Chapter 15:
Rin stepped out of her new room with hesitant strides, as though the ground itself had yet to grow accustomed to her. A long wooden corridor stretched out before her, bordered by wide gardens where towering trees rose between small ponds that lazily reflected the light, here and there, as if the place itself were breathing at an unhurried pace. She walked without a destination, observing everything through the eyes of a stranger—aware that the world around her moved by rules she did not yet understand, and yet… she felt calm.
Not because she understood.
But because she trusted Moli.
Perhaps it was the magic pact at work. Or perhaps it was simply because she had nothing left to lose. That thought, more than any other, put her at ease.
The corridor opened into a vast courtyard, bare and exposed like an open heart. There, young men and women trained in scattered groups—bodies moving in harsh synchrony, fists cutting through the air, sparks of magic flaring suddenly before fading away. Fireballs appeared and vanished, and faint tremors rippled through the ground every few seconds, as though the earth itself were taking part in the training.
The moment Rin stepped into the courtyard, everything stopped.
All eyes turned toward her at once.
She held her breath.
Even if she was not shy by nature, this much attention was suffocating. One of the young men approached her—tall, with relaxed features but eyes glowing with childlike excitement. “Is it really you? Rin Katakai?!”
Before she could answer, he received a light kick from a shorter boy beside him, who scolded, “Of course it’s her, you idiot.”
Rin barely had time to process what was happening before she was suddenly pulled by the arm. A girl with two spherical pigtails perched high on her head dragged her away, grumbling, “Stay away from girls, you idiots.”
The short boy shouted angrily, “That’s exactly what I was trying to do!”
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Rin slipped her shoulder free from the girl’s grip and asked in a choked voice, “D-Does anyone know where Moli is?”
A brief silence fell, broken by the tall boy with a sly grin. “You mean your boyfriend?”
His friend cut in, hesitating, “He’s not her boyfriend, Souta… though… it’s possible.”
Rin’s cheeks flushed red as she blurted out, “No! He’s just a friend!”
The boy laughed. “We’re just joking!”
He then bowed lightly. “My name’s Kenta, and this big guy here is Souta.”
He gestured to the girl with the pigtails. “That’s Miho.”
Then to the girl standing beside her. “And Ayumi.”
Rin bowed back stiffly, only for a familiar voice to ring out across the courtyard behind her: “So you’re finally awake, you lazy thing!”
She resisted the urge to turn around immediately. Fixing him with a practiced cold stare, she said, “It’s nine in the morning. This isn’t exactly a disaster.”
Moli smiled sideways. “Not here.”
Rin frowned, and he added, “This is the elite group of Katakai Clan students at the University of the System.”
She tilted her head in curiosity, prompting Miho to explain, “It’s where we meet magic students from all over the world—and the only place where we’re allowed to interact with the other two Lullabies.”
Moli spoke simply, “It’s like the United Nations. A formal, unifying system meant to keep the necessary relationships between magical elites intact. There, you’ll find your place in the world of magic… and understand more about your past and your future.” He looked straight at her. “Isn’t that what you want?”
Her voice trembled slightly. “And what about you?”
He sighed in irritation. “I’m an Anchor now, so I can’t enroll as a magic student. But I’ll be there… as your escort.”
Her eyes widened, and he added mischievously, “Did you see that?! Are those the signs of happiness?!”
Ayumi nodded, laughing. “Yes, yes! She looks really cute when she’s shy!”
Moli took a step away. “From now on, this will be your family, Rin.”
Rin suddenly whispered, her voice turning cold and solid for a single instant—so much so that everyone around her shuddered. “No… they’re the ones who killed my family, Moli.”
Shock spread through the group. Moli stopped mid-step, then slowly turned toward her and said in a hard, even tone, “And what will you do about it? Even I can’t do anything right now.”
His words struck her harder than she expected. Deep down, she knew she didn’t truly know Moli. Behind his warm, radiant persona, she was certain there were endless dark labyrinths. She had always chosen to ignore that truth… until now.
His tone softened slightly. “Or you can work. And when the opportunity comes… take your revenge on those who deserve it.”
Miho said mockingly, “Are you sure you want to say that in front of us?”
He cast her an empty glance, then ignored her completely, as if she were nothing more than the buzz of an insect. “There’s a designation tournament, Rin. In two weeks, the university will hold a competition among its students. The winners will officially graduate as sorcerers.” He added, “That’s where we start.”
He turned to leave, but Rin cried out impulsively, “But I don’t even know how to control my magical energy!”
“I’ll teach you. Don’t worry.” Then he added, “They’ve assigned me the task of preparing you all for the tournament.”
He bowed lightly as he walked away. “And now… if you’ll excuse me guys. I have things to attend to.”
