Silence once again ruled the infirmary for three seconds after the headmaster's announcement

"What!?" All the boys exclaimed except Yuu, who was too surprised to say a word, just like his confused sister.

"Yayyy!!" Grim exclaimed, determined to make her Ramshackle's new student.

"Hm? What's with that reaction, boys?" Crowley asked, apparently surprised to see the shock.

"Isn't that obvious!? You just said something weird!" Ace exclaimed.

It was true that they had imagined Yukiko being accepted as a student. But except for Grim, they didn't think it would actually happen.

"Isn't Night Raven College an all-boys school? Just for boys?" Deuce added, stunned.

"Yes, but there's nothing against making an exception so one or two girls can study here," Crowley said before turning to the prefect. "Even you seem surprised, young Yuu. Have you forgotten I asked you yesterday about your sister's personal information while she was still unconscious?"

Yuu blinked in surprise. "Uh, no... But you have never mentioned anything about admitting her as a student, headmaster. We only talked about how she would live with me at Ramshackle dorm."

"Oh, you are right. We still had the issue about the tournament on our hands, so I completely forgot to inform you about it."

Yukiko got worried. "Me? As a student here?" She questioned. "Am I even allowed?"

"And why would you not be? I have got the authority to approve it, you can do magic and your soul was called here by the Dark Mirror, just like the rest of the students in this school, even if the circumstances are... unusual," Crowley stated.

"Just like Yuu and me! Yuu can't use magic, but I take care of that 'cause I'm a great magician," Grim said proudly.

"Exactly, a prefect without magic and a monster that can use it make a complete student together!" Crowley agreed. "Also, it wouldn't be the first time that Night Raven College has accepted a female student."

"What?" Everybody asked, almost in unison, with this new revelation.

"What do you mean?" Jack questioned.

"Surely you didn't hear about it because those are long-time stories. But there have been a few occasions when young girls studied here and were sorted into their respective dorms," Crowley explained. "For example, the most recent female admission happened a little over a century ago, with one of the younger sisters of the grandmother of the current queen of Queendom of Roses."

The two Heartslabyul students were dumbfounded and exchanged a glance. "Someone of our country's royalty studied here!?" Deuce exclaimed, dumbfounded.

"And on top of that, a princess!?" Ace continued.

"The sister of the what...?" Grim asked, dizzy from that lineage description.

"To sum up, this princess was not the next in line to the throne, but she had a strong interest in participating in the government's politics, so her family decided that Night Raven College was the best option for her training, both in magic and academics. At first, the school was hesitant to accept her and insisted on recommending teachers and other schools to instruct her in their place. But her mother, the queen at the time, took great offense at it... She reminded the school that most of the Great Seven were female figures, and even threatened to give a bad image for rejecting good magicians," Crowley shuddered just thinking about it and took a deep breath. "Oh, such a strong character! Never cross a queen, young students! You will save yourself from a good scare and a risk of scandal."

"Wow..." Ace and Grim said at the same time, stunned.

"Why does it sound like he lived through something like that?" Yuu wondered, surprised by that final insistence.

"Long live strong moms," Ruggie murmured. He couldn't help but think of Leona's sister-in-law. From the few things he heard from the dorm leader, Sunset Savanna's queen was calm, strong, and competent. Even when she got angry, she remained steady and assertive. That sounded quite the opposite of what the headmaster described.

"Well, four of the Great Seven are indeed women," Jack commented thoughtfully. "I guess in that sense, it shouldn't be too much of a scandal to accept just one."

"As you can imagine, the princess was accepted, the Ebony Carriage picked her up, and the Dark Mirror sorted her into Heartslabyul," Crowley continued before cracking a smile. "But who are we kidding, I'm sure the Queen of Hearts would have been very proud to have her in her dorm!"

