"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH!!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!"
"Hahaha—"
"Big brother?"
"Oh, kill me," Aurum's laugh stuck in his throat. He was standing in the park that was opposite to the bath. On the north-east side of the village was the tree that devoured everything. It was a black tree with rainbow-coloured petals all over it. There was a shine on the black bark, which made it look fascinating. Along with the shimmering grass and rainbow petals that changed colour depending the time of the day, it was a good stop for people to be. They put benched all around it and watched the tree for hours to come.
It was a demonic tree that he was familiar with. He didn't know how they got their hand on it but he understood, this tree which devoured everything and grew was where their waste, the leftover bones, the rags, anything that wasn't needed was given to this tree, which only cared about eating MATTER, no matter what it was.
"Oh, big brother," Eve pressed her palm in front of her lips. She came in search for her brother, but to think, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing. I…" Aurum turned around, carrying an embarrassed look in his eyes as he watched his stunned little sister standing there with shocked eyes, "I found a fool so I was…entertaining her. Hm, hm, that's all."
"Who are you cwaling wa phul!!" the blue-haired girl protested when he covered her mouth with the palm of his hand, making sure she didn't say anything in front of Eve. He needed to maintain his image in front of her since she adored him so much, 'if I stay with this one my image will be broken sooner or later. Still…she's like a typhoon…coming out of nowhere, spoiling all my plans.'
Eve pressed her lips together to walk up to them, darting her eyes between the two before she pulled Aurum's palm away from her mouth, greeting her, "Hello. I am Eve…Au—Seraphim."
"Hehe, your little sister is so cute," the blue-haired girl patted Eve's head, grinning brightly. She had an idea what Eve was going to say before her whole body turned red from shame, "I am your brother's Professor. I am teaching him how to live!"
"How to live," Eve watched for Aurum's reaction, who turned his crystal blue eyes away from her, "What?"
"To laugh, to see the ones in front of him, to express his feelings, and little important stuff like that," the blue-haired girl waved her hand, grinning.
"Oh! I want to help!" Eve clenched her fist, "if anyone needs to teach big brother how to live! Then I want to do it too!"
"You know, I am feeling a bit annoyed that you accepted that I am not living in a matter of seconds," Aurum clenched his fist, 'even if it is Eve…I should spank her a bit!'
"WOAH!" Eve shouted out in surprise, "BIG BROTHER SAID HE IS ANNOYED!"
"Ah, so this is how it feels to see your student grow," the nameless girl placed her palms on her chest, looking at him with pride and amazement.
Aurum clenched his fist, feeling the vein pop on his forehead, throbbing every second from being watched by those eyes of theirs.
"Please let me help you!" Eve took the girl's hand, starry-eyed over the girls brilliant powers over her big brother.
"Ah…good," abruptly a smile appeared on Aurum's face, making Eve feel a chill go down her spine when he pressed his palms on her shoulders, turning her to face him. He had a kind and warm smile on his face, yet Eve could sense the treachery hidden behind that warm smile filled with icy-coldness.
"Umm…uh…"
"Eve…"
"Yes Prof.—" Eve abruptly widened her eyes, 'Oh no. She said she was big brother's Professor, so I forgot no to call him big brother—'
"Eve, laugh after me!" Aurum didn't care what she was thinking about. In a long while, after a long time, he wasn't thinking and planning, 'this is pure revenge!'
"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! Now Eve…LAUGH!"
"What kind of scary laughter is that," the girl held back her laughter, enjoying the scared look on Eve's face, who seemed like she would burst into tears from the bullying.
"Big brother!"
"Laugh! Like this EVE! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" His chin was raised, his cold eyes were looking down on her, forcing her to laugh like that.
Eve gulped, unable to escape any longer. She parted her lips, letting out an awkward voice, "haaaummmmmmmmmmmm! No! I can't do it!"
She covered her face, giving a teary-eyed look to her big brother, who was devilishly grinning, "I am so sorry! Please! You two continue!"
Aurum held her by her pelt before she could escape. He pulled her back in his arms, holding her in place with one hand. He scanned around for a bench as he dragged her with him, "Alright. I won't bully you for a while."
Eve puffed her cheeks, turning her face away from him when the blue-haired girl bent enough so she could see her smiling face, "Sorry…I…"
"I get it," the girl grinned, "you are so cute and elegant. I get that you don't want to spoil you image. Unlike your brother."
"I am calm and collected—"
"Yeah, no one cares what you were," the girl waved her hand to shut him up, looking at him sideways, "What matters is what you will be…that's why! Laugh like me!"
