A twig snapped nearby.
Olwen jerked awake. And in the next second, ice shielded the bare part of his body.
He raised a hand and forcefully splashed water upwards from the pond.
They solidified into ice needles and flew straight in the direction where the sound had co from.
The ice needles crossed the distance almost instantly.
Yesu's eyes widened.
She threw herself sideways.
Several needles flew past her shoulder.
One embedded itself into the wooden bridge behind her.
Another struck the grass and froze it solid.
The rest shattered against a stone lantern with sharp cracking sounds.
Yesu hit the ground and rolled.
"Wait!"
More ice was already forming.
The pond churned.
Mist twisted around Olwen as water rose from the surface and gathered beside him like obedient serpents.
The sleepy look was completely gone.
His pale eyes remained fixed on her, as cold as the ice.
He hesitated in confusion.
Then Yesu stood, pushing hair out of her face.
Their gaze t.
And Olwen went completely still.
Yesu dusted her dress.
"I know you probably live here, but it's not fair to just throw things at anyone who passes by."
Olwen's gaze softened.
Slowly.
Water and ice retreated back to the pond.
"I apologize." He said.
Yesu gave him a friendly smile.
"It's okay. I'm the one trespassing anyway."
A smile flashed across Olwen's face.
"You are indeed." He scanned their surroundings. "Why are you wandering about?"
Yesu glanced around.
"I was chasing soone."
Olwen looked surprised. "Chasing soone?"
"Yes." Yesu said, like it was a very normal occurrence.
Olwen went silent, pondering. But before he could process anything, Yesu spoke again.
"Why aren't you at the festival?" She asked.
Olwen was startled. Of all the questions relating to the circumstance.
Again, before he could think of what to say, Yesu continued.
"Is it because you're injured?" She didn't sound prying, it ca out more like a gentle observation.
Olwen stood stiff.
"Sorry." Yesu said. " I just happened to notice the wounds on your back."
Olwen looked away from her, focusing on the pond instead.
"You said you were chasing soone."
Yesu blinked. She had almost forgotten.
"Oh, right. A girl in black. She ran this way."
Olwen's eyes narrowed.
"This way?" He asked, then muttered to himself. "I didn't hear anyone."
Yesu's attention had shifted to an open book lying not too far from where Olwen had been resting. The cover seed interesting.
She wandered over and picked it up.
Olwen was puzzled.
"Pre-War Tis." Yesu read the title aloud, flipped through the contents. "This looks more intriguing than Maxwell's history lessons."
Then she turned to Olwen.
"Do you mind if I borrow this?"
Olwen stared in wonder.
"My present grades are terrible." Yesu went on. "I'm going to have to broaden my knowledge." She made a face. "Although I'm definitely not looking forward to that."
Olwen chuckled before he could stop himself.
"I would've loved to help but I can't just give anyone my books."
Yesu thought about it. "True…"
Her eyes lit up.
"Why don't you lend this intriguing book of yours and I…" She removed the blue leaves woven into her hair and stretched it to him. "... Give you this flower."
Olwen let out a laugh in surprise.
"Flower? Why would I trade a book for a flower?"
Yesu shook her head smugly.
"Not just any flower. You're looking at the famous Morning Dew flower coming all the way from the East."
Olwen beca interested.
"Really now?" He took it from her and studied it.
Yesu nodded.
"Uh huh. It's very rare. Also well known for its healing abilities."
Olwen snapped his gaze back to her.
"You can use it for your wounds." Yesu continued, oblivious. "It's a sha you're missing the festival. This should help a little. Rub it on and you'll be better by Monday."
Olwen studied the flower again.
Yesu sighed.
"I'll have to take my leave now, Ava wouldn't want to miss the parade. And although I couldn't find who I was chasing, I found you and got this book."
She shrugged. "So it's a win, sort of."
And turned to go.
"You didn't tell your na." Olwen said.
Yesu faced him again.
"Right. I'm Yesu."
Olwen cocked his head. "Yesu?"
"Yesuin. Kaelitha."
Realization dawned on Olwen.
"And you are?" Yesu asked.
"Olwen." He said quietly.
Yesu smiled. "Sounds cool." She took a step backwards.
"See you around, Olwen." She said.
And then she was gone.
Olwen's gaze lingered long after she had left.
He looked at the flower again.
"Morning Dew…" He muttered.
***
Yesu returned to the festival.
The noise hit her first.
Laughter. Music. Shouts. The distant boom of drums echoing across districts.
She pushed through the crowd, weaving between students holding snacks, lantern materials, and glowing trinkets.
The festival felt even more alive than before.
A sudden commotion erupted ahead.
An Elental Fire User stood on a raised platform, performing a swallowing trick.
A controlled fla danced in his mouth.
Flickered.
Then surged.
Fire spilled out like a bursting dragon.
"Hey!"
The crowd scattered instantly. Students scread and ran in every direction.
One of them collided hard into Yesu.
She stumbled and lost her balance, falling forward toward a nearby stall.
A table lined with sharp demonstration tools flashed beneath her.
A Regeneration Ability student was mid-performance, casually stepping through dangerous displays like it was nothing.
A standing knife was directly in Yesu's path.
And she was just a second away from falling face down into it.
Her eyes widened
A sharp gust of wind suddenly snapped through the air.
Her fall shifted sideways.
She hit the ground safely instead of the blade.
A hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her up.
Finch.
"Careful, careful." he said casually, as if nothing had happened.
He didn't look particularly alard. Neither did he look particularly serious.
Just… Finch.
He glanced at the Regeneration student.
"How about not performing stabbing tricks on walkways?" he suggested.
The student scoffed.
Finch turned back to Yesu, still holding her wrist.
"Honestly," he said, "with the rate at which I keep saving your life, don't you think you should just marry ?"
Yesu just looked at him. Expression blank.
Finch grinned.
They walked on.
The crowd thickened again, and the ground opened into a wide field.
Around them, students held kite-like lanterns, waiting.
Yesu slowed down.
"What is happening?" she asked.
Finch's grin faded. For the first ti, he sounded different. Solemn.
"Lantern Release," he said. "They send them away to light up the sky."
A pause.
"Probably the whole world too, if you believe the stories."
Before Yesu could respond, the cheerful festival music faded.
And in its place ca a different song.
Instruntal. Soft. Rising.
And then, one by one, students released their lanterns.
Light lifted into the sky.
Dozens beca hundreds.
Hundreds beca thousands.
The night transford.
Yesu stood still. Watching the sky as it turned into a glowing ocean.
And for a brief mont, Echelon Academy looked like sothing impossible.
Almost like paradise.
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