An awkward meeting

"There's no point in hiding, kid would you be my accomplice?" Sol nodded, curious about what her master was upto.

"Alright, since that's done, let's meet your peers, and we'll talk about the plan in detail" Sol agreed to her as they went downstairs, to Claire's new room.

"Sol? what are you doing here?" Claire was surprised to see her with Alma, both of them were sitting at end of the couch.

"Hey, that's my line.." both of them giggled, Claire owe's her alot, since sol was her only friend she ever made since her childhood. Sol was also one of the victims of the old pedophile, whom got killed by Claire, as she awakened her powers.

"Ahem" Sol coughed, "So I heard there's one more person"

"Yeah, he's the only guy here" Claire didn't want to mention his name. She felt awkward as she remembered him holding hands. Blushing intensely she was speechless.

"Hey..Claire are you alright, your face looks red as a peach, does she have fever master?" Sol looked for her master but she disappeared "master..." confused, her eyes turned to egg.

"No, I can't meet them both" Drake was furious, arguing with Alma outside the room.

"Now now kid, how can u call yourself a man if you can't handle those two, you must protect them in future" Alma said, while Rubbing his shoulders. Her bright smile forced him to obey her.

"Ugh fine.." Drake nervously accepted his fate, he's the man of this house so he needs to act like one.

Sol had been talking about what happened and how she met Alma, then Claire said "I feel ashamed for making him suffer, I shouldn't have done that, and listened to him" Sol knew something about Ronda, so she decided to share her side of story.

"It was that bitch, our friend "Ronda", I tried to stop you but she used her spell on me to push me back, I thought it was you but I overheard them talk, she was with a group of girls and boys, and she's one of them that set us up with Drake"

"I also found some boys whom are Drake's bullies, but I found random guys, especially one from Bernstein family, The moment you beat him up, they spread rumours about Drake, and it's all over the place now" said Sol, feeling cheated about Ronda.

"From the bottom of my heart, I hate that place even more, now I'm glad that I moved out of there, but now...since I've heard it all, I can't help but feel disgusted about myself" Claire said, she was exasperated about her actions, that she wished she was never born. Sol looked at her with melancholic expression.

"You have me now, right? don't worry just apologise to him properly" Sol beamed with a timid smile, Claire smirked lugubriously, but then all of a suddenly, the sound of a vaccum door slams had been heard.

Sol stood to check up on who it was, a boy who looked familiar. None other than Drake himself. Sol was surprised on how he looked, two days ago he was twisted beyond repair, she felt the shock of his pain.

Drake didn't like how Sol was with Claire, he hated the girls who got along with her, thinking how they used her to make both of them suffer. "Tch" Drake was annoyed to meet Sol, she's the rude one in the class so by default he hates her, but he was still holding his emotions. Although Sol right now, also felt a bit guilty for not being able to stop him from getting injured.

The room was colder than the absolute kelvin, everyone inside went silent, Claire was embarrassed to talk about anything, Sol was annoyed at Claire that because she didn't talk about him, since she was going to tell him everything. Claire had an awkward expression at the moment, and that made sol deduce that she met him before her.

"Master told me that we should introduce ourselves, so let's get along" Drake said, coughing up.

"Yes"..."ofcourse" both of them answered him at the same time.

"I'll go first, my name is Sol Arundel, and..umm..Claire is the first friend that I've made so far, no one else besides her have been a true friend of mine" Drake was confused watching her speak on a soft tone. Sol was known to be brash as a middle aged man or a thug, that kids her age avoid messing with her.

"I apologise for not being able to help at that time, since I knew something was suspicious, I want to tell you everything about what had happened to you and her" bowing her head with a moral culpability. Drake wasn't expecting an apology from her, but felt more at ease now.

"it's fine, I'm just glad that I'm alive, ever since master saved my life, I made it back in one piece. I guess I was kinda lucky." said Drake, as he glowed with a bright smile. Sol smiled back at him "he doesn't seem that bad at all" she thought to herself, Drake felt the same about her.

"Idiot, did cat got your tongue? say something!!" She insisted Claire to speak via telepathy.

"H-i, hi, i- I'm, C-Claire...I hope we all get along he he ha ha ha" Claire shivered with nervousness, comically faking a laugh with a monotone, extremely flushed as her hands twitched. Sol was holding her laughter which could burst like a volcano.

Meanwhile Drake looked at her awkward peach red face with awe, as she kept avoiding eye contact with him, thinking she was cute, although it was random to introduce herself. Sol cracked up laughing after looking at Drake's face, as the rest of the trio followed her.

"Somehow, it feels nostalgic" Alma thought to herself, since she overheard the kids, reminding her of the old friends who had died in the war, the journeys she had with them, the camp fires, adventures and much more.

"I've decided, I'm gonna pour in everything on these kids" holding her conviction even higher, she has decided to take them under her wing.

The door opens again, Alma enters the room as they stared at her.

"Now then, I'll give you guys atleast a few days break time, The real training starts on Sunday, so you three better be prepared on theory, there won't be carefree days and lazy nights, this is the beginning of your journey, I'll call you guys if the dinner is ready so feel free to get along and make yourselves comfortable, it'd be best for you read something on library hall right now" the trio listened to her, Claire and Sol wasn't sure about the places, it's their first time being in her basement.

"I have a question?" Claire said, "Ask away" replied Alma.

"Where's the library hall?" she asked, "Drake knows alot about the rooms and halls here, so he'll tell you, I'm gonna get busy now, Drake..." Alma replied her with an

"Yes master" he answered.

"Take care of them, make sure they don't create a fuss, I'll be off now" she left waving her hand.

"Sol follow me, I've something to tell you"

"what is it master" she followed.

"She's so cool" thought Sol, as she glittered with a sparkle in her eyes.

Meanwhile Drake and Claire are left alone, as the door closed itself, unbeknownst to them, the door was locked.

"Hey" Drake sits beside her.

"...." She held her embarrassment, since she remembered crying on his arms. Drake holds her hand, which pops her eye out.

"Why...why is my heart racing when I look at him" she thought to herself, nervous about the situation, she can't understand why it's happening.

"I have to tell you something" he said, Claire froze, her mind is in a state of preparation. Suddenly Claire's listening skills vastly improved, just for this moment, she thought he was proposing to him.

"What is it?" She replied.

"I'm scared, I just hate to say this to you but I'm kinda scared of you at that time" Drake was insinuating the time when she displaced her aggressive powers on him, Claire felt pathetic again.

"I am weak and naive, that I can barely manage to learn magic, I can't even use mana or martial arts but that doesn't mean I'm giving up, I will climb up to you, to be your equal, and one day.. maybe one day, I will surpass you, that's why you shouldn't die, I'll beat you up to pulp if you have any suicidal intensions" Drake clenched his fists, the weight he hold in these words meant everything to him, Claire and his sensei gave him the resolve to move on. Meanwhile Claire was surprised to hear this from him, his eyes were endowed with flames of passion, mildly threatening her but atleast it wasn't bad, She felt at ease now.

Claire didn't have to feel guilty about him anymore, but she wants to owe the debt anyways, it was a good thing that he told her, but she had a worst habit of overthinking and misunderstanding things.

"What if I told him, that I had suicidal thoughts and he should punish me...wait what the hell am I thinking about.." thought Claire, comically puzzled about her dirty head, she's indeed a lass with a cultured mind.

"I-i'll wait for that day" she quivered, while blushing intensely. Drake couldn't help but wonder about why her face redden itself.