Curse of Lysertis

The water temperature was perfect, creating an environment of complete relaxation. It enveloped Adam's body like a protective cocoon, neutralizing the effects of both physical and emotional exhaustion. A light mist rose toward the ceiling, condensing into tiny droplets that left delicate traces on the bathroom walls. The restorative potion he had taken was gradually easing the weight of accumulated fatigue, working gently yet noticeably. While it didn't provide instant healing, its effects were undeniable—pain subsided, tension melted away. Adam already felt significantly better than he had just minutes ago.

It felt as if time had lost all meaning. When the water started to cool, Adam, without even opening his eyes, used fire magic to restore its warmth. Controlling fire was as natural to him as breathing. He could have remained in this state forever, shutting out the outside world, but reality had other plans.

The silence was interrupted by a soft, almost imperceptible knock on the door. The sound, barely audible on its own, was amplified by the room's acoustics. Adam frowned but kept his eyes closed, reluctant to acknowledge the disturbance.

"Fubuki, why are you knocking?" he said, leaning his head back. His voice was relaxed, yet tinged with irritation. "You have a key."

Yet the knocking didn't stop. It remained just as gentle, as if someone was hesitantly brushing against the door, avoiding any loud noise.

"What's with this weirdness?" Adam thought, cracking one eye open. "Did he forget his key? Unlikely. The door was locked. Maybe he lost it?"

Reluctantly, Adam rose from the water, immediately feeling the stark contrast between the bathroom's cool air and the lingering warmth on his skin, sending a shiver through him. He wrapped a towel around his waist and, careful not to bump into any furniture, made his way toward the door.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" he called out louder than usual, hoping to drown out the persistent knocking.

His steps were firm, yet deep inside, a strange unease had taken root. Stopping in front of the door, Adam hesitated. Something felt off. The knocking… it wasn't right. It wasn't impatient or demanding—it felt more like a test of his patience rather than a simple request for entry.

He placed a hand on the doorknob but hesitated, his heartbeat quickening ever so slightly.

Instead of opening it immediately, he leaned in, pressing his ear to the door.

Silence.

No footsteps. No breathing. Not even the faintest trace of presence. Just a suffocating emptiness pressing in on him.

"Did I imagine it?" The thought flickered through his mind, but doubt gnawed at him.

Steeling himself, Adam slowly turned the handle, bracing for whatever was waiting beyond.

As he opened the door, expecting to see Fubuki's familiar face—

—Liz stood before him instead."

She stood beneath the stone archway, her amber eyes holding a quiet certainty, as if they carried the secrets of the past. Chestnut hair, adorned with golden sapphire-studded pins, framed her delicate features, accentuating her refined beauty. A luxurious gown with gold embroidery and intricate lace hugged her slender figure, while an embroidered mantle draped elegantly over her shoulders. Jewels with blue gemstones shimmered in the sunlight, lending her a regal presence, as if she were the heiress of an ancient lineage.

Adam's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he noticed the surprise in her expression and the bright flush spreading across her cheeks. Realizing that he stood before her barely covered by a towel, he slammed the door shut right in front of her.

"Just a minute, hold on!" he shouted, frantically searching for clean clothes.

Drying himself off as quickly as possible, he hurriedly pulled on a shirt and trousers, trying not to get tangled in the fabric. His movements were rushed but precise—every second seemed to matter. Stopping by the door, he took a deep breath, exhaled, and then slowly opened it again.

"Hey, Liz. Sorry about that… I thought it was Fubuki. And, uh… sorry about the circumstances." He inclined his head slightly, an awkward apology in his expression.

"No, no, it's fine! I should be the one apologizing. I came uninvited…" Liz lowered her gaze, her blush deepening.

"Do you want to come in? Standing in the hallway probably isn't very comfortable." Adam stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter.

Liz hesitated before stepping inside, glancing around as she did. Adam closed the door carefully and immediately pulled out a chair for her, inviting her to sit. She did so, placing her hands neatly on her lap.

"Tea?" he offered, trying to ease the lingering awkwardness.

"No, thank you. I actually came to give you this." Liz extended a small vial filled with a pale red liquid.

