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Chapter Text

At this moment, the rules of the world she was stuck in, were different from the ones she was used to. Chemistry had never been this complicated to her.

Chemistry is the subject of science concerned with the composition of a substance, and its behaviour and reaction with respect to other substances. At least, it was supposed to be. It all changed when the magic and potions attacked.

And her eyes lit up with excitement over that. To discover the unknown; effortlessly figuring out the puzzle error after error; it stimulates all of her senses.

There was no one in the alchemy workshop, save for her and Grim, plus two other observers.

"Luka, are we done yet?" Grim complained, his arms tired after an entire day of stirring the cauldron.

"Shh!"

"Don't shush me," he whined. "I'm hungry!"

The Prefect had been struggling to finish their project, so she and Grim had to stay behind after class. This is what you expect to happen after you chose a difficult topic for a project anyway. It didn't bother her though; she had the fiery eyes of a mad scientist as she worked tirelessly.

At least, that's what she convinced herself.

The cauldron bubbled with a crimson glow below her, mirroring her feelings inside.

"Red," she mused, writing down on her notebook. "Why is this so?"

"I don't know, don't care," Ace replied, shaking his head. "All I know is that it's almost dinner time, and you're holding us back."

"Oh please, it's only..." She looked at the clock. It said 18:15 pm. "Oh... Already?"

A tingling feeling crept up her stomach. It made her sick. She pushed against this rising feeling of frustration inside her. All of her previous errors were giving her results. They were not a waste. She did not waste any time. She took a deep breath, and wiped away the bead of sweat on her forehead.

"It's fine. You guys could go on without me. I'll be here, having a blast."

"That's the problem." Ace scratched his head. "You don't know when to stop. You should take care of yourself too, you know?"

"I can't." She shook her head, continuing her distillation. "I just have a little bit left. I'll join you in a bit."

"That doesn't look like 'a little bit.'"

"I know!" She slammed the table, silencing everyone in the room. Shocking even herself, she regained her composure. "Sorry, I just can't afford to stop now. The due date is too close."

"Then," Deuce spoke up. "Luka, let us help."

"No, I don't want to spoil the fun by sharing," she refused with a smile. "I can manage. An element-changing potion is easy."

The trembling voice, and pale face convinced no one. Staying for long hours under potion fumes was safe for no one, but she must complete her objective. She chose a difficult topic, and so far, she had little progress to show for it, and so much waste. She was slowly growing agitated, her facade chipping away. As fun as it was, the mad-scientist role was consuming her.

And they knew this.

"No way," Deuce said. "I'm helping, whether you like it or not."

"Yeah, I don't like seeing you like this." Ace joined in, putting on his lab goggles.

'And I don't want you meddling with my work.' Of course she didn't dare say this out loud, especially after the supportive words she received. She couldn't say she wasn't relieved a little.

Nodding reluctantly, she handed them two beakers. They looked at them and then back at her questioningly.

"I recall that shape-shifting potions have similar compositions to element-changing ones so I'm using them as base."

"Is this even allowed?" Deuce peeked inside the beaker, but he grimaced the moment he put his nose near it.

"I know what I'm doing."

This sounded like a problem in the making. Ace sighed. "If anything happens, I'm blaming you."

"Bring it on."

As much as there was this annoying itch inside her, there was an enjoyment felt in a group project. Ace watched over the distillation, Deuce reduced the agent and Grim carefully mixed the chemicals, while she wrote down the calculations.

She wanted to rub her eyes. Her vision was getting blurry. She couldn't sense her growling stomach while her brain was entirely focused on the molarity of the solutions involved. Her concentration dwindled; since was calculating mole fractions this difficult?

When was the last time she ate?

Ace and Deuce were playing around with the solutions. This was why she didn't need any help. She mentally sighed.

It was getting dark. The sky looked orange. She could say that the sunset looked beautiful from the window.

'No, focus, Luka!'

Grim looked so miserable the entire time. She might spend all of her money on tuna later.

Her stomach couldn't help but distract her brain.

"Is this supposed to happen?"

That brought her attention back. She didn't even recall that she's finished. She dragged herself to the cauldron, holding onto a chair to stabilise herself. Deuce frowned seeing her condition, and offered his arm for her to hold on to. She refused.

