"Savanaclaw!"

"..."

The intrigued silence before the Dark Mirror's choice was maintained for a few long seconds before turning tense.

".........."

Awkward and confused by the lack of a reaction, Yukiko looked around to see at least the people around her. Gaping faces and expressions of extreme confusion and shock were basically the only types she could see.

Yuu and Leona didn't say anything, the former was too stunned for that, and the latter was completely surprised. However, it was as if the others present there had agreed for once to shout the same thing in unison:

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?!?!?"

That didn't make her feel any better. Some bellowed their disbelief, and others stared at Leona.

"How is this possible!? This young lady... in Savanaclaw!?" Azul screamed, incredulous.

"Are you telling me that those big, kitten eyes are actually from a bloodthirsty lioness!?" Idia's altered voice asked from his tablet.

"It's true that some rabbit beastfolk ended up in Savanaclaw instead of our dorm... But wasn't Heartslabyul the most likely one for her to be sorted in!?" Riddle yelled.

Ortho re-created his holographic displays and looked at the probability percentages once again. "Heartslabyul displayed the highest probability, with a 73.5%... Diasomnia, third place with 6%; Ignihyde, the last place with 1%... Savanaclaw with only a 2%!? A 2% was never the final result!" He exclaimed.

"But how!?" Ace exclaimed. "Is this a joke!?"

Jack and Ruggie looked at each other, utterly shocked that their dorm had turned out to be the one for her.

Of all the people who were there, it could be seen that the ones who took the result the worst were Grim and the director.

"NOOOOOOO!!! My first Ramshackle student!!" Grim yelled tearfully before falling to the ground and wailing in utter defeat.

"This...sweet girl? The twin of our kind and considerate prefect...? Crowley asked, paralyzed, before exploding. "IN SAVANACLAW!? This can't be possible!! There must be a mistake!!! I DEMAND a redo for her soul!"

"...". The spirit of the Dark Mirror remained silent, without changing its expression.

"Don't come now with those silences, powerful Dark Mirror! You must have missed an important part of her character! Or you may have overrated something! If you don't want to put her on Pomefiore just for her looks, put her at least in Heartslabyul! Or even in Diasomnia or... I don't know, Scarabia!"

"I can't believe it, even the headmaster is questioning the Dark Mirror's decision..." Ruggie commented, astonished.

"But... It isn't supposed to make any mistakes, right!?" Deuce questioned.

"Supposedly not, but then why...!?" Ace exclaimed, pointing at Yukiko with both arms outstretched.

"We just met her, there must be something else we haven't seen yet," Jack added, unable to think of any other possibility as he looked at Yukiko, who came out of her bewilderment to examine her magical pen, whose gem had passed from being a grayish color to an intense yellow.

At the same time, Yuu also reacted and rushed over to his sister. "What's going on?" She asked, confused and worried by the ruckus.

"Nothing, it's really nothing," he assured while placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "They're just... surprised, nothing else."

She put the magical pen back on its case and noticed Grim, still crying on the ground. "Is he going to be ok?" She asked as she pointed at him.

"Uh... Give him a few minutes, he'll get over it."

Seeing that not even the headmaster seemed to calm down any soon, Vil decided to take matters into his hands. "Okay, that's enough!" He exclaimed firmly. "What kind of welcome is this!? Look at her, she's feeling awkward!"

The only sound after that demand was Grim's crying, which didn't seem to end anytime soon. Realizing that what Pomefiore's dorm leader said was true, Crowley pulled himself together and cleared his throat to regain his composure. "My deepest apologies. I've got pretty agitated, but that's no excuse for this unprofessional behavior. Now that a dorm has been announced, we can move on to the introduction by the dorm leader in question..." He swallowed nervously. "Young Kingscholar... whenever you want..."

Leona looked at him for a second, then sighed and slowly approached Yukiko.

Yuu took a few steps behind but made sure to keep a close distance from her. His sister looked at him and turned back to Leona when he stepped in front of her. "So you ended up being with us, what a turn of events," he said calmly. Yukiko didn't answer and kept staring at him doubtfully. "What's the matter? At least try to appear happy." She kept silent. "I see, I see. Well, forgive me for not leaping for joy either," he said sarcastically. "My name is Leona Kingscholar, the dorm leader founded on the persistence and indomitable spirit of the King of Beasts: Savanaclaw."

"Of all the dorms, it had to be Savanaclaw..." Deuce murmured. "I can't help but worry about her..."

"Right!?" Ace whispered back. "This is the dorm that has been causing trouble these days, and she has to be there!?"

"Hey, we're still here, y'know?" Ruggie murmured.

Seeing that Yukiko still didn't say anything, Leona kept talking. "We only have one absolute rule here: obey the king." He gave a slight smile. "It's not too much to ask, is it?"

"And I suppose that king is... you," Yukiko said, finally speaking.

Leona raised an eyebrow. "I think the title of dorm leader makes that clear," he replied.

She turned again to her brother, who had scooped Grim up in his arms to try and calm him down, and he looked back at her with concern. Then, Yukiko frowned and looked at Leona again, this time with mistrust. There was something about him that ticked her off.

"Just out of curiosity... What would happen if I refused to follow that rule?"

Leona widened his eyes in surprise, he didn't expect that she would dare to ask something like that. The others mirrored similar expressions.

"Yuki...?" Yuu muttered uneasily.

But he calmed down when he saw that Leona took it humorously and chuckled. "What would happen? No, no. Let's not think about unnecessary things," he said before closing his eyes with feigned concern. "I'm worried that it'll scare our cute newbie way too early." He looked at her again. "There are plenty of aggressive guys in Savanaclaw, you don't want to get into trouble with a pack of hungry hyenas, do you? If you want to see the light of another day, you'll have to do as you're told."

Yukiko clenched her fists in frustration before trying to calm herself down. "We'll see about that," she mumbled.

Leona looked at her in surprise again, he didn't expect to see such a side on the girl that was sympathetic to him in that strange dream, or whatever the place where they had first seen each other. But he laughed softly again. "You seem bold, something tells me it's going to be interesting to have you around."

