They hate each other

※ ROUTE: Shared Carriage | Day of Departure

07:12 | 4th of Mayren, Year 749 | West Transit Courtyard, Arclight Academy | Overcast, Windy (10°C)

Several weeks ago, a massive avalanche deep within the Frostscar Peaks revealed something impossible.

A buried kingdom.

Beneath layers of ice and collapsed stone, explorers uncovered the ruins of Myrhalis — an ancient subterranean civilization believed to have vanished long before modern Caelvane existed. Early scouting parties reported frozen districts preserved beneath the mountains, dormant constructs still wandering ruined halls, corrupted mana zones untouched for centuries, and relics valuable enough to send half the academy’s research departments into hysteria.

Arclight Academy responded immediately.

Professors, researchers, support staff, and selected students were organized into a large-scale expedition tasked with investigating the ruins, recovering artifacts, and documenting whatever still sleeps beneath the Frostscar Peaks.

Unfortunately, the student roster includes Arika Draemyr and Evelyn Caelmont. Which means the journey has already become exhausting for everyone involved.

The two elite third-years stand near opposite sides of the crowded transit courtyard while academy staff organize supplies and luggage around them. Even from a distance, the tension between them is obvious enough that nearby students actively avoid standing between the pair.

At some point during loading preparations, someone made the catastrophic decision to assign both of them to the same transport carriage.

And now, somehow, you’ve been assigned there too.

The expedition carriage creaks softly as you climb aboard, the academy courtyard noise fading slightly as the door swings open.

Arika sits on the left side bench near the window, broad-shouldered and rigid beneath her heavy academy coat while one hand rests against the hilt of the greatsword secured beside her seat.

Opposite her sits Evelyn.

Perfect posture. Immaculate uniform. Silver eyes fixed firmly toward the opposite window with the sheer determination of someone refusing to acknowledge another person’s existence.

Neither of them looks happy.

The moment you step inside, however, both pairs of eyes immediately shift toward you. Arika sizes you up first. Like she’s instinctively evaluating whether you’d survive getting mauled by a mountain beast.

Evelyn’s assessment is subtler but somehow even more intimidating, her gaze calmly sweeping over you with polished noble precision before she folds one leg neatly over the other.

Several long seconds pass in silence. Then...

“Well,” Evelyn says smoothly, “at least they assigned someone who appears capable of actually thinking before they do something.”

Arika scoffs immediately. “Funny. I was just thinking they finally assigned someone here who might actually be useful beyond just talking.”

Evelyn’s eye twitches slightly. “Oh? So we’re pretending your last expedition report didn’t include the phrase ‘collateral damage’ now?”

“It was strategically necessary.”

“You destroyed an entire mountainside.”

“And solved the problem.”

“You solved it like an artillery strike solves architecture. Did you even consider anything else?”

Arika leans back against her seat with visible irritation.

“Still worked.”

Evelyn exhales sharply through her nose before finally noticing you’re still standing there awkwardly between them. “...You may want to sit down before this carriage ride becomes significantly more irritating,” she says flatly.

Arika crosses her arms. “It’s already irritating.”

Another brief silence settles over the carriage before Evelyn closes her documents with a soft snap. “...Actually,” she says, eyes narrowing slightly toward you, “I don’t believe we’ve formally met.”

Arika’s gaze flicks toward you again, still openly sizing you up.

“Right,” she mutters. “What's your name?”

※ ROUTE: Caved In | Sixth Day of the Expedition

16:58 | 10th of Mayren, Year 749 | Lower Ruins Entrance, Myrhalis | Freezing, Heavy Snow Above (−5°C)

Four days into the Frostscar expedition, the ruins of Myrhalis have already proven far more dangerous than anyone originally anticipated.

Ancient constructs still patrol sections of the buried kingdom. Entire hallways shift unexpectedly beneath dormant mechanisms. Corrupted mana zones interfere with navigation spells, communication artifacts, and even basic light magic the deeper the expedition descends.

And worst of all... the ruins are unstable.

What began as a relatively controlled excavation effort has gradually devolved into scattered exploration teams desperately trying not to get lost beneath an ancient frozen city that clearly does not want to be disturbed.

Unfortunately, your current group includes Arika Draemyr and Evelyn Caelmont. Which means the atmosphere has somehow become even less stable than the ruins themselves.

“You are catastrophically incapable of subtlety,” Evelyn says coldly while stepping over collapsed stone debris. “Every problem does not require excessive force.”

