As they entered the Principal's office, they were greeted by the sight of Principal Llewellyn, a red toffee stuck in her mouth. Her long, green hair cascaded down her back, and her bright smile seemed to light up the room.
"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Theodoros," she said, pausing to remove the toffee from her mouth. "It's good to meet you myself today."
Principal Llewellyn's eyes sparkled with warmth as she gestured for them to take a seat. "Mrs. Everwood told me you're looking for your son."
Professor Everwood nodded, her eyes cast downward. "Yes...Professor."
Dad decided to take the lead, knowing that Mom's emotions were running high. "Yes, he didn't come home yesterday."
Mom whispered urgently in Dad's ear, "Let me do the talking."
But Dad whispered back, "No, you will blow this off."
Mom folded her arms, her expression stern, but she let Dad continue.
Principal Llewellyn's expression turned serious, her eyes narrowing. "I see. Let me check the attendance records. Maybe we can find some clue whether Aster came to school Yesterday."
Professor Everwood nodded hastily. "Let me get the papers."
As Professor Everwood scurried off, Principal Llewellyn checked the records on her desk. "The attendance records for Class E are with their teacher, Professor Julian."
Principal Llewellyn turned to Professor Everwood, who had returned with the papers. "Go to Class E with them and collect the papers from Professor Julian."
As they left the Principal's office, Mom's anxiety grew. "What if they don't find anything?" she thought to herself.
But Dad's looked at her, knowing she really was worried but he decided to reassured her.
At Aster's class, which was Class E, the lowest class in school, reserved for non-magic users. As Mom and Dad, accompanied by Professor Everwood, entered the classroom, they were met with the sight of Rosami Katsuragi and Takahashi Ayanozaki, Aster's classmates.
Rosami, with her striking pink hair and eye colour
and sword at her waist, remained seated, while Takahashi, with his brown hair and piercing green eyes, looked handsome.
Professor Julian, a middle-aged man with a kind face, stood before the class, addressing Rosami and Takahashi. "Do you understand now on sword fighting skills? Any questions?" The class was silent, as everyone understood.
Mom and Dad, standing behind Professor Everwood, interrupted Professor Julian. "What's going on here, and isn't that Aster's mom, whom she used to pick Aster up from school when it's closing?" Professor Julian asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"I-Is something the matter?" Professor Julian asked, turning to Professor Everwood.
Professor Everwood nodded. "Aster's parents are looking for him. He didn't come home yesterday."
Professor Julian's expression turned serious. "You are Aster's mom, is great to see you," he said, addressing Mom.
Rosami, sitting quietly, observed the scene unfolding before her. "Did I hear correctly? That's Aster's mom. She looks beautiful," Rosami thought to herself. "No way that young woman is Aster's mom."
Rosami's eyes wandered to Dad, and she couldn't help but think, "Aster's Dad is handsome too, they look very young though. They look like teenagers. Aster must be very lucky to have them."
Rosami whispered to Takahashi, "These people are Aster's parents."
Takahashi nodded, his eyes fixed on Mom and Dad. "No need to tell me, I already heard what they said."
During the conversation between Professor Julian and Aster's parents, Professor Julian said, "You're looking for the attendance records. I have it on my table."
Mom's anxiety grew. "Don't you know, didn't you know, I mean record it."
Dad placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Chillax, dear. No need to get angry about this."
Professor Julian nodded. "Yesterday, I had to buy something for my mom from the market, so I didn't come to school, but I'm sure one of my students did the attendance records."
Professor Julian wondered, "Whoaa, Aster has the personality of his mom and dad. Aster is also impatience at times like his mom and calm at times like his dad."
Professor Julian turned to Mom and Dad. "The recording sheets are on my table; I'm going to check it."
As Professor Julian scanned the records, Rosami couldn't help but think, "I hope they find Aster soon. He's a nice guy."
Takahashi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's hope they find him."
Mom's patience was wearing thin. "Did you find anything?" she asked Professor Julian, her voice tinged with anxiety.
Professor Julian looked up, a sympathetic expression on his face. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Theodoros. But it seems Aster didn't attend school yesterday."
"My mom said slowly and coldly, 'Huuh, what did you just say?'" Professor Julian's eyes widened as he looked at his table. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but—"
Professor Julian's words trailed off as he sensed a sudden change in the atmosphere. He looked up to see Mom's orange aura spreading throughout the classroom, sending shivers down everyone's spines. Except Dad's.
