Beth was correct: by the time Miroel came, whatever warmth Irien's weather held had withered away, and the winds had grown harsher as the cold crept in. Green gave way to red, orange, and yellow; soon, white and shades of brown would dominate the landscape. Edin grew frustrated—why did it have to turn so cold so soon? By the last week of Sigelend he had started driving to work; however, he found that he would perform worse on the battlefield if he arrived in a car, possibly because his body had not had enough time to adapt to the cold. And so he ditched the car and grudgingly plodded to work instead, wrapped in a coat, sweatshirt, and multiple other layers.

If there was one thing Edin thanked the cooler weather for, it was that it seemed to shoo away the beasts into hiding or hibernation. The number of attacks dropped as the temperature did, and by the middle of Miroel, Irien was only a little more under threat than Stoll. Gone were the glæsselings, and instead came the brighunds and the occasional næreling slithering from the south. That, and Stefan's shield-summoning was so handy, they did not even need to leave the post to fight most times—his shield traps would ensnare any threat and shrink till they died of suffocation, strangulation, or both.

Edin and Stefan got to know each other as time passed, trading stories in between beast-slaying. Edin would listen as Stefan told him tales from his mundane childhood—or "mundane," for a gifted's life was still vastly different from that of an ordinary—and Stefan took in every detail Edin divulged about his atypical situation as Arden's ward, both lives of utmost fascination to the other. It may appear peculiar that Edin had become much chattier, when he was quiet—or avoidant, even—with Rowan. The key difference lay in how they first approached him: Rowan, ever the extrovert, overwhelmed him from the start; Stefan, though also outgoing, gave Edin much more space.

It also helped that unlike during his term with Rowan, Edin did not keep his bloodlust curse under wraps, nor did he feel the need to. It was easier to be sociable when there was no big secret or burden to shoulder.

Eventually, the two had grown comfortable enough with each other that they and Rowan would meet up over weekends. Edin thought their meetups would be an occasional occurrence for him, only to find himself enjoying their gathering far more than he expected—and thus went from being neutral about meeting with others to anticipating the next get-together. The three, with Fallon occasionally tagging along, would explore whatever cities and towns they wished. All of their destinations had been within the neighboring countries of Asdur and Sorien, for those nations were where they were stationed.

It was the thirtieth day of Miroel. Per routine, Beth opened the door just as Edin reached it, and he entered the post with gloved hands still deep in his pockets.

She slammed the door behind Edin as he took off his outerwear. "That's a lotta layers."

"It's freezing outside." Edin unzipped his puffer jacket, having tossed his backpack to the floor. "I'd be an ice cube if I wore any less."

"Oh come on," she said, "it's not that cold."

"It's twelve degrees outside."

"That's still above freezing point."

"But it's still cold!" Edin insisted, peeling the gloves off his hands.

Beth rolled her eyes. "You fire wielders are so weak."

Edin merely carried on. A sweater, sweatshirt, and pair of pants later, he had stripped down to a long-sleeved shirt and thick pants. Every piece of clothing was either black or another dark color—he once read that darker objects absorb more light, and therefore would keep him warmer than lighter clothes if his logic was sound. He cradled his outerwear in his arms and sidled into the storage room to keep them.

Beth tilted her head as she watched him head to the changing room with his uniform. "If you get cold so easily, why d'you wear summer uniforms?"

Edin stopped in his tracks and gave her a blank stare. "What?"

"You know we have different uniforms for different seasons, right?"

"We do?" he exclaimed. "Where?"

"The cold weather ones are up top"—she raised one hand and gesticulated—"next to the jackets."

Edin darted back into the storage room, his eyes scanning the shelves. Located two or three racks above where he would find his usual uniform were sets of dark brown uniforms, cut in the same distinctive style. He snatched a top and held it up—its sleeves reached from the elbows to the wrists, and the material was noticeably warmer and thicker. The pants it came with were a tad darker and made of a stretchy cloth, which he assumed to be a blend of denim and synthetic fibers.

And to think he had only found out!

Edin shot a glance at Beth. "Why did you just tell me this?"

"I thought everybody knew."

"I've been suffering in the cold for a month..."

He paced to the changing room, annoyed that it had taken him so long to know. Of course. If the Guild could manufacture separate uniforms for seniors, there was no reason for them to not make ones for different weather conditions. How could he have assumed otherwise? Another thought appeared in his head, and he turned to Beth once more.

"Wait," he began, "why are you using summer uniforms then?"

"Beasts never come here early in the morning, so I don't even need to go out. Even then"—she began flashing a smug smile—"I'm an ice wielder, so I actually like the cold."

