Amihan flinched slightly, her hands quickly wiping at her eyes as if to hide any evidence of tears. "I'm fine," she said, her voice shaky but firm.
"You don't look fine," Aiden said, his arms crossed but his tone less blunt than usual. "You're shaking."
"I said I'm fine," Amihan repeated, a little firmer this time, though her hands were still trembling.
Sevan knelt beside her, placing the crate on the ground and speaking gently. "You don't have to talk to us if you don't want to, but... if something's wrong, we can help. Or at least try."
For a moment, Amihan said nothing. Finally, she took a shaky breath and muttered, "It's nothing. I'm just... tired."
"Tired?" Adrian asked. "Tired doesn't usually make people cry."
Amihan's violet eyes darted to him, startled, before she quickly looked away again. "I don't cry."
"Really? Because it kind of looks like you were just now," Adrian said, smirking slightly to lighten the mood.
Aiden shot him a look. "Adrian."
"What?" Adrian shrugged. "I'm just saying."
Amihan surprised them by letting out a small, bitter laugh.
"You're persistent, aren't you?"
"It's a gift."
Her faint amusement faded quickly, and she pulled her knees closer to her chest. "It's... stupid," she said after a moment.
"If it's bothering you, it's not stupid," Sevan said firmly.
Amihan hesitated, her gaze flickering between the three of them. Finally, she sighed and admitted, "It's Shiloh."
The boys exchanged glances. Adrian's look was exuding a look that says 'of course it's him'.
"What about him?" Aiden asked.
Amihan's fingers tightened around the fabric of her uniform trousers. "He's... been in a bad mood all day, and he's been taking it out on me. I know he's frustrated about losing to Emmeranne, but... I didn't do anything. I don't know why he's targeting me."
Adrian's expression darkened. "What did he do?"
"Just... comments," she said quietly. "Snarky remarks. Saying I'm useless, that I'll never be good enough to keep up in class... Stuff like that."
"Sounds like Shiloh, all right," Aiden muttered.
Sevan frowned at this. "That's not right. You shouldn't have to put up with that."
"It's fine," Amihan said quickly, her voice wavering. "I can handle it. I just... needed a moment to breathe, that's all."
"It's not fine," Adrian said firmly. "If he keeps this up, you should tell someone. Like the headmaster or a professor."
Amihan shook her head. "I don't want to cause trouble."
"Trouble's already been caused if he's making you feel like this."
She looked up at him then, her violet eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Why do you care?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aiden hesitated, caught off guard by the question. Finally, he said simply, "Because it's not right."
Adrian gave her a reassuring smile. "Look, if Shiloh bothers you again, let us know. We'll deal with him."
Amihan's eyes widened slightly. "You'd do that?"
"Of course," Sevan said, nodding. "You don't have to face it alone."
For the first time, a small, tentative smile crossed Amihan's face. "Thank you," she said softly.
The boys stood, and Adrian offered her a hand to help her up. She hesitated but eventually took it, rising to her feet.
As Adrian helped Amihan to her feet, brushing imaginary dust off his hands like he'd just saved the day, Sevan gave a soft sigh of relief. Amihan still looked shaken, but the small smile tugging at her lips hinted she felt a little better.
"See? Easy," Adrian said, smirking as he stepped back, his confidence as loud as ever.
Before anyone could respond, a quiet but firm voice broke the moment. "Amihan."
They turned to see Emmeranne walking toward them, her black hair falling in soft waves down her back. Her expression was unreadable as her dark eyes scanned the scene, lingering on Amihan before briefly flicking to the boys.
"I've been looking for you," she said. She crossed her arms, letting out a soft sigh. "Morrigan... she's frantic."
Amihan blinked, her earlier unease momentarily replaced by surprise. "Frantic?"
"She... made a mess," Emmeranne said, her words slow, as if she were carefully selecting them. Her eyes briefly met Aiden's. "Animals. Everywhere."
The image of Morrigan, loud and chaotic, paired with a room full of animals, brought a light laugh out of Amihan. She covered her mouth, trying to stifle it. "That bad?"
Emmeranne gave a small nod, her expression unchanging. "She's looking for you."
"I'm fine," Amihan said, glancing at the three boys. "They helped me."
Emmeranne's gaze swept back to the boys, her face unreadable. She nodded once. "Good."
Adrian, as usual, couldn't help himself. "No need to thank us all at once," he said with a playful grin, gesturing dramatically.
Sevan nudged him in the ribs.
Emmeranne didn't react to the joke. She simply glanced at Amihan again. "Go back," she said. "Now."
Amihan hesitated, then nodded. "Okay," she murmured, casting a small, grateful smile at the boys before walking back toward the academy.
They watched her go, her pale hair catching the fading sunlight. When she was out of earshot, Emmeranne finally turned back to the boys.
"Thank you," she said softly, her tone quieter than before.
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"Helping her," Emmeranne replied, her gaze flicking between them. Then, her eyes settled on Aiden. She held his stare for a moment, her face still unreadable, before giving a small nod.
Aiden didn't know how to respond. Her gaze was piercing, and for a moment, it felt like she was trying to decide something about him.
Then, without another word, she turned and walked away, her black hair swaying softly as she disappeared down the path.
Aiden's eyes lingered on Emmeranne. The academy's uniform—white and gold, light and crisp—seemed to contradict her entirely.
"She looks so... different," Aiden said quietly, almost to himself.
Adrian raised an eyebrow, leaning closer. "What's that supposed to mean? Who you talking to, fire boy?"
Aiden hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's just—her uniform. It's so light... it almost doesn't suit her. Like it's too soft for someone like her."
Adrian let out a low whistle. "Look at you getting all poetic. You writing her a sonnet next?"
Aiden shot him a glare. "I'm just saying it's strange, that's all."
Sevan nodded thoughtfully, glancing back in the direction Emmeranne had gone. "She does have that kind of presence. Like she's always thinking about something bigger than this place. Don't you see it?"
"Or plotting," Adrian added, all-knowingly. "I'm still convinced she's scary."
Aiden rolled his eyes, but his gaze drifted back to where Emmeranne had vanished.
There was something about her- an unspoken gravity that pulled at his thoughts. Her quiet nature, her sharp stares, how she looked devoid of any emotion.
"Let's just go," he muttered, turning away and leading the way back toward the academy.