Heartslabyul Peak

"I mean, even if Kalim was strong, one can always use wit to overthrow him and, according to what I've seen from the tests in the stadium, Jamil had always backed him up. But, if he was against a mob of people and was made to fight for that position..."

Dawning upon him, Raaji spoke up, "I get it now... He wouldn't have been given the position over so easily just by donations. Kalim has an easygoing attitude towards everyone and is very friendly. He's also too honest and does what he says or tries to. If he didn't have this personality and was made to fight for the position, he'd probably lose. However, he's always had Jamil and the students of the dorm behind his back. Even if he did get the position in an unfair manner, we wouldn't fight against him since he's always been helping others out."

"Yup." Lotus nodded, "I mean, you don't have anything against him either, right? Why have him fight for his position whereas you can support him in turn?"

Raaji then realized that, while Jamil was the vice dorm leader, the difference were almost night and day. While Kalim was carefree and outgoing, Jamil was rather cunning and observative.

"Then, why make us go through this training camp?" Raaji spoke up curiously, "I mean, a lot of us were hoping to go back home and relax."

"What do you think?" Lotus questioned him with a smirk on her red lips over the light of the campfire.

Pieceing the information regarding the two's personality, Raaji could already paint an idea over his mind, but he refused to say it. Partially not willing to admit it, he huffed, "What does the matter of the dorm leader and vice-dorm leader got to do with me?! Hmph!"

"Haha!" Lotus laughed, "That's a pretty good perspective you have going on there, Raaji. But, if you going to be this curious, you should also learn who to act around others or you can get yourself into trouble too..."

Raaji stared at her unamused when ruffling sound occurred nearby. Raising a brow, Lotus turned to Raaji in confusion, "You brought something with you?"

"Huh? Not really..." Raaji froze, "A-Actually, I think I'll go check it out!"

Though Lotus was curious, she didn't have the enthusiasm to find out what it was and decided to finish the remainder of her holiday homework.

.....

Lotus was reading on top of a tree hanging over the pond when she noticed a familiar red hair figure staring over the water in his dorm clothing. Curious, Lotus leaned over in confusion as she tried to get a better look at the guy. However, while doing so, she foolishly lost her balance while focusing on the guy and fell just as she gasped aloud in bewilderment.

"Woah!"

A familiar voice spoke up. She had shut her eyes in surprise but was shocked again when she found herself carried by a pair of arms, instead!

Horrified, she immediately got down as she said hurriedly, "Th-Thanks..."

"You're welcome.."

Looking up, she saw that it was Trey?!

She didn't think that the guy would suddenly appear out of nowhere and end up saving her from smashing her head against the rocky floor.

"Trey? Peony?!"

Riddle looked up in surprise. Though he figured that the two would appear since he suddenly found himself here, he didn't think those two would make such an unexpected entrance the way they did. While surprised, he still felt rather frustrated and sad as slight bitterness emerged quietly as well. However, he didn't want that to ruin everyone's mood and decided against showing it.

However, Lotus wasn't stupid and Trey could see through Riddle's act as he could his own younger siblings.

"Are you all right?" Riddle asked her with a look of exasperation, "How did you suddenly fell out of a tree of all places...?"

She shook her head with a sheepish smile, "Ah... I was distracted and my grip on the branch slipped... Because I didn't react fast enough, I'd probably hit my head on the ground if Trey didn't caught me."

"It's not safe to read in a tree." Trey shook his head in dismay.

"Hehe... Sorry about that!" Lotus responded with a sheepish smile.

"Geez." Riddle shook his head in dismay as he was beginning to feel a little less bitter now.

"I'm going to keep reading else where. See you later!" She took her book and walked away with a small smile on her face.

However, though she did not really care as much for other's personal problems, it seemed as though she was embarrassed for her blunder as she had quickly left them. Riddle shook his head with a small smile as she watched her leave.

On another peak, Lotus then found another tree for her to hang out around as she began to read once again. However, it didn't take long for another disturbance to stop her once again...

She grumbled with a heavy sigh as she could feel a strong energy coming towards her. She was certain that the only people able to enter this space were the Heartslabyul dorm, and the dorm leaders of the Savanaclaw and Octavinelle. Just where did this new guy come from this time?!

She could only hope that it wasn't one of the staff members...

However, she never recalled having felt a presence this formidable in the school, unless...

She could only sigh and returned to hide else where with her book in hand. She soon found a small shelter within the field of thorn vines where she discovered a lumpy boulder. This was exactly what she needed. She gave the thorns a light touch and carefully pushed aside the vines. It didn't take long for there to be a small room within the brambles as she could feel the energy coming closer. Quickly, she ducked into the room and began to read once more. The light wasn't too bad and she could still read without any problems. Hours passed before she could feel her surroundings began to change as she put away her book. Once again, the end of another night...

The next night, Lotus had just finished helping Raaji with astrology assignment when she entered her dream realm again. It was strange that, even when astrology wasn't a part of the freshmen courses, some, such as Raaji, takes the course meant for second years.

Leaving the brambles, Lotus looked into the blue skies. It was bright as per usual. However, she preferred the night skies more often. She had just found a breakthrough in her studies after all these months, but it was disappointing that the light skies ruined that mood the moment she stepped out of the brambles. Trying not to forget the information and ideas she came up with, she had written them down on a piece of paper, then hurried off to another place. After having thrown a mask on, Lotus went ahead past the past few peaks with ease.

"Who's there?"

Lotus quickly hid in a willow tree when she heard the call and looked down. To her surprise, there was the familiar gray suit guy with a fedora hat. As she watches curiously, she could see the guy walk around curiously examining the area around him before collapsing next to the deep pool filled with lilies of a multitude of colors. It was obvious the guy must've been treking up the peak for quite a while and only just managed to make it to the top. As expected of someone with this much determination...

After seeing the guy was all right, she went on ahead stealthily across the peak. The environment around this peak wasn't all that bad. It was probably morning as a light mist was wrapping itself around the peak. The peak where that other guy was laying about was a lot more dry and warm, but it wasn't as dry and hot as the Sunset Savannah. She had been there before when she was young.

Her fairy mother had been awfully worried that her inhabitance in the small fairy kingdom would result her to become ostracized from the race she originated from. So, at the age of six, her mother ordered Maisey to escort her to certain parts of the world once a year for a month or two before returning home. However, Lotus was young and still trying to settle into her new atmosphere. After gaining the partial acceptance of her foster father, she was brought to one country once a year. Sometimes, it was back to the same place.

Having been to the Sunset Savannah, or some call it Afterglow Savannah, a few times, she could tell that the air here was probably a little more comfortable that those drought times of that land.

It was certainly strange.

She hurried away to the peak she liked to call the Heartslabyul peak thanks to the inhabitants being just Riddle and the others. It was then that she noticed Riddle in his dorm clothing curled up under the tree she had been lying on. She looked around and saw the traces of large footprints next to Riddle and it traced its direction to the bushes. Curious, she crouched next to Riddle staring at his sleeping face quietly.