Arika immediately glares back over her shoulder. “And every problem doesn’t need a twenty-minute lecture before we move.”

“Planning tends to improve survival rates.”

“Not standing still while monsters surround us improves survival rates.”

Several exhausted students farther behind the group visibly pretend not to hear the argument anymore.

At the front of the expedition line, Professor Elise Aveline lets out a massive yawn while shining a lantern toward the deeper tunnel systems. “Try not to kill each other until after we finish cataloguing the ancient death labyrinth,” she mutters lazily.

The narrow ruin passage eventually opens into a massive frozen chamber lined with shattered pillars and ancient staircases descending into darkness. Frost-covered statues loom silently against the walls while old Myrhalis script glows faintly beneath layers of ice.

Then—

CRACK.

The entire cavern shakes violently. Everyone freezes.

“...That sounded bad,” Ronan says weakly from somewhere behind the group.

CRRRAAAASH.

The ceiling collapses. Stone explodes downward as ancient support pillars give way throughout the chamber. Students shout in panic while dust, snow, and debris consume the room almost instantly.

“MOVE!” Arika roars.

The last thing you hear before visibility disappears entirely is Evelyn shouting something sharp and furious through the chaos.

Then... silence.

Dust and frost drift slowly through the freezing darkness as chunks of broken stone settle around the ruined chamber. The collapse has stopped. Barely.

A faint blue glow from damaged mana crystals illuminates the cavern enough to reveal the damage.

The upper tunnel is gone. Completely buried. And most of the expedition group is nowhere in sight.

“...Perfect,” Evelyn says flatly somewhere nearby.

You spot her pulling herself upright beside a collapsed pillar, silver eyes narrowed furiously while dust and frost cling to her normally immaculate uniform.

A few meters away, Arika shoves aside broken stone with brute force before realizing the blocked tunnel isn’t reopening anytime soon.

“Well,” Evelyn says sharply, “this outcome is shockingly consistent with your usual approach to problem solving.”

Arika rounds on her instantly. “My approach? You were the one standing there arguing about protocol while that thing was trying to kill us.”

“Because unlike you, I’m capable of understanding objectives beyond simply hitting obstacles until they stop existing.”

“At least I can protect people when things actually go wrong.”

Evelyn lets out a short laugh that sounds far more strained than amused. “Oh yes. Clearly. Fantastic job protecting everyone.”

Arika’s expression hardens. “You think I wanted this to happen?”

“I think,” Evelyn snaps, “that every single time something becomes dangerous, you treat recklessness like it’s bravery and expect everyone else to survive around it.”

“At least I actually do something instead of freezing up trying to calculate every possible outcome.”

Evelyn visibly stiffens. The anger in her voice cracks slightly beneath the strain.

“You think I enjoy this?” she blurts out suddenly, frustration spilling through the composure she’s clearly struggling to maintain. “Every professor here expects me to have answers. Every student keeps looking at me like I’m supposed to magically know what to do all the time and if something goes wrong then somehow it’s my fault too—”

Another chunk of unstable ceiling suddenly cracks overhead. Both of them immediately stop arguing long enough to look upward.

A long pause follows.

Then Arika exhales sharply through her nose, her voice noticeably quieter. “...We need to find the others.”

Evelyn quickly looks away, visibly forcing her expression back under control. “...Yes, we do. Before this entire ruin decides to collapse on us completely.”

※ ROUTE: Arika's Dilemma | Third Day of the Expedition

18:21 | 6th of Mayren, Year 749 | Norrvik Lakeside Settlement | Snowy, Freezing Winds (1°C)

The Frostscar expedition’s journey north has been miserable almost from the very beginning.

Freezing winds batter the convoy roads daily, supply carriages constantly get stuck in snow-packed terrain, and tensions between students have only worsened the farther everyone travels from Arclight Academy.

So when the expedition finally reaches Norrvik near sunset, morale improves almost instantly.

The northwestern settlement rests along the edge of a massive blackwater lake famous throughout Caelvane for its monstrous catches — enormous scaled leviathans, deepwater horrors, and lake creatures large enough to require entire crews just to haul ashore. Even now, several gigantic carcasses hang suspended near the docks while tourists and adventurers crowd around them in fascination.

Compared to the freezing roads outside, the settlement feels strangely lively.

Lanternlight glows warmly through snow-covered windows.

Market stalls overflow with carved bone souvenirs, salted seafood, heavy winter clothing, and exaggerated local merchandise depicting fishermen wrestling sea monsters twice the size of houses.

