Market - 5:50 PM
The market was bustling, filled with the constant sound of carts being pushed through the aisles and the muffled hum of conversations.
Evan calmly pushed the shopping cart while Noah and Emma explored ahead. They seemed well accustomed to the freedom their brother gave them during these outings.
Emma suddenly stopped in one of the aisles, her eyes shining as she spotted something on a lower shelf.
"Ah, look at this!"
She picked up a small package filled with colorful ribbons and decorative bows. She held the item as if it were the greatest treasure in the world and ran over to Evan.
"Evan! Please, can I get this? Look how cute it is!"
Evan glanced at the package. Since it was something simple and inexpensive, he just nodded.
"Alright, you can take it."
Emma cheered, hugging the package against her chest as if she had just won a prize.
"Thank you, Evan!"
Noah, standing beside her, watched the scene with an amused smirk.
"You just made a huge mistake."
"Why?"
Noah simply shrugged.
"You'll see."
====
A few minutes later, in the vegetable section.
While Evan was picking out ripe tomatoes, he felt a tug on his shirt. When he looked down, he saw Emma holding the now-open package of ribbons, her mischievous smile growing.
"Evan, look at this! You should wear it!"
Evan blinked, surprised.
"What? No, Emma, this isn't for me."
She held up a bright pink ribbon and took small steps toward him, her smile widening.
"Oh, come on! Just once. It'll look cute, I promise!"
Evan took a step back, raising his hands in defense.
"Emma, no. No way."
Emma pouted dramatically, clutching the bow against her chest.
"So, that means you don't like it?"
Noah, watching from a distance, started laughing.
"I told you this would happen."
Evan shot Noah a warning look, but before he could say anything else, Emma had already stepped forward and, with impressive speed, pinned the ribbon to his hair.
"There! Perfect!"
Evan raised a hand to his hair, feeling the bow, and let out an exasperated sigh.
'Looks like I dug my own grave. Should I just take it off?'
But when he saw his sister's radiant smile, his resistance faded. He lowered his hand and shook his head, resigned.
"Let's keep moving."
"I knew you'd like it!"
Noah walked up, speaking in a low voice.
"Are you really going to wear that? You're embarrassing me."
'This brat…'
Evan glanced at Noah, trying to look serious, but the faint smile on his lips betrayed him.
"Alright, you two, enough messing around. Let's finish up before you come up with something else."
'I'll definitely think twice before letting her buy these things again.'
***
****
Evan calmly pushed the shopping cart toward the checkout area while Noah and Emma followed close behind.
Emma carried a pack of cookies like it was a trophy, while Noah held a heavier bag, grumbling about always getting stuck with the difficult items.
"Because you're the strongest, Noah. Simple."
Noah opened his mouth to argue, but Evan intervened before another debate could start.
"Haaa… That's enough, you two."
As he turned the corner leading to the checkout lanes, his eyes caught a familiar figure.
Rachel was there, holding a basket with a few basic items. Her brown hair fell over her shoulders, and her relaxed posture contrasted with the hurried movement around her.
Rachel looked up at the sound of Evan's cart and recognized him immediately. Her eyes briefly shifted to the two children beside him, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.
'Those are… his siblings? I knew he had siblings in the story, but I never imagined I'd see them like this.'
The coincidence of being in the same place made it impossible to avoid interaction.
As they both approached the same checkout lane, Rachel stepped back slightly to give him space but couldn't contain her curiosity.
"Evan?"
He looked up, recognizing her instantly.
"Rachel."
Emma, watching the exchange, looked curiously at Rachel and then at Evan.
"Who's she?"
Evan hesitated for a second but answered calmly.
"A colleague from Spectra."
Rachel slightly raised her eyebrows at that.
'Colleague?'
She immediately recalled the moment she had overheard Evan telling Seraphina that she was just an "acquaintance."
But to her, he had said she was a colleague?
What was the difference between an acquaintance and a colleague to Evan?
Was he just trying to be… more polite now?
Rachel would never know.
Emma then looked at Rachel with renewed interest, while Noah, always more reserved, remained silent.
Rachel crouched slightly to be at Emma's level and spoke in a friendly tone.
"You two are his siblings?"
Emma nodded enthusiastically.
"I'm Emma, and this is Noah!"
Rachel gave a small smile.
"You both seem very energetic. Does he always take care of you like this?"
Emma nodded again, while Noah shook his head more seriously.
"Always. And sometimes we cause trouble."
Evan smoothly shifted the conversation, looking at Rachel.
"What brings you here? This isn't the kind of place where Spectra students usually show up."
Rachel gave a slight smile and pulled a bottle of hair cream from her basket, showing it to Evan.
"I need simple things from time to time. Not everything at Spectra solves our everyday problems."
"Makes sense."
However, Rachel noticed something that caught her off guard.
When she looked at Evan again, her eyes locked onto something in his hair: a small, shiny pink bow, clumsily attached.
