The passageway outside the dormitory wing was wrapped in a fading hush, the final remnants of daylight slipping through tall windows and casting a soft, dim sheen across the floor, while the distant sounds of the academy blurred into a faint, indistinct murmur that never quite reached this corner.

"Damon Valecrest..." Serena said, her voice steady despite the weight behind the words, "...he asked me to help him deal with you."

Celdric’s brows drew together slightly, the faint crease forming more out of curiosity than concern as he regarded her, his posture still relaxed though his attention had sharpened.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his tone even, though there was a subtle edge beneath it.

"Just what you heard," Serena replied without hesitation, her gaze fixed on him, unwavering.

Celdric tilted his head just a fraction, as though considering the statement from a different angle before he spoke again.

"And why would he want to deal with me?"

A quiet, almost mocking chuckle escaped Serena as she folded her arms lightly, her expression carrying a trace of sarcasm.

"Do you take me or him for a fool?" she said, her voice cool now, edged with quiet disdain, "after what you did during the class placement exam... and those two minions you sent... it all happened right in front of me."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Do you really think he wouldn’t figure out who it is that hates him enough to already start conspiring against him?"

Celdric’s expression did not shift immediately.

Instead, he let out a soft, almost thoughtful hum, his features settling into a mild, questioning look as though he genuinely didn’t understand.

"Hmm? Minions?" he said lightly, a faint note of confusion entering his voice, "what exactly are you talking about?"

Serena didn’t bother reacting to the act.

"Keep acting," she replied flatly, her tone dismissive, "do you really think he would care whether you were directly behind it or not after he decides on something?"

For a moment, Celdric said nothing.

He simply watched her.

Carefully measuring her every move.

Then, slowly—

"Even if it is as you say..." he began, his voice lowering slightly as his gaze sharpened, "why would he ask for your help?"

A faint pause followed as his lips curved just slightly.

"I didn’t know the heir and heiress of two duchies had become such close companions after clearing a single breach."

Serena stilled for a brief moment.

Her gaze shifted away, just for a second, as though something in that remark had struck closer than she intended.

Then she looked back at him.

"He has something on me," she said, her voice quieter now, though still controlled, "don’t ask what it is... I’m not going to tell you."

Celdric observed her in silence for a moment longer, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly before a small, knowing smile formed on his lips.

"Then," he said calmly, tilting his head just enough to signal interest, "what exactly do you want from me?"

"I want him dead."

The words fell between them with a weight that seemed to still the air itself, and for the first time since the conversation began, Celdric’s composure cracked, his eyes widening slightly as the statement registered in full.

"Just because he has something on you...?" he asked, his voice no longer carrying the same effortless calm as before.

Serena let out a faint scoff, her expression hardening as something far deeper surfaced beneath the surface of her usual control.

"I have wanted him dead for a long time," she said, her tone steady yet edged with something colder, something older, "not just him... but the entire Valecrest bloodline."

Her words slowed.

Her breath grew heavier, as though the weight of what she was saying pressed against her from within.

"For what they did to me...to us...to my..."

She did not elaborate as she took a deep breath calming herself down.

Celdric stood there, the shift in atmosphere clearly affecting him now, his usual confidence faltering as the implications settled in his mind.

"K-killing the heir of a duke..." he muttered under his breath, a faint sheen of sweat forming along his forehead as the reality of it began to take shape.

He exhaled lightly before speaking again, grasping for a more rational path.

"Then why don’t you hire assassins...?"

Serena turned slightly at that, her expression returning to its cold, controlled state.

"Do you think I didn’t try?" she replied, her voice calm yet carrying quiet frustration, "no assassin is willing to risk their life killing the heir of a duchy... apart from..."

Celdric’s lips parted slightly as the answer formed almost instinctively.

"...Black Rose."

The name alone shifted something in his expression.

Shock ,then something closer to fear.

"Y-you... already contacted her...?" he asked, his voice tightening just slightly.

Serena looked back at him.

"But that lunatic refused," she said flatly, "and attacked my own person instead."

Celdric fell silent.

For a moment, he simply stared at her, his gaze no longer casual or amused, but sharpened with a new understanding, reassessing everything he had thought about her until now.

"T-then why do you think I would be able to help you...?" he asked carefully, his tone measured, cautious.

Serena smiled.

A faint curve of her lips.

But there was nothing warm about it.

"That overconfident fool gave me the opportunity himself," she said, her voice lowering slightly, her eyes steady on him, "by asking me to help him deal with you."

She took a small step forward.

"If it had been anything else, I might have gone along with it just to silence him," she continued, her tone calm, almost thoughtful, "but after handing me such a chance..."

Her gaze sharpened.

"...it will become much easier to deal with him."

A brief pause followed as she studied Celdric’s reaction.

"To let him believe he is the one in control," she added quietly, "only for him to end up dead."

The silence stretched once more.

Then—

"So..." she said, her voice returning to a steady calm, "what do you say?" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Celdric held her gaze for a long moment, the conflict in his expression clear now as his thoughts moved rapidly behind his eyes, weighing risk against opportunity, consequence against gain.

Finally—

"I..." he began, his voice slower this time, more grounded, "...need some time to think."

***

Night settled quietly over the academy, the earlier warmth of evening giving way to a cool stillness as the sky stretched wide and clear above, scattered with countless stars and a pale moon that cast a soft glow across the grounds.

Inside his dormitory room, Damon stood by the window, his figure outlined faintly by that silvery light as he looked out into the distance, his expression calm, almost distant, while a gentle breeze slipped through the slightly open pane, lifting strands of his white hair and letting them fall again in a slow, rhythmic motion.

Behind him, Sahira moved quietly across the room, her presence light and unobtrusive as she went about tidying the space, the soft rustle of cloth and the faint sound of movement blending naturally into the silence without disturbing it.

After a moment, Damon drew in a slow breath before speaking, his voice breaking the quiet with an even, measured tone.

"In the coming week, we will go back to the Duke Manor for a day or two."

Sahira paused.

The cloth in her hand stilled as she straightened, turning toward him with a small, attentive nod, though a hint of hesitation lingered in her posture before she spoke.

"I-is there any particular reason, young master?" she asked softly, her voice careful, as though unsure whether the question was appropriate.

Damon turned slightly, his gaze settling on her for a brief moment.

...To find out more about you, he thought quietly, the words never reaching his lips.

Instead, he answered with the same calm indifference he always carried.

"I just want to pick up some things from the manor."

Sahira nodded again, accepting the explanation without question, though her expression softened slightly as she seemed to think over his words. After a brief pause, she spoke again, this time with a small, tentative smile.

"I-I think master... w-will be h-happy seeing young m-master," she said, her tone warming despite the slight stammer in her words.

Damon turned fully this time, his head tilting faintly as he looked at her.

"Hmm?"

Encouraged just enough, Sahira continued, her voice gaining a bit more steadiness as she spoke.

"Y-young master... has c-changed a lot... y-you even got first place i-in the exam... a-and there has been no complaints f-for a long time," she said, her eyes lowering slightly before lifting again, "I-I think master will be quite satisfied... e-even I feel you have changed... s-so master will definitely be happy."

Damon watched her for a moment, his gaze unreadable as he took in the quiet sincerity behind her words.

Then—

A soft chuckle escaped him.

He turned back toward the window, his eyes returning to the night sky as the faint breeze brushed past him once more.

"If only it was this easy..." he muttered under his breath.