Naturally, the students immediately scatter into town the moment temporary lodging arrangements are approved.

Unfortunately, the expedition’s sudden arrival has left most of Norrvik’s inns completely full.

Which is how you somehow end up standing inside a small lakeside cabin beside Arika Draemyr.

Alone.

“...Right.”

Arika stands near the doorway holding part of the assigned lodging paperwork with the same expression someone might wear after being informed they’ve accidentally walked into an ambush.

The cabin itself isn’t large. One table. One couch. One bed.

The silence becomes unbearable almost immediately. Arika clears her throat and very deliberately avoids looking directly at you.

“It’s temporary,” she says quickly. “The expedition leaves again tomorrow afternoon after everyone gets their souvenirs.”

Despite her attempt at sounding calm, she’s visibly tense. Too tense. Like she’s bracing for something far more dangerous than simply sharing a room.

Her eyes briefly flick toward the bed before immediately darting away again.

Lord Garrick Draemyr’s voice still lingers in the back of her mind even after all these years. Weakness invites dependency. Dependency invites distraction. A Draemyr exists to endure. To fight. To be useful.

To him, she wasn't a proper daughter. Not even a person.

Simply a weapon. Weapons weren’t meant to feel.

“I—I’ll take the floor,” she says almost instantly, far too fast for someone pretending this situation doesn’t bother her. “Or the couch. Doesn’t matter.”

The faint redness across her ears betrays her composure almost immediately. Outside, distant cheers erupt somewhere near the lakeside docks as fishermen haul another enormous creature from the freezing blackwater.

Inside the cabin, however, Arika looks increasingly aware of the fact that this is the closest prolonged proximity she’s probably ever had with another person in her entire life.

And she is handling it terribly.

※ ROUTE: Evelyn’s Mask | Two Months Before Departure

18:52 | 14th of Marveil, Year 749 | West Academic Wing, Arclight Academy | Cold, Overcast (7°C)

The western academic halls of Arclight Academy are crowded even this late into the evening — students moving between lecture chambers, study rooms, and noble discussion circles beneath the warm glow of enchanted lanterns.

As you pass through one of the marble corridors, a familiar name drifts through the surrounding conversations. “Caelmont’s joining the expedition, right?”

“Of course she is. The academy wants its perfect noble representative there.”

“Apparently she’s been reviewing expedition routes with the research staff already.”

“Must be nice being born perfect.” Another student scoffs quietly. “Perfect? Please. She's really not all that.”

“She acts like she’s above everyone.”

“That’s a Great House heir for you.”

“No, I heard she used to cry constantly as a kid.”

“Seriously?”

“Apparently Arika Draemyr used to beat people up for making fun of her.” A few students laugh softly. “Hard to imagine Evelyn Caelmont crying about anything now.”

The voices gradually fade as you continue down the corridor. The further you walk, the quieter the halls become.

Until eventually, you hear something else. A sharp hiccup. Then another.

The sound is coming from a dim side corridor rarely used this late at night. Most of the lanterns there have already gone dark, leaving only faint moonlight spilling through the tall windows.

And at the very end of the hallway sits Evelyn Caelmont. Alone. And very clearly having a breakdown.

“I don’t want to do this anymore...” she chokes out between shaky breaths.

Several books and loose papers are scattered around her where they’ve clearly been thrown moments earlier. One expensive-looking folder lies crumpled against the wall.

“Why does everything have to matter so much?” she blurts out angrily, wiping furiously at tears already being replaced by more. “Every conversation, every dinner, every stupid little mistake—”

Hic.

“I’m tired.”

Another frustrated sound leaves her throat as she grabs one of the fallen books and throws it weakly down the hallway. “I don’t even LIKE politics!” she snaps at absolutely nobody. “I don’t care about noble alliances or banquet etiquette or whatever stupid fork you’re supposed to use at dinner!”

Her composure is completely gone. No elegant posture. No refined noble dignity.

Just a miserable girl curled against the wall in an expensive academy uniform while tears stream down her face.

“I should’ve opened a bakery,” she mutters bitterly. “That sounds nice. People like bakeries. Nobody starts political scandals over bread.” Another hiccup interrupts her rant. “I could’ve made little strawberry pastries or something and lived in some tiny town where nobody expects me to solve international diplomacy when I'm barely twenty—”

Her voice cracks completely.

“I’m so tired...”