Adam took the vial, examining it closely as his brows lifted slightly.

"This is… a restoration potion? Where did you get it?" he asked, trying to hide his surprise.

"I stole it from Professor Charlotte's office," Liz said with a quiet smile, as if her words carried nothing unusual.

Her statement darkened Adam's expression. He clenched the vial in his hand for a moment before exhaling slowly.

"Liz, you shouldn't have done that. If Charlotte notices it's missing, she'll interrogate the entire academy. It won't take her long to find the culprit."

"Don't worry. I'll pay her back for it later, she won't even notice," Liz assured him, though a hint of doubt slipped into her voice.

"I'd rather return it myself. Thanks for thinking of me, but I don't need it—I already took a potion."

"What? Where did you get one?" Liz looked at him, clearly surprised.

"Charlotte gave it to me herself—for situations like this," he explained calmly.

"I see… Well, if you're already feeling better, then I'm glad. I just… I thought someone would find you and drag you to the infirmary, and I would have handed it over there."

"Why did you come to me directly instead of going to the infirmary?" Adam asked, a small smile on his lips. "I could've gone there myself."

"I saw you enter the campus. I figured you'd head to your room," she answered, dropping her gaze again.

"Is that so?"

Suddenly, Liz sank to her knees, wrapped her arms around Adam's legs, and burst into tears. Her shoulders trembled, and her sobs came in a continuous stream.

"I'm sorry, Adam," she choked out between sobs. "Please, forgive me! I tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn't listen. And when you were lying there, not moving… I wanted to call for help, but Adele and Julia were standing right there. They were laughing at me, laughing at you, and I… I couldn't stand up to them. I should've done something, but I didn't."

Adam stood frozen. He had no idea what to do, what to say. He had never been in a situation like this before—a girl, on her knees, apologizing, crying—all because of him. The silence in the room grew heavy, broken only by Liz's quiet sobs. He remained motionless, until it finally hit him that he needed to act.

Slowly, he bent down and gently placed his hands on her shoulders, helping her up. His movements were soft but firm. He guided her to the chair and sat her down before crouching in front of her. Resting his hands on her knees, he looked her directly in the eyes.

"Liz, you have nothing to apologize for," he said quietly but firmly. "Listen to me. I would never hold anything against you for what happened. I know exactly what kind of people Adele and Julia are. They've always thought they were better than everyone else. I understand why you were scared—standing up to them isn't easy, they're cruel. But the fact that you even wanted to help means you're nothing like them. You didn't do anything wrong."

Liz wiped her tears away, but her face was still flushed with emotion.

"That's just it—I didn't do anything, even though I could have," she whispered. "I just stood there and watched as they threatened you, then beat you. I could've stepped in, I could've called for help, but I did nothing.

Adam smiled slightly, trying to reassure her.

That's exactly why I'm telling you that you're not to blame," he said. "I understand why you were afraid. If you had confronted them, they would have turned on you instead. There's nothing wrong with being scared. This is their fault, Liz, not yours. Don't punish yourself for their actions."

Liz seemed to calm down a little, but doubt still lingered in her eyes.

"I… I thought you were like they said—cruel, terrible, and awful," she admitted quietly. "But now I see I was wrong. You're kind, honest, and… sweet. I'm sorry for being afraid of you. I thought you'd want revenge, and I… I came to you like prey walking straight into a predator's den."

Adam let out a small laugh.

"So that's what they've been saying about me? Interesting," he said with a grin. "Good to know."

Liz chuckled as well, and in that moment, the tension hanging in the air completely vanished.

"How about that tea after all?" Adam asked, standing up.

"Yes, please," she replied with a small smile.

Adam made his way to the kitchen. He quickly lit the fireplace, and the flames caught onto the logs, filling the room with a soft, cozy glow. He opened a small tea packet, pouring the fragrant leaves into a teapot. Filling a metal kettle with water, he set it over the fire. Once it boiled, he poured the hot water into the teapot and covered it with a lid.

"Let it steep for a bit," he said cheerfully, extinguishing the fire in the hearth.

