The cafeteria reached its peak of noise as evening fell. Conversations rose and fell between the long dining tables, occasionally interrupted by short cries from spirit‑beasts drawn by the smell of food.
Cecil weaved through the crowded aisle with his tray in hand. From afar, he spotted the window‑side long table already full of people. Freddy banged his spoon against the rim of his bowl to make noise, while Lydia reached out to hold his wrist back. Oliver leaned over, talking to Edwin, and Robin perched on his shoulder, pecking at a crumb of bread.
Cecil walked over and sat down beside Edwin. Gwendolyn hopped off his shoulder onto the tabletop. She swept a critical gaze over the food laid out before her, then used her claw to drag the largest piece of roasted meat from Cecil’s tray toward herself.
"You were gone for ages this afternoon." Freddy set down his spoon and leaned forward. "What did Flint say? We have been guessing all afternoon."
Cecil took a bite of bread, chewed slowly and swallowed before he spoke. He could feel four pairs of eyes fixed on his face at once. The spirit‑beasts on the table also pricked up their senses: the tips of Turner’s grey furred ears, Robin’s grey eyes, Ivy’s flickering tongue, and Rust’s two antennae all turned toward him.
"She gave me a map," Cecil said.
"A map?" Oliver’s eyes lit up. "Of where?"
"A long‑sealed zone within the academy’s underground portal network. She said the resources inside match my current set of abilities." Cecil paused, choosing his words carefully. "She is willing to enter a long‑term partnership with us. She will supply resources, portal access, and intelligence. In return, if we uncover anything related to ancient spirit‑beasts or soul resonance arts, we share some of that information with her."
The four fell silent for a moment. Freddy was the first to break into a grin.
"A long‑term partnership?" He lowered his voice, yet his excitement seeped through every word. "A former Group‑A teaching assistant partnering long‑term with us Group‑B students?"
"She is partnering with us," Cecil corrected. "Not Group‑B. The five of us specifically."
Lydia uncoiled Ivy from her wrist and set the serpent on the table. The vine‑snake crept two inches toward Cecil before stopping. "Did she set any extra conditions? Like making us carry out special tasks for her?"
"No," Cecil replied. "She stated she will not interfere with our battle decisions."
Edwin had not said a word. He lowered his head and gently tapped Rust’s shell with his fingertip, and the beetle’s antennae twitched faintly. After a long pause, he lifted his gaze. "This sounds too good to be true."
Cecil glanced at him. "That is why I agreed to a partnership, not allegiance. We take resources from her and share information in return. The final choices remain ours."
Edwin nodded, saying nothing more, though the tension in his shoulders eased a little.
Oliver lifted Robin off his shoulder and placed the falcon on the table. The wind‑falcon tilted its head, glanced at Gwendolyn, then shrank back. "About that sealed area you mentioned — when can we get inside?"
Cecil slipped one hand into his pocket and brushed the edge of the note. "We will receive our first batch of supplies tomorrow night, including the complete map of the portal network. Once we have the map, we can plan our route. But," he paused, sweeping his gaze over the group, "we are heading through the portal again tonight."
"Tonight?" Freddy failed to keep his volume down, his voice rising half a note before he quickly hushed himself. "We finished training this morning, and you spent the whole afternoon talking with Flint. Aren’t you exhausted?"
Cecil looked down at his right hand. His fingertips were no longer cold, back to normal temperature and moving freely. He clenched and unclenched his fist. A cold current flowed quietly inside him, like a river steadily growing wider.
"I am tired," he admitted. "But I mastered triple casting this morning, and what Flint told me this afternoon made one thing clear: we may not have as much time as we thought."
"What do you mean?" Lydia frowned.
"Flint said fewer than a dozen people across the whole continent can wield soul resonance arts. She knows my secret and will keep it, but what about everyone else?" Cecil dropped his voice so only the four of them could hear. "The whole of Group‑B saw me hold my ground against Flint on the training grounds this morning.
It is only a matter of time before word spreads. Group‑A will hear of it soon, followed by people higher up. If we cannot gain enough strength to defend ourselves before that happens‑‑"
He left the sentence unfinished. Everyone understood what he meant.
Silence settled over the table for several seconds. Freddy moved first, setting down his spoon and sitting upright. His grey eyes shone brightly beneath the evening lights.
"Then we go tonight. I am ready. Turner has mostly recovered his stamina."
Lydia wrapped Ivy back around her wrist. The serpent’s body tensed then relaxed. "I am in as well."
Oliver stroked Robin’s feathers, and the falcon let out a short, clear cry. "Robin says it is fine."
Edwin picked Rust up from the table and settled the beetle on the back of his collar. Its six thin legs latched firmly onto the fabric. "...Let’s go."
Cecil bit into his bread, chewed and swallowed. Gwendolyn sat on the table, tearing off small strips of the roasted meat and eating slowly. She brushed the back of Cecil’s hand with her tail.
"They are more reliable than I expected," she murmured, quiet enough only for him to hear.
Cecil did not reply. He stood up to return his empty tray, and the rest rose one after another. The five navigated the crowded cafeteria aisle toward the exit. Several pairs of eyes, curious, assessing, and contemptuous, followed them as they walked past Group‑A students in grey‑blue uniforms by the hall centre, yet Cecil never looked back.
Night had fallen. They circled around the main building to the gap in the foundation wall at the rear. Freddy pushed aside the waist‑high brambles, revealing a narrow downward passage underneath.
Cecil went first, ducking into the entrance. Perched on his shoulder, Gwendolyn spoke softly. "Back there, when you told them our time is running out. Half of it was genuine, and half of it was a push to motivate them."
Cecil glanced sideways at her. Moonlight glinted faintly across her blue‑white scales. He did not deny it.
"They need a sense of urgency," he said. "And I truly believe what I said."
Gwendolyn said no more. She tapped the back of his neck lightly with her tail then settled down quietly.
The portal on the wall remained dim, the pale blue‑white glow in its rune slots much fainter than the previous day. Cecil stepped forward and pressed his right palm against the runes lining the frame. Cold seeped out from his palm, spreading slowly along the carved symbols. The dim runes lit up again, their blue‑white glow growing brighter until it settled into a gentle steady light.
"Let’s go," he said.
One by one, the five stepped through the rippling curtain of light and vanished on the other side of the portal.