She peered into the cauldron.

Blue.

Hmm...

"Interesting," she remarked, adjusting her goggles. "It was red before."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does." She took a flask of the red potion from before.

"Red and blue make purple, right?" She said. It was exactly the most stupid reasoning to have. In a Chemistry lab, you must not assume what you see, especially in a magic Chemistry lab. Perhaps it was the fatigue, or the frustration, but she listened to the crack logic against better judgement.

"No wait—"

She dumped it all, not thinking of the consequences.

She should've thought of the consequences, because that ended up with the potion exploding to her face.

This is why you follow lab precautions and not be a smart-ass.

Immediate regret filled her. Her face, her hands, her body; they all felt a burning sensation. Blinded, she struggled to search for the nearest water tap.

But, disobeying lab protocol again, she panicked and ran out of the room, leaving Ace and Deuce to deal with the mess. Anyone with a straight mind would go to the tap in the lab, but, she in her distressed state, ran to the school courtyard.

'Calm down! Calm down!' Her internal thoughts screamed at her. "What have I done?!"

Her hands covering her burning eyes, she was lost and relied on her ears. Thankfully, Grim followed her, leading her with his words.

She finally reached what seemed to be a water fountain. With no other thought, she dumped her face into it, coming up for air every so often. Her flowing tears were washed away by the water.

Ashamed, she tried to blame the pain on the burn, and not her foolishness. That day, she displayed the most unscientific behaviour anyone could have, in a lab out of all places. She should've had better critical thinking. She failed the experiment, but more importantly, she caused an accident that almost destroyed them.

She was glad that she was the only one hurt.

"Why am I like this?" She muttered, covering her face. Her body was weak, and she fell to her knees on the grass.

Grim only looked at her, unable to provide any words of consolation. He never knew there was a bird fountain around, but he was glad that there was one. It was the only way he could help. This human was a high maintenance one, despite barely requiring food. Somehow, he felt sorry, but it was not because he cared or something. Pfft! Definitely not.

Once she stopped sobbing, he spoke up. "You know, if you're done being dramatic we should head back and clean up the mess."

There was silence. The Prefect was still sulking, her face covered.

"What do I do with you?" Grim sighed and walked up to her. He removed her hands from her face. "You won't be a good minion if you sit and cry lik—"

He was met with a horrifying bird face instead of her expected puffy, red one. He couldn't process the bird's face on a human body. What's happened to Luka?

Screaming, he bolted as fast as he could. It looked like a monster.

Luka realised that her body had shrunk, and that wings were covering her face instead of hands. The moment she opened her eyes, she was greeted with a new vision, one with a multitude of colours. She moved her hands, feeling more air resistance in the way. She touched her face, her chest, her legs...

'No way, no way!' She thought to herself. The potion had successfully shaped-shifted her into a chickadee bird, and put a whole new weight of problems on her head. She felt sick in her tiny stomach and a headache started spreading.

'What now? Oh my goodness, this is amazing! No, this is terrible! How would this spell be broken? What would she test first? No, how did this happen?'

Her thoughts were a plethora of contrasting questions. On one hand, she was filled with a curiosity and a sense of discovery. It meant that she failed her task successfully. On the other hand, she dreaded the responsibilities that came with this. But it also meant that she's now missing, and if the professors found out...

She would be banned from all sorts of lab work! She didn't want that.

Shaking in her tiny bird feet, she collapsed onto the grass. The green monocot plant was taller now, and reached upto her neck. It felt like she was stuck in a cornfield. That means, she would have to defend against mice and snakes, and raccoons and cats and...

'Calm down. Don't be like that again.' She took a deep breath. Her options were now put forth in clarity.

She looked at her black and brown wings. A wild suggestion popped up in her head. She always wondered how flying felt. She opened her wings, and flapped. Before she could even get a few centimeters in the air, she got tired. She plopped back down on the ground.

'Failure!'

Since her wings were practically useless, she must figure out how to navigate. She hopped on her tiny feet, covering only miniature distance compared to her human form. It was such an inefficient form of travel. Being a bird was way lackluster than she thought.