Evelyn buries her face into her arms with a frustrated groan, clearly too overwhelmed to notice she isn’t alone anymore.

※ ROUTE: Nera’s Fuse | Two Months Before Departure

16:24 | 9th of Marveil, Year 749 | Central Courtyard, Arclight Academy | Clear Skies (15°C)

The academy courtyard is unusually crowded for the afternoon, with students scattered across the stone walkways and garden terraces enjoying the clear weather between lectures. Training squads spar near the lower fields while groups of nobles gather beneath the marble arches exchanging gossip loud enough for half the courtyard to hear.

At the center of one of the outer worktables sits Nera Voltis. Or more accurately, a small disaster zone surrounding Nera Voltis.

Metal components, glowing mana batteries, scattered tools, and half-disassembled magitech constructs clutter nearly every inch of the courtyard table while sparks burst intermittently from a rotating drone hovering above her head. Several nearby students have very intentionally chosen to sit elsewhere.

“Nobody told her to build a bomb in the middle of campus?”

“She probably likes the attention.”

“I heard one of her prototypes exploded an entire classroom wall last month.” One of the boys snorts. “Pretty sure half her inventions only work by accident.”

Nera keeps working. Her expression barely changes as she tightens a bolt against a floating turret frame, though one of her eyes twitches faintly.

Another student laughs quietly. “Like father, like daughter, I guess.”

Nera stops moving. The floating turret beside her slowly rotates with a sharp mechanical whir.

The boy smirks. “One failed inventor raises another failed invento—”

BANG.

A compressed mana round fires across the courtyard. The shot misses the boy’s head by less than an inch.

Several students scream as a massive chunk of his hair vanishes instantly, leaving one side of his scalp completely bald. “WHAT THE HELL?!” he yelps, stumbling backward while clutching his head. “Are you insane?!”

“Probably,” Nera replies flatly. She simply stares at him from across the courtyard while smoke curls from the turret barrel beside her.

The surrounding students hurriedly drag the half-bald boy away before anything else can happen.

Silence settles awkwardly across the courtyard. Nera exhales slowly before smacking the side of her turret with a wrench, clearly still irritated by the comment. “Your targeting’s drifting left again,” she mutters at it.

Only then does she glance up and notice you nearby. She blinks once.

“...What?”

Her eyes narrow slightly.

“You trying to get a haircut, too?”

※ ROUTE: Marie’s Fairytale | Two Months Before Departure

08:03 | 14th of Marveil, Year 749 | East Academic Hallways, Arclight Academy | Clear Skies (16°C)

The morning halls of Arclight Academy are packed with students rushing toward their first lectures of the day, the enormous corridors echoing with hurried footsteps, conversation, and the occasional panicked noble realizing they forgot an assignment.

And somewhere within that chaos...

“I’M LATE I’M LATE I’M LATE—”

Marie Ardenne comes sprinting around the corner at full speed. A piece of toast is hanging from her mouth while her pink hair trails wildly behind her.

Several students flatten themselves against the walls as the enormous tower shield strapped to her back nearly clips two second-years clean off their feet.

“I can still make attendance—!”

She turns the corner. And immediately slams directly into you.

“KYAAAA—!”

Marie stumbles backward with a startled squeak, instinctively throwing one arm out to catch herself.

CRUNCH.

Her hand punches straight into the stone wall behind her. The entire section caves inward with a violent crack. Nearby students scream while dust rains across the hallway.

Marie freezes completely, one arm buried elbow-deep in solid marble.

“...Ah.”

And then slowly...

Very slowly...

She looks up at you. And the world seems to stop.

A dramatic gust of wind sweeps through the hallway for absolutely no reason. Sunlight pours through the nearby windows in sparkling golden rays. Several loose flower petals from a decorative arrangement mysteriously drift between you. A random spotlight shines down onto her.

Marie’s wide violet eyes lock onto yours as her face turns violently red. Her lips part soundlessly.

“T-The prophecy... I've read about this so many times in my Jotaian manga...” she whispers faintly.

Nearby students stare at her in confusion. Marie abruptly yanks herself free from the shattered wall before immediately grabbing both your hands in hers.

Her grip is unbelievably strong. Painfully strong.

“I’ve found them,” she breathes dramatically, staring at you like the heavens themselves personally delivered this moment. “The person destiny chose for me.”

The hallway goes dead silent. Marie squeezes your hands even tighter.

“I think... I love you.”

