Her blue eyes, usually sparkling with mischief or some grand n, seemed duller, weighed down by something far heavier than the usual troubles of student life.


    "Are you okay?" Rn asked, his voice tinged with concern.


    Ariana hesitated, then sighed softly.


    "Not really, no. I just finished talking with Livia''s parents. I was seeing them off." She nodded toward the gate where the carriage had disappeared.


    "It was… hard."


    Rn''s brow furrowed. He didn''t know too much about Livia, just that she''d been close to Ariana.


    From what little he had heard, Livia had been a kind-hearted student, but her tragic death had sent waves of grief through the academy.


    Rn wasn''t good atforting people—he never had been. But he had to try.


    "I''m sorry," Rn muttered awkwardly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.


    "I know I''m not the best at this, but... if you need anything, you know you can talk to me, right? Or we can... uh, punch some training dummies or something."


    Ariana chuckled softly, the sound warm and mncholic.


    "Thanks, Rn. That actually helps more than you think." She sighed, her expression still heavy. "I''ll be fine. We''ll see each other around."


    As Ariana started to turn away, Rn called out, "Hey, wait. You really need to attend the student council meetings."


    Ariana groaned, her posture slumping dramatically. "Whyyyy?"


    Rn raised an eyebrow, his arms crossing over his chest.


    "You know why. We need you there to make decisions. Everyone has to be present so we can discuss what''s important. You''re part of the council too, Ariana."


    "But it''s soooo boring," Ariana drawled, her lips pouting as she dragged her feet back towards him.


    "Do I really have to go? Can''t you just tell me what happened after the meeting?" Continue exploring at m|vl-em,py-r


    "No!" Rn eximed, exasperated.


    "That''s not how this works! You need to be there, in person, and actually participate! You can''t just sit in the corner while the rest of us make decisions."


    Ariana groaned again, this time letting her head fall back as though the weight of the world were pressing down on her shoulders.


    "I don''t want tooooo."


    Rn, losing patience, grabbed her by the neck, yfully ruffling her hair.


    "You''re going to the meetings, whether you like it or not!"


    "Rn! My hair!" Ariana squealed, trying to push his hands away, her once perfectly groomed hair now a mess.


    Rn continued to ruffle her hair, grinning like a madman. "You''re going, or I''ll make you!"


    Her mood lightened, Ariana swatted at his arms with a pout but couldn''t hide her amusement. "Fine, fine!" she said.


    "I''ll try... but no promises."


    Rn narrowed his eyes at her. "You better do more than ''try.'' If you skip again, I''m shutting down your favorite sweet shop."


    Ariana''s entire body seemed to dete as she dropped to the ground, clutching his legs in an over-the-top fashion.


    "Noooooo!" she cried dramatically, wrapping her arms around his calves.


    "You can''t do that! That''s pure evil!"


    Rn sighed and began walking, dragging Ariana behind him.


    "Let go, Ariana."


    "I won''t let you take my sweets away!" she whimpered, pretending to cry as she held on tighter.


    Rn rolled his eyes, still dragging her across the dirt as he walked.


    "You''re being ridiculous."


    "I need my sweets!" Ariana protested, her voice muffled as she clung to his legs.


    "You control the ie and goods at the academy''s Town Centre! You have the power to ruin me, and I''m begging you not to!"


    Rn nced down at her, thoroughly unimpressed.


    "If you don''t attend the next meeting, I will."


    Ariana let out an exaggerated groan, pushing herself up to her feet.


    "Fiiiine. I''ll attend." She crossed her arms, huffing as if the weight of the world had just been ced on her shoulders.


    Rn smirked, reaching out to pat her head. "Good girl."


    "Don''t patronize me," Ariana muttered, swatting his hand away, though the grin on her face betrayed her irritation.


    As Rn turned to leave, Ariana waved him off with azy salute. "See you around."


    Beside her, her spirit bear, arge but docile creature with fur like spun gold, stood holding a wooden bat in its paw.


    Ariana nced up at it and smiled. "Not today, buddy."


    The bear seemed to droop in disappointment, its round ears lowering as it nced at the bat, clearly hoping for a little action.


    Ariana ruffled the fur between its ears.


    "Don''t worry. If Rn actually tries to mess with my sweet shops, then you''ll get your chance to smack him."


    The bear huffed, satisfied with the promise, though it still looked longingly at the bat.


    Just then, a boy walked by, struggling to bnce arge box of choctes in his arms. Ariana''s eyes narrowed as she immediately recognized the brand—her favorite.


    "Hey!" she called out, her voice rising in suspicion.


    "Eric, what do you have there?"


    Eric froze, ncing nervously at the box in his arms.


    "Uh... choctes?"


    Ariana''s eyes widened as she stepped closer.


    "That better not be thest batch."


    Eric blinked, his expression turning from nervous to terrified in a split second. Without another word, he bolted, the box clutched tightly to his chest as he made a mad dash down the pathway.


    "Oh, no, you don''t!" Ariana shouted, hopping onto her spirit bear''s back.


    "Let''s go, buddy!"


    The bear roared with determination, and in an instant, the two were charging after Eric, Ariana swinging her fist in the air while the bear galloped full force.


    "ERIC!" she bellowed as they gained on him.


    "Give me those choctes!"


    Eric, ncing over his shoulder, screamed in panic.


    "No...I''m the one who bought them!"


    "You''re gonna be more sorry if I don''t get my choctes!" Ariana yelled, her voice filled with righteous fury.


    As she swung a yful fist in the air, the scene was almostical—a small girl riding a massive bear, chasing after a terrified student over a box of sweets. She let out a battle cry, the bear''s paws thudding rhythmically on the ground beneath them, as they closed in on their prey.


    And for the entire academy to hear, she shouted, "Those better not be thest choctes!"


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