Despite the headmaster's assurance that everything was fine, Yukiko still didn't seem thrilled about ​​studying there. "Even if I'm allowed in that way, is it alright for me to be a student here?" She questioned again. "I just got my magic, and I have no idea how to use it. Besides, I don't have how to pay for it, I don't even have my things with me..."

Crowley sighed, that expression of fear and confusion resembling Yuu's on his first day at Ramshackle. "Don't worry about the payment, I'll think of a way that you can afford to be here," he said to convince her. "Moreover, this is precisely why these schools exist: to help young magic wielders to control their power and improve their abilities. You couldn't be in a better place!"

Yukiko was relieved that she didn't have to worry about paying immediately, but she fixed her gaze on the floor as she still hesitated about the situation.

"I understand that you're scared," Crowley said sympathetically after noticing this, and he sat back down. "You've been through so many sudden changes in such a short time, one of them ended in a terrible fright for you. You may think of this new condition of yours as a curse, something you never wanted. But my instinct as a teacher tells me that with some effort, the right people, and the right environment you will perfect it and achieve great things that you would never have imagined," he took a hand to his chest. "You just have to trust a little bit in yourself and us. We may not fully understand why this is happening, but I can give you my word that I'll do everything in my hands to help you, so please do not fear."

Yuu tightened his grip on her hand to give her another the last touch of encouragement she needed, so Yukiko could consider the headmaster's words for a moment. Within seconds of finalizing the promise, Grim sniffled.

"Oh, what is this? Have I made you feel emotional, young Grim?" Crowley asked. "Was my speech that moving and inspiring?"

"What!? No way!" Grim tried to deny it before pointing at Ace. "I ain't crying! It's Ace who's crying!"

Ace quickly wiped away the tears that had welled up in his eyes and frowned. "Me!? Crying!? You're wrong! In any case, it's Deuce the one crying. Look at him!"

"Me!? Don't make things up, Ace!" Deuce exclaimed as he made sure there was no trace of what he cleaned off.

"You're terrible at lying," Jack commented with a slight smile. Ruggie and Yuu nodded in agreement.

"What do you say, young Yuki?" Crowley asked, returning to the topic. "Do you agree to overcome this challenge with us?"

Yukiko swallowed and looked at her brother, he gave her a warm smile, and Grim nodded energetically to convince her to say yes.

She knew that the road was going to be long and complicated, but did not want to go through that horrible experience again, and she was not going to be alone during the procedure to control that new strength in her. It was not like she had any other possible choice either, but she sighed before finally answering: "Yes sir. I'll do my best, so please accept me."

"Splendid," Crowley said before standing up once more. "The paperwork is done, so the only thing left is gathering the dorm leaders for the ceremony. After that you will be an official student at Night Raven College."

"Thank you," Yukiko sighed.

"Then get ready, make sure you put on your ceremonial robe, you're going to need it. I'll take the letter with me to clarify some details of your condition with the dorm leaders. I will also tell them that you will stay with your brother, whichever your dorm will be. I am sure that is the best option for you to be comfortable and have more privacy," Crowley informed before remembering something. "Oh, that's right, you must be hungry! You haven't eaten anything in the last five days, so go to the school cafeteria and get your energy back. Same with you, young Yuu, you've been unconscious for hours. This time I'm paying for you two for the occasion. Aren't I very kind?"

"Finally! I'm starving," Grim exclaimed. "I wanted to eat, but the others told me I had to wait for Yuu!"

"It was the minimum of decency you could have after hurting him," Deuce said sternly.

"Didn't you say that you were too nervous to eat and that you would wait for him anyway? Jack remembered, giving him away.

"Go to the Mirror Chamber when you're ready, your brother and your new friends can come with you," Crowley said. "Very well, I'll take my leave," he announced before leaving the infirmary with enthusiasm and murmuring with little discretion. "Oh, today is a historic day for the school! I can't wait to see which dorm she'll be in! Heartslabyul? Pomefiore? Who knows, maybe even in Diasomnia!"

