Her blue eyes, usually sparkling with mischief or some grand plan, seemed duller, weighed down by something far heavier than the usual troubles of student life.
"Are you okay?" Rylan 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."
Rylan'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.
Rylan wasn't good at comforting people—he never had been. But he had to try.
"I'm sorry," Rylan 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 melancholic.
"Thanks, Rylan. 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, Rylan called out, "Hey, wait. You really need to attend the student council meetings."
Ariana groaned, her posture slumping dramatically. "Whyyyy?"
Rylan 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?"
"No!" Rylan exclaimed, 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."
Rylan, losing patience, grabbed her by the neck, playfully ruffling her hair.
Ariana glanced up at it and smiled. "Not today, buddy."
The bear seemed to droop in disappointment, its round ears lowering as it glanced at the bat, clearly hoping for a little action.
Ariana ruffled the fur between its ears.
"Don't worry. If Rylan 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 balance a large box of chocolates 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, glancing nervously at the box in his arms.
"Uh... chocolates?"
Ariana's eyes widened as she stepped closer.
"That better not be the last 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 chocolates!"
Eric, glancing 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 chocolates!" Ariana yelled, her voice filled with righteous fury.
As she swung a playful fist in the air, the scene was almost comical—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 the last chocolates!"