She managed to reach a ramp, and it was enough for her to hop to the top. From there, she looked down. The view was taller, and scarier. It was like looking at a jungle of grass. She spread her wings, prepared to jump off, but stopped at the last second.

Her heart pumped quickly. It was too high. This was too new. She was too scared. Flying was a too much of a humongous task for her. And that was about to get worse.

"What do we have here? A little birdy!"

She froze at that voice. It sounded like the local eel trouble. Judging by the way he spoke, she guessed Floyd? She turned behind and looked up, slowly.

'Uh, was it really Floyd?'

Through her eyes, the colours were all whacky. Why was the eel multicoloured all of a sudden? And why were his proportions weird?

Was this how birds see?

That was a good question, for another time.

The giant merman picked her up, and she looked at him straight in the eye. It was not good. He seemed to be in a mischievous mood.

"Little flying fishy can't seem to fly, huh?" He spoke to her, while gently curling his fingers around her. "I'll help you. Say whoppie!"

She was thrown into the air without warning. Destiny seems to have a way with itself, and her destiny was to fly. She tried spreading her wings, but she could only glide. The moment she tried to flap, her wings froze due to the sudden stress.

Her flight lasted only for a few seconds before she completely fell somewhere on the grass. Great, now she has to find her way back to the ramp.

"Aw that's lame," Floyd commented from a distance. He ran to where she was, and grabbed her again. "Maybe if I throw it over and over, it'll fly then."

Luka gulped to herself. This boy would kill her bird life before she could start it. Fortunately, he was stopped before she was launched.

"Floyd? Azul requests your presence." Jade noticed the bird trembling in his fist. "And please, stop tormenting the poor bird."

The other twin pouted. "I was only trying to help it fly."

"It will do that in its own time," his brother reasoned. "Now, come along."

Floyd turned to her and placed her on the balcony. "Fly in your own time, little birdy."

The Prefect bird let out a sigh of relief as he left. But that relief was short-lived. She could feel eyes on her. The eyes of a hunter, a predator. She frantically looked around and saw a black cat just around a corner.

Lucius was on his hunt, and she was his prey. Her little feet hopped as fast as she could, but they could only take her so far. The cat lunged at her, and she slipped. She looked at the high view. No choice to back down.

Just as the cat launched itself at her, she jumped off the balcony and flapped her wings as fast as she could. Maybe the short distance she could achieve was enough.

She could feel the strength leaving her wings the more she flapped. The cat was on the ground, eyeing her and waiting for her to land. If she stopped, she would be eaten.

Her eyes caught a tree nearby. Good; that would be a great place for refuge – if she could just get higher. The strain on her wings was feeling too much, and she lost.

Her wings went limb, but instead of falling, she felt a force sweep her up as a hawk caught her. Problems after problems keep on appearing and she had to fight for her life from another predator. You could currently see the food chain at work.

The bird struggled against the talons and clawed at them. As if fate had mercy on her, a spelldrive disc hit the huge bird. She was free, but now she was at the mercy of gravity. As she fell down, she heard someone shout something about someone having a dead eye.

She was going to be the dead one soon. However, if you know science, then you know that the smaller you are, the less fall damage you would have. Theoretically, as soon as she hit the ground, Luka could simply brush it off and walk away. Unfortunately, her wings were hurt from the strain and the talons damaged them further.

She tried getting a smooth landing on the tree, but she fell off, bouncing on some pillowy surface instead of the grass. She landed on someone.

"Hmm?" A sleepy voice spoke in surprise. It sounded like the person had just woke up. The student picked her up and observed her. "Poor thing, you seem hurt."

'You think?' She internally screamed. The amount of suffering she endured that day was more than what was warranted. She could barely move as he gently poked her.

"I'm sure it needs help." She heard him say. The fatigue flooded into her before she could see her rescuer. The relief probably got rid of all the adrenaline and she could sense the tiredness.

She mentally expressed her thanks to him, before she passed out from fatigue.

Silver looked in pity at the little one who woke him up. He was thankful that his sleep had the interruption. He was supposed to be back in his dorm at this time. He gently covered the bird in his hands as he headed home.

Chapter Text

The smell of burning sulphur greeted her as her hand turned the knob. The drops of concentrated sulfuric acid dissolved the zinc pieces. Her eyes lit up at the sight of her discovery.