They all watched him disappear through the door of the infirmary. "He looks very excited, yanno...?" Grim murmured, stunned.

"Okay, can we go now? It's still time for dinner," Ace urged.

"I'll go too," Ruggie said. "I don't think there are many people at this hour."

Yukiko placed her feet on the ground and slowly got up. "Are you alright?" Yuu asked to make sure she was fine, and she nodded. "Don't forget the robes. It's kinda tricky to put these on, so let me help you. Here's also the magical pen, you're going to need it," he grabbed and held out her robe to help her into it. "Ok, now it remains to adjust it with the belt, let's see... Done, are you comfortable?"

"Yeah," she agreed as she straightened her sleeves.

"Lemme see the magical pen," Grim said before approaching Yukiko, and she crouched down so he could see the chain that held the grayish gem. "So that's how it looks before the ceremony, and it doesn't have those ugly black spots anymore! Great!"

"I'd wear the belt a little higher if I were you," Jack pointed out. "You're short, so the silhouette will look better if you wear it below the stomach instead of the hip, and the fabric will look less wrinkled. And don't forget to button up your collar."

"Oh, Jack. Where did you get those tips? Did you sneak into Pomefiore? Shi, shi, shi!" Ruggie laughed.

Jack frowned, dejected. "Uh, no... Vil told me shortly after the entrance ceremony," he replied. "He said that robes are formal garments andwe must wear thrm well. I know about the belt from a classmate who mentioned it to me. We can't do much with the torn shoulder, though."

"Oh, sure," Yukiko said as she buttoned up her collar and adjusted her belt. "Thanks, uh... Sorry, I didn't get your name."

Jack realized he had not properly introduced himself. "No problem, I'm Jack Howl from Savanaclaw." He held out a hand. "I'm in a different classroom, but I'm also a freshman. Nice to meet you"

Yukiko shook his hand in a squeeze. "Same here. Are you also Yuu's friend?" She asked.

"Me!? No, I'm not! I only worked with him because we had a common goal," Jack insisted with embarrassment.

"I see we're not the only ones to be terrible at lying," Ace said mockingly.

"We've recently started to be friends," Yuu answered without hesitance.

"You...!" Jack exclaimed before calming down and sighing. "Well, I must admit you aren't too annoying to have around..."

"Take that as a compliment," Ruggie said with a laugh.

"He also helped us save you," Deuce added. "He grabbed you so that Yuu put the choker on you."

Yukiko looked Jack up and down and jumped. "That was you? Then it makes sense why I felt like someone big and strong held me still. Thank you!"

Surprised by that resolute comment, Jack looked away. "You have nothing to thank me for, I only did what I had to," he replied.

"Even so. I was terrified and only wanted to get out of there, but you prevented me from hurting myself more. So thanks, really," Yukiko insisted, making Jack compare her gratitude with her brother's that day.

"Oh, wait! Don't leave without your gift," Ace said before grabbing the roses on the nightstand. "We picked these for you, you know? Don't leave them behind."

"I told them these are your favorite flowers," Yuu informed with a bright smile.

Yukiko's eyes lit up, it did not occur to her to think that those lovely flowers were precisely for her. "Really!? Wow, you didn't have to, thank you!" She said as she received them. "They're beautiful."

"Glad you like them," Ace said with a satisfied smile while Deuce struggled to hide the red color in his cheeks caused by her happy smile.

"And that funny guy from Diasomnia made them stronger with his magic, so they wouldn't have those ugly brown spots," Grim reported.

"Vanrouge is amazing, as expected from a third-year student," Deuce commented, relieved to find something that could distract his bashfulness.

Yukiko didn't know who they were talking about, so she tilted her head doubtfully. "Who?"

"Lilia Vanrouge, the fae who took you to the toilet," Yuu explained. "He also led us to help you."

"Oh, him!" She exclaimed, remembering him. "That's right, I barely got to talk to him..." She then noticed Ruggie when he was about to stand up and narrowed her eyes. "By the way, I remember you too."

