𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐃 ; rayne ames

᷃ᩚ ⏜ᤢ : two

CHAPTER 2 : ENAMOURED
RAYNE

"Hey, Rayne. You're up early." Max, my roommate, acknowledged my presence the moment I stepped out of the bathroom. "The Headmaster is summoning me." I answered dryly as I grabbed my upper clothing and quickly put it on, followed by my Adler cloak.

"You've been out with Mr. Wahlberg quite often. Is everything alright?" He inquired as he sat on his bed. "I'll find out later on." I responded, which made him nod.

"Oh." I landed my gaze on Max upon his reaction but remained silent. "People arrived at the academy this morning. They're in quite a panic, looking for Mr. Wahlberg." He informed me.

"Why?" I asked. "What I heard is that their daughter left their mansion." He said, which made me turn to face him directly. The situation was very familiar; could it be the girl from before?

"I'm heading out first," I said, quickly stepping out of our shared room and making my way to the Headmaster's chamber, reaching the location as fast as I could. I entered the room and was greeted by a heavy atmosphere.

There stood the two familiar faces we had visited days ago. Terror and fear were engraved on their faces as their swollen eyes landed on me.

The mother quickly strode toward me and took my hand. "Please, Rayne! Help us find our daughter." She pleaded, tears escaping her eyes as her grip tightened.

"Hana, don't pressure the young man. This is our fault." The husband spoke up, his voice filled with dignity, which only made his wife cry harder. She felt so hopeless that she collapsed to the ground, and I rushed to help her up.

"What happened?" I asked, though the woman could not answer, overwhelmed with emotion. "We were waiting for [name] at the banquet for breakfast as usual, but she didn't show up. We searched the house but couldn't find her, and then we found this paper." The husband explained, walking toward me and handing me a piece of paper.

"I don't know who could have done this or how it happened. It's impossible that my daughter knows anyone outside, because since she learned of her curse, she refuses to go out or do anything a normal person would." The husband continued, trying his best to compose himself.

I turned to read what was written on the paper. "Magical pole-arm?" My eyes met Mr. Wahlberg's, who was already looking at me.

"A magical pole-arm that was said to be able to cut through her curse." Mr. Wahlberg spoke as he slowly floated down from his seat.

"As desperate as she was, she'd believe such a scheme so quickly." Mr. Wahlberg added. "Ramlo, I'll be sending some Bureau of Magic agents to question your staffs. Rayne will search for your daughter." My gaze shifted to Mr. Wahlberg, who was waiting for Ramlo to agree, which he eventually did.

"Please, bring my girl back safely." Mr. Ramlo spoke, approaching me and joining his wife, who was still clutching my hand. I bowed my head and nodded in response.

They bid their farewells before leaving, and I turned to face Mr. Wahlberg. "Why me?" I asked, which made the old man chuckle a little.

"In the girl's case, she needs someone to believe in. She no longer trusts her own parents and believes she's nothing but a burden; that's why she acted on the thought that whatever was written on that paper would help ease her suffering." Mr. Wahlberg spoke, though I still couldn't fully understand why it had to be me.

"If you're wondering why I chose you, it's because I can tell that you and she met the moment she saw you that day." Mr. Wahlberg said, his usual smile never faltering. Nothing could escape the old man's eyes.

"And you don't usually relax around someone so easily." He added, causing me to step back. He chuckled at my reaction. Did I really?

"The kids are already in pursuit of her; you can follow them, as I asked them to leave traces visible to you." He informed me, causing me to scoff. "If you already had her followed, then why summon me?" I inquired, trying to hide my annoyance.

"Because she needs someone to believe in, and you are the one who can do it." With that, he vanished, leaving me alone in his chamber. A sigh escaped my lips as I walked out the door. I couldn't argue any further, as it had been made clear that this was my mission.

Standing on the staircase of the academy, I was greeted by the sight of a forest, its trees swaying swiftly in the breeze.

And you don't usually relax around someone so easily... I shook my head, trying to ignore those words that had come from the old man's mouth.

notes: a very short chapter because my writer's block paid me a visit, will do better on the next chapter. mwaa