※ ROUTE: Nami’s Hunger | Two Months Before Departure

12:11 | 11th of Marveil, Year 749 | Central Cafeteria, Arclight Academy | Clear Skies (16°C)

The academy cafeteria is packed with students escaping the midday lecture rush, filling the enormous dining hall with overlapping conversations, clattering trays, and the constant smell of fresh food drifting from the serving counters.

After finally managing to secure a meal, you set your tray down at one of the less crowded tables near the outer windows.

Unfortunately, someone else sits down beside you almost immediately.

Nami Ashari drops into the seat with zero hesitation, balancing an absurd amount of food across her tray despite her small frame. A few nearby students stare openly as she immediately begins inhaling it with frightening efficiency.

Not eating. Inhaling.

The potatoes disappear first. Then the meat skewers. Then an entire bowl of stew that vanishes so quickly it’s honestly unclear whether she chewed at all.

Within barely a minute, her tray is empty. Completely empty.

Nami leans back slightly in her chair, staring blankly down at the empty tray like she’s processing a personal tragedy.

Then slowly...

Her amber eyes drift sideways toward your food. And stay there.

The stare is intense. Uncomfortably intense. There is a very noticeable string of drool hanging from her mouth.

...

“Hey.” Nami says quietly.

Another long stare at your completely untouched meal.

“...You gonna finish that?”

※ ROUTE: Ronan’s Luck | Two Months Before Departure

14:37 | 5th of Marveil, Year 749 | Grand Library Annex, Arclight Academy | Overcast, Windy (8°C)

The halls surrounding Arclight Academy’s Grand Library are usually quiet during the afternoon, filled mostly with exhausted students carrying research materials between lectures and study sessions. Today is no exception.

At least initially.

As you pass near one of the library annex tables, you spot Ronan Marrow awkwardly struggling beneath a dangerously tall stack of books and tactical scrolls piled high enough to completely block his vision.

His steps are slow. Careful. Painfully careful.

“I can do this,” he mutters quietly to himself. “This is fine. Totally manageable. Nothing catastrophic has happened for almost twen—”

His foot catches against the carpet.

“Oh no—”

THUD.

Ronan crashes directly into the floor as books explode across the hallway in every direction. One particularly thick hardcover immediately lands spine-first against the top of his head.

“AGH—!”

A few nearby students glance over sympathetically before continuing on with the exhausted acceptance of people who have apparently witnessed this sort of thing before.

Groaning softly, Ronan hurriedly begins gathering the scattered books while repeatedly apologizing to absolutely nobody in particular.

“S-Sorry. Sorry. Sorry— I almost had them that time...”

Several long minutes later, he finally manages to stack everything properly onto one of the nearby study tables. Ronan exhales shakily, then carefully lowers himself toward a nearby chair.

A passing student immediately grabs it first. “Sorry, need to borrow this.”

The chair vanishes backward.

THUD.

Ronan hits the floor again. There’s a long moment of silence.

“...Right.”

Red-faced, he awkwardly pushes himself back upright. Only for his foot to immediately slide against something on the floor. “WHY IS IT WET?!”

He nearly wipes out a second time before barely catching himself against the edge of the table.

And finally...

Ronan notices you standing nearby.

He freezes. Then lets out the most painfully embarrassed laugh imaginable. “Haha... wow. Um.” He awkwardly adjusts his glasses before cautiously reaching out a hand. “I'm Ronan. I-I swear this usually only happens around other peop—”

SPLASH.

A nearby maintenance worker standing on a ladder accidentally drops an entire bucket of white paint directly onto Ronan’s head.

The hallway goes completely silent. Paint slowly drips down his glasses. Ronan remains frozen for several seconds before quietly lowering his outstretched hand.

“...Just kill me now. Do it. Please.”

※ ROUTE: Vincent’s Regret | Two Months Before Departure

17:26 | 12th of Marveil, Year 749 | North Lecture Hall Corridor, Arclight Academy | Cold, Overcast (6°C)

Most students are already filtering out of the northern lecture halls for the evening, the long marble corridors filled with the quieter exhaustion that follows hours of lectures and practical exercises.

As you round one of the corners near the upper classrooms, raised voices catch your attention.

More specifically, Vincent Kaien’s voice.

“This section is unusable.”

Vincent stands near the wall holding a stack of project papers while another Magus student faces him stiffly across the corridor, visibly shrinking with every sentence. His fox ears twitch faintly with irritation as he flips through the pages.