"Uh, what?" Ruggie asked, confused.

Yukiko frowned, surprising the others because until then, she was cheerful towards them. "You're the guy who pushed me to the floor while crashing into me," she answered sternly.

"What are ya talkin' about?" Ruggie asked, now nervous. 

"Have you already forgotten? I was with Ortho, and you were running up the stairs like crazy. And when we fell to the ground, you were about to ask me what my problem was," she continued. "You didn't even bother to say a simple 'sorry' and left me there."

Some of the boys then recalled that Yuu had mentioned before that she used to hold grudges toward people that hurt people she cared for or just made her furious.

"When we were chasing you to question you, remember?" Yuu commented.

"And I helped her up," Deuce whispered sheepishly.

That moment hit Ruggie's memory like a flash. He understood it all at once, that young boy with a lovely face and blue eyes was her, the girl everyone was talking about! Ortho's presence had made him leave even faster...

His body began to shake slightly, not even the roses she was holding made the moment look less intimidating. "Oh, sh*t..." He whispered fearfully before realizing what he had said. "I... I mean, oh no! I mean, I'm sorry!!" He exclaimed suddenly before kneeling on the bed and clasping his palms together imploringly. "I am sorry!! Very sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you or be rude to you! Please, forgive me!"

They all looked at him in shock, they would never have expected to see the carefree Ruggie apologize so forcefully. Even Yukiko felt bad.

"Uh..." Deuce muttered, not knowing what to say.

"What's with him now?" Grim asked, confused.

Jack got a quick idea of what was going on. "Hyena folk like Ruggie have a big deal of respect toward women," Jack explained before frowning a bit in concern. "Just like lions do. So dorm leader Leona, apart from scolding the dormmate who tried to attack you when you were vulnerable, made an example out of him and had zero mercy..."

Yukiko placed a hand on her right shoulder as she remembered the pain of that terrible moment. Even if she could defend herself against that student, things had gotten much worse, she had panicked and run away from safety...

"So the rumors were true..." Ace murmured fearfully.

"What exactly did he do to him?" Deuce asked, doubtful to hear the answer.

"I was with you when it happened, but I heard he beat him up in a magic fight before giving him a good scolding," Jack said as he put a hand to his head.

"It's true!" Ruggie exclaimed, eyes closed and ears down. "I'll do anything to make it up to you. You don't even have to forgive me if you don't want to, but please, just don't tell Leona! I'm still mad at him for what he did to me, but he won't forgive me for this." 

"Are you really sorry, or are you just afraid of what might happen to you?" Yuu asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ruggie flinched, and his jaw clenched nervously. "Both...!" He admitted.

"Hey, calm down! Stop doing that, I forgive you," Yukiko insisted with a tone of regret in her voice. "I'm sorry too, It was me who stood suddenly in front of you. I won't say anything, so don't worry, ok?"

Ruggie was partially relieved at that and looked at her in the eyes. "Really? Do you mean it?" Yukiko nodded, removing his suspicion. "Thank you! I promise I'll make it up to you," he swore as he panted to catch his breath after those beggings.

"It's not necessary, yours was an accident, but that guy really tried to hurt me. I was lucky I still had some strength left to tackle him to the ground."

"Wait, are you serious? Did you really knock that tall dude down without magic?" Ruggie asked, impressed. "By yourself? How?"

"I'm a black belt in karate. I usually can take down someone taller than me."

"Wow, I didn't expect that!" Ruggie admitted, reminding himself once more that cute faces could be tougher than they looked. "But I insist on makin' it up to you, or I'll feel like I have a debt to pay off," he said, a little calmer.

"We accept compensation in tuna cans!" Grim exclaimed.

"No, we don't!" Yuu said with energy.

"It really isn't necessary..." Yukiko immediately remembered her conversation with Ortho when she insisted on the same thing and decided to follow his example. "I know. How about you join us at my ceremony? Is that enough?"

