nice sometimes," she mumbled. "If Mephisto were here, he'd burn them all in hellfire before they could even utter a fraction of whatever vile insult they had lined up."
"Well, good thing he isn't here. As a matter of fact, you shouldn't be here, Celine."
She stuck her lips out in a pout.
"Aw~ Is this what I get for showing my little brother some love?"
"Stop. That's cringe."
"Eh?!"
After what felt like an hour-long walk that was really only about ten minutes, Caelus returned to his dormitory with Celine in tow. Even here, the stares from random passersby were apparent as ever.
Caelus held the door open for Celine to enter and promptly clicked it shut. There, a certain cat was waiting for him.
"Oh. Caelus. You're back—"
The hair on her back rose like a porcupine when she saw the tall woman glaring at her. It was a moment of truth she had long since forgotten.
"Kitty~!" Celine beamed, her grin wide with elation as she lunged forward.
"N-no! Wait—"
But before the cat could even attempt to escape, Celine tackled her to the ground, holding her tightly at her chest.
"I feel like I haven't seen you in so long, Alune," Celine purred, rubbing her cheek on the fuzzy head. "Why is that? You weren't avoiding me, were you? Mmm~ You're still so soft and fluffy..."
"Agh! Let go, you disgusting human!" Alune grunted. "C-Caelus! Help me!"
He simply stood there and watched as Celine continued to cradle Alune while she was desperately trying to break free.
"Sorry, Alune," he scoffed. "I don't think I can do anything about that."
"W-wha?! Tch... You're useless," she grumbled.
After a minute of aggressive rubs, Celine finally relented and let her go. She sat on the chair by the desk while Caelus sat on the bed. As for Alune, she was huddled up on his lap, wanting nothing more to do with Celine.
"How've you been, Alune?" Celine asked.
"...Fine," she muttered, clearly dissatisfied.
"Oh, come on. I already said that I'm sorry. It's been a while since I last got to cuddle with you. I just had to indulge."
"Yeah, and every single time, it's unconsented..."
"It's your fault for being so cute and adorable."
Alune mumbled something incoherently under her breath. Caelus couldn't hear exactly what she said, but he had a solid guess that it wasn't anything kind.
The clock ticked by in seconds, yet nothing more was said. That was when Celine's exaggerated grin faltered, replaced by a small and gentle smile.
"Caelus. Won't you come back to Vellum? The others miss you very much."
"...No. Not until I find Mother. Right now, Rhodeia College is the only lead I have. If I go back now... I won't know what else to do."
"Is that so? Hah... Fine. I won't try to stop you. If this is what you feel you must do, then by all means, see it through until the end. I hope you find what you're looking for."
She stood and opened the window.
"Where will you go?" Caelus asked.
"Hmm... I'm not sure. Maybe I'll hang around a little longer before heading back to Vellum. It's not every day I get to try normal human food. Might as well indulge while I can."
Celine rested her hands on the windowsill but didn't jump out just yet. Instead, she turned to glance over her shoulder.
"Caelus," she called gently. "Are you enjoying college life so far?"
"W-what?"
"I know you're still looking for Mother... but I hope you're finding some joy here too. Even just a little. So? Has it been fun?"
Caelus hesitated. He turned to the window, watching the clouds drift lazily across the sky as her words lingered in the air.
Enjoying felt like a stretch. At the very least, he wasn't numb anymore. Not like when he first arrived.
He thought of the whispers, the stares. Fallen noble, disgraced house — labels meant to remind him of his place.
Then he thought of the others, the ones who reached out anyway. Who saw him not as what he was, but as someone worth their time.
And before he realized it, a smile found its way to his lips. It was small, but it was real.
"...Maybe a little."
Celine's eyes widened. In that fleeting moment, she saw a memory from years ago. Once, there was a boy slumped against a cold brick wall, his eyes dull and lifeless. His skin was pale from too many days without sunlight. He used to sit for hours without speaking or eating — a shadow of what he once was.
During those times, he'd looked more like a ghost than a boy. With time, he got better, but he never strayed from his destructive habits. And it had torn at her every day, knowing she couldn't pull him out of that darkness.
But now… seeing him like this — the color in his cheeks, the light in his eyes, and that smile she thought was lost forever — her heart swelled.
Quietly, she stepped closer. Her hands found his cheeks, and with a gentle touch, she lifted his head. Then, pressing her lips to his forehead, she lingered for a second longer than she meant to.
When she pulled away, she rested her forehead against his.
"Good," she whispered, her voice delicate. "That's good."
With that, she spun her heels and twirled, landing her bottom on the windowsill.
"Alright, squirt," she grinned. "I'm out of here. Made a deal with our best friend to leave before nightfall. You know who I'm talking about."
"Seren," he muttered.
"Hehe~ Don't make it so obvious. For whatever reason, Seren has chosen to tolerate you for now. Slip up, and that could change. No need to lose sight of your goal, eh?"
"So she knew about me, too."
"Of course. Did you really think that a single pair of glasses would be enough for you to elude her?"
"...It was Mephisto's idea."
"Pfft. Yeah, whatever. Anyway, I'm off. Take care, squirt."
She leaned back and fell out of the window. The wind brushed against her face while flailing her hair around. A confident smile streaked across her face as the light of dusk flashed in her eyes.
"You smiled, Caelus," she whispered. "Did you even know? The last time I saw you do that was before Father's death."
Her eyes shut as she let out a relieved scoff.
"Well... I was doubtful at first, but now I'm certain. Stay here, Caelus. Keep having fun. Keep experiencing the life I could never give you. Keep chasing a dream that will never come. As long as you keep that smile. Just leave all the dirty work to your older sister."
Where the shadows met the light, she fell into the gap. Yet, she didn't crash. Instead, her very being faded into a swirl of black mist, carried off by the gentle breeze.
Episode 1: Welcome to Rhodeia, End