And all the gears clicked in his head.

Stefan arrived minutes later. The only outerwear he wore coming into work was an off-white sweater, which was mostly plain except for a logo stitched into the upper-left corner. Edin's eyes narrowed on it—it did not look like the logo of a fashion house. Its design was more elaborate than typical branding. Was that the Guild's crest? Certainly not: the Guild's emblem was a shield, while this one was shaped like a tree Edin did not recognize. Its trunk was stout, its canopy was broad and dense, and below its web of sprawling roots were initials that were too small for Edin to read out from a distance. A little below that was a banner with a string of words running across it, which were also too tiny to be legible from afar.

Beth had left by the time Stefan had changed into his uniform, and the latter took a seat next to Edin. His dark eyes glimpsed Edin's clothes. "New uniform?"

"I guess," Edin replied, "well actually maybe not. They apparently had these for a while now but I just learned of them today."

"Yeah, I was wondering why you didn't put them on."

"You knew about it too?" Edin said suddenly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Stefan shrugged. "I thought everybody knew."

Edin's mouth hung open for a second. His partner did not bother to inform him as well? He could see Beth not telling him to satisfy her sadistic humor, but not Stefan. Edin was either an oaf for not knowing what was seemingly common knowledge to every other guardian, or Senior Norman had forgotten to mention it the first time he took him and Rowan to Stoll. He made a mental note to ask Rowan if he had known about winter uniforms as well.

Edin then said, "By the way, the sweater you were wearing had an interesting logo. Where'd you get it?"

"Oh, that? I got it from school," Stefan said casually. "It's a bit funny that they even sold sweaters; where I'm from, it's so hot that we only wear t-shirts and shorts when going out."

"That sounds amazing."

"It's not, trust me. There's mosquitoes, bugs, and it's so humid that you're always sweating."

"I'd take that over this frosty weather any day," Edin said. He shot a glare at the cold wind whistling outside. "I don't know how anyone can like this weather."

"Because some people hate sweating and can stand the cold better than you do?" Stefan laughed as Edin crossed his arms, nearly pouting. "Speaking of school, have you ever been to an academy?"

"Well, I've seen one, but I've never stepped inside."

"We need to take you to one," Stefan declared. His pools of obsidian glittered with realization. "Actually, Rowan and I were planning to visit our school over the weekend; you can join us!"

"I'd love to," Edin said. "What time?"

"Er, the bullet train to Ellum leaves from Irien every three hours from six in the morning. Can we meet at Central Terminal at noon?"

"Sure. What day?"

"We haven't decided yet. I'll ask Rowan later."

A gale howled through their speakers, mimicking the piercing shriek of a beast.

"They really gotta fix the mics," Stefan commented. "It's been like this for weeks."

"The Guild's short-staffed. I'm sure the maintenance will come around when they have time," Edin said.

The pair returned their attention to the windows and screens. The borders of Irien were barren, as they had been, and would remain so.

The morning flew away on the wings of the wind, and a slightly sunnier noon flitted to its place. Stefan took his break ahead. He headed to the kitchenette upstairs to make lunch, and instead of eating alone on the upper floor as usual, he brought his meal downstairs with him. He returned to his seat next to Edin.

Stefan held up a sandwich. "I hope you don't mind."

"I don't."

Stefan took a bite. After he had swallowed it, he asked Edin, "I just wanna know if Senior Arden's ever talked about taking you to an academy?"

"Uh, not really," Edin answered. "She only said I was too old to attend one."

"I mean, she did find you when you were twenty-one. Most gifteds graduate at nineteen or twenty."

"So she's only been a guardian for a few years?"

Stefan held up a hand to cover his mouth, which was still chewing. "No, she's been here for a while, almost ten years I think? She graduated really early."

"About ten years ago? She's twenty-four, minus ten, fourteen—"

"She graduated at fifteen."

"Fifteen, nineteen... that's four years early. But she did tell me that she went to school early too."

"That's still insane though. It's already a bit uncommon to graduate at eighteen, and I think graduating at seventeen is also super rare. She's just on another level." Stefan paused to swallow and take another bite. Then he went on, "Anyway, I meant to ask if she's talked about touring you around one."

Edin shook his head. "She never mentioned that."

"Not even when you saw one?" Before Edin could respond, Stefan then recalled, "Oh right, you told me before that you don't talk much."

"Well, she does tell me stuff about the Guild or things I have to do. She also taught me a bit when she first took me in, then I self-studied. She told me a lot of things when we went out on her birthday last month too."

"Yeah, but that's mostly telling you what to do. She doesn't talk to you for fun or to get to know you?"