"I'm shocked, but she doesn't look very happy either..." Kalim murmured.

"Maybe she's disappointed, a lot of us told her that she had a high chance to be in Heartslabyul," Riddle sighed. He also liked that idea, now frustrated by the Dark Mirror's choice.

"It's a shame she didn't enter Diasomnia either," Lilia sighed. "But hey, we're still students at the same school. We still can be good classmates and get along."

"But there's something I don't quite understand: why is she in Savanaclaw if she doesn't have animal ears or tail?" Kalim asked.

"Just because most of Savanaclaw students are beastmen, that doesn't mean that's a mandatory trait to be part of them, there are still a few common humans there," Vil reminded him.

"Is no one going to mention that they just announced her dorm... and she's already standing up to Leona?" Idia murmured. "Well, it's true that the students of this school rebel from time to time..."

"Okay, I think that's enough with the introductions," Crowley insistently interrupted as he moved Yukiko away from Leona. "It's getting late, everyone should go back to their respective dorms. I wish you all a good night."

Except for Riddle and Leona, the dorm leaders started to leave the Mirror Chamber, but Lilia approached Yukiko again. "It may not have ended as we predicted, but as I said before, I hope we get along well from now on, regardless of the dorms," he said with a kind smile before looking for something inside his pockets. "Here, a token of our new friendship: some licorice candy. But be careful, try one and you might like them so much that you'll get hooked!"

"So lucky..." Ruggie murmured with some jealousy when he saw she received something edible.

"Candy, huh? She's not some kid," Ace muttered.

Managing to calm down a bit with that, Yukiko squeezed the pieces of candy gently into her hands and nodded. "Thank you, let's get along, Lilia," she said, returning the smile.

"Of course! Well then, if you'll excuse me, I must take my leave. I wish you a good night," he said before disappearing in the blink of an eye, leaving some bright sparks behind.

"He did it again," Deuce commented while thinking about Lilia's sudden appearances and disappearances from that week in Heartslabyul.

"I don't know how he does it, but I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing him disappear like that..." Ace sighed, stunned.

Meanwhile, Idia's tablet approached the group. "Ortho, I'm leaving too. You coming with me?"

"Not yet, I want to accompany Mr. Yuu Oshiro and Miss Yukiko Oshiro until the Hall of Mirrors. Wait for me in the dorm, brother. I won't be late."

"Okay, but go back safely," Idia pointed out before the device levitated out of there.

"That flying thing won't stop giving me the creeps either..." Ace added.

"There's still time until curfew, would you mind if I also accompany you?" Riddle asked.

"Of course not, dorm leader. Come with us," Deuce replied.

"Prefect, show your sister the way to Ramshackle. I'll pay you a visit tomorrow morning, but let me know if anything happens," Crowley said.

"Yes, sir."

"And you, young Yuki, don't forget what I said: don't hesitate to turn to me for any reason, especially now that you will be surrounded by delinc... I mean, by some students that are difficult to deal with..."

"...What?" She muttered with concern. Did Leona actually mean what he said earlier?

"Hey, we're still here!" Jack growled. He was starting to get tired of being indirectly compared to a thug.

"Have a good night. I... will take now my leave," Crowley said before leaving with low spirits. "I still can't believe it... Savanaclaw from all dorms...!"

After the departure of the headmaster, there was only one group with a curious combination of dorms.

"We should go too," Yuu encouraged, breaking the short silence.

"Are you coming with us too, dorm leader?" Jack asked, seeing that Leona hadn't left with the others.

"Even though we're not taking her to our dorm, it wouldn't be very courteous of me if I didn't accompany our new addition to her house," Leona said before turning his gaze to Yukiko, who quickly averted hers.

Grim, who could calm down a bit before, started to sob again after hearing that.

"There, there. Sh, sh..." Yuu prompted him to calm him down again. "Don't take it so hard. Yuki is living with us at Ramshackle, remember?"

"That ain't the same...!" Grim exclaimed between sobs and buried his face in Yuu's shoulder. "I wanted Yuki to be an official student of Ramshackle, yanno!"

"Really? I didn't notice," Ruggie sighed sarcastically, tired of the insistence Grim kept rambling until the announcement.

"Damn, it's a shame you're not in Heartslabyul either, Yuki," Ace complained as they opened the doors to the hallway. "But look on the bright side: you won't risk having your head chopped off for breaking the dorm rules."

"Even if she's not part of our dorm, that doesn't except her from losing her head if she breaks the school rules," Riddle reminded calmly. "I trust that won't happen, right, Yuki?"

"Come on, don't be so hard on her," Leona demanded tiredly. She just arrived." 

"You too, Leona," Riddle replied. "You are now her dorm leader, so I also expect you to behave responsibly with her."

"Hey, Miss Yukiko Oshiro, is something wrong?" Ortho asked, sensing her melancholy. "Are you disappointed that you got something different than we expected?"

"A little," Yukiko admitted. But she wasn't thinking about that.

"What's happening? Yuu asked as he adjusted Grim in his arms.

"I guess I'll run into the guy who tried to attack me, now that I'm in the same dorm as him."

"Don't worry about that idiot, I made sure that he won't even dare to walk in the same direction as you," Leona said with a smile that didn't promise anything good. And he made an example of what will happen if someone else dares to do something similar.

Ruggie swallowed and forced himself not to think about that unpleasant moment that she could have been saved from living through thanks to the girl's kindness and her promise not to say anything about their first meeting.

"I'd rather not imagine what you did to him..." Yuu murmured, shuddering.

"He did that before her dorm was announced, but now that she's officially a part of them, nobody will mess with her for sure!" Ace whispered.

"Leona, I may not be in the place to say this, but don't ever use magic in such a violent way to discipline your students again," Riddle warned, who was learning that with the intention to improve himself.

Yukiko didn't know what to say. On the one hand, she was happy to learn that they defended her. However, on the other, that made her continue to mistrust her new dorm leader. "I didn't expect it either, but why was so shocking that I'm in Savanaclaw?" She decided to ask.

"One of the reasons is your looks. Let's say putting you in Savanaclaw would be comparable to shoving a kitten into a bunch of wild beasts," Leona replied.

