Curse of Lysertis

The train was already nearing its final stop. Adam was fast asleep—so deeply that even the clatter of the train's wheels couldn't wake him. Fubuki tried every possible way to rouse him: snapping his fingers, lightly tapping his cheeks, and even shouting his name right into his ear.

"Wow. I never even knew people could sleep this soundly," Fubuki muttered, almost giving up.

However, the desire to wake the deeply slumbering Adam was stronger than his sense of defeat, so he decided to use some unorthodox methods. Carefully placing his palm on Adam's face, Fubuki let out a burst of cold that quickly spread, covering half of Adam's face in a thin layer of ice. The reaction was immediate: Adam's eyes flew open, and he jumped up, pressing a hand against his frostbitten cheek.

"Ow! What the hell are you doing?!" he exclaimed, staring at Fubuki in surprise.

"I was trying to wake you up, but you completely ignored me, so I had to cool down your nap a little. Don't worry, you'll thaw out soon," Fubuki answered with a smirk.

"You can use ice magic?" Adam asked, still rubbing his cheek.

"Yeah, so what?"

"It's just that it's considered pretty rare," Adam said thoughtfully. Steam began rising from beneath his hand, and the ice gradually melted away.

"But you control fire," Fubuki noted, making a finger-gun gesture. "That's a pretty common skill—nothing special."

"Hilarious," Adam retorted sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Meanwhile, the train was slowly pulling into the school station. Passengers began gathering their belongings, preparing to disembark. Fubuki and Adam decided to wait until most of the crowd had left the car, to avoid the rush. Through the window, they watched the students on the platform. Everyone looked happy, chatting ang and laughing. Adam spotted Hanabi—she was walking with her friends, smiling so brightly it seemed her joy lit up the world around her.

"Hey, Adam, what's up?" Fubuki called, snapping his fingers in front of Adam's eyes. "Falling asleep again? Want me to ice you down once more?"

"Huh? No, I'm not asleep," Adam replied hastily, turning away from the window.

"Who're you staring at so intently?" Fubuki scooted closer to see the object of Adam's focus.

"Aha. So that's it." His gaze stopped on Hanabi. "Love, huh? That's what it looks like."

"Nothing of the sort!" Adam tried to appear indifferent, but his blush only strengthened Fubuki's suspicions.

Fubuki smirked. "Come on, you can't fool me. It's written all over your face. Are those cheeks turning red?"

"I'm just hot," Adam mumbled, trying to look away.

"Hot from love, right?" Fubuki leaned in closer, his voice dripping with mockery. "Relax, I won't tell anyone. Well… except maybe her."

"I dare you," Adam shot back with a sharp glance, clearly on edge.

"Calm down, I'm joking," Fubuki said, raising his hands in a conciliatory gesture.

Finally, the carriage emptied, and the two headed for the exit. The conductor eyed them suspiciously:

"Why'd you take so long? Were you two… you know, doing that?"

"Doing that?" Adam repeated, frowning.

"Well, aren't you… those kinds of people? No?"

"Those kinds of people?" Adam was still puzzled.

"You know… lovebirds?" the conductor clarified, raising an eyebrow.

Adam froze, his face turning crimson. Fubuki noticed Adam's confusion and decided to stir things up even more:

"Yes, you guessed it. We're a couple," Fubuki declared with a mischievous grin, putting an arm around Adam's shoulder. "But please keep it a secret," he added, pressing a finger to his lips.

"Oh, of course. I understand completely. Your secret's safe with me," the conductor assured them.

With that, Fubuki picked up Adam's suitcase, handed it to his friend, and headed out. Adam, still somewhat stunned, followed silently behind him.

Meanwhile, the conductor exchanged a glance with his colleague and shared the news:

"Guess what—those two are lovebirds."

"So what? How long have you been working here? Is this your first month? This your first time seeing something like that?" the second conductor scoffed, taking a sip of coffee. "Happens all the time around here. Now quit distracting me."

The train started moving, leaving behind a cloud of steam and a distant rumble, gradually disappearing around the bend.

Fubuki and Adam walked along the avenue leading to the academy, mingling with the crowd of students. The gates grew closer, and as soon as they entered the courtyard, the different faculties and groups began forming up.

Adam turned to Fubuki. "Which faculty are you in?"

"Precision Magic and Combat Arts."

"Perfect, we're in the same class. Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone."

Approaching his classmates, Adam introduced the newcomer: "Guys, this is Fubuki—the new student."

Fubuki bowed politely. "Pleased to meet you. Please take good care of me."

The girls immediately blushed and began whispering excitedly:— "He's so handsome!"— "He's so cute!"

One of them finally mustered the courage to ask:— "Do you have a girlfriend, Fubuki?"

Adam cut in, "Alright, alright, that's enough. Give the poor guy some space. You're all over him like a flock of griffons."

"Shut up, Adam, and just be jealous quietly," one of the girls shot back.

"What am I supposed to be jealous of?" Adam asked.

"That girls are interested in him, and not in you. Nobody cares about you at all," Adèle remarked, noticing Adam's reaction. She added with a sneer, "Too bad. Go cry some more."

The group started laughing, but Adam, keeping his composure, sharply retorted:

"Well, at least I wasn't raped by my own stepfather."

All laughter died. Adèle went pale, her smug smile instantly vanishing. She slapped Adam hard and shouted:

"You bastard! I hope you die!"

She ran off, wiping away tears and trying not to sob. Her friends followed, but one lingered to hurl a final remark at Adam:

"You're a monster. How could you?"

Fubuki watched Adam lower his head, his hair hanging over his face. Fubuki crouched down to see him more clearly, but then Adam lifted his gaze. With a cold smile, he said:

"Oh, how I've missed your hatred, my dears," he exhaled, sounding almost pleased.

"You're insane," whispered one of the classmates, stepping back in disgust.