Ruggie looked at her in surprise. "That's all? I'd ask for more if I was ya. But I guess I can't argue this time," he sighed. "I accept."

"Even the headmaster has compared it to a historic moment for the school. Seems fair to me too," Deuce opined.

"I'll go with you, I haven't eaten much since the end of the tournament either," Jack said.  He didn't want to admit he also felt a bit curious and wanted to make sure both twins went to the Mirror Chamber without problem, since one of them was injured and the other one woke up just some minutes ago. 

"Come on, let's go. The cafeteria is close," Yuu urged before grabbing his sister by the hand and leaving the infirmary together.

Yukiko could see again the long corridors she had walked through with Ortho. Luckily there were not so many students around, so she wouldn't need to put on her hood to go more or less unnoticed. So that was the place he intended to take her before she felt nauseous... "That's right, Ortho!" She exclaimed suddenly. "He was helping me, where's he now? Is he ok?"

"Yeah, he's fine. He also looked foward for you to wake up, and even visited you once," Yuu said.

"He said he has many games prepared for you," Ace reminded. "That little guy is sure cheerful, unlike the rest of his dorm."

"By the way, Yuki, have you noticed you have the same weird tattoo as Yuu, but on the other shoulder?" Grim pointed out to change the topic.

Yukiko frowned, she had never gotten tattoos before. She didn't like them very much, and her mother wouldn't have let her get one before college. "What tattoo?"

"The print," Yuu said as he uncovered his left shoulder to show her. "Look at your arm, you have had it since you got here, just like me."

She intuitively looked at her right shoulder and winced at her own print there. "So this was real," she murmured before caressing it and remembering the strong burning sensation from that time. "Did this also... hurt you with some red light?"

"No, but the headmaster thinks that the red light was like a blot alarm," Yuu said. "We also believe this is what makes us be in the same dream together."

"Dream communication is supposed to be just a fairytale," Ace said. "But considering that you two come from another world, I'm not surprised that strange things keep happening to you..."

"Makes sense," Yukiko said, not having any more ideas. "You told them about that, right?"

"Yes, Ortho also said something about you seeing me in a dream," Yuu added. "I mean, the first time we met inside them."

That statement didn't fit with Yukiko, so she frowned, confused. "Wait a minute, I don't remember saying something like that to him," she said.

They all looked at her in surprise, but she seemed to understand quickly. "No, wait. It's true that I mentioned something about seeing you before I woke up, but I didn't know yet if you were even real or not."

"Then he must have assumed it was real," Jack guessed. "The vice-dorm leader of Diasomnia didn't question it when he heard about it either." 

"Lilia knows a lot of legends about it, he must have connected them to both of us," Yuu added.

Ruggie was the only one in the group that had barely heard about the prints and the theories they had about them. "But is there any reason why you see each other in dreams?" He asked. "Did ya have a lot?"

"I don't know, it could be some effect of the trip from home," Yuu replied. "But no, we had only a few in occasional moments." He decided not to talk about the content of the dreams, it seemed too much information to reveal.

But Ace could not get something out of his head: "Speaking of which, I know the headmaster said we should leave it for tomorrow, but what did you mean about that 'voices' thing? Were they also some kind of dreams?" He asked.

"I don't understand it myself," Yukiko confessed. "I don't remember much, but they seemed too real to be just a dream. But I'd rather not talk about that, I feel crazy just thinking about them..." She sighed.

"Many crazy things happened these days," Yuu sighed. "It was a dove that gave us your chokers. And no, that's not normal around here!"

"Really!?" Yukiko asked, stunned. "Well, better for another day. But I can say that it stuck with me that some of those voices were insulting you, Yuu," she clenched a fist, "so if I find out what they are, they'll know about me!"

The others acted in surprise, but Yuu remained calm at that warning. "I appreciate your intention, but save your energy for P.E. The teacher is very tough," he advised.