"But appearance is one of the characteristics that the Dark Mirror dispenses the most, even if there are common features in some dorms, like Savanaclaw or Pomefiore," Riddle said.

"And as for personality, let's say that Savanaclaw students tend to be very active and hot-headed. They're usually stubborn and like to mess with people," Leona added. "You don't exactly give the vibes of that with a first glance."

"You're not saying anything good about your dorm," Deuce whispered while Yukiko frowned with worry and confusion.

"Don't worry, we're not sayin' you're like that, nor that everyone is. There can always be exceptions," Ruggie said. "Take Jack, for example, he's a tough, serious guy, but also a good boy, even if he won't admit it himself. Shi, shi, shi!"

"Ruggie! What are you saying!?" Jack exclaimed, embarrassed.

"Look at Ortho here for another example: he's cheerful and competent, not like the scaredy-cats of the Ignyhide students," Leona continued.

"It's true that there are a lot of shy and quiet people in our dorm, but they're all hard-working and determined in what they're passionate about, just like my big brother," Ortho said.

"I'm not gonna lie, I didn't expect this outcome either," Ruggie admitted before flashing a smile. 

"But well, you can't undo what's done. Welcome to Savanaclaw! We may not have red roses or tea parties with lots of sweets, but we are very cool. We have a Magical Shift field and a lounge with an indoor pond." He held up a thumb. "You'll end up liking it, you'll see!"

Thanks to that encouragement and the new welcome, Yukiko could calm down and finally have some good expectations. "Thank you," she murmured.

"Not only at karate, but Yuu also told us you are good at sports. Maybe that's what pushed you to Savanaclaw," Ace said. "Sounds good, I think that's cool."

"And who knows? Maybe there's some perseverance in you that we haven't seen yet," Leona added suggestively. "However, a little somethin' tells me I've already seen a few qualities."

Yukiko ignored him and gave a look around. "By the way, I wonder when I'll start classes, no one has told me anything yet," she commented, changing the subject.

"I suppose the headmaster will explain everything to you tomorrow, and you'll start around next week," Riddle said. "While we're at it, we could give you a brief explanation of first-year studies along the way. This way, you will have a solid idea."

She agreed, and they all talked about the subjects, some of their contents, and the teachers who taught them.

"And be careful not to fall asleep in History of Magic lessons," Ruggie warned as they walked down the outside stairs. "Or else Professor Trein will give you extra homework as punishment."

"Okay," she nodded before being amazed to see the outside of the school for the first time. 

"Wow! This place is bigger than I thought."

"You couldn't expect less from Night Raven College," Riddle said proudly.

They descended the long staircase and finally reached the main street, where the statues of the Great Seven stood. "And these would be Great Seven, the founders of Night Raven College's dorms," Ortho introduced.

Yukiko looked at each of the statues, admiring how majestic they looked.

"And this one here is the founder of our dormitory: the King of Beasts!" Ruggie introduced as he pointed to the only four-legged statue.

Yukiko looked at it, stunned to see that the only animal among those that seemed to be monarchs and powerful sorcerers was precisely the one that founded her dorm. "It is... a lion?" She questioned.

"Not just any lion," Leona replied. "He was not born in the line to be king, but he seized the throne through effort and an elaborate plan. He dethroned his brother to build a wiser and stronger kingdom."

"He even allowed the loathed hyenas to live in his new kingdom without discrimination," Ruggie added proudly. "My ancestors used to starve until he made it to the throne, so some hyenas still consider him our savior today."

"Really?" She replied with surprise and admiration as she gently scratched her right shoulder after feeling a sudden itch and, strangely, a feeling of skepticism, a gesture that immediately caught Yuu's attention.

"By the way, don't you think Grim has been too quiet all this time?" Deuce asked as they continued their way, realizing that Grim hadn't spoken a word in a while.

"He fell asleep a while ago," Yuu said while stroking his back. "The disappointment left him exhausted."

"Not surprised here, he cried a lot," Ace sighed. "Well, it's getting late, and all of us played in the tournament."

And so they arrived at the intersection between Ramshackle and the Hall of Mirrors.

"Well, here we part ways," Jack said. "We'd tell you where Savanaclaw dorm is, but..."

"The headmaster's orders say otherwise," Ruggie finished the line before covering his mouth to yawn. "We'll show around another day, now I'm exhausted..."

"Oh, right! Here, these are yours," Deuce said as she returned the roses to Yukiko.

"Thanks a lot," she said with a big smile.

"You're welcome..." He shyly replied as he averted his face to hide the new blush.

"You're sure bashful," Ace muttered with some mockery. "Anyway, it was nice to meet you, Yuki, we'll continue talking later. You too, Yuu. See you tomorrow!"

"Same here, I'll see you around," said Jack.

"Sure, good night," Yuu replied.

"See ya," Yukiko said.

"Ruggie, go ahead," Leona said before pointing at Yuu with his thumb. "I need a minute with Riddle and the other two."

Ruggie looked at him in surprise, but she nodded before leaving. "Gotcha, see ya later."

"Is everything alright, dorm leader?" Deuce asked, wondering what Leona wanted to talk to all of them about.

"Don't worry, go without me." I'll be following you soon," Riddle said.

"Yes, dorm leader," Ace and Deuce replied almost in unison before they left as well, being only five students there.

"Is the furball still asleep?" Leona questioned as he glanced at Grim, and Yuu nodded after making sure he was.

"Yes, but what do you want to talk about?" He asked, feeling some security in having Riddle by his side, in case something unwanted happened again.

"I mentioned something to Leona shortly before the ceremony, you've had a strange encounter with him after today's incident, right Yuu?" Riddle asked.

"What are you talking about?" Yukiko asked, puzzled.

"About the strange dream where you saw me for the first time, do you remember?" Leona explained.

Riddle did not expect this new information. "Wait a minute, are you saying she was also there with you two?" He asked, stunned.

"I figured you didn't see her, you didn't even mention her," Leona commented. "Do you remember seeing him or your brother, just like you did with me?"

"Along with some scenes from his past? Not Yuu, but I saw him," Yukiko answered confidently.

