The moon still hung above the ocean.
Silver light painted the rocky shoreline beneath the ancient cliff.
The waves rolled endlessly toward the coast.
Calm.
Patient.
Ancient.
Evelyne sat wrapped inside Kel's oversized black cloak.
The fabric covered her completely.
Protecting her from the cold night wind.
Or at least protecting her from the cold.
Nothing could protect her from the conversation currently happening.
Because the young man who had just saved her life was now proposing what might be the most suspicious plan in human history.
Kel sat nearby.
Reviewing possibilities.
Calculating outcomes.
Considering risks.
Inside his mind.
Seiren already knew disaster was approaching.
"You are about to say something ridiculous."
"I am solving a problem."
"Those two things are usually connected."
Kel ignored her.
Then looked toward Evelyne.
The woman noticed immediately.
And somehow became nervous.
A strange feeling.
For centuries.
She had been a monster.
Yet now she felt nervous around a student.
A student.
It sounded absurd.
Then Kel finally spoke.
"Evelyne."
The woman looked up.
"Yes?"
The silver-haired youth folded his arms.
His expression became thoughtful.
The expression of someone preparing a plan.
Which was unfortunate.
Because Kel's plans rarely resembled normal plans.
"You are an exceptional dark mage."
The woman blinked.
That wasn't what she expected.
At all.
Kel continued.
"Actually."
A pause.
"You are probably one of the greatest dark magic experts currently alive."
Silence.
The statement sounded absurd.
Yet neither denied it.
Because it was probably true.
She had survived centuries.
Practiced forbidden arts.
Transformed herself.
Maintained that transformation.
And accumulated knowledge few living mages could even imagine.
The silver-haired youth continued.
"If you applied to Aetherial Institute."
A pause.
"You would likely qualify as a professor."
Evelyne froze.
"...What?"
Kel nodded.
"A professor."
The woman stared.
Then stared harder.
Then continued staring.
The ocean itself seemed confused.
"A professor?"
Kel nodded again.
"Professor of Dark Arts."
A pause.
"Or perhaps Defense Against Dark Arts."
The woman opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Then opened it again.
Nothing came out.
Because her brain had temporarily stopped functioning.
Inside his mind.
Seiren laughed.
"You skipped twenty-seven important steps."
"I dislike unnecessary steps."
The Guardian buried her face in her hands.
Meanwhile.
Evelyne finally recovered.
"Aedon."
"Yes?"
"I was a monster."
"Correct."
"I ate sea creatures."
"Correct."
"I indirectly caused Leviathan attacks."
"Correct."
"I lived beneath a cliff for centuries."
"Correct."
The woman pointed toward herself.
"And your conclusion is professor?"
"Yes."
Silence.
The answer arrived far too quickly.
Kel genuinely believed it.
Which somehow made it worse.
Then the silver-haired youth continued.
"Your background presents complications."
The woman immediately nodded.
"Yes."
"Therefore."
Kel continued calmly.
"We simply won't discuss your background."
Evelyne froze.
The ocean froze.
Seiren nearly choked.
"THAT'S YOUR SOLUTION?"
"It is efficient."
The Guardian looked physically injured.
Meanwhile.
Kel continued his explanation.
Completely serious.
"As I said."
A pause.
"We will fabricate a story."
Evelyne immediately lowered her head.
For some reason.
She wasn't even surprised anymore.
The silver-haired youth looked toward the sea.
Then began narrating.
As though reading from a script.
"One day."
"A mysterious woman appears on the island."
The woman sighed.
The story had already started.
"There are no records."
"No family."
"No known origin."
The silver-haired youth continued calmly.
"She arrives floating on debris."
Evelyne stared.
"...floating?"
Kel nodded.
"Floating."
"A dramatic entrance improves credibility."
Inside his mind.
Seiren laughed so hard she disappeared from sight.
The Guardian was completely useless now.
Kel continued.
"The woman remembers nothing."
"Her memory is gone."
"She doesn't know her name."
"She doesn't know her origin."
"She doesn't know how she arrived."
The woman slowly rubbed her forehead.
Because somehow.
This story kept becoming worse.
The silver-haired youth remained serious.
Then continued.
"Several days later."
"The mysterious woman enters the city square."
Evelyne already disliked where this was going.
Very much.
Then Kel reached the climax.
"Suddenly."
A dramatic pause.
"The ground trembles."
The woman blinked.
"The city square explodes."
Another blink.
"Buildings collapse."
The woman stared.
"Magic erupts."
The staring intensified.
"Everyone panics."
Evelyne slowly pointed at herself.
"I destroy the city square?"
Kel nodded.
"Accidentally."
"That makes it better."
The woman was beginning to suspect he was insane.
Only slightly.
Then Kel continued.
"The guards arrive."
"They interrogate you."
"You know nothing."
"Because of memory loss."
The woman blinked.
Again.
"And then?"
Kel smiled faintly.
"Then the professors arrive."
Now Seiren was openly listening.
Because even she wanted to know where this disaster was heading.
Kel continued.
"They examine you."
"They discover exceptional magical talent."
"They conclude you suffered an unimaginable magical incident."
The woman stared.
Then stared some more.
The silver-haired youth finished calmly.
"And then they recruit you."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The waves crashed against distant rocks.
The moon illuminated the cliff.
The ocean continued existing.
Meanwhile.
Evelyne tried processing what she had just heard.
Several minutes passed.
She failed.
Eventually.
The woman slowly looked toward him.
Then asked.
"Aedon."
"Yes?"
"Is this genuinely your plan?"
Kel thought carefully.
Then nodded.
"One of them."
The woman almost laughed.
Almost.
Then stopped.
Because the horrifying part was—
The plan might actually work.
Not because it was good.
But because powerful mages were weird.
Academies were weird.
And Aetherial Institute was especially weird.
Inside his mind.
Seiren finally spoke.
"You know."
"What?"
"Most people who save a beautiful woman from a curse would ask her to accompany them."
Kel looked confused.
"Why?"
The Guardian sighed.
"Never mind."
Meanwhile.
Evelyne continued staring.
Not at the plan.
Not at the ocean.
Not at the cliff.
At him.
Because once again.
Nothing about this person made sense.
He saved her.
Restored her humanity.
Complimented her.
Held her accountable.
And now—
Instead of asking for gratitude.
Instead of asking for loyalty.
Instead of asking for affection.
He was trying to find her employment.
The absurdity of it all finally broke through.
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
Then another.
Soon she was laughing properly.
Not bitterly.
Not painfully.
Genuinely.
Perhaps for the first time in centuries.
Kel watched quietly.
Then smiled faintly.
Mission accomplished.
The woman eventually calmed down.
Her smile remained.
And once again.
She asked the same question.
The question that had been bothering her all night.
The question she still couldn't answer.
"Who are you really?"
The ocean breeze passed between them.
Moonlight reflected within her eyes.
This time.
Kel thought longer.
Much longer.
Then finally answered.
"A student."
Silence.
Evelyne stared.
Then immediately buried her face inside the cloak.
Because somehow.
Against all logic.
Against all reason.
She knew he was being completely honest.