Ace blinked several times, but shrugged it off. "I wouldn't want to talk about weird things right after waking up either," he replied before smiling brightly. "Well, let's talk about more important things, like which dorm they'll put you in."

At that very moment, they could see the doors of the school cafeteria, where there were already a few students having dinner, and many free tables. Yukiko left her bouquet of roses on a table to join the others in the line.

"Finally, it's dinnertime!" Grim exclaimed. I'm so hungry I could eat EVERYTHING, yanno?"

"You can't stuff yourself with food this late," Yuu reminded him.

They approached the line to buy what they wanted to eat. As soon as the ghosts who worked there found out who she was, they greeted Yukiko kindly and served her a bowl of soup that Crowley had paid for her.

"Just soup?" Grim asked, incredulous. "Why couldn't he let you choose what you want?"

"I guess it's because of the stomach," Yuu guessed as he held his and Grim's food. "You just woke up, and the headmaster must want to make sure you don't get hurt."

"Maybe it's that..." Yukiko sighed, inevitably thinking of nausea and discomfort from that time.

"Whatever it is, it's free food. So lucky!" Ruggie said, and Ace nodded in agreement as he sat down.

"And since he also paid for Yuu, there was enough for me too. That headmaster knows when not to be greedy every now and then," Grim said with a mischievous smile.

"More than being free, this means I'm going to have to return the favor," Yuu sighed as he helped Grim up onto the tabletop with the roses.

One side of the table was occupied by Ace and the twins, and on the other sat Deuce and the Savanaclaw duo before finally settling down for dinner. Yukiko wanted to ask about the type of relationship Yuu and Grim had with the headmaster, but as soon as she put the first spoonful in her mouth, her appetite sharpened, and her five-day-long hunger urged her to eat with a little more energy than she expected. Yuu couldn't help but smile at this, it almost seemed unreal: his sister, eating with him at school after fearing for so long that he would never see her again...

"Hey, can we talk about which dorm they will put Yuki in?" Grim asked with his mouth full. 

"She'll be in Ramshackle, of course!"

"Ortho told me a bit about it, but what exactly are these dorms like?" Yukiko asked.

"There are seven dorms, each represented by one of the Great Seven," Ruggie said while pointing at Jack with his thumb. "Ours is Savanaclaw, founded by the perseverance of the King of Beasts."

"Mine and Deuce's is Heartslabyul, founded by the strict Queen of Hearts," Ace commented. Yukiko felt a slight itch on her right shoulder after hearing that name...

In that way, they explained one by one the dorms in school, their founders, and the usual character of the students in them.

"What's the difference between Scarabia and Octavinelle?" Yukiko questioned when she heard they both had the highest number of best grades in tests in common.

"Octavinelle's students are much calmer than Scarabia's," Yuu replied.

"If you ask me, Heartslabyul is the best of them all!" Ace said, cheerfully. "Yuu thinks it's one of the most likely options for you. How about it? But I must warn you that our dorm leader is super serious, and he'll cut off your head if you don't comply with his rules."

"He doesn't literally chop heads off," Yuu clarified.

"It... It would be great to have you as part of our dorm!" Deuce assured, trying not to stutter.

"I think they could put you in Heartslabyul or Scarabia," Yuu added. "Both have cheerful and active people like you."

"Both are possible, but I also think Diasomnia hits you, too," Jack opined. The headmaster mentioned that you have a strong magical energy, so it might play a part."

"Not to treat this as a competition, but I would be very irritated to see if Diasomnia manages to achieve something else right after the tournament!" Ruggie exclaimed, annoyed.

"Hm?" Yukiko asked before swallowing. "What are you talking about?"

"It's a long story," Yuu said. "I'll tell you about it later."

Yukiko didn't seem enthusiastic about that option anyway, and she put a hand to her neck. "I don't know... You said this dorm is especially good with magic, and I literally hurt myself with it."

