And we're back to the Academy *insert evil laugh*

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Draeyer Academy
Drae Skyland
Northeastern Space

"I'm back, people!" Solana yelled as she burst through the doors. She shoved it close with a bang after giving Dia enough time to pass through. When she whirled around, she found only one person seated in the lobby. As usual, Alec had a book in his hand with his Draelings curled close to him.

"Welcome back," he said. His eyes remained glued to the pages as he waved his hand. Solana's shoulders dropped as she tilted her head to her right. "Where's Knox?"

She only sighed when he finally looked up at her. With a shrug of her shoulders she walked over to the lounge, and dropped her small bag behind the seats. She swung her body over the back of the loveseat and landed on her side, quickly propping her head in one hand.

"He went to grandfather first," she said. "And weren't you supposed to be back until tomorrow? How was the festival?"

However, before Alec could utter a word, her eyes locked on to the bandage wrapped around his hand. She sat up and pointed one of her fingers to his injury. Her friend looked down to see what she was indicating. When he raised his head, he only shook it when their eyes met.

"I just got into a bit of trouble," he said. "As for the festival, I only attended Worship. And I also discovered that I have a liking for strawberries." Solana puffed out her cheeks as she narrowed her eyes. He was doing it again. He answered something vague, and then tried to redirect the subject.

"What did you do there?"

The sound of the book snapping shut filled the silence which followed after she spoke. Alec bent forward and placed the hardbound on the center table. His pale blue eyes avoided her gaze by casting it to the floor. It was worth a try, she thought. "I'm sorry, I know. I shouldn't have asked."

"No. It's all right," he said. "I'll only answer that if you promise to answer a question of mine." She raised a brow, but nevertheless nodded. "Is there some sort of problem? You're not your usual almost psychotic happy self? It's unnerving really. I thought there would never be a day that I'd see you sad."

Solana's grey eyes grew wide as she felt herself stiffen. She kept staring at him before throwing her gaze down at her lap.

"Good day Lady Solana, how is your brother doing?" "Pleasant to meet you Lady Solana, is your brother here?" "Oh you must be Lord Knox's sister." "Have you no achievements like your brother's?"

She dropped a lid on top of the jar containing all the repetitive words and sentences she had heard yesterday at her parents' party. Her hands balled and they trembled as she settled them on her lap. She bit her bottom lip before speaking.

"How do you know?" There was a silence after Alec mumbled "so there is a problem" under his breath. When she glanced at him, he was staring at Dia's curled form near her thigh.

"Dia would always run to me, whenever she sees me," he said. "This time though, she had sagging ears and wings. She had a sad look in her eyes, and it seems to me like she wants to be by your side as comfort." At those words, Dia had moved and placed her head on her lap, purring against her. Solana stroked her neck gently as she felt a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "I've been heeding Professor Cynn's advice about honing my skill to quickly figure a Drae's emotions. Draelings, I noticed, always to reflect what their Draeyers are feeling, so that's why I can tell."

Solana sighed as she loosened the fist which remained closed. She leaned back on the couch and hugged her white Drae to her chest.

"Have you always been compared to Alen, when you were still together?" she asked. Alec knit his brows as if in thought, before he shook his head.

"Well, aren't you lucky," she said. "Most of the nobles in Saggaran always do that. They get close to me, and then all along they want to meet Knox. They speak of his achievements then compare mine with his. They praise him, then would try to subtly insult me―I'm not dense to not notice. After the same things happened yesterday, they only proved further that they don't even acknowledge me fully as a noble anymore. "

"Why wouldn't they?"

"Most Saggarians prefer the old ways, Alec," she said. "I was engaged once―don't ask to whom because I'm not in the mood to break your face for asking. He...rejected me...and cancelled our engagement."

"I don't see why they won't acknowledge you because of that."

"When a female is rejected for marriage, her worth is lessened and would be questioned. 'If a man can't see her worth, how can an entire society?' a few say," she said. "Even when it's not the woman's fault, it happens. It's nothing but a pile of Drae's shit, I tell you!

"It's a good thing Lord Sheriun is doing his best to rid the skyland of those ridiculous beliefs for Isha's sake."

She stopped and took in large amounts of air when she realized her voice had risen by an octave. She curled and uncurled her fists as she focused on Dia and Entiny rubbing against her arms. She finally calmed at the same moment Alec beaconed her to sit next to him. When she was there, he gingerly patted her head.

"The people who compare you with your brother, are they family?" he asked. She shook her head. "Are they friends you value?" She shook her head again. He smiled and stroked her head.

"Then, why are you letting them bother you?" She raised a brow at this. "They don't know you nor are they important, so why should you care about them and their words? You should pity them for wasting their time in something as pointless as comparing people.

"Everyone is unique from birth, even twins. Hence, there will be differences and comparison is useless. You'd be surprised to know that that belief has kept me from tearing throats out of people who have spoken ill of me and my brother."

To her surprise, a bubble of laughter escaped her lips until it rang throughout the room, bouncing off the white walls. She looked up at him with a smile on her face.

"Thank you Alec," she said.

"This is nothing," he said. "I'm glad that the smile I'm used to seeing is back on your face."

"It's 'beautiful face,' Lec. Don't forget to add beautiful."

