Morning sunlight filtered softly through the classroom windows. The air was warm, the students were chatting, and for once, everything seemed peaceful.
Except for one person.
Celeste, the new Absorption Magic instructor sat at her desk with a polite, blank smile. Her cyan hair was slightly frazzled, and her amber eyes… well, they weren't quite amber anymore. They flickered faintly between amber and blue every few seconds, like a glitching lantern.
Milly noticed it immediately.
"…You okay there, Miss Celeste?" she asked, standing beside her with a cup of warm tea in hand.
Celeste blinked slowly. "Hmm? Ah, yes, Miss Mila. Perfectly operational I mean, fine."
Milly squinted. "Operational?"
Celeste's eyes widened slightly. "N-no, I mean… operationally awake! Haha… teaching term… from… uh… the Northern District."
Milly sighed softly, crouching beside the tired teacher. "You didn't sleep, did you?"
Celeste's gaze shifted away guiltily. "Define 'sleep.'"
"That's what I thought." Milly placed the cup of tea gently on Celeste's desk. "Drink that. It'll help a bit."
Celeste tilted her head, curious. "Is this an energy enhancer or a stabilizer?"
"It's tea, Celeste."
"…ah."
Milly chuckled lightly, shaking her head. "You remind me of someone, you know. She used to talk like that too focused on work, never resting."
Celeste's gaze softened just a bit. "She sounds… admirable."
"She was more stubborn than admirable," Milly said with a nostalgic smile. "Still… I respected her."
For a brief moment, their eyes met-gold and blue. Something faint and familiar flickered in the air between them. Neither of them spoke about it, but both felt it.
Celeste finally took a sip of the tea, her voice quiet. "Thank you, Miss Mila. I'll… take a short rest after classes end."
"Good." Milly smiled warmly, turning to leave. "And don't think I won't check."
As Milly walked away, Celeste's eyes briefly turned fully blue Simni's true color before flickering back to amber. She muttered under her breath, a faint smile curling at her lips.
"…You haven't changed at all, Milly."