Returning to the room with the teapot and cups, Adam poured the tea. They waited for it to cool before taking their first sips. Conversation flowed easily. One topic led to another, and before they knew it, time had slipped away unnoticed. The atmosphere was warm and comforting—the kind you never want to leave.

Liz glanced at the clock and instantly frowned.

"Damn," she muttered. "I completely lost track of time. Lights-out is soon, and I need to go. I don't want to get caught in the men's dorm at this hour."

She stood up, smoothed her dress, and looked at Adam with a small smile.

"You're a wonderful conversation partner," Liz said. "Let's have tea again sometime. But next time, it's my treat."

Adam chuckled, shrugging.

"Deal."

Liz made her way to the door but suddenly stopped at the threshold. Her expression softened as if she had just made an impulsive decision. Without warning, she spun around and ran back toward him. Adam barely had time to react before she threw her arms around him, pressing her slender frame against him. He froze, his cheeks instantly burning red. The unexpectedness of the gesture left him unsure of how to respond, so he simply remained still.

Just as quickly as she had embraced him, Liz let go and turned back toward the exit. Standing in the doorway, she gave him a small wave. Unable to resist, Adam lifted his hand and waved back.

Once she disappeared around the corner, he stepped toward the door to close it but instead peeked into the hallway.

Waiting there, leaning against the wall with an unreadable expression, was Fubuki.

Damn it, Fubuki!" Adam yelped, stumbling back. "Are you going to scare me every single time?"

Fubuki shrugged, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"And are you going to ask me that every single time?"

"Oh, screw you!" Adam waved a hand dismissively and walked back into the room. Fubuki followed. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Hmm… about an hour," Fubuki replied casually.

"An hour?! Why didn't you come in?"

"You had a guest," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Such a lively conversation. I didn't want to interrupt. By the way, who was the lady?"

"Ah, doesn't matter," Adam muttered, trying to sound indifferent. "Just a friend."

Fubuki narrowed his eyes mischievously but said nothing. As Adam cleared the table of cups and the teapot, he sat down on his bed. Meanwhile, Fubuki got comfortable on his own bed, a book in his hands.

For a while, silence settled between them, broken only by the quiet rustling of pages. Eventually, Adam spoke up.

"Hey, Fubuki… sorry for snapping at you earlier today. That wasn't right of me."

Fubuki closed his book and glanced at him with a small, knowing smile.

"Forget it. I'm not the type to hold grudges. It's already in the past."

Adam let out a relieved breath, but then Fubuki added,

"But you owe me one." His eyes glinted with amusement as he returned to his book.

"Fine, whatever you say," Adam chuckled. "Better to be in your debt than be your enemy."

"What did you just say?" Fubuki raised an eyebrow.

"I have no idea," Adam laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"The Seventh-Year Tournament starts tomorrow. Are you competing?" Fubuki asked, as if already knowing the answer.

"Haven't decided yet. Some people want me to, but honestly, I don't really need to. What about you?"

"Of course," Fubuki said confidently. "Why not? If you win, you get an exemption from all exams. That's worth it."

"You're right, but some of the challenges are way too brutal. I was just a spectator last year, and even then, I felt primal fear just watching."

"Well, they're not going to kill us," Fubuki said with a smirk.

"No, but they can beat you half to death," Adam countered. "I wouldn't be so optimistic."

"I'm giving it a shot," Fubuki said firmly. "Maybe I'll win."

"I bet a hundred palonets that Shun takes the victory," Adam said with a grin.

"Shun Nohara? The academy's top student?" Fubuki asked, raising a brow.

"The one and only."

"Still, I think it's worth trying."

"Alright, give it a go—I'll be cheering for you."

Fubuki chuckled. "Then you'd better get that hundred ready, because I'm winning."

Adam flopped onto his bed, covering his face with his hands.

"Damn, that's right!"

"No one forced you to make that bet," Fubuki smirked.

They shook hands, sealing their wager. Their conversation gradually faded, and both started preparing for sleep. After finishing their nightly routines, Adam turned off the lights, and they drifted off, already anticipating the challenges of the next day.