At dusk the two arrived back at the academy gates together, but Abel sensed that the surveillance had not stopped. He was growing tired of it and decided to handle the tail on his own terms. He made up an excuse and sent Alyssa ahead. Alyssa nodded, said her goodbye, and walked on.
Abel turned and headed down a deserted alley. He stopped deep within it and clearly sensed two hidden presences. He told whoever was hiding in the shadows to come out now.
A female mage materialized from the darkness. Abel noticed her gray eyes immediately. It was a technique that used earth element magic to blend into one's surroundings. Her revealing clothing was likely meant to increase the precision of her magic.
At that moment another voice came from the rooftop above. A male mage dropped down, expressing surprise that such a young boy had managed to detect them. The female mage let slip that it was no wonder, considering he was acquainted with that person.
Abel latched onto it immediately and pressed her on who had commissioned them. The male mage quickly scolded his partner for always saying more than she should. He turned around and declared firmly that he would not reveal the client under any circumstances.
That was all Abel needed to feel genuinely engaged. Only an opponent of this caliber was worth taking seriously.
At that same moment, Professor Emerson was making his way alone through the academy's corridors. A familiar loneliness clung to him like a shadow, as it always did. No one argues with insects, and no one goes stargazing with apes. There had never been a single person in the world who could discuss magic with him as an equal.
The staggering talent he had shown from childhood, inventing magic tools on his own at an early age, had brought him not understanding but a profound and unbridgeable isolation. Others flattered him to his face, calling him a genius, but behind his back came envy and ridicule. Overwhelming ability had given birth to a loneliness with no bottom.
When he first entered the academy he had tried to fit in, but he quickly came to understand that accommodating mediocrity was a senseless retreat. A diamond can only be polished by another diamond, or by something harder. Without a worthy opponent, even a genius cannot truly grow. There had been times when he felt so suffocated he could barely find a reason to go on.
Until Abel appeared, like a light cutting through the dark. Observing and testing this young man's abilities had reawakened his excitement. To that end he had not hesitated to call upon the resources of the magic society, Chronos. Those two skilled mages were his fellow members. To understand Abel, he was willing to use whatever means necessary.
He pushed open the door to his workshop and froze instantly, eyes going wide.
Abel was sitting calmly in his chair, drinking tea. The young man turned and greeted him, apologizing for the intrusion.
Emerson forced down his shock and asked how he had broken through the layers of barriers. The defensive magic he had laid down was far more than just two or three layers deep. Abel said those barriers were like tissue paper.
Emerson laughed it off awkwardly and praised him as impressive and full of surprises, but Abel cut through the pretense without another word. He told Emerson that his associates had already told him everything. His demand was simple. Stop all surveillance immediately.
Emerson stood there completely stunned, utterly unprepared to be exposed this fast. For Abel to have forced those two to talk, what kind of power must that have taken? He steadied himself and asked, with a probing edge, what if he refused?
The words had barely left his mouth when a terrifying surge of magic enveloped him. Abel's eyes were ice cold, carrying the unmistakable weight of a death threat. Emerson was paralyzed by the sheer force of that presence. His body wouldn't stop shaking, but buried beneath the fear was a different feeling altogether, something like fascination. He gave in at last, saying he would accept every demand.
Abel slowly withdrew that suffocating energy. Emerson exhaled in relief, but his curiosity got the better of him. He asked why Abel was even staying at this academy. There should be nothing here worth learning anymore.
Abel said he simply wanted a quiet, uneventful school life. Nothing more than that.
Emerson's eyes cooled, and he said that was far too much of a joke. He lowered his voice and spoke of what he saw as the destiny of a genius. With power like that, changing the world as he pleased was within reach. Even ruling over ordinary people was no fantasy.
Abel's brow furrowed, and his revulsion was plain on his face. He brushed past him without ceremony, said flatly that he had no interest in any of that, and walked out without looking back.
Emerson slumped against the desk, his heart still hammering wildly. He had encountered many brilliant people, but he had never felt a killing intent like that. A smile of excitement curved the corner of his mouth. He was certain that Abel's existence would push him to an entirely new level.
The night grew deeper. Alyssa came to find Abel with the plushy in her arms. She learned from Ted that he wasn't in, and stayed to wait on her own at the foot of the dormitory building. She wanted to give him the plushy and say thank you in person.
As she gently stroked the figure, a familiar voice drifted over from the direction of the trees. Abel's tone was impatient, asking why she had come at this hour. A woman's voice offered a soft apology.
Alyssa slipped behind cover to watch. When she saw who it was, she was stunned. The person speaking with Abel was Teacher Lilith.
Lilith spoke softly of how much she had missed him. Abel reminded her that she should avoid drawing unnecessary attention to herself. He turned to leave, telling her to save whatever she had to say for after class.
What happened next nearly stopped Alyssa's breath. Lilith rose on her tiptoes and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. Lilith's cheeks were flushed, and Abel just sighed with exasperated resignation, saying she hadn't changed one bit from when she was small.
Alyssa shrank back into the shadows. What on earth was going on?
The next day Alyssa sat in a cafe in a sullen mood. When Yukari arrived, she immediately sensed something was off. Alyssa, who never turned down a sweet, had only ordered a black coffee. Yukari leaned in with concern and asked if something was troubling her.
Alyssa finally said in a low voice what she had witnessed. She had seen Teacher Lilith kiss Abel on the forehead. She couldn't help but wonder if the two of them were together.
Yukari blinked at that, then understood at once what was weighing on Alyssa's mind. She quickly smiled and reassured her that there was absolutely nothing to worry about, because Abel and Teacher Lilith were actually siblings, older sister and younger brother. That piece of news had already made its way around the whole academy. Ted had confirmed it, too.
Alyssa found it hard to believe, but she still thought it was strange. Why would real siblings have to meet in secret and express their feelings through something like a kiss, of all things?
Yukari guessed that they were probably being careful because of the teacher-student dynamic between them, and that since they were simply very close, a kiss was just their way of showing affection.
Alyssa thought it over and decided that made sense. The cloud over her heart lifted in an instant, and her appetite came roaring back. She was going to order the biggest slice of cake on the menu. Yukari watched her spring back to life and couldn't help but laugh.