Sharing a Room
Professor Clea was a strict woman, but she was kind at the same time. She escorted the two of them back to the dorm while pointing out important places to Platina along the way, like the cafeteria, the school yard, the infirmary, the library. However, Platina wasn't in the mood to respond, only nodding politely the entire way. She was too busy thinking about the fact that she was stuck in this world as a familiar to pay attention to anything else.
However, there was a surprise waiting for her when the three of them arrived at the dorm...
"What do you mean I have to share a room with him?!" Platina cried in outrage. Kaius was also in a disapproving state, refusing to let the one who ruined his summon to stay in his room, which was already too small for one person.
"I'm sorry, it is required that a familiar stays with the master at all times. While I don't think it is a good idea for a man and a woman to stay in the same room for an extended period of time, it cannot be helped," the professor explained. In the background, the dorm manager was laying out some thin bedding on the ground.
"D-Don't you have some other room available? I would still be nearby, don't I?" Platina was desperate to salvage the situation.
"Again, I'm sorry, but the summoning contract bounds you two together. The familiar cannot be ten strides away from the master. This is to prevent the familiar from leaving without supervision and causing harm. As soon as you move farther than the limit, you will be pulled back by magic right away."
Platina resisted the urge to scream in frustration while Kaius was clenching his fists so tight they may break.
"Well, it's getting late. I will leave you two to rest. And remember, no funny business." The professor walked out the door with the dorm manager followed behind her.
"..." Silence ensued as the pair engaged in a glaring match. Kaius was the first to break eye contact as he spied his bed at the corner of his eyes. Platina's eyes widened when she realized his intention. In a flash, they both rushed to claim the bed. Kaius, having a head-start, reached it first, landing on the bed before shoving Platina down to the bedding on the floor. She landed with an 'oof,' glaring at him in a while.
"Don't you know it's not gentlemanly to force a girl to sleep on the floor?!"
Kaius looked down at her condescendingly, "If you can kill my monster, then you aren't a girl anyway."
"Excuse me? Didn't you say that a "scrawny girl" like me can't kill a monster?" Platina bit back, determined not be lose.
"It doesn't matter. I have to be stuck with you for two years, I will not be stuck without a bed as well," he turned to sleep, ignoring the girl on the floor.
Platina huffed in anger before trying to make herself comfortable on the hard floor. It proved to be difficult as she was not used to sleeping without a bed. She tossed and turned for a while, until she settled on a semi-comfortable position on her side, unexpectedly facing the sleeping boy on the bed.
In the dark room, the window was opened. A gentle breeze fluttered the curtains as the moonlight streamed into the room. The boy in front of her was sleeping serenely and letting out soft breaths. His eyes were closed and his eyelashes cast a fan-like shadow on his cheeks. Platina thought he made a pretty picture, if only he was less of a jerk. She wasn't the type to judge a person on outer appearances, so she thought that no matter how beautiful this boy was, she still could not stand to be with him for two years. Not to mention, there were unresolved issues back in her world...
Thinking until then, Platina's blood-red eyes darkened with frustration. To distract herself from thinking about her own world, she used the moonlight to inspect the Mark of Contract on her hand and her frown deepened. The mark stood out strikingly from her fair skin and it drew her eyes to it. It was a circle of black ink filled with runic symbols she had never seen before. She had a feeling that the key to breaking the familiar contract had to do with understanding these runic symbols. They were different than the runes in her world. The layout of the circles and the runes as well was completely different than the magic she was used to. It looked like she had no choice but to somehow learn the way magic worked in this strange land in order to find a way home. It was a daunting task, and Platina spent hours thinking about how best to approach this. It wasn't until three after midnight that she managed to fall asleep.