Chapter XXXVIII - The Stranger, Not Stranger

The sun breaks the horizon, scattering its light across the pale green grass, shining a ray over the stranger's hair, making it flash a reddish-brown hue. His features were sharp, roguish, somehow familiar.

North was the first one to seem to break out of his stupor, immediately flashing a polite smile of his own.

"Oh, of course. It's over there." He points to the buildings that were the dormitory.

"...Thank you." The stranger, who called himself Darius, gives a nod and then sets off on the path toward the dorms.

I watch his back as he walks away for a moment, and as if he was able to sense my gaze, he looks over his shoulder, straight back at me.

I glance away quickly, flushing slightly.

"You know, don't you think...he's...?" North didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

"I don't know, it seems to be. But...D vanished years ago!"

There was a boy, he only called himself D, he might have told us something else, but we all called him D. He used to be one of us, but an orphan, another half-blood. He was timid, kept to himself at first. Whenever North and I approached him, we would find him either reading under a tree or quietly watching the older ones train. North was able to befriend him, so we became somewhat of a ruddy group like the three musketeers. D's hair was almost red, but almost a deep brown, some color one would call mahogany. He had dark eyes, almost all black, the initial fear in them and then the unambiguous gleam of hope or delight. I remember his pointed chin, thin frame that would curl in on itself whenever he was afraid, his hair so long it fell past his eyes. Which seemed to hide an unseen malicious intention, or was it that we were just too blind by time and friendship to see?

But that was before. The past. Could it be, after all this time, this is him again?

"...Raven? We should get to class, the bell rang." North said.

"Sorry. Let's go, before we're late." I shake my head, shaking the thought away. The memory from back then left me indignant again, even after all this time.

On that day, I wonder what was going on in his mind, on that day, when we were all stung by D's betrayal.

No no, it doesn't matter now anyway. Mother always said karma will come to those that deserve it...no one...no one can escape fate.

* * *

The hours crept by, slowly. Introductions were made, teachers were introduced, whispers were heard, and stares can be felt. In the sea of blue, gray, and black uniforms, we were a stark contrast of white in clothing and hair. Partially because the only shirts and jackets we had were for arctic camouflage, and practically no one else has light-colored hair. Reo being the only exception seen so far. Apparently having lighter hair, and pale skin was always an indication to others of a maybe foreign background, if horns or animal ears and the tails aren't enough to convince you, might as well get a full blood test only to tell me I'm half-human.

"Hey. Wake up."

I raise my head from the cover of my newly given textbook, the hour-long literature lecture had ended, chatter rising among the students as class starts to wrap up.

"Hm-?" To my surprise, Haruna was standing over me, instead of her maid-style uniform, she wore the school crest on her chest, dress shirt over blazer- like any other student. "Aren't you...?" I started.

"Yes I am, I am the Headmaster's 'student' assistant. Not a full-time maid. As you might be surprised," She said this as if she knew what I was going to ask, as if she was asked this countless times before.

"Oh, I wasn't going to ask that, but, alright?" I responded, mildly puzzled.

"Better to have made it clear before they ask." She said matter of factly. "Here, from the Headmaster." She hands me a folded envelope, "Your finalized timetable."

"Ah-"

Without another word, Haruna was already near the door, the monochromatic pin in her hair glinting as she blends into a fold of students heading out.

Still left a little bewildered, I glance back at the envelope in my hands, flipping it open as my curiosity gets the best of me.

'-Raven Uishi Rank of Class: MISC'

"MISC? Miscellaneous? ...Magically impassive support class?" I skim the rest of the contents, discovering not much else. I refold the piece of paper, leaning back into my seat for a moment, "...well, it's something." I stand, heaving the thick textbook under my arm with a heavy exhale.

"Raven!"

I look to see North at the classroom door, waving.

"You made it to lunchtime, good job! Did you manage to stay awake during the lecture?" He asked as I came up to him, walking with me out into the hallway.

"Yeah...maybe," I shuffle along, rubbing at my eyes, starting to feel the fatigue from last night catch up to me. "I might have..."

North gives me a knowing look, but his expression was sympathetic, "Tired?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh right, did you get a new timetable from Hatsu?" He asked too, "I got my rank, Physical II."

"Do you know what that means?" I returned.

"Apparently, the classes are Physical and Special, each has a rank. The higher the rank, the more magical potential you have. The type of class depends on your preferred weapon and kind of magic."

A dark dreadful feeling bolts up the length of my spine, forcing me to an abrupt halt. A feeling like the one when one of the spirit's gaze fell, heavy with oppression. I flit my eyes from side to side, suddenly on high alert. A sudden, faint touch of darkness brushes past my shoulder.

"-They say if you have high enough potential you can master both-"

As quickly as that, the darkness disappears, the feeling dissipating. I squint, catching a subtle trail of shadow maybe vanishing among a throng of people near the turn in the hall.

North stops too, realizing I had fallen behind, he looks back, "You alright, sister? Not feeling faint again are you?"

"No..."I rub my temples, deciding I might have been hallucinating out of trauma and lack of sleep, "Come on, wouldn't want for all the food to be gone by the time we get there." I push it aside, again with the piling amount of cast aside thoughts that probably will be a pain later.

...A feeling of darkness so familiar, you could have mistaken it for an old friend. Flashing eyes of midnight, yet dull of light- of one..who used to be a friend.