"What!? You were there!?" Yuu asked aloud, waking Grim up by accident.

"Huh? What's happenin'?" The little monster asked sleepily.

"Oh, Grim. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"If you were there... does that mean you saw what my mother...?" Riddle asked, a bit somber.

"Yes..." She confessed in a small voice. "I'm so sorry you went through all that, it must have been horrible."

"Thank you. I am fine here at school now."

"What are ya'll talkin' about?" Grim asked.

"Nothing important, go back to sleep," Leona insisted. "But we should leave this for another day when our minds are prepared for more revelations."

"I suppose you're right," Riddle said. "Could we meet sometime next week to talk in-depth about this?"

The twins looked at each other and nodded in approval. "How about we do it by Ramshackle?" Yuu suggested.

"Fine by me, looks private enough," Leona replied.

"Understood, we'll continue talking later," Riddle agreed and smiled. "Good night, Yuu and Grim. And nice to meet you, Yuki. I hope we get along from now on."

"Same here, see you later."

"See you tomorrow, newbie," Leona said before flashing a sly smile. "You too, prefect."

Yukiko didn't say anything, but Yuu nodded goodbye, glad that Leona did not call him herbivore or some disrespectful nickname again, and both dorm leaders left.

"Well, it's time to go," Yuu said. "Come with us, we'll take you to Ramshackle."

"Which could've been your dorm..." Grim added poutingly.

"Come on, Grim. We told you she'll be living with us," Yuu repeated.

"And I already told ya that's not the same..."

"Hey, can I hold him for a lil' bit?" Yukiko requested, and Yuu carefully exchanged the bouquet for the little monster, who did not seem to refuse. "Hey, Grim. I may not be in your dorm officially, but the headmaster said it's better if I live with you, that's good right?

Grim looked at her a little wearily. "I guess so..." He replied and sniffled.

"Think about it: the only girl in school living in your dorm. Isn't that a great honor? I think that is something very important, something that nobody else has."

That seemed to lift his spirits a bit. "You're right," he replied.

"So, are you going to let me be your student, even if it's not official?"

Grim straightened up in her arms, thought about it for a few seconds, and looked at her with his big blue eyes. "Of course I do!" He exclaimed determinedly. "I don't care what that silly mirror said! You will live with us in the future best dorm, under the tutelage of the great Grim! We're going to be amazing, yanno!"

"Thank you very much, Grim!" She exclaimed happily as she pulled him into a hug.

"Hey, hey. I'm glad you're happy, but control those hugs! I ain't a stuffed animal, yanno?"Yuu laughed softly and looked at them tenderly, he knew they would get along quickly. "Well, now all you have to do is introduce yourself to the ghosts," he recalled. "They said they would look forward to your arrival."

"That's right, you said they're like the ghosts in the cafeteria, right?"

"Yes, they're very nice, you're going to like them," Yuu said before chuckling. "And they promised they wouldn't scare you too much."

"They are such pranksters! I expect anything from them," said Grim.

"Well, here we are. Welcome to Ramshackle dorm..."

Yukiko stared dumbfounded at the old building and glanced around her to see if there were other ones around. "Seriously? You've been living here all this time?" She asked incredulously.

"Believe me, I wasn't too happy when the director showed me this place either," Yuu sighed. 

"But it was the only place available, and it's not that bad here."

"There are bad leaks when it rains," Grim noted. "Those are the worst, yanno."

"The showers are also kinda problematic, but other than that, there aren't many other problems. Now that we've cleaned a big part of the place, it's habitable."

"Oh, let's see inside then."

They opened the door, and Yuu led her into the living room. To his surprise, the trio of ghosts was waiting for them there. "We're back," he greeted.

"Welcome!" The big ghost greeted them. "You're finally back."

"That impact was horrible! Are you alright, Yuu?" The small ghost inquired with concern. "I thought for a moment you would join us. You've been unconscious all afternoon!"

"That's right! You've already had dinner, right? Do you need somethin' else? Water, bandages, the ointment we bought yesterday?" The skinny ghost insisted to know.

"Calm down, guys, I'm fine," Yuu assured as he left the bouquet and the ghost camera on the table. "It's a shame I missed the end of the tournament, but well, we can't do something about it."

"Little Gri should learn at least to aim, that's something we should do: teach him so we can win the tournament next time. Hee, hee!" The big ghost said before looking at Yukiko. "By the way, who's this young lady holding him in her arms?"

The thin ghost gasped upon recognizing her appearance, so similar to Yuu's. "You must be Yuki!"

"Yuki!? So this is you!" The little ghost exclaimed with glee. "The headmaster told us you had finally woken up and you were coming here!"

"Ghosts, this is my twin sister, Yuki. Yukiko, the three ghosts from Ramshackle," Yuu introduced.

"Hello," she greeted, happy at the warm reception.

"Oh, welcome! Welcome! Your brother told us a lot about you," the thin ghost said as he approached her. "Don't be shy, take a seat! You must be exhausted."

"How's she goin' to be tired if she just woke up after five days? Hee hee!" The little ghost questioned humorously.

"That doesn't count! She was unconscious, I bet she didn't even rest well even with that."

"Well? Surprised to see some ghosts like us? Yuu told us that would be very unlikely in your world, hee hee!" The big ghost asked.

"Yeah, but I've already seen some surprising things around here, so..." She replied as she sat down on the sofa and sat Grim by her side.

"Welcome to our humble dorm! It may be old and be in shambles, but it's in the process of being improved."

"Thank you very much, guys."

"How are you feeling? Do you need something? Some water?" The thin ghost asked insistently. 

"And what about you, Yuu? Are you sure you don't want anything?"

"Thanks, but don't worry. I'm fine now," Yuu assured.

"Me too," Yukiko replied.

"Really? You've both been knocked out for a while. Especially you, Yuki, we have been told that... that you have... How can I put it?"

"...that I have unstable magic that makes me sick?" Yukiko sighed in an attempt to complete his sentence.

"I tried to say something along the lines that you have magic that is very hard to control, but yeah, I guess that counts."

