Doggone Academy

I gently nudged Trishas shoulder. She seemed to have a sleep habit; she merely twitched slightly.

Her fingers and wrists were bandaged, but no other injuries were visible. Thankfully, it seemed she wasnt badly hurt.

Light wind and the sound of birds chirping came from beyond the window.

The current peace made the struggle in the labyrinth feel like a fleeting dream.

I hadnt expected to survive, much less to wake up under a warm bed and sunshine.

How did I manage to live through that situation?

Inserting my hand inside my gown, I felt around my abdomen. A large scar made my skin uneven, but the piercing wound was completely healed.

There was no pain, and I moved freely without discomfort.

And when the bed shifted a bit, the still-sleeping Trisha started moving and slowly sat up.

Ah, hmm

Brushing aside the mess of hair that obscured her vision, she finally faced me.

Upon our eyes meeting, she was plainly startled.

Oh, what?

Youre awake, right?

As Trisha sprang to her feet, ready to climb onto the bed in shock, I quickly grabbed her wrist.

Yeah, sit down first.

She examined my condition, then tried to calm her excitement and sat back down.

Ah, yeah!

What are you doing here anyway?

Me? Ive got nowhere else to go, so Ive been resting here for a while!

Nowhere else to go, so she was in my sickroom? This place wasnt exactly a common area.

How long have I been lying here?

Both my complete loss of sense of time and the fully healed wounds were unsettling. It felt like a lengthy period might have passed while I was laid up.

She hesitated for a moment, sealing her lips.

Her reaction only heightened my anxiety.

Whats wrong?

As Trisha delayed, I urged her.

Its okay, tell me.

Its that, youve been unconscious for half a year.

What?

My heart sank. Had it really been that long?

A half year?

Yeah.

Darkness encroached my vision. Silveryn came to mind first. Missing a semester was not the issue. I had broken my promise to her, and I had to face the consequences.

A chill crept up my neck and spine.

I clenched my eyes shut and shook my head. Given I was still under the sunlight, there was time left to explain myself.

The corners of Trishas eyes twitched as she watched me.

Eventually, her eyes curled into crescent shapes, deep dimples formed on her cheeks, and she burst into laughter.

Pfft!

She lay back down on the bed, pounding my thigh with her palms while laughing heartily.

Pwahaha! Look at your face!

Oh, the spiel about six months was just Trishas version of mischief.

I finally caught on to the situation and let out a sigh of relief.

Relaxed from the realization, I had to lay back down on the bed.

So long as it amuses you.

She probably didnt understand why I had been so serious.

Trisha propped herself up and took a deep breath, attempting to forcibly stop her laughter, to little avail.

Her eyes were full of mirth as she looked at me, her mouth firmly closed but the dimples still pronounced.

Do you enjoy this too much?

Do you know how much Ive been sharpening my knives just waiting to be able to do this while you were lying here?

She thinks of playing pranks even after seeing me in this state.

But her expression was so genuinely cheerful and refreshing that I couldnt bring myself to scold her.

So, how much time has actually passed?

A week.

Dont worry. There are no classes missing; its the adjustment period.

Well, thats good not. A week is a long time. Regardless, it meant Id been loafing around without sending the promised letters all this time.

How to sort this out was a bit of a puzzle.

But you do need to choose your electives and extra-curricular activities. If you dont decide by next week, theyll assign them randomly, so its better to hurry.

Extra-curricular activities

Silveryn had explained it to me once before. I had to choose and complete one from the field of arts.

That wasnt important right now. What I wanted to know was what had happened at Eternia since I lost consciousness.

Besides that

Interrupting me, Trisha continued,

Do you have anything preselected? By the way, I joined the drama club. Just as I was walking, a senior came up and directly pointed me out, saying I absolutely had the face for drama, and persuaded me to join.

I humored Trisha for a bit.

Are you sure thats a proper club?

Yeah, theres a small theater, and there are a lot of seniors there too. If I dont like it, I can change within the adjustment period, so no harm.

Right, since she tricked me, she probably doesnt lack acting talent.

But what does a face for drama mean?

Trisha averted her gaze slyly and brushed her hair behind her ear as she spoke off-handedly.

What do you mean Im just a bit, um, pretty, you know.

They surely werent talking about your true face.

It doesnt matter. Although my true appearance is better, even my disguise now feels like a part of me.

Then alls well.

Drama. It seemed like a good fit for Trisha. She was more suited to active pursuits than static ones.

Mixing with people might help alleviate some of the loneliness accumulated in the labyrinth.

I changed the topic of the conversation. I wasnt curious about such matters.

So, as for the labyrinth

Trisha suddenly leaned in and said,

Ill show you around the drama club! Plus, in two weeks, theres a common first-year course. Its like group activities. Seems quite important. You better recover quickly so you wont miss out.

