The bell rang, signaling break time. The moment it stopped, Noah immediately rose from his seat. With quick, purposeful movements, he tightly folded the copied page from his book and slipped it into his uniform pocket.
"Where are you going?" asked Rei, looking at him curiously.
"I want to go to the library," Noah answered briefly, his steps already heading for the door without waiting for a reply.
"Oy, wait for me! I'm coming!" Rei called out, immediately following behind without a second thought.
…
Inside the quiet, dusty library, Noah carefully navigated the rows of tall bookshelves. His eyes, full of intensity, scanned every cover and title on the spines. Rei could only stand beside him, hands on his hips, his face reflecting growing confusion.
"So," Rei finally broke the silence, his voice a whisper, "what are you actually looking for?"
Noah paused for a moment. He took the paper out of his pocket, unfolding it slowly as if it were a fragile, precious item. "I want to find the meaning of this writing."
"Is it that important to you?" Rei narrowed his eyes, trying to make sense of the strange, meaningless symbols scrawled on the paper.
"Very," Noah answered shortly, his tone flat yet firm. His gaze returned to the bookshelves, as if hoping an answer would appear among the old bindings.
Rei sighed, letting out a small chuckle. "But you know. There are only boring school textbooks here. You won't find weird stuff like that here."
"I know…" Noah replied, his voice faint and weary, his shoulders slumping slightly. "But it's the only thing I can do for now."
Seeing the deep disappointment and seriousness on Noah's face, Rei fell silent for a moment. His expression changed from confused to determined.
"You won't find it here," he said, confident. "So I'll help you."
"Don't bother, I–" Noah protested, but was immediately cut off by Rei.
"Wanna go to the canteen?" he offered, casually leaning against a bookshelf. "My treat. Better than getting frustrated looking at these books, might as well fill our stomachs. Besides, mine's been growling for a while now."
However, as they turned to leave, a boy was already standing in their way. Three others stood behind him, like lurking shadows.
'Tareo…' Noah thought to himself, his body tensing slightly.
"Aren't you afraid, Rei, being friends with him?" Tareo said, his voice full of sarcasm. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Noah with contempt.
"Afraid?" Rei replied, pretending not to understand.
"Haven't you heard? A child born without mana is a bad omen," Tareo hissed, spreading his poisonous words.
Noah's hands instantly clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles turning white.
"That's just a folktale," Rei retorted with a forced casual tone, though his eyes were beginning to sharpen. "You still believe in folktales?"
The atmosphere instantly grew tense. The air around them felt thick and hot.
"You're just jealous of Noah, right?" Rei challenged, taking a step forward. "Because your father–"
"What do I have to be jealous of that kid for?!" Tareo cut in angrily, his face turning red.
"Owh, alright~," Rei hissed in a dangerous tone. "Good thing this school forbids using magic… except during practical lessons."
Czzzt!
Thin, uncontrolled lightning crackled around Rei's arm, emitting a small, threatening hiss.
Rei… You'd go this far? Noah thought, his eyes wide open seeing his friend's sudden change.
"You better leave," Rei said, his voice low and full of warning. "Before something unwanted happens."
Tareo looked at the crackling lightning with a quick calculation in his eyes. Finally, he decided to back down. "Fine, we're leaving," he grumbled. "But know this, I'm not afraid of you. Understood?"
With annoyed steps, he and his group turned around and left the place.
After they were gone, the tension evaporated. Rei nudged Noah's shoulder with his usual casual attitude. "Done. Let's go to the canteen…"
…
They walked through the crowd of students towards the canteen visible ahead. Curious and judgmental stares from other students pierced them from all directions, but Noah just took a deep breath.
Just consider them my fans. he said to himself, trying to strengthen his resolve.
Upon reaching the canteen entrance, their gaze immediately fell on Haru and Allen, already sitting at a table. "Noah, Rei... over here!" Haru called, waving his hand.
Rei and Noah approached and sat on the empty benches provided. Haru and Allen promptly scooted over to make room for them.
"Good thing you guys are here," Haru said cheerfully. "Allen's treating us! He got paid from helping Sister at the market yesterday afternoon."
"I'll pay for all of you," Rei suddenly interjected, cutting into the conversation.
Then he continued in a lower voice, "I feel bad. You guys are from the orphanage… while I–"
"It's okay, Rei," Allen replied politely, offering a small smile.
"No-no, seriously. Let me," Rei insisted, and before anyone could object, he had already stood up and hurried towards the cashier.
"Alright...," Haru conceded with a resigned smile.
Noah just sat quietly observing them. Amid the noise and warmth of the conversation, his mind was still deeply submerged, focused on something else-on the ancient symbols and the persistent dream.
"What's wrong with you, Noah? You've been spacing out a lot lately," Allen asked, his voice full of concern.
Noah was silent for a moment, staring at the paper in his hand. Then, gathering all his intention and courage, he placed the paper containing the symbols on the table. "Do you guys know what writing this is?" he asked, his voice low but insistent.
Haru and Allen immediately leaned in, examining the strange scribbles. "What is this, Noah? Some kind of ancient writing?" Haru asked, his eyes squinting with curiosity.
"Maybe," Noah answered briefly. "Someone gave it to me... then just disappeared. They said it would be useful someday."
"This is just a copy, the original I keep at home."
"Hah, probably just some prankster," Haru replied with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.
BAM!
Unexpectedly, Noah slammed his hand on the table. The loud sound cut through the canteen's noise, startling Haru and Allen into immediate silence.
"What do you mean…? I'm tired of living in the shadow of magic and now I have something to pursue even if I don't know what it is," Noah said softly, his voice trembling, filled with long-suppressed frustration. His eyes blazed. "I don't care! You will never understand how important this is to me!"
Allen, who was initially shocked, took a deep breath. His chest, which had risen, now fell slowly as he began to calm down. He looked at Noah, not with anger, but with understanding. "Alright," he said in a soft but firm voice. "I'll help you. So, what should we do?"
"Don't bother," Noah replied, looking down, his voice suddenly losing its anger and turning listless. He pulled the paper back. "I... will do it myself. I'm leaving. Not hungry."
"Noah, wait! I... I'm sorry," said Haru, managing to catch up to Noah. His face was filled with genuine remorse.
Noah replied softly, his hand wiping his sweaty brow. "I need to be alone for a while."
He turned and continued walking away.
"Oy, Noah! Wait! Where are you going?" Rei shouted, who had just returned with a tray full of food, his face confused seeing Noah leave.
But Noah had already disappeared into the crowd of students, leaving his three friends stunned.
Where they stood, the atmosphere fell silent. Rei looked at Haru and Allen, confusion clearly written on his face.
"What... what happened?" he asked, his voice low with question.
However, he didn't need a verbal answer. Haru's teary eyes and slumped shoulders said it all. Allen could only let out a long sigh, watching the direction Noah had disappeared with a worried expression.