"We're aware of your condition, we're so sorry you run the risk of overblotting by doing nothing..." The big ghost murmured. "I would've never imagined something alike."

"Me neither, magic is such a wonderful power in good hands, it horrifies me to think that it could be practically poison to someone," the small ghost added.

"Don't be so pessimistic! Yuki can make herself strong to make her magic stop being bad," Grim reminded them with determination.

"Well, you're right about that," the thin ghost said. "They showed us the white choker that will help you balance it, so I assume you're wearing the black one on, right?"

"Yes," she replied as she showed her neck. "The headmaster told me not to take it off tonight."

"That's right, don't take it off until we figure out how you can practice your magic," the big ghost agreed. "Speaking of which, look on the bright side: even if it's difficult to control your magic, now you have a chance to do things you couldn't before, hee hee!"

"I guess you're right. The headmaster told me something like that."

"Oh, right! The Dark Mirror has sorted you into a dorm, hasn't it?" The skinny ghost asked excitedly.

"Ha, ha! I was wondering when would you to mention that" Yuu laughed.

"It wasn't Ramshackle in the end," Grim complained. "Damn it...!"

"We already expected that but it's ok," the big ghost shrugged. "You're the honorary student of our dorm. Well then, tell us! In which dorm did they sort you? In Heartslabyul, right?"

"No, wait! Don't tell us yet! I just noticed that you have the magical pen facing backward. I propose that we close our eyes until Yuki shows us the color of her dorm," the thin ghost said.

"Oh, you're right. I put it wrong," Yukiko said as she held her magical pen and realized she had placed it inside the case with the gem facing in instead of out.

"Good idea! Sounds fun," the big ghost said as he closed his eyes and covered them with his hands. The other two did the same.

"Let us know when we can see," the small ghost asked.

"Why are you doin' that? Wouldn't it be faster if she told you herself?" Grim mumbled.

"It's a fun way to make important reveals, Grim," Yuu said, wondering how they would react to Yukiko being a Savanaclaw student.

Without further ado, Yukiko extended her magic feather in the direction of the ghosts. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

The trio of ghosts uncovered their eyes and fixed their gaze intently on the magical pen. Their expressions turned to uncertainty and surprise as they identified a yellow gem. They looked at Yukiko, and then once more at the gem.

"Woohoooo!! I win!" The small ghost suddenly exclaimed merrily as the thin ghost raised his hands to his head with a grunt.

"Dang it!" The big ghost muttered as he clenched his fists in defeat.

"Hey? What's the matter with you?" Grim asked, just as confused as the twins.

"Ha ha! I'm the winner! Drop the money!" The little ghost kept celebrating his victory with a dance while he pointed at the other two with mockery.

Yuu didn't take long to understand what was happening. "Wait, did you make a bet on which dorm Yukiko would be sorted?"

"When the headmaster told us you were having an entrance ceremony for her, we realized that in the end, we had different theories, so we decided to bet on the decisive one," the big, pouting ghost began to explain. "I opted for Heartslabyul or Scarabia since we said they were the safest options..."

"Despite that, I couldn't shake the idea of the possibility of Diasomnia," the thin ghost continued. "So I decided to go for the second option and said Diasomnia, Pomefiore, or Octavinelle..."

"Not me! I had a hunch it would be one of the most unexpected dorms, so I said Savanaclaw or Ignihyde!" The small ghost cheerfully said. "And I ended up getting it right, hee hee! You two owe me 50 madol!"

"Ok, fine! But stop rubbing it in our faces, please..."

"So you're in Savanaclaw, even though you look so kind and charming!" The big ghost said. "That means you must be very athletic and competitive."

"You could say that," Yukiko laughed, and Yuu nodded.

"But that dorm is also full of stubborn fellas, so if anyone from there dares to hurt you, we'll give them the fright of their lives!"

"Don't worry, gentlemen, her new dorm leader made sure that won't happen," Yuu replied.

"Even so, in all the dorms of this school, there are similar types, men are wolves! Ace and Deuce may have passed the test, but who knows how many wolves are lurking around to attack..."

"But what about Jack? He's a wolf, he's in Savanaclaw, and he's a nice guy," Grim replied.

"Yeah, but... But he's still a man! And now we must watch out for them not just around Yuu, but Yuki as well!"

"That's right!"

"Why do you say that?" Yukiko asked curiously. "Is it because I'm the only girl in school? Or did someone do something to Yuu before?"

"We've been living here for decades, so we know what we're talking about. Yuu's a good boy, and there are many out there that have underestimated him for being unable to do magic. We have to make sure that no one crosses the line!"

"I like these guys," Yukiko thought to herself. After hearing that, she did not need to see anything else. Yuu was in good hands in that dorm.

"Now that she lives with us, we must do it even better! In any case, we can always go back using the techniques we used during our best times."

"With the warning that Leona gave earlier this week, I think that's unlikely to happen," Yuu sighed with a nervous smile.

"There are never too many scary warnings to give in this school, hee, hee! Well, we are getting carried away. There's still time, how about we show you the bedroom?" The big ghost proposed.

"Ok!" She replied as she stood up.

"We have a room ready for you," Yuu informed as Grim got off the couch to follow them. "You can also take a shower later, I really need one..."

As the dorm residents started to show the new member her new home, someone was watching the old building from the chilly outside, imagining that the new girl had already arrived.

"You're here, Malleus," came Lilia's voice. "Sebek is very anxious about you being out there alone after the tournament."

The dorm leader of Diasomnia dorm calmly turned around to greet his mentor. "Sebek always worries about me way too much, no one would think of attacking me around this place at this hour," he said with a quiet smile.

"He, he! I very much doubt that part of him will change any time soon, he's always been like that since he was a kid, after all," Lilia laughed.

"You're right," Malleus said with humor. "I was strolling around here, and it seems like the new student has already settled in here. The one you gave aid to when she needed it, right?"

"Yes, her entrance ceremony recently concluded. I was very surprised to see that you decided not to go to this entrance ceremony, even though the headmaster told us personally." Lilia knew why Malleus had refused to attend such an unusual moment since he had told him about his curious first meeting with Yuu. "You know you can't hide your identity from that boy forever, he'll find out sooner or later that you are the crown prince of Briar Valley and Diasomnia's dorm leader."