Ah, her first experiment; she had been so fascinated. She'd forgotten about the throbbing pain in her arms. It was comfortable. She never wanted to leave. If only—

Lightning filled her entire vision, and the thunder rumbled in her eardrums. She opened her eyes to face darkness. She realised that she wasn't back in the lab; once more getting the reminder of how much she screwed up.

She got off the tray where she had her sleep. A clock showed the time of 19:46. Surrounded by books, the tray she was in, and an alarm clock, she judged that she was on a desk. She writhed in pain as her wings shoved against a pile of books.

She looked around, searching for a clue. There were branches scratching against the window panes outside, and the winds howled like tortured spirits. The room was dreary-looking, probably because it was dark. She would have felt the cold draft in the air if not for her feathers.

Lighting lit up the room once more, this time she could see a shadow behind her. She turned to see a bird staring at her. It looked identical to her but it didn't look friendly. It sensed that something was odd about her and it never took its eyes away from her.

It stood still, meaning didn't seem to be keen on attacking her. As long as she's not hostile, that is. However, its dark eyes that aimed at her created this sick feeling in her stomach. She decided to ignore the weird thing at the moment.

The more concerning thing was, where on earth did she end up?

The last thing she remembered was almost becoming dinner for a sharp-shinned hawk. A spelldrive disc, falling, and, some student happened to rescue her.

Ah, he must have taken her to his dorm.

She looked outside the window. A storm, dark clouds, gloomy scenery; which dorm was this? It had an atmosphere similar to Ramshackle's. That place which she used to call home...

She must get back into a human. She still hasn't made her potion; she still has a lot to do. This accident should be easy to fix, or, was she going to be stuck as a bird now on?

No, no. There might be answers from the library, or any knowledgeable potion master. This fatal mistake of hers will not be her downfall. Plus, there was also the uplifting fact that she could live the bird experience, for a limited time. This could be a groundbreaking discovery. If only she knew how to take advantage of her bird form.

Luka sighed and turned at the staring bird. It could help her. Communication is crucial. She waved her wings at it. No reply. She tried to talk like a normal human, asking where she was, but only a tiny chirp came out. The bird chirped back.

The problem was, it might understand her bird speech, but she couldn't.

Uh...

It stepped closer to inspect her. Her danger instincts screamed, and her insides jumped. She backed off to avoid it. Did it intend to pick her to pieces? If she could show her sweat, it would be trickling down her hypothetical forehead. If she could gulp, she would've been drunk on her saliva.

The bird continued forwards, she continued to back away.

Too focused on the other bird to be aware of her surroundings, she fell off the table. It was fortunate that she landed on something soft and fluffy; a bed. However, it was unfortunate that someone was occupying it.

"Riiinnnggg!" The alarm clock set off, deafening her ears.

The person on the bed shuffled to the side, facing her. He was so close; his hair just brushed her face and she could feel his breath.

His hand reached out for the clock, turning it off. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking in surprise when he saw her.

'Don't move,' she said to herself, freezing on the spot. It was unsettling seeing a giant 'deformed' form of the human face.

"Ah you're already awake," he remarked, rising as he picked her up in his hands. She didn't know if it was the gravity, or her own anxiety that made her guts go wild.

He inspected her injuries, mostly in her wings. She felt weird being touched that way; no one had looked at that place before, save for her family.

"How are you feeling?" His soft voice spoke. It suited his looks and his behavior.

Luka desperately wanted to speak and explain her predicament, but only chirps came out. He didn't understand. She couldn't facepalm. She tried nodding her head. He didn't seem to understand that either. She wished for a facepalm.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked, and stroked her wings. That weird touch again, but she reasoned that he thought she was a bird. Flustered, she allowed herself to accept his strokes. His touch was gentle and soothing. Her previous pain and tension dissipated away. She liked it. She nuzzled her beak in between his fingers, forgetting about her initial hesitation.

"It's nice, right?" he said, although there seemed to be little emotion in his voice. He poked her wings a little. "Looks like you still can't go out yet. You might as well stay here for now."

