𝒲𝒾𝓃𝓉ℯ𝓇 𝒲ℴ𝓃𝒹ℯ𝓇𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒹： 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓌 ℴ𝒻 𝓉𝒽ℯ ℱ𝓇ℴ𝓏ℯ𝓃 ℋℯ𝒶𝓇𝓉

𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑅𝑖𝑛𝑔： 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 2

*
"They had a kind of glow around them. It almost looked like Heaven's light."

**
Lecture Hall

Everyone had gathered inside the hall upon the Headmage's summoning of the entire student body for an announcement. Grim, Y/n, Vanitas, Noé, Isfrid, Ace, and Deuce had just entered and returned to their seats, their arrival quiet but noted by several curious glances from nearby students.

While waiting for the Headmage to appear, a soft hum of murmurs and complaints echoed through the room.

"Grr, stinkin' headmage, callin' us first thing in the mornin'..." Grim grumbled, his tail flicking lazily as he yawned. "What's all this baloney about an 'important discussion,' anyway?"

"Yeah, I wonder..." Y/n murmured, gazing ahead with a distant calm. She was already fully awake—Isfrid had made sure of that by waking her early and brewing her favorite tea himself, carefully adjusting its temperature and sweetness with near-religious devotion.

Isfrid sat beside her, pristine and composed as always. Though he stared ahead, his mind and magic were attuned to every breath Y/n took, every glance she gave—especially the one Vanitas was currently stealing.

Vanitas had slouched into his seat and was now resting against Y/n's shoulder like it was his personal pillow, his eyes half-lidded with fatigue. "I don't get tea, but he does?" he muttered with a bitter huff, glaring sideways at Noé and Isfrid. "Favoritism in broad daylight. Absolutely vile."

"You didn't even ask," Noé chimed in with a shrug, nursing his own cup of tea, prepared, of course, by Isfrid as well, though noticeably more lukewarm. "Besides, I think he only puts in that kind of effort for her."

"Tch. Of course it did," Vanitas said, then smirked and brushed a lock of Y/n's hair between his fingers. "At least I get to sit next to the source of sweetness."

Isfrid's gaze flicked immediately toward the hand. "Careful," he warned quietly, his tone like frost creeping up a windowpane. "Your fingers look brittle, Vanitas. I'd hate for them to shatter."

Vanitas chuckled under his breath. "So protective. Should I be flattered... or worried?"

Ace leaned forward, oblivious to the tension. "He's summoned all the freshman, and the sophomores and juniors too. It's never good news when he calls a mass assembly like this..." he says, feeling bad.

"Really?" Noé tilted his head. "I thought that was normal for announcements."

"I thought you would know that by now," Vanitas grumbled, still draped over Y/n like a cat. "How many more assemblies do we need before you learn the pattern?"

Before Noé could respond, Deuce nudged Grim and Ace. "Shhh! The headmage is here."

"Good morning, my wonderous students!" Headmage Crowley's voice rang through the hall as he stepped up to the podium, practically sparkling with cheer. "What a lovely day this is shaping up to be!"

"He is oddly happy..." Isfrid grumbled, his head resting on one elegant, gloved hand as he leaned lazily against his seat. His icy blue eyes narrowed in suspicion, watching Crowley's theatrics with a cool detachment. Beside him, Y/n blinked slowly, more perplexed than anything.