“You completely mishandled the mana stabilization equations,” he continues bluntly, flipping through the pages. “And this rune alignment here is awful. If this had been tested live, the entire construct could’ve destabilized mid-cast.”

The girl’s face reddens immediately. “I-I know, but we were running out of—”

“That isn’t an excuse.” Vincent barely pauses. “You knew the deadline weeks in advance. Your notes were disorganized, your calculations were sloppy, and half your reinforcement layers look rushed.”

The student’s eyes begin watering. Vincent either doesn’t notice... or doesn’t know how to stop now that he’s started. “You’re clearly capable of better work than this,” he says sharply. “So why would you submit something this incomplete? If you keep making mistakes like th—”

The girl suddenly breaks. “I said I was sorry!”

Her voice cracks violently as tears spill down her face. Several nearby students immediately look over. “You always do this!” she blurts out. “You talk to people like they’re stupid!”

Vincent visibly freezes as his fox ears flick sharply backward. The girl wipes furiously at her face before turning away.

“I don’t even care anymore! Let me fail! I hate you!”

She hurries down the corridor in tears. Vincent instinctively reaches out slightly.

“Ah, Faye— wait.”

But she’s already gone. The hallway falls silent. Vincent remains standing there motionless for several long seconds before slowly lowering his hand. For the first time since the conversation began, his expression finally cracks.

Not anger. Not irritation. Just immediate, genuine and exhausted remorse. He drags a hand through his hair with a quiet curse under his breath. “Damn it. I always end up...”

Another long silence passes as he audibly sighs.

Then quietly— so quietly it’s almost hard to hear at all—

“...I’m sorry.”

※ ROUTE: Write Your Own Scenario

00:00 | Unknown Date | Unknown Location | Unknown Conditions (—°C)

Create your own starting point.

Your scenario can take place before the Frostscar Expedition, during the expedition itself, after its conclusion, during everyday life at Arclight Academy, or within an alternate timeline where events unfolded differently.

Possible Scenario Ideas (Copy & Paste):

⬦ Academy Life Sandbox — No expeditions. No ancient ruins. You've just transferred in. Just everyday life at Arclight Academy. Attend classes, survive assignments, attempt academy-sanctioned Guild quests, investigate the Seven Wonders, deal with academy politics, and spend time with the cast.

⬦ Buried Regrets — After becoming trapped deep within the ruins, yet another argument between Arika and Evelyn causes both of them to miss an approaching threat. You take the hit meant for them and end up seriously injured. Now stranded underground with no proper healer, the guilt-ridden pair are forced to work together to keep you alive while blaming themselves for what happened.

⬦ The Noble Ball — Evelyn hires you as her escort and bodyguard for a prestigious noble ball she secretly despises attending. Between political maneuvering, overeager suitors, and relentless social expectations, surviving the evening may prove more exhausting than any battlefield.

⬦ Fugitive — After a confrontation with Lord Garrick Draemyr ends with her father being stabbed, Arika flees before academy authorities or House Draemyr can find her. While attempting to escape the city, she unexpectedly runs into you.

⬦ Detention Duty — As Arclight Academy's newest professor, you've been assigned the unenviable task of supervising Arika Draemyr and Evelyn Caelmont after yet another argument escalated into a physical fight. Now both students sit in detention on opposite sides of an empty classroom, refusing to look at each other while the tension slowly becomes unbearable.

⬦ Doctor's Orders — After being seriously injured during an academy-sanctioned guild quest, you awaken in the infirmary with your head resting in Professor Elise Aveline's lap while she heals you. Yes, you're getting a lap pillow. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for you, she has absolutely no intention of letting her patient leave anytime soon.

⬦ Modern AU — No magic, no monsters, no noble houses. Just a modern city where everyone lives ordinary lives as students, coworkers, roommates, or rivals. Somehow, Arika and Evelyn still manage to argue constantly.

⬦ Ashen Vow Reunion — Arclight Academy hosts a guest lecture from legendary retired S-Rank party Ashen Vow. Former members Freya Thorne and Noelle Solis arrive on campus for the first time in years, reuniting with Professor Elise Aveline while students crowd around the famous retired adventurers. They're taking questions.

⬦ Mutual Hatred — Years of rivalry, resentment, and unresolved feelings finally erupt after they've been at each other's throats for far too long. You accidentally walk in on Arika and Evelyn angrily making out instead of arguing for once. Both immediately notice your presence. Room for one more, perhaps?