He put her back on the table, so he could get dressed himself. That's when it struck her; she was in a boy's room, watching him undress. Just a bird, just a bird... She was a bit thankful for her distorted vision. Putting aside her embarrassment, she noted the way he moved. Disciplined, as if he was a soldier.

The Prefect wished to know who this person was. The shift from trichromatic to tetrachromatic vision was messing her sight, and she didn't recognise his voice. He seemed to be one of the only decent person in the place. She was blessed that she didn't end up with someone as unpredictable as Floyd.

"Here's some food and water for you." He refilled her food tray with birdseed, and cleaned up her place. She was grateful for his work and his concern. Her thoughts wondered if this guy had 'visitors' like her, and if that bird before was one of them.

"Birds often come to visit, so you're not the only one," he explained, while petting the other bird who was staring at her. It seemed to be a bit more friendly now, relaxing its posture. But it stood stiffly when it comes to her, in a guarding position. Its eyes never left her, as if it was saying that it would hurt her if she hurt him.

She understood where it was coming from. He might have rescued this one in the same way he rescued her. Not just that, his personality also exuded a warm and pleasant aura; one might even say that it's attractive. He was kind and not too overbearing like Floyd. He knows how to care for them. It's refreshing (and rare) to meet these types of guys in this college.

'Damn this tetrachromatic vision!' If only she could find out who he was.

Her stomach growled. She looked at the birdseed he placed in the tray. Hmm, brown-yellow-orange-gray, oblong-shaped, rough to touch — were they sunflowers? Ew, she hated sunflower seeds. She let the other birds devour her portion.

"You have to eat, little one," he sighed and placed some birdseed on palm. Maybe the bird would accept it if it was directly from him. Some birds were needy like that. "Here."

She hopped onto his hand. However, she refused to ingest it, remembering the oily, bland taste it had when she was human. But what would she eat though?

Silver raised an eyebrow. The bird was an odd one. Normally other birds would take his treats immediately, but this one just sat on his palm, looking at him with a stubborn expression. This could mean...

He crossed his arms. A slight worry struck him. What if it had an infection? He might ask Lilia or someone else to check it out later.

It was an odd thing that he was this invested in a simple bird. The moment it fell from the tree, he decided to take care of it, feeling mercy in its fragile state. It seemed to be a harder task than usual. Nevertheless, he welcomed this learning experience. Taking care of something is always worthwhile.

He took one birdseed and waved it in front of its beak. "My father always told me to eat to get the required nutrition. You need it too."

'Not Sunflower! This is harassment!'

Luka avoided the food in front of her, not caring that he was grabbing her. She was a human. Why would she eat a bird's food? Her stubborn (and stupid) reasoning was wavering, however, since the rumble in her stomach grew stronger. He kept on pushing the seed into her mouth, and her beak opened little by little.

"You'll starve if you refuse like this."

Just as the birdseed entered her mouth, the door slammed open. The shock made her swallow it. Hm, it didn't taste as bad as she remembered.

"Silver! Are you sleeping overtime again?" Sebek's booming voice filled the room.

After contemplating that sunflowers didn't taste so bad, Luka looked at the intruder. He looked like a multicolored cabbage. She recognised his voice. Sebek, wasn't it? At the recognition of a fellow freshman, she wanted to smile.

And, he called him Silver. The name suited him. Her smile would've grown wider. She would repay him as soon as she returns to a human being. Although, right now she seemed to have put him in trouble.

"I was just about to head there," Silver replied in a stoic expression.

"I don't see the evidence in that," Sebek accused. "Hurry up or you'll disappoint Lord Malleus! Your area today is the botanical garden and Ramshackle."

"Got it."

With that, Sebek slammed the door behind him. Annoying as always. Say what you will, but her instinctive protectiveness hits when it hits. It's like when someone insults your mom. Who was he to berate Silver like that? When she becomes human, she swore—

Her bird brain lit up with an idea. Hold on, this was a call to one of his patrols, wasn't it? If he passes by the library, she could leave and take refuge there. Then she would wait for an excellent animal linguist. Things could go smoothly from there.

Or maybe she could wait at Ramshackle and she could meet Grim, Ace or Deuce. They could help her.

'Oh yes, this was an excellent plan.'

