Charlotte’s POV:

When Charlotte arrived at Leomaris’s residence as per his request, what greeted her was a familiar face she couldn’t quite get her head around.

By the entrance stood a cadet. Dark-haired, a touch taller, and carrying himself with the sort of pride that came paired naturally with a punchable face.

For a moment, she hesitated, glancing around to make sure she had the right place. That she was, in fact, standing before Leomaris’s residence.

Wearing the expression of someone who’d drawn the short straw, the cadet spoke. "Who are you?"

"I — aarh — Leomaris?" The words got caught somewhere in her throat, uncertain of what exactly she was trying to say.

Whatever boredom had been on the cadet’s face fell away the instant she spoke. "Are you Charlotte?"

Charlotte motioned positively.

The cadet made way for her. "Well, come in. Leomaris isn’t around at the moment, but I can lead you to where you are supposed to be."

Without another word, the cadet set off, and Charlotte followed after. Watching him from behind, piece by piece, it all began to come together.

’I think I remember this bloke. Wasn’t he the second-year cadet who tried to bully Leomaris during the entrance exams? What’s his name... Lancet? I’ve heard he’s rather notorious among the second-years.’

As soon as that thought settled, she frowned.

’But how? How did Leomaris get a bully like him to take care of his home while he was away?... Ah, who am I kidding? When it comes to him, logic tends to take a holiday.’

Lancet walked her down the hallway and down the stairs. The door was small, its frame making it look more like a secret room than anything else. She’d barely reached for it when Lancet excused himself and took his leave.

The door opened, and Charlotte stopped. There, across the room at the table by the window, was Raine. Dressed in a white gown, with white hair drawn up in a ponytail. Her head turned only slightly, but those cold, piercing eyes found Charlotte all the same, and the chill they sent through her was immediate.

"Would you mind closing the door?"

Charlotte swallowed the bile rising in her throat and shut the door. She knew Raine had it out for her, and she’d had a rough idea why. Hadn’t always, mind. She’d been oblivious until a few days ago, when their duel for the examination had made it plain enough.

She stepped in. It was a right pungent smell, sharp and acrid, that caught her off guard and had her coughing the moment she crossed the threshold.

’Leomaris had already gathered all the ingredients I needed to create the solution for my personality synchronisation. I came here to prepare it, but I hadn’t expected to run into her.’

Raine’s crimson eyes found her, dark soulless ones for a moment. "Are you here to create your solution? Your ingredients are in the box over there. Make yourself comfortable, and if you aren’t in a hurry, you can wait until I’m done. But you should know Leomaris isn’t around at the moment."

Charlotte frowned. She’d worked out Leomaris wasn’t in long before Lancet told her. She’d spotted him with his butler, Hazel, before arriving. He’d gone on about Hazel needing a bit of fun and that he was treating her to a date.

That wasn’t what had her stuck. What had her was Raine, and just how friendly she was being. Had she missed something?

"Uhm... I—

"Do not overexert yourself, Charlotte. Your ability already places a considerable burden upon your body. I will admit that I harboured a personal grudge against you for some time after you nearly killed Leomaris, but I believe it is finally time to let it rest."

Charlotte gulped. There was plenty she wanted to say, but her ability, Poems, wouldn’t let her get away with it. Her words were restricted, governed by rules. It was one of the reasons she’d been so chuffed about becoming a Sorcerer, hoping it’d give her a bit more breathing room.

Raine finally turned to face Charlotte, having kept her eyes on her solution when she first spoke. Her expression was vacant, almost as though the words had meant nothing to her.

"It’s obvious that you care about Leomaris’s well-being as much as I do. It would be foolish of me to keep holding a grudge after everything you put yourself through during our duel to gain his trust."

The words failed her, and all Charlotte could do was nod along, positively and perhaps a little too energetically, to affirm it.

Raine tugged off one of her gloves and offered her hand, a smile on her face for the first time.

"How about we seal our friendship with a handshake and pledge ourselves to our shared goal of standing by Leomaris’s side?"

It wasn’t the words Charlotte took issue with. It was the intention. Why an alliance? And why now, all of a sudden? Last she’d seen Raine, forgiving her had looked like the furthest thing from her mind.

A moment or two of mulling it over, and she knew she hadn’t much choice. Leaving Raine’s hand hanging would only go to prove the claims that she wanted Leomaris dead.

They soon joined hands.

"Can I take you out for dinner tomorrow? Our trip to Pandora Floating Island is the day after tomorrow, correct? I’d like the two of us to grow a little closer before the trip."

"I understand."

Without another word, Raine turned back to her solution. It was a light, glimmering liquid, almost too watery, yet it caught the light in a way that sparkled. She corked the test tube, gave it three equal-force shakes, and set it down on the rack.

"I am done, Charlotte. You can start now."

Raine left the room without another word, her glowing solution sitting where she’d left it.

’I suppose she isn’t ready yet. She has already created the solution and will consume it when the time is right. I may have to follow the same path, because consuming it too soon would mean death.’

Her head snapped toward the brown box sitting on the floor by the shelf to her left. She snatched it up, and sure enough, inside were all the ingredients she needed for her solution.

Leomaris had her full gratitude. Without his help, she wouldn’t have known where to begin, not with her words, not with her personality synchronization. And even with a fully funded education at the academy, she’d never have gotten hold of these ingredients so easily.

’But Raine... hm. If she truly wants to be friends, I’d welcome her companionship. Even so, I must be careful.’

When her eyes went over the ingredients, a smile touched her face. She set them down on the table.

’At last... It’s time to create my Acme Stanza.’