"No, thank you," Aurum took a deep breath, tilting his head back to look at the morning sky, "I am good not being the fool…anyway…Eve's likes me like this."
"I'd like you no matter how you were, big brother," Eve placed her palm on top of his, leaning on top of him as she watched him with an adoring smile.
"Not good enough! You are the teacher of E-Section, aren't you! Then tell me the name of five of your students!"
"Isn't five too high a difficultly. Let's start with three," Aurum tried to negotiate, 'I only know three.'
"So, you only know three," the girl crossed her arms, letting out a deep sigh, "that is so sad. You are planning something big to train them, aren't you? Taking on a bet for the First Hunt. Even planning to go North with your whole class. Yet…you don't even know the students in your class. Don't you think there is something wrong with that?"
'Not at all. Since my training methods will work for anyone,' Aurum scratched his head when the girl took a deep breath to glare at him with an inkling of what was going on in his mind. He closed one eye to look back at her, 'that Hero's intuition.'
"Big brother…don't tell me you don't even know their names"
Aurum tilted his head away, "Eve, what's with those eyes that seem to be screaming—big brother I am so disappointed in you?"
"Because big brother, I am very disappointed in you," Eve held his upper arm, giving him a serious look, "How could you not know their names!"
"It's not important to know to teach."
"No, but it is important to know if they want to be taught," the blue-haired girl was the one who interjected. She crossed her arms, "many of those children are problem children."
'Doesn't matter. My training is interesting,' Aurum thought to himself.
"Moreover…you don't seem to care about other's feelings on the matters."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Luna…she's very sharp. You don't even understand the height of her capabilities. She knew you wanted something from her, you needed her, and you used her. She didn't show it…but to be treated like that. She was very hurt," the girl pressed her lips together, looking into his slightly shocked eyes, "those eyes of your see everything. But do they see other's emotions, their pain? Or have you closed yourself off to all that? I mainly came to teach you a lesson…but truth be told…you were too pitiful to even look at."
"Don't talk to him like that!" Eve stood up, coming in between the girl and Aurum, "He was only—"
"No," Aurum scratched the back of his ear, asking softly, "she was hurt?"
"She doesn't show it…but I know she was upset…"
'Oh…if the Hero thinks that she was upset because of this…then she likely was,' Aurum pulled Eve's palm, making her sit beside him, "I truly didn't notice."
'My…'
"No, rather than thinking. I'd rather tell you," Aurum covered his eye, "My eyes not only see what led to what, they are also able to see other people's emotions."
'Since I am a Demon.'
"I don't like using this eye on the ones close to me. But my insight in other people's emotions comes from this eye. I never got the chance to understand people without the help of these eyes."
Eve gripped his arm tightly, hugging his arm closer, pressing her forehead against his shoulder when the girl spoke, "Then Laugh!"
"Um…? Why?" Eve couldn't help question it.
"I don't know! Laughing will make things better!"
"Uh…Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!" Aurum let out a genuine laughter, looking at the strange expression on the girl's face, "Ok, ok. I can do that. Though…I don't understand what you are feeling. Should I use my eyes to see?"
She clenched her fist in anger, "try it and I will kill you where you stand!"
"I am sitting through."
"Mm, he's sitting," Eve nodded her head in agreement. Unlike him, she knew exactly what the girl felt in that moment since she felt the same thing when she saw him happily laughing, 'too many women are no good…'
"Shut up! And laugh!"
"You really…" Aurum stood up, taking a deep breath, "Fine. Maybe later. I have a few things to do."
"You haven't stopped living in your mind?"
"No…there is someone I have to apologise…" Aurum stared towards the east, at the rising sun, following the rays that fell on the Academy, "Isn't that, right? Val."
The girl furrowed her brows, sighing in defeat as she watched him walk away. She turned to look at confused Eve, patting her head, "White Demon truly can see everything, can't he? It must be hard on you."
"I am not sure…what you are talking about," Eve barely managed to follow that conversation. She raised her voice to ask him, "Um…can you tell me more about his eyes?"
"Oh, you don't know?"
Eve looked down, carrying sadness and pain in her eyes, "No…"
"Alright. Since he is going to make Luna happy again…I will tell you what I know," Valkyrie grinned, "although I have only ever heard rumours and seen very little!"
"I want to know. Even if it is that much…I want to know," Eve didn't mind waiting for him to be ready to tell her. But she didn't like that other knew more than her, 'it's not fair.'