"You should remain here and get some rest." He turned to her and invited her into her tray. "Rest assured, I'll be back."

She didn't hop off his hand. To get this plan to work out, she'd have to accompany him. She wanted to accompany him.

"Hmm, why won't you go on?" He tried shaking her off, but she wouldn't budge. Her claws stuck to his hand. There's no way he'd get rid of her that easily.

He just grabbed her and placed her on the table. There was no time to worry about an obstinate bird. He was deaf to her internal 'no's. Not to worry, she had another way to get him to listen to her.

He heard a thump just as he was about the close the door. He turned back to see the bird on the floor, hopping towards him. It was determined to follow him.

Shaking his head, he took her with him and set out to his designated area. He'd rather be with it to prevent it from doing something risky.

She smirked to herself. As the classic Bible quote said, ask and you will receive.

****

Luka stayed perched on Silver's shoulder as he navigated through the botanical garden.

As a human, it reminded her of her days as a botany student; a comforting memory. As a bird, she didn't want to be alone inside it. It was dark and humid, like the jungles of Africa. The rainforests at night were a danger to creatures like her.

His presence was reassuring; another thing to be grateful for. He was doing this much for her, whether he was conscious of it or not — she might as well help him somehow, by keeping an eye on his 6 o'clock. What would it do? Don't know, but there might be lurkers out there.

Silver pointed his wand forwards, brightening the path with light magic. He was in total focus in his job, fighting the urge to fall asleep. The place was warm; the perfect temperature for a lovely dream. It was dangerous.

Turning back from the last corner, he was glad he finished his search without dozing off. The bird tapped on his shoulder everytime there seems to be a clear, as if it were enthusiastic about this patrol. It might just be actually. He found its antics rather... cute. He appreciated them too.

The time was now 21:09. Just Ramshackle left, and he could have his rest. (Not to say that he was lazy, it's far from it.) He must hurry, or else he'd lose awareness and doze off mid-duty, again. He pushed aside a flexible branch from his path, and passed through the dense foliage.

The Prefect didn't expect to be smacked right at the face by that branch.

The hot and spicy force sends her flying back, crashing to the floor. If not for her size, she would have ended up with extreme back pain. That would be worse than the burn she was already feeling on her face. She got back up and began cussing at who knows.

Silver ran to her and picked her up, stroking her back to calm her down. Of course, to him, it all sounded like angry chirping. He hadn't heard such an emotion conveyed from a bird before though.

"You look angry."

She 'hmph-ed' at him. 'Would you enjoy being pounded to the face by a 2400 Newton force?!'

Unimpressed trills escaped her mouth, which Silver somehow got the tone.

"Sorry, I'll make sure to be more aware," he said, frowning. "But maybe I shouldn't... have..."

His eyes started to close, as his words started to drawl. He suddenly felt light. His muscles started losing energy and he desperately wanted somewhere to lay down. He couldn't feel the bird on his palm that was jumping frantically.

He could not stop it. At this rate, he might fall asleep there.

The bird didn't know what to do as he was on the verge of collapsing. She looked at his countenance. Blank. He was gone out of this world. Did he fall asleep? At this time? Seriously?!

This felt like she was trapped in a building mid-earthquake. She might be crushed at this rate.

She must wake him.

Think, Luka, think! What are the most sensitive parts the human body? She climbed up to his shoulder, and used her beak to poke at his cheek. Soon enough, she pecked everywhere she could. When she struck somewhere in his nape, he jolted up.

His hand automatically grabbed her. She froze at his hard squeeze. She felt that she might have touched a place she wasn't supposed to. His piercing gaze was intense. It made her flip inside. She feared that she might have made an enemy of herself. He snapped out of it after a few seconds to her relief.

"Oh, it's you." He loosened his grip around her. His other hand examined where she pecked him, and he took a deep breath. His cheeks were probably pink. "Don't do that again."

Hey, to be fair, he was touching her all the time.

If she were a human, she would've gone another route, one involving 2000 Newtons. But she was a bird. She could only poke him, as in, becoming touchy. She was thankful that he wouldn't be able to see her flustered expression in bird form.

"It's..." He blinked a bit. "Were you trying to wake me up?"