"Hm... But you'll get better with it step by step, right? Maybe Diasomnia could help you control it," Ace said, getting her to smile again.

"You're right, who knows?" She said.

"Oh, that makes me think of Pomefiore," Ruggie noted. "Its students take effort very seriously and always want to go as far as possible. And being objective: you comply with the physical aspect, maybe that will give you points. Shi, shi, shi!"

"No way! Yuki will be livin' with us, so the Dark Mirror will leave her in Ramshackle for good!" Grim exclaimed forcefully.

"I wonder if the Dark Mirror will even consider it, Ramshackle is not an official dorm, after all," Yuu commented.

"So many possibilities..." Yukiko commented before remembering something. "By the way, how is this ceremony? Do I have to do something?"

"Nah, you just have to stand in front of the Dark Mirror, say your name, and wait for it to say your dorm, simple as that," Ace explained. "I suppose they will assign you the group and the schedule later, maybe the same as us, Classroom 1-A."

"I'm not so sure about that," Ruggie objected, "the Leech twins are second years and go to different classes, maybe they'll do the same with you two."

Yukiko got worried about that idea, it was hard enough being new to a different school, one of magic, on top of that, she was literally going to be the only girl in an all-boys school where she only knew her brother. She had just been admitted and only hoped it wouldn't be too hard to adapt to that place.

"Not to be in a hurry, but the headmaster and dorm leaders are waiting," Jack reminded. "If we're all going together, we can't take too long to finish eating."

"Oh, you're right!" Deuce exclaimed, having almost forgotten.

"I'm almost finished," Yukiko said before taking another spoonful to her mouth.

"Atta girl, there's nothing better than eating when you're hungry," Ruggie sighed while looking at her almost empty plate, despite having sat down a few minutes ago. As everyone stood up to leave the cafeteria after finishing their dinner, some students around there noticed them and looked at Yukiko.

"Wait, isn't that the girl from the other day?" One of Octavinelle whispered.

"Is she awake?!" Another student exclaimed.

Jack noticed this and glared at them. "What are you looking at?" He growled, scaring them away and making them turn around.

"Seriously? Did they just notice you're here? Just when we're leaving?" Grim asked, incredulous.

It was possible that they hadn't noticed her because she was surrounded by more than two boys. Even so, Yukiko sighed and pulled up the hood of her robe. "Here we go again..." She muttered.

"Oh, right. Almost everyone in school started talking about you when you got here," Ruggie commented.

"And it looks like they'll do it even more now that you're going to be the only girl in an all-boys school," Ace sighed.

"Even if the headmaster allows it, it's to be expected..." Deuce agreed.

"Well, you're not the only 'weirdo' the headmaster let be here, so you're not alone in this, ok?" Yuu said to cheer her up. "Let me carry the roses for you, now we're off to the ceremony."

"To the Mirror Chamber!" Grim exclaimed as he led the group. "Let's get Yuki sorted into Ramshackle dorm!!"

On their leave, another young boy who was also waiting for the long-awaited awakening spotted them. "Miss Yukiko Oshiro! You're awake!" His familiar-sounding voice exclaimed.

They were startled to see the newcomer move quickly towards them with the propellers on his feet. "I'm so happy you're fine!" The boy exclaimed as he approached Yukiko to wrap her in a hug.

"Hey, what are you doing!? Wait, who are you?" Grim asked.

It was not difficult to recognize that boy with hair made up of blue flames that matched the one on his chest. "Ortho?" Yukiko asked.

"Yes, it's me: Ortho Shroud from Ignyhide," he said. "This is the first time you see me wearing this gear, right? You probably don't recognize me because of that."

"Yeah, it's nothing like you looked last time," Deuce commented.