Malleus smiled again, this time wistfully. "I supposed he would fulfill his role as her brother to accompany that girl in her first step in this school, it seemed to me that the most prudent thing would be not to assist, so he would not discover who I am. Otherwise, I doubt he'd ever want to approach me so easily again."

"Why do you say that? From what I've seen, Yuu has a big heart and doesn't seem to fear you. He doesn't even suspect a thing," Lilia said. "I understand that you enjoy the idea of someone not knowing anything about you, but you shouldn't take advantage of his ignorance. If you talked to him, I'm sure you could forge a good friendship together. I'd say the same about Yuki, she looks like a kind girl, full of energy and courage."

"Perhaps you are right," Malleus said as he looked around the bedroom. "However, I would like things to stay as they are for a while longer, I am curious as to what name that child of man will call me by."

Soon after that, Grim found himself alone in his room with the lights out. He poked his head through the door, looked both ways down the hall, and raised his ears to make sure no one was near.

"Yuu's still in the bathroom, right?" He whispered with an excited smile and laughed mischievously. "Hahaha! Then... My favorite time has come!"

He climbed on the bed and searched under the pillows for the coal-black stone he had hidden there after Leona's Overblot when he went to pick up the ghosts to participate in the tournament...

"I took it from Savanaclaw without anyone noticin', but... if this ain't candy, what the hell is it?" He frowned doubtfully, but shook his head and grinned. "Whatever! Finders keepers, losers weepers! Time to dig in!"

After saying that, he ate the stone in one bite and savored it. "Yum! This one tastes somewhat bitter with a little bit of spice that makes my tongue tingle! It's like food for grown-ups!" He described with a full mouth excitedly before smirking. "It's a shame humans can't enjoy this!"

After swallowing that strange object, he covered himself with the blankets and curled up with his head on the pillow before yawning tiredly. "Good meals like this make me always sleepy..." He murmured as he closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep between soft meows.

Shortly after that, dressed in the pajamas that Yuu had bought in Sam's store after Yukiko's arrival, both of them walked towards the corridor.

"Ha... I needed that shower!" Yukiko murmured, feeling refreshed. "How did they let me do the ceremony like that? I've been in bed for almost a whole week..."

"Maybe they thought you didn't stink enough to not let you do it," Yuu teased, causing her to raise an eyebrow. "But seriously, have you had any problems with the water? Didn't the choker get in the way?"

"It was weird showering with it on, but no," she replied while touching the wet accessory on her neck. "And the water got cold for a while, but other than that, nothing else."

"Glad to hear it. Let's see if Grim is awake, so you can say good night." Yuu carefully opened the door and took a quick look around. "Grim?" He called before looking at the bed. "Oh, he's asleep."

"Aw, so cute..." Yukiko whispered, touched. "Does he usually sleep there with you?"

"Since earlier this week. He at first preferred to sleep on my feet, like a kitty. Now he feels comfortable enough to sleep next to me."

"Ha, ha! He looks like a living plushie," she commented, making him laugh.

"You're right, he looks a lot like one. Hey, are you going to be okay being alone?"

"I'm literally in the room next to you, I'll be fine," she replied before pointing to her forehead. "How about you? Do you have the gauze on correctly?"

Yuu pushed up his bangs, revealing that he had taped some gauze pads over his wound. "All good here, it won't fall off at night."

Although she felt a bit tired, Yukiko had several matters on her head that surely would not let her sleep until she sorted at least some of them out. "Uh, hey. If you're not too tired, could I ask you something? Well, a few things?"

Realizing they still had not found a moment to talk just the two of them, Yuu quietly closed the door and nodded. They decided to go to Yukiko's room and sat on the bed.

"Is something wrong? What do you want to talk about?" Yuu asked, starting the conversation.

"I know that the others said that my dorm is cool, and all that, but... I can't shake that they also mentioned there live the most temperamental guys."

"Are you afraid of being hurt?" Yuu asked. "Leona will make sure that won't happen, and you can count on the headmaster. If anyone dares, they will hear from them."

"No, is not that. It's just... Well, not like I'm a saint either, I know I've had my moments. But to the point of lowering myself to the level of the guy in the toilet? Does the Dark Mirror see me that awful?"

"What? No, of course not! I know you'd never do something like that," Yuu replied with insistence. "Remember what we also told you: the character in each dorm is not unique. I don't know many people in Savanaclaw, but Jack is actually a nice guy, and Ruggie is kind of mean and likes to get his way, but not to the point of being a bad person for it. Besides, there are students like that in all dorms. Take Riddle, for example, you've seen him calm today, but he gets angry very easily."

Yukiko seemed relieved to hear that, but it brought her another of the issues that had irritated her the most since she was sorted into Savanaclaw. "And what about Leona? He did hurt you, right?"

That skeptical question didn't come as a complete surprise to him because she'd asked something like that at the entrance ceremony, but it made him feel a bit worried. "Why do you say that?"

"Because he doesn't look exactly like the nicest guy in the world. And I know you, you were nervous with him around," Yukiko replied. "And before that, you wanted to protect me from him in that dream. Hey, you don't have to tell me right now, but if that guy's gonna be my dorm leader, I need to know if he did something to you."

He should have known that his protective sister would take notice of his apprehension. "Is that why you became annoyed around him?" Yuu asked before sighing. "Let's say we don't exactly get along... Okay, I'll tell you everything, but you need to promise you'll stay calm."

And so, he told her about the encounters with Leona he'd had since the beginning of the school year, from the time he'd got on his bad side for accidentally stepping on his tail, to the bullying he'd received in Savanaclaw with his friends earlier that week for "trespassing their territory". He also explained the "accidents" leading up to the tournament. By the end of his story, Yukiko had already pressed a pillow against her chest to ease her frustration.

"I knew it," she murmured in a low voice. "Other guys like the one I took down did hurt you! Others too! ...Sorry, I promised to be calm," she added reluctantly.