She blinked a few times, trying to process the scene.
'Is that… in his hair? No way… Is he seriously wearing that?'
Rachel pressed her lips together, struggling to hold back a laugh.
The scene was absurd: the always serious and reserved Evan, now with a childish accessory in his hair, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Evan noticed Rachel's gaze and, without changing his expression, raised a hand to the bow, adjusting it as if it were a natural movement.
"It was her idea."
He gestured with his chin toward Emma, who was now distracted, picking out candy near the checkout.
Rachel took a deep breath to control the laughter threatening to escape, but her eyes sparkled with amusement.
"I see. Looks like she has good taste."
Evan let out a barely noticeable sigh.
Still smiling, Rachel dropped the subject as the cashier began scanning Evan's items.
She changed the topic, now more curious.
"What did you think of the theoretical exam?"
Evan responded without altering his expression.
"I managed to do it."
Rachel noticed the vague choice of words but didn't press further.
"And the extra sheet? The open question? Did you write anything?"
Rachel didn't know since she had finished the test before him.
Emma and Noah were distracted, looking at the candy near the checkout, making the conversation more relaxed.
Evan answered calmly,
"I wrote something. I didn't want to leave it blank."
Rachel nodded, not thinking much about it.
'He probably wrote something simple. He was never the type to care about these things.'
"I wrote something I found interesting, but nothing too deep. It was an unexpected question, don't you think?"
Evan shrugged, a slight smile at the corner of his lips.
"Maybe that's what made it interesting."
Rachel observed Evan for a moment, trying to decipher if there was something behind those words, but she ended up letting it go.
"Well, it was a surprise running into you here."
"Likewise. Take care."
Evan, having finished paying for his groceries, waved at Rachel as he left.
She gave a small wave back.
'He really is… But why did I never notice this while reading the novel?'
————————————————————————————————
Spectra – Headmistress's Office: 21:45
Headmistress Diana's office was immersed in deep silence, broken only by the occasional sound of pages being turned.
Ancient books and meticulously organized scrolls filled the shelves around her, creating an atmosphere that seemed to hold centuries of knowledge.
Diana sat at her desk, holding a sheet of paper in one hand while resting her other arm on the back of her chair. Her posture was relaxed, but her amber eyes, fixed on the paper, showed intense concentration.
The text before her began in an objective, almost technical manner, describing the Refrágio Keys.
"The Refrágio Keys were created to stabilize magical flows in ancient rituals, but their true capability is underestimated. When manipulated properly, they can destabilize unwanted bonds without breaking the flow that connects them."
Diana scanned this part again, reflecting on what she knew about the Refrágio Keys. Rare objects, considered legends by many, with a purpose no one had dared to expand beyond their original stabilizing function.
Just below, the text took on a more enigmatic tone, transforming into the challenge now before her:
"If a knot is made of three threads, which one must be cut for the fabric to remain whole?
If the key is where the flow begins and where it ends, what is the starting point?
When everything is connected, is it the connection or the disconnection that holds the answer?"
She placed the paper on the table, crossing her fingers under her chin.
'Whoever wrote this knew exactly what they were doing. This is not just a proposition. It's an invitation to explore something beyond what we already understand.'
Diana stood up, walking over to a nearby shelf. Her fingers slid along the spines of ancient books until they stopped at one in particular: Codex Maledictum, Volume III: Bonds of the Soul.
She opened it to a page she had marked earlier, where a note discussed the magical resonance between bonds and the world's flow.
"Curses are not just punishments. They are bonds that echo within the magical flow, like knots in a web. To remove them requires understanding not just the bond, but the flow around it."
Diana reread the passage and turned her eyes back to the riddle.
'This person understands it. They see the curse not as a static problem, but as part of a dynamic system. They are suggesting that the Refrágio Keys can be used not just to stabilize, but to reverse these bonds.'
She carefully closed the book, her gaze lingering for a moment on the sheet resting on the table.
'Whoever wrote this not only understands the nature of curses but also sees a way to rewrite the rules. However, the riddle makes it clear: they don't want to hand over everything. They want others to find the path themselves. But why?'
Diana walked over to the painting hanging on the sidewall.
The artwork depicted powerful figures in grand displays of power, but she ignored them, focusing instead on the shadowy presence in the corner.
"Light blinds, but shadows reveal."
She knew what the riddle represented: a mind that did not seek the spotlight but wanted to operate in the margins, shaping the future.
Returning to her desk, she picked up the sheet again, now holding it under the soft glow of the magical lamp.
'He already knows the destination, but he hasn't given away the path. It's as if he wants to ensure that the answers are discovered collectively, not by a single individual.'
Diana carefully placed the sheet inside the Codex Maledictum, closing it with an audible click.
She leaned back in her chair, her gaze returning to the painting.
"Whoever they are, I don't like ignoring talent."