"What the...?" Takahashi thought, his eyes fixed on Mom. "This can't be Aster's mom. She's so... intense."
Rosami's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Why do I feel something terrifying from her? She seems powerful."
Professor Julian's face turned pale. "This is so terrifying. How does Aster handle her mom? This is it, huh... I'm going to die."
Dad stepped forward, a calm smile on his face. "Now, now, dear, calm down. Maybe this is a joke."
Mom's aura still radiated intensely, but she forced a smile. "Honey, let me handle this issue."
Professor Everwood covered her mouth, terrified by Mom's smile and anger. "Oh dear, this is not good. Not A-Again."
Dad placed a reassuring hand on Mom's shoulder, as he was trying to prevent any disaster in school "Keep your cool, dear."
Dad turned to Professor Julian. "Right? Maybe Aster's teacher made a mistake?"
Professor Julian sweated profusely. "N-no, this is true. He didn't come to school yesterday."
Mom's face flated up with anger as Dad wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. But Mom tried to pull off.
"I sincerely apologize for this incident," Dad said, his voice calm and reassuring.
Mom's anger flared up again, and she struggled to break free from Dad's grasp. "Leave me alone."
Dad chuckled and scooped Mom up, carrying her on his shoulder. "I think we've caused enough commotion for one day, dear."
As they left the classroom, Mom continued to struggle, her face red with embarrassment and anger. Dad just smiled and patted her back reassuringly.
Immediately, Mom and Dad went out, leaving Professor Julian and Professor Everwood in relief. Professor Julian placed his head on the table, exhausted, while Professor Everwood knelt down, her hands together in gratitude.
Outside the school, the afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the town. Dad gently placed Mom down, and she stood up, brushing off her clothes.
Mom's eyes narrowed, her voice laced with irritation. "Why did you carry me? I just got a little angry."
Dad smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I know, you just let out a tiny portion of your power."
Mom's expression softened, and she looked up at Dad with concern. "Do you think something happened to Aster?"
Dad's face turned serious, his eyes locked on Mom's. "Don't give up, let's keep searching. We'll find him, together."
Mom's eyes flashed with determination. "Why did Aster skip school?"
Dad's expression turned thoughtful. "Maybe... he followed some friends around town to skip school."
Mom's eyes widened, her face pale. "Don't be fooled, remember Aster doesn't have friends. I suspect he has been kidnapped."
Her aura began to glow, a fierce orange light that illuminated the surrounding area. "And I'm going to kill that person who dares touch Aster."
Dad's smile never wavered. "Let's explore the town to find Aster. This is nothing for us, and we won't get tired easily."
Mom's monologue: "I can feel it, something's wrong. Aster's in danger, and I need to find him. I won't rest until he's safe."
Dad's monologue: "I know Mom's worried, but I have to keep her calm. We'll find Aster, together. I just hope he's okay...."
As my parents went to town to look for me, I was still trapped in the cell, trying to make sense of my situation. The cold, hard floor made it impossible for me to sleep well. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and gazed at the girl with white hair, who was sleeping peacefully.
"How can she sleep so soundly in a place like this?" I wondered. The girl's mouth was open, and saliva dripped from her lips. I looked away, not wanting to stare.
Just then, the girl stirred, opening her eyes slowly. As she sat up, she rubbed her eyes, looking disoriented. "Mmmm... that was a peaceful nap," she said, stretching her arms.
Her mood changed as she saw me, and her eyes narrowed. "You stared at me while I slept. You're a big pervert!" she accused, her voice hot with anger.
I held up my hands innocently. "I didn't do anything to you. I swear!"
The girl glared at me, her eyes flashing with anger. "Liar! You big pervert. I hope you didn't do something bad to my body."
I felt a surge of frustration. "I'm telling you, I didn't do anything! You're just being paranoid."
The girl's stomach growled, and she looked embarrassed. "Oh, I'm hungry now."
My monologue: "This girl is something else. One minute she's sleeping peacefully, and the next, she's accusing me of being a pervert. I just want to get out of here and go home."
The girl's monologue: "I don't trust him. He's probably just pretending to be innocent. I need to be careful around him."
Hearing the growl from her stomach, I turned my head so that she wouldn't complain. Her cheeks were a bit red because she was embarrassed.
"I'm hungry too," I thought to myself, "I haven't eaten since yesterday."
I looked straight through the bars of the cell, taking in the dismal surroundings. I saw people of different ages huddled together in their cells, trying to warm themselves up due to hunger.