"Don't think too much about that, the headmaster took disciplinary action for all of them. Besides, Jack helped us himself," Yuu assured. "He did not want to take part in the sabotage, so he decided to turn his back on his dorm and join us to stop them. Even Ruggie sided with us at the last moment. And by the way, even though I don't think Leona learned his lesson, I want to think he'll become less... vile over time. Just a little bit."

Yukiko left the pillow away, reflected for a few minutes on what she just heard, and sighed. "Fine, but if he or one of his henchmen does something stupid to you again, even one more time, I won't forgive him," she warned seriously.

"Harsh words, but thank you for the thought. Just be careful, and don't get in trouble, ok?" Yuu replied with humor, going along with what she said. "To be honest, I was surprised to see how distrustful you were with him, you were super nice and understanding at that time. You even got along with Ruggie after he apologized to you."

"Because I didn't even know who Leona was, I still didn't know what he could have done to you. Besides... I couldn't sit still after seeing what happened to him as a child, I had to do something!"

"And you did great, I couldn't even think of what to say then," Yuu encouraged her. "We knew that Leona had personal reasons for sabotaging the tournament to regain his honor, but we never thought they went much further than that, as we saw in the dream."

"Yeah..." Yukiko murmured before remembering something essential that she also wanted to resolve. "Same happened with Riddle. I had no idea who he was, but I wanted to do something too. But I couldn't move then, and he wouldn't see me."

"Oh, right! You said something about it," Yuu recalled. "Were you really there? I didn't see you anywhere either."

"Neither I did with you," Yukiko replied. "And when his memories ended, some dark shadow hugged him to comfort him."

"A dark shadow?" Yuu repeated, puzzled.

"Yes, one in the shape of a person."

"I don't know what you could mean, there was only him and me, and I was the one who hugged him, I couldn't leave him like that either. Wait, could it be that you saw me, but shaped as a shadow?" Yuu asked, and she looked at him questioningly. "No, seriously. Like in that dream where we first saw each other, when you fell to the ground after coughing? Remember me?"

Yukiko's eyes widened. "I didn't think of that, but you're! I couldn't recognize you, but that weird shadow turned up being yourself..." Her surprise slowly turned into horror as she realized something else. "Oh no! I tried to kick you!" She exclaimed as she raised a hand to her head. "Dude, I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you, and I got scared because 'some scary silhouette' was coming closer. You know I wouldn't hurt you on purpose, I swear!"

"Hey, don't worry, you didn't even touch me that time," he reminded to calm her down. "Then you trusted me when I wanted to help you up, remember?"

"Yeah, you looked nice. I think you said something to me, but I didn't hear your voice.

"Neither did I hear yours when you wanted me to stay away, so I still wanted to be careful before I found out who you really were," Yuu said.

"No wonder, shadow people look really creepy," Yukiko murmured before suddenly smiling as she remembered something else. "Hey, wait. We wore the same in those dreams, right? Does that mean you were also wearing that cute blue dress?"

"Oh, that dress," Yuu murmured, he had already forgotten about that outfit that looked so similar to the blonde girl in the dream. "Well, yes, I guessed you were wearing something similar."

"Man, that's so cool!" Yukiko exclaimed, delighted. "What a shame I couldn't see you! Did you look good in it?"

"I don't know, there were no mirrors to look at myself. But I felt good with it, so I guess so."

"I'm sure you did! I haven't seen you in a dress since last year when you wore that maid dress to cover Sachi's shift at work."

"Well, because the theme of that event in the cafeteria was maids..."

"But you liked wearing that dress, didn't you?"

"Yeah..."

"If we have another one of those weird dreams, I hope to see you with another one someday."

"Fine by me, but we're getting off-topic," Yuu pointed out. "We're clear that the dark shadow people were us all this time, case closed."

"Ha ha! We scared each other," Yukiko laughed. "To be honest, the voices were scarier than seeing you as a shadow."

"You've already mentioned that several times, what do you mean?" Yuu asked curiously.

"I know it sounds crazy but other than having those dreams about you, I could hear...things. They were not always clear, and it's not like I remember all of them."

"Let's leave that for tomorrow with the headmaster, it will interest him, and you'll have a clearer head," Yuu advised. "Now that we've cleared up your encounter with Riddle's memories, we have enough for one day."

"I suppose you're right," Yukiko replied. "Hey, can I ask you something that may be personal?"

"Sure, what it is?"

"You said you can't use magic, right? Has it been difficult for you to be here?"

Yuu sighed. "I'd be lying if I said it's easy, but Grim does the magic bit, so I take care of the rest. And the teachers are very understanding of my situation, they often give me alternatives that don't require magic. Like in Flight Lessons, while Grim and the others fly with the brooms, Professor Vargas tells me to do extra exercises, like push-ups or sit-ups."

"Damn, you said he makes you guys do crazy amounts of exercise, right?"

"Yeah, he's very enthusiastic. He takes muscle training very seriously, maybe too much..." Yuu murmured while smiling nervously. "And he's pretty authoritarian with sports, though I doubt you'll have much of a problem with that, Savanaclaw girl. "

"100 push-ups to warm up, right? I've gotten to do more," Yukiko said proudly. "I'm surprised you could survive past 25."

"Hey, I'm not that weak!" Yuu exclaimed between laughs.

"I'm not saying that badly. At this rate, I'm sure you'll end up with arms and abs like mine!" Yukiko said as she flexed her right arm.

"You haven't met Professor Vargas, and you're already talking like him."

"I'm just saying what I think," she shrugged. "You've been here a month already, right? You must have put on some muscle, even if it's just a little bit."

"I doubt it, I don't notice any changes," he said as he touched his arm.

"You sure? Let me see," Yukiko asked before gently patting his left arm. "Hey, I actually catch something."

"You think so?"

"It's not very different from how I remember it, though. But yes, it feels a little fitter over here," she nodded.

"Oh."

Then she held up an index finger and smiled wickedly. "And what about the abs? Let me guess, they are starting to appear... Here?" She asked as she gently poked his stomach, tickling him. "Or maybe here?" She did it again with more intensity.

