The cool night air brushed against Maya's skin as she strolled through the quiet, cobblestone paths of the academy grounds.
Beside her walked her maid.
An ever-dutiful companion who carried a small lantern to light their way.
The faint glow from the lantern highlighted the faint furrow in Maya's brows, betraying her preoccupied thoughts.
The day had been long, but her craving for something sweet had won over her exhaustion.
"I need something to clear my mind."
Maya murmured, more to herself than her maid.
Her maid glanced sideways at her, her curiosity piqued.
"The usual bakery, Miss Maya?"
"Yes."
Maya replied, her voice distant.
"Something sweet. Maybe cupcakes.
I don't know... I just need something."
As they walked, Maya's thoughts wandered back to the Second Year Opener Exams.
Specifically, the question Noah Ashbourne had solved.
A question so complex that even the professors had failed to anticipate the solution.
The image of Noah confidently penning down the answer on the board burned in her memory, a vivid reminder of the chasm between them.
Her grip tightened on the edges of her shawl.
'Surpassing him... it's going to be harder than I thought.
He's not just clever; he's a completely different kind of monster.'
"You seem troubled."
Her maid remarked softly, breaking the silence.
Maya forced a small smile.
"Just... thinking."
"About what you'll get at the bakery, perhaps?"
Her maid teased, trying to lighten the mood.
"Maybe."
Maya chuckled, albeit weakly.
"I'm not sure yet.
But the cupcakes with blue icing... there's just something about them."
The soft jingle of the bakery's bell greeted them as they pushed open the door.
Warm light spilled out, along with the comforting aroma of freshly baked goods.
"Ah, Miss Maya!"
The kindly bakery woman greeted from behind the counter.
"Out for a late-night treat again?"
Maya offered a polite nod.
"Yes, something to take away, please.
I'm not sure what I want yet."
Her maid chuckled.
"She's been talking about the cupcakes with blue icing."
"Ah, an excellent choice!
Freshly baked today."
The woman said enthusiastically.
Those cupcakes reminded her of a time when things were simpler.
When Noah was someone she could trust.
Someone who made her smile.
But that time was gone.
Replaced by a bitter, fractured reality.
"People don't change without reasona."
Her maid continued, her voice gentle.
"Maybe something happened to Noah.
Something that made him... different...
Don't you think?..."
Maya wanted to scoff, to dismiss the notion outright.
But her maid's words struck a chord.
She thought back to a memory she had long tried to bury.
---
She was young, no older than seven, hiding under a bed.
Her small hands clutched the hem of her dress as her wide purple eyes stared at the scene unfolding before her.
There was blood on the walls.
A lifeless body lay sprawled on the floor, and in front of it stood a boy not much older than her.
Black hair disheveled, his clothes stained crimson.
He clutched a butter knife in his trembling hands.
His golden eyes glowed with an intensity she'd never forget.
He didn't cry.
He didn't scream.
He simply stood there, silent and cold, as if the weight of what had just happened had drained all the warmth from him.
"....T-that was the day...everything changed."
Maya muttered.
She placed the cupcake back in its box, suddenly unable to finish it.
Her maid watched her carefully but said nothing more, sensing Maya needed time to process her thoughts.
---
As the night deepened, Maya sat by the window, gazing out at the moonlit campus.
The memory of that day lingered in her mind.
A haunting reminder of the boy Noah used to be—and the man he had become.
Maybe something did happen to him, she thought reluctantly.
But does that excuse everything he's done?
Her heart waged war with her mind, the two locked in a battle that left her feeling drained.
Despite everything, one truth remained.
She missed the Noah from her childhood.
The boy who had once been her friend.
But the man he was now?
The arrogant, detestable Noah Ashbourne?
That was someone she could never forgive.
Or so she told herself.