Alec ended laughing as well. His shoulders shook as he leaned back on the chair, still chuckling. She smiled when he didn't seem to mind the new nickname.

"And don't think for one second that I forgot my initial question," she paused, "which by the way, for some reason, made me start spouting all that drama!"

Alec gave her a suppressed chuckle before facing his front. He drummed his fingers against his thigh, like she'd seen him do. It was like a mannerism.

"Mr. Kreis toured me around the First Ryder Regime's base. And I've seen my first Preservene."

A scream of excitement ripped through her throat and she jumped off her seat. She whirled around and grabbed Alec's shirt collar. She continued to hop on her toes as she shook him back and forth nonstop.

"Oh my Kosmos! You have to tell me everything you've seen in there!" she yelled. "I've always wanted to visit a base! My dream is to become the greatest female Ryder of all time!"

She heard a groan come from Alec, and she stopped whatever she was doing. He looked like he was about to puke from her incessant shaking yet again. She chuckled.

"You know, I find it weird," Alec said. "I don't want you sad, but I don't want you to be over ecstatic either. I fear I'd always throw up what I've eaten if it's always the latter."

She roared in laughter, and her hold around his collar tightened.

She paused. Her brows met. She heard the faint snap which came from above through her Sentiral ability.

In the next moment, she felt her world tilt upside down as she was thrown over the sofa. Strong arms wrapped around her while in the air. The person who embraced her flipped her again, so he hit the floor instead of her. He rolled over at once, before an earsplitting sound of glass shattering caused her to cover her ears in pain. The light through her closed lids dimmed to almost black. Only then did she realize that her eyes were closed.

She felt the arms tighten around her, as she heard faint grunts and hisses despite the ringing in her ears. Her eyes flew open to notice her face was buried on someone's neck. The person lifted himself off of her with a worried frown on his face. It was Alec.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he grasped her shoulders. She bounced her head up and down in a daze. She was sure that her eyes were wide as she tried to calm her heart. When she felt light stings on her right arm, she looked down to find thin cuts on her skin. Scanning her gaze over the floor, she noticed all the broken shards of the light-crimas that rained in their direction. She casted her gaze further to the lounge, only to find it covered in the remains of the large chandelier which hung above them moments ago.

We almost died, she thought.

"What the bloody Blazen!" a voice came from the top of the stairs. When she looked, she found Ceiver rushing down the stairs with his hair and clothes disheveled with his glasses tipping off his nose.

He rushed to her side before gently pulling her off the floor and away from the damage. Solana hugged herself when noticed she was trembling. She looked up at her two dorm mates when they started a conversation.

"What happened?" Ceiver asked. Alec stood there facing the broken chandelier with his eyes thrown toward the rope, which used to hold it to the ceiling. Solana noticed his hands curling into fists as they quivered. He took a deep breath before facing them.

"The ropes snapped," he said. He walked toward her and asked her again if she was fine. Again, she nodded in response, unable to utter a word from shock. They whirled their heads to the entrance when they heard the doors bursting open.

"What happened? We heard a..." Knox trailed off when he saw what had become of their living area. Areisha stood behind him, looking as shocked as him as well. When their eyes landed on Solana, they rushed to her immediately. Knox came first and crushed her into a hug.

"Thank Kosmos you're safe," he said.

"Alec...saved me." Those were the first words she said since the past moments. They turned their heads to Alec to thank him, but thier eyes widened in surprise.

He was hunched over Midnight and Leyan as they lay sprawled on the floor. A few small pieces of glass managed to insert themselves into the parts where their armors couldn't reach. Luckily, they weren't on vital spots. Entiny was safe and sound and stood on all fours roaring around her brothers.

"Thank you," Alec told the dark blue and cerulean Draelings. As gently as he could, he took them in his arms. "But next time don't do that." The baby Draes only growled in return.

A chorus of gasps escaped them as Alec's left side came into their view. Knox stepped forward and relieved him from carrying his Draelings.

"You're bleeding for Paramount's sake!" Knox yelled as he placed Midnight and Leyan comfortably against him.

Alec's face contorted and he gritted his teeth as he looked down at his body. Two large shards of light crima embedded themselves on his arm, with another one stuck to his thigh. Red blood soaked the sleeve of his cream colored tunic and light brown trousers.

He tried to pull one out, but a small, but quick hand, slapped his away.

"Do not pull it out!" Areisha yelled at his face. They all froze, especially Alec who looked like he was frozen by his own Flame. With wide eyes, he nodded as he spoke.

"S-Sorry."

Seeming to realize what she had done, Areisha shook her head so forcefully it looked like her head would fall off.

"Ceiver you're the fastest. Go inform the teachers what happened. Make sure to tell Professor Linan and Gael," she said, her tone commanding. "Get to Nurse Jemial and tell her to prepare in case she needs to close some gashes."

And by the looks of his condition she does, Solana thought.

Areisha eyed Alec's condition, and she turned to the older of the twins. "Knox, assist Alec to the infirmary," she said. Knox transferred Leyan to her. River came up through the doors, and ran to them. Before he could utter a word or glance at the debris, Areisha made him carry an injured Midnight in his arms.

"Come on Solana," Areisha said. "We need to get you checked too."

She nodded. Leaning against River who offered his free arm, they made their way to the infirmary.