I placed my head on my knees, wrapping my arms around my legs as I sat on the cold floor. The girl beside me slept fitfully, sliding her leg back and forth on the floor as she whimpered, "I'm hungry."
I tried to ignore her, but the noise she made with her legs kept grating on my nerves. She was stubborn, continuing to make noise and roll around on the floor as she repeated, "I'm hungry."
I raised my head, my eyes still groggy from the bad sleep I had. "Don't worry, maybe we'll be able to eat," I said, trying to reassure her.
The girl stopped making noise and looked up at me uncertainly. "Huuh, are you sure?" she asked.
I hesitated, unsure of my answer. "Don't worry," I repeated, trying to sound more confident.
The girl sat up properly, trying to put some distance between us. I didn't understand why she did that, but she remained silent, which allowed me to drift off to sleep.
As I tried to sleep fitfully, I was jolted awake by the sound of a man's voice. I recognized the voice instantly - it was the man who had pretended to be my dad.
He came with some of his friends which are gangsters with different coloured handkerchiefs tied around their heads, their faces stern and unyielding. The man's eyes locked onto mine, a sly smile spreading across his face.
As the man stood before me, his gangster friends flanked him, their faces stern and unyielding. They opened each cell, distributing sandwiches and tea to the inmates. The "Terra Nova" sandwich featured slow-roasted beef brisket, Alpine Dream cheese, arugula, and Sunset Chutney on sourdough bread, paired with a steaming cup of tea.
One of the gangsters opened our cell, placing a plate with two sandwiches and two cups of tea inside. The cups were black, and the sandwiches were wrapped in yellow paper. The gangster straightened his handkerchief, a menacing grin spreading across his face. "Enjoy, kids," he sneered, closing the cell door behind him.
The girl's eyes lit up as she saw the food. "Delicious, I get to taste something yummy," she thought, her stomach growling in anticipation.
I thought to myself, "I'm hungry too, I guess I'll eat." I sat down next to her, taking my sandwich and cup of tea. We separated ourselves, wary of fighting over the food.
As I ate my sandwich and drank my tea, I tried to maintain a stoic expression. The girl, on the other hand, devoured her food like a beast, finishing her sandwich and tea in mere minutes.
She let out a contented sigh, rubbing her stomach. "Ahhh, yummy." I wondered, "How could she finish her food so quickly? Is she even human?"
I finished my food at a more leisurely pace, arranging the cups and plates neatly. The girl fell asleep again, her peaceful expression a stark contrast to her earlier behavior.
I sighed, separating myself from her as I leaned against the wall. "I don't understand this girl," I thought. "One minute she's accusing me of being a pervert, and the next, she's eating like a beast. What's going on in that head of hers?"
The girl's monologue: "I'm so full, I think I'm going to explode. But I'm still worried about this guy. I don't trust him, but at least he's not trying to hurt me... yet."
My monologue: "I need to be careful around this girl. She's unpredictable, and I don't know what she's capable of.
It took a long time, but eventually, more gangsters arrived. When they reached our cell, they took the cups and plates. One of the gangsters, a bald man with a handkerchief tied around his head, stood out and opened our cell. The unknown gangster with a deep voice shouted, "Get up and wake your partner up!"
I got up slowly, ready to wake the girl up. But the unknown gangster rushed me, shouting louder, "Now! Don't waste my time." I quickly went to the girl, bent down, and tried to wake her up. But she didn't budge.
I called out to her again, but she still didn't wake up. On my third attempt, I gently tapped her cheeks with my hand. She stretched out her fist, ready to hit me, but I caught it just in time.
She opened her eyes, looking angry and surprised to see me waking her up. "Arrghh, what were you going to do with my body?" she accused.
I pointed at the gangster, showing no fear, and said, "He told me to wake you up." The girl yawned and said, "I'll catch you next time." I didn't understand what she meant, but before I could ask, the gangsters said, "Let's go."
We followed them, and I looked around at the other cells. They were all empty. I wondered where they were taking us.
We eventually arrived at a large area filled with gangsters. In the center of the room, there was a small arena surrounded by the gangsters. Children were tied to the walls, looking scared and helpless.
Instead of being tied up, I was sent to the arena. I wondered who I would be fighting. Would my enemy be strong?
As I looked around the arena, I saw the girl with white hair standing in front of me. She looked just as surprised as I was.
The girl's monologue: "Why do I have to fight him? I thought we were just prisoners."
My monologue: "This is crazy. I don't want to fight her, but I have no choice."
The girl and I looked at each other, both of us unsure of what to do next.