"Stef, even I don't know anything about me."

"But does she talk about herself?"

Edin bowed his head. "Not really," he admitted.

Stefan swallowed a few more bites. "I won't lie, I find it a bit weird that she won't tell you a lot of things. I guess she's private, but stuff that everybody knows except you? How can you live with her for years and barely know anything about her?"

"It's just been that way. Maybe she's too busy or tired after work to talk?"

"Maybe," Stefan concurred, though his softened tone implied that he was not wholly in agreement. "Did she tell you what her school was?"

"She attended the academy in Ildor."

"Of course."

"Yeah, it's where she grew up."

"She grew up there?" Stefan widened his eyes. "Now it makes more sense, but do you know how prestigious Ildor is?"

Edin shook his head.

"It's the most prestigious academy in the world," Stefan answered. "Most families go to the academy closest to them, but those who can afford it try sending their kids to Ildor no matter where they live. It's just that good."

"They can do that?" Edin asked.

"It's a boarding school like all other academies. Those who live far away can stay on campus." Stefan paused to swallow, then took another bite of his sandwich. "Anyway, it makes her graduating early even more insane. She did it at the toughest school."

"Arden didn't tell me that."

"From what you tell me, it sounds like she doesn't tell you anything."

Edin's gaze drifted downward. He could not deny it.

The next few minutes passed by in near silence, Stefan's chewing sounds serving as background noise. The inside of Edin's mind was far noisier, occupied by thoughts of Arden's distance from him. For most of his time with her, he was not bothered by her reclusive nature. He even supposed it was the norm. However, after meeting Rowan, and now Stefan, an unsettling realization came to his mind: he had known those two more in a few months than he had known Arden in three years.

No, there must be sound reasons behind her aloofness. Edin had stated some of them himself. Though they lived under one roof, they did not cross paths often. They did so even less in recent days. That, and considering how draining her work was, it was not surprising if she was too fatigued for chitchat afterward. Even then, she was not always that busy; there were times when she could have had a casual conversation, no matter how brief, instead of laying out another set of orders or information. Perhaps Stefan and Rowan were simply extroverts who could not comprehend quiet—no, that could not be it. Fallon and Beth were more reserved, yet they still conversed with Edin quite a bit. Beth even poked fun at him just hours earlier. He could not remember the last time Arden did anything of that nature.

Stefan stood up from his seat as soon as he finished his lunch. "I'll be back." He climbed quickly up the stairs and was back in his seat no more than a minute later. "Anyway, I'm excited to take you around school this weekend! It's probably not as fancy as Ildor, but it's still a pretty nice campus."

Edin smiled softly. "I'm excited too."

***

It was nighttime in Irien. Edin had had his dinner two hours earlier, and Arden had yet to arrive home. The past weeks had kept her busier than before; Edin was now used to dining alone, and on some days, not seeing Arden at all. It almost made him forget that he was not living on his own.

The clock chimed nine. Edin paced up and down the main hallway for the umpteenth time. Had she been arriving home this late the previous days? By that time Edin would be in his bedroom, so he would not know if she was home or not, but he always assumed that she would be home by eight. She needed time to eat, bathe, and sleep after all.

Twenty-seven minutes past nine. The main doors drew back. Arden marched into her home, swiftness accompanying her every stride.

She glanced at him. "Good evening, Edin."

"Good evening, Arden." Edin began walking with her down the hallway. "I've prepared your dinner by the way."

"Oh, you did? Thank you." A subtle sigh traced her speech. Edin could not recall the last time she sounded exhausted.

The two walked side by side toward the dining hall. "By the way," Edin began, "I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Is it weird that you don't talk to me about yourself a lot?"

Arden's footsteps slowed, and time appeared to lag with them. For seconds she did not speak. Edin turned his gaze away, worried that he had made a mistake.

Eventually she replied, "I don't know about 'weird,' but I've always been rather private."

He faced her once more. "Sorry to ask. I don't find it weird, but Stefan did a little."

"That I understand. Most people like to talk about themselves or their lives, or pry into other people's."

Edin did not know if it was her weariness affecting her tone, but her voice appeared to firm at the last few words. He stared at her lips. The slight downturn at the corners made him anxious that he had vexed her.

The doors to the dining hall opened. Arden paced ahead of Edin so that she entered the room while he was still steps away. She turned her head around, and he stopped.

"I will admit that I'm more reclusive than everyone else," she said, "but there are many things from my past that I don't think you need to know now. I'll tell you when the time is right."

The doors shut before he could utter anything further.

He turned his back and made his way towards his bedroom. When he would learn more, he did not know, but he had an inkling that it would not be anytime soon.