A fairytale of a beautiful maiden, the beloved Frost Flower Princess was supposed to be staying in the comfort of her castle masquerading as a cage to protect her from the dangers outside, imprisoned by her own brothers.
That is, until a mysterious...
* "But suddenly an angel has smiled at me and touched my face without a trace of fright"
** Noble Bell College- Bell Tower Interior
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Everyone trudged up the long, spiraling stairs to the top of the Bell of Solace. Despite its age, the tower was pristine—immaculate stone walls lined with carved arches and windows that let in beams of late afternoon light. It would've been breathtaking... if it didn't require so much walking.
"*huff, huff*" Azul wheezed, pressing one gloved hand against the cool stone wall to steady himself. His typically composed expression had crumpled into something much more aggravated—and exhausted. He could already feel the smug glances Vanitas and Isfrid would throw once they reached the top.
Except... they were already there.
Vanitas, Noé, Y/n, and Isfrid had taken to the skies instead of enduring the climb. The twins had flown gracefully to the top with a beat of their feathered wings, while Noé leapt in powerful bursts of vampiric agility—and Vanitas? He'd clung to Y/n like a lovesick cat, laughing the entire way up as she carried him. The sight still burned itself into Azul's memory.
"*wheeze, wheeze*" Idia wasn't doing much better. He was hunched over, hands on his knees, pale hair clinging to his forehead as he panted dramatically.
"What's the matter?" Malleus asked, entirely unaffected, his calm baritone tinged with actual concern. "You've both gone strangely silent?"
"How many floors...is the bell tower...?" Azul gasped, adjusting his glasses only for them to fog up.
"Why don't they have an elevator? This place is in dire need of an upgrade..." Idia whined, dragging himself up the last few steps like a tragic ghost.
"You could've accepted Y/n's offer to fly you up like Vanitas did," Riddle pointed out, not hiding the smile tugging at his lips.
"We know that already!" both Azul and Idia snapped in perfect synchronization, glaring at nothing in particular.
"Um, are you guys okay? You've covered in sweat," Epel asked, genuinely concerned as he took in their sweat-soaked forms.
"Say, what if you took a broom up? Surely they have some brooms you could borrow..." Deuce suggested helpfully.
"*SNRK* What a cruel suggestion. Flying would just take them longer and exhaust them even more," Jamil snickered, his eyes glinting with mischief as he leaned against the stone railing. Azul and Idia immediately shot him twin glares sharp enough to cut steel.