This time, Ortho's body did not have the immaculate, white metal they met him with, but instead wore elaborate metal pieces that simulated the fabric of the robes, black on the outside and purple on the inside, they even had painted to perfection the intricate detail of gold embroidery. It also had a circular accessory attached to his shoulders, and what appeared to be a purple glass helmet that could be simulating the hood. The most curious thing was that he did not have the mask from before, showing his mouth and nose, but instead wore a black eye mask that covered his amber-colored eyes. It was as if his face could reveal only one half, no matter what he was wearing.

"You look great," Ace said.

"Thank you! This gear was made to look like the school's ceremonial robes, so I put it on for the occasion," Ortho explained before holding both Yukiko's hands. "The headmaster told my brother that you just woke up, and there's going to be a new entrance ceremony for you. I was so excited I had to see you!"

Yukiko held hands with him. "You're so sweet." She was happy to see him, but couldn't help but look away with shame for a second. "Hey, I'm so sorry I ran away from your side like that! It suddenly hurt a lot, and I panicked. I wasn't thinking straight..."

"Don't worry about that! You're fine now," Ortho insisted. "I'm sorry too. I thought I had everythin under control, but I should have asked for more help before you got worse instead of trying to do it by myself... So let's be more careful from now on, okay?"

"What a good boy he is," Ace whispered.

The first-year boys did not forget the shock of learning that, despite being so young as a primary school kid, Ortho had permission from the headmaster to study at Night Raven College with his older brother, Idia Shroud, who was also Ignyhide's dorm leader. Not even Cater, who was almost always aware of gossip and news in school, knew much about their circumstances.

"By the way, congratulations on being admitted into Night Raven College, Miss Yukiko Oshiro!" Ortho said. "My older brother doubted it, but I always knew you would make it. Let's be classmates from now on, no matter which dorm you're in!"

"Of course!"

"They get along pretty well," Jack commented.

"We are on our way to the Mirror Chamber. Would you like to go with us, Ortho?" Yuu suggested.

"Really? Of course! Thank you for the invitation," Ortho said before listing the party. "Then I'll join you, Mr. Yuu Oshiro, Mr. Grim, Mr. Ace Trappola, Mr. Deuce Spade, Mr. Jack Howl, and..." He clenched his jaw and fists in annoyance. "...Mr. Ruggie Bucchi... You have the audacity to be here just like nothing after that!"

Ruggie's ears perked up immediately as he knew the reason for that harsh reception. "Come on, come on, don't be like that!" He said with a nervous smile. "I've already apologized for leaving her lying on the floor, so you can put your claws down, okay?"

"It's true, Ortho," Yukiko said. "I forgave him, and I have invited him to make amends. How about it?"

Ortho calmed down and looked at both of them consecutively. "If you already forgave him, okay. I'll let it go. But I'll be watching you, Mr. Ruggie Bucchi!" He warned.

"Hey, calm down! What about the other guy who tried to attack her? That one was on purpose," Ruggie reminded him, annoyed. "If you want to get mad at someone, do it with him."

"I remember him, but I don't think that will be necessary," Ortho said nonchalantly. "I heard that Mr. Leona Kingscholar made sure to punish him more than he should."

Jack put a hand to his head, Ruggie swallowed hard, and the others shuddered, remembering the ambush from that time in Savanaclaw. Then Grim shook his head to clear his mind and held up one paw determinedly. "Come on, Yuki has to be put into Ramshackle!" He insisted as he led the group. "Onward!"

The twins couldn't help but laugh softly with him doing that. "He's so cute," Yukiko whispered.

"I know, right? He's too proud to accept it, though," Yuu replied quietly.

"I have updated the probability percentages that Miss Yukiko Oshiro has to be chosen in each one of the dorms. Do you want to see them?" Ortho excitedly asked as he created holographic rectangles with his hands. "They're based on what I have seen of her so far and what the prefect told me. According to these calculations, Heartslabyul has the highest percentage."

"I don't care what the probability says! Yuki will be sorted into Ramshackle, you'll see!" Grim insisted.

[Published in 18/12/2022]

To Be Continued...