Right.

Then, I felt a strange sense of unease in Trishas beaming demeanor.

I had confirmed that Trisha was okay, so I wanted to know what happened with the labyrinth and the dark mage.

After such a significant event, there were things I needed to know.

Yet Trisha gave me no chance to question her, almost as if she was subtly avoiding any conversation related to that topic.

In the midst of this, someone headed towards my room, knocked on the door, and before a response was issued, a woman walked in.

It was Professor Ella.

Upon sighting that I was awake, she exhaled a long sigh of relief at the door.

Ha, youre finally up.

Ah, Professor.

Trisha then rose from her seat as if a pressing matter had come to mind and said,

I have drama club matters to attend to, so Ill be off first. See you later!

With a casual greeting to Ella, Trisha hurried out of the room.

Ella watched Trisha leave and then crossed the room to take the seat recently vacated by her.

Its a relief; you seem to be doing well. Both you and Trisha.

Im fine, but has something happened to Trisha?

Trisha wasnt hurt. Thanks to you fighting with your life on the line. She was merely heartbroken, though.

You should know, shes the one whos cried the most seeing you. Wasnt she the one whos been visiting your room this past week, changing your sheets, wiping your body, taking care of you?

Trisha did?

She had faced me with that untroubled smile, and so I hadnt suspected a thing.

I am grateful, but I dont have a deep bond with her that would lead to such wholehearted caregiving. Perhaps some sense of responsibility was at play.

Yes. Trisha thinks its her fault that you ended up in that state.

I was right.

She also resents herself and is afraid that this would drive a wedge between you two.

Is that why? The reason why I sensed her avoiding any talk of the labyrinth.

If I had intended to blame Trisha, I wouldnt have fought and would have been busy running away instead.

I fought with the thought of protecting Trisha, but that wasnt the only reason.

Not running away was also for myself.

I cant guarantee that similar incidents wont happen again. If such events repeat, both you and Trisha will find it difficult to withstand.

As the mood grew heavy, Ella changed the topic.

Lets talk about you and Trishas situation later. Hows your body feeling now?

Surprisingly light.

Well. You must have many questions about the labyrinth and the dark mage, but lets leave that conversation for later. For now, just focus on getting some rest. Once you have fully recovered, come find me. Ill answer everything you want to know.

Understood.

As Ella rose from her seat, something suddenly crossed my mind, prompting me to ask her.

Professor?

Hmm?

Where are my belongings?

Ella then reached under the bed frame, pulling out a wooden box and handed it over to me.

Theyre in here.

Thank you.

I opened the box to verify the contents inside.

Bracelets, necklaces, rings, and so on most were still there, but one item was missing.

Professor, have you seen the Stitch by any chance?

Ella narrowed her brows for a moment, sifting through her memories, and said,

Hmm, there was something that I presume was the Stitch.

Excuse me?

It was placed beside you when you were found Ah, it should be in that leather pouch.

Inside the wooden box was an unfamiliar leather pouch. Is this what she meant?

I hurriedly held the pouch and unraveled the knot. Then I checked the contents inside.

Within, there were shards of metal so fragmented that their original shape was indiscernible. Traces of the initials were faintly visible on the surface of the debris.

It was indeed the Stitch that Silveryn had given me. How did it end up like this?

Ah

All thoughts ceased in that instant.

Ella perceived the look on my face and asked with curiosity.

Whats wrong?

Do you think the teacher knows I was attacked by the dark mage?

Not yet, but once she arrives in the Holy City, shell be informed, so she will find out soon.

This is bad.

***

The carriage entered the outskirts of the Holy City. Thanks to well-paved roads, there was no jostling. A light rain was falling, making the road slippery, so the carriage traveled even more slowly and calmly than usual.

Silveryn leaned on the window, staring out with a vacant expression, watching the raindrops sliding down the glass.

Only Damian was on her mind.

That little rascal

Her disciples letters had been absent for more than a week.

Whether he was caught up with new environments and new friends, forgetting his faraway teacher, or whether some misfortune had happened, her thoughts were tangled in disarray.

The teachers tolerance could extend to three days, but theres a limit to patience. More than a weeks delay was utterly inexcusable.

The teacher cherished and cared for her disciple so much; was it so difficult for the disciple to send a single letter in return?

After all the promise to send letters every day

Having been fed, cared for, cherished, and showered with affection, and yet to receive indifference from the student in return.

The disappointment piled up like snow, freezing so solidly that not even an apology could melt it.

He better have a valid reason prepared. Any pathetic excuse would result in a heavy price to pay.

Silently quelling her anger, Silveryn muttered to herself.

When I get back Ill really kill him.

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