"I know what you mean to do. Stop it," Yuu said while doing his best to hold back his laughter."Do what? This?" She poked him again, this time faster. "Or this? Or this? But what do I see! I feel muscles everywhere!!" She finally exclaimed before using both hands to ambush him in a tickle fit.

"No, stop! Ha ha! Stop it! Ha ha ha!" He exclaimed between laughs as he suddenly fell onto the mattress.

"Meet Yuu Oshiro! The strongest boy in the world!"

"Don't say that! Ha ha ha! Stop it! I need to breathe, ha ha!" Yuu insisted as he tried to stop her.

With that, Yukiko quickly stopped and let him catch his breath.

"Thank you..." Yuu sighed as he sat down, and looked at her with another devilish grin. "Revenge!"

Now it was his turn to attack Yukiko with another tickle session. "No, stop!" Ha ha ha! Ok, I'm sorry! For real!" She exclaimed between laughs as she tried to escape. "Ok, ok, I give up! I give up!"

"Yukiko Oshiro never gives up!"

"She does this time! Ha...! Stop...! Ha ha ha!"

"Okay, I'll stop," he said as he put his hands away.

Yukiko gently lay down on the bed and continued to laugh as she tried to calm herself down. That was the first time Yuu had seen her so happy at school, it almost made him forget that horrible way they finally reunited. He could feel the fear and desperation in her when he put the choker on her to save her, and now he was seeing the cheerful, fun, and bold sister he knew so well. He just hoped something similar wouldn't happen to her again...

"What's wrong?" Yukiko asked, realizing that he was staring at her.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how nice it is to see you again," Yuu answered before remembering something. "Hey, I forgot! Wait here, I'll be back right now," he assured before leaving the room, surprising her, and returning quickly. "Here, take this. I have something for you too."

"Really? What is it?" She asked while receiving something wrapped in gift paper, small enough to fit in the palm of her hand.

"I wanted to give it to you as a souvenir from this world when I got back home," Yuu said as he sat back down. "But now it's a welcome gift. There were many models, but I'm sure you would choose this one."

Yukiko opened the wrapping and found a small fabric bag. She looked inside quickly and placed the content in the palm of her hand. Her face brightened when she saw the beautiful pair of golden, rose-shaped earrings Yuu bought in Sam's store.

"Wow..." She murmured softly. "Did you really buy them for me?"

"Yeah. These are made with non-allergic metal, so you can wear them without any problems. Do you like them?"

"I love them! They're beautiful!" She exclaimed before tackling him in a hug. "Thank you, you are the best!"

"Woah, easy!" Yuu laughed. "I'm glad you like them. Wanna try them on?"

"Right away," she said before placing herself in front of the mirror. She had realized she had none of her usual earrings after her arrival so that present could not be any more perfect.

"What do you think?" Yuu asked as he approached to see her closely.

"I love them!" She repeated as she checked herself. "I'll definitely wear these for class."

Despite how much she liked the gift, her smile dissipated by looking for the first time, inside the reflection, the accessory she had to wear, and slid her fingertips towards her neck. "I'm not going to have it easy either, right?" She murmured in a low voice.

Yuu looked out for a second and patted her shoulder to convey support. "Hey, I can't even imagine how hard it will be for you, but we are in this together," he said with determination. "We'll fix your magic someday, and you will be stronger than ever, you'll see. We will also find a way to go back home... to see mom again."

Yukiko nodded slowly and hugged him again. "You can't even imagine how glad I am to be with you," she murmured.

"Same here..." He said as he tightened her softly.

After letting go of that hug, Yukiko yawned. "Exhausted, huh?" Yuu asked before having the yawn passed on him and doing it himself, making her laugh.

"A bit, so thank goodness tomorrow is Sunday!" She said, back in her good mood

"I don't know when you'll start with lessons, but tomorrow will be your first official day in school. Well, I will say it now: as Ramshackle's prefect, it is an honor to welcome you to Night Raven College! NRC for short!"

"Ha ha! Thank you. You know what? I think this role as a prefect suits you," she said.

"Of course, and I was just given the title last month," Yuu replied humorously. "Well, I won't slow you down anymore. Wake me up if anything happens, okay? Good night."

"I'll remember that. Good night, Yuu."

Upon returning to his room, he got into bed carefully, so he would not wake Grim up. The walls of that old building were not exactly sound-proofed, so he was relieved that the monster was so deeply asleep that he did not wake up with the loud laughs from the next room.

"Good night, Grim," he whispered with a smile before closing his eyes and falling asleep within a few seconds. He couldn't tell if he was tired after the battle against Leona and playing Magical Shift, or because of all the feelings he went through in just one day.

Despite that, after several hours of falling into a deep sleep, he opened his eyes tired when he felt a bothersome light. He rubbed them and realized that the mirror in his room shone with a strange light of his own.

"What the...?" He murmured out loud as he sat quickly.

He looked at Grim, who did not seem to flinch at the light, and realized that another similar brightness appeared under his clothes. He gasped, uncovered his left shoulder quickly, and saw that his blueprint was also shining.

The print only did that when I was living a strange dream, did you be in one again? No, that could not be. He was more sure than ever to be awake, he could see and hear Grim snoring by his side, as he used to do.

Deciding to get out of doubt, he got up and approached the mirror with careful steps. He could distinguish a strange gray and cloudy space inside it. Just when Yuu thought that was it, he spotted something inside that looked like a dark silhouette with a round shape. It put what seemed to be a small hand on the left side, and peaked outside the mirror as if it were watching him...

Whatever it was, Yuu got scared and took a step back. Fortunately, the print and the mirror stopped glowing, thus taking away the gray space and the shadow inside, and everything turned back to normal as if nothing had happened.

He moved away from the mirror to keep himself together and to process that experience. He had no idea what it could have been, but it was a relief that it was not dangerous for Grim or him.

Wondering if Yukiko could have happened to him, he went out to the hall and opened the door of his room without making noise, finding her asleep in her bed. If her print started to glow suddenly, it didn't look like she noticed.

He sighed, relieved to see her safe, and hurried back to bed before  he could not hit the hay again. He tried not to think of anything to achieve it.

[Published in 27/2/2023]