She gave a slow nod. He understood this simple universal gesture. The bird was also avoiding his gaze. "Are you sorry?"

She nodded once more. Her eyes lighted up everytime he answered correctly. She had hope. Was this their barrier of communication finally crumbling away?

Seeing the reaction of the creature, he brought his hand to his chin. "You seem to understand me, better than other birds."

She tilted her head, as if to say, 'Is that a good thing?'

"Maybe," he replied, placing her on his shoulder. "Anyhow, I'm glad to you helped me."

A compliment. Did she hear a compliment? After her terrible day of mistake after mistake, his words were like rays of sunshine. They warmed her miserable heart. She stepped closer, and nuzzled herself in his cheek to say thank you.

She wished she could thank him properly when she becomes a human.

Her fluffy feathers tickled him as she rubbed against his cheeks. He could sense her happiness through this small gesture. A small curve slipped through his stoic facade. This bird was an amusing one. "Alright, maybe I'll allow you to wake me up a few times tonight."

****

The sight of the Ramshackle was same old same old, this time with added relief. Freedom was near. Perched on Silver's head this time (he couldn't take her pecking anymore), she stood up and visually searched for Grim. They say a bird's eye view is clearer than human's and goodness it was true. She could see farther distances.

Silver roamed around the gate, pointing his light at the tumble-down building. This helped her sight too.

"We have to be careful here," he said. "I heard that the Ramshackle Prefect has gone missing. I doubt Malleus would be threatened, but I just—"

At the mention of her designation, a spark of hope ignited within her. She jumped off his cap onto his hands. She turned to him, excitement evident in her movements. She must tell him.

'I am the Ramshackle Prefect!'

This was translated into a bunch of chirps and trills that were lost to him.

Problem is, he didn't understand bird-speak, only her tiny little gestures.

"Are you scared?"

She shook her head, and tried to communicate once more. She pointed her wing to the direction of the dorm and pointed back at herself. This sign is a clear one.

"I'm sorry, I don't get you." He frowned, brushing off his own stray hair. "Did you live here once?"

'Yes, yes that's it!' She nodded as much as she could. She jumped off the safety of his hands onto the familiar path to her residence. Grim must be at home.

'It's okay. I'll return to you as a human.'

"Wait, hold on," he called out to it. "You're not fully healed yet."

He would've followed the bird, but this was private property. He simply couldn't trespass. His shoulders sagged and the grip on the grill loosened. A bird knew its own body. Maybe it was healed.

But the fact that it was barely using its wings troubled him. He mentally apologised to the Prefect as he jumped over the fence.

Luka felt a slight dejection leaving Silver, but there were better things to look forward to. She was back home, hopping closer and closer to the entrance, that is, closer to becoming human once more. Of course as soon as she would turn back, she would explain to him and express a proper gratitude. As she neared the veranda, she noticed a problem.

The steps which were usually barely an inconvenience demonstrated how intimidating they could be to a tiny creature of Earth.

They were too high.

Hmm...

She opened her wings and flapped, despite the slight pain. However, she was still too weak, and wasn't able to even get close to the edge. This was troublesome. Looking around, she couldn't find Silver nearby. She began to regret leaving him that early.

An owl hooted in the night. She felt many pairs of eyes on her. The plumage on her body felt like poofing off. Darkness seem to engulf her. Without the safety of lights, she was easy prey. She was brought back to the reality of nature, and she trembled.

Her eyesight may be far, but it was weak without light. The shadows on the grass looked like silhouettes of various predators she could think of. Do hawks hunt at night? She shifted her feet, little by little. She was terrified to move quickly.

Luka heard a hiss behind her. It inevitable that a wild creature would catch her scent of fear. She was a weak and small creature.

A shadow towered over her, and she dared to look back. As soon as a pair of fangs brushed past her, she ran as fast as she could. Her movements were limited; there was barely anything to do but hop.

She could hear the snake slithering behind her. It continuously blocked her path with its long body. Sometimes it almost smashed her with its tail. Fortunately, she narrowly escaped becoming flat bread for a snake.

She could sense it aiming for the next dash. This time it might not miss. Her breaths grew faster and shorter. Instinctively, her wings opened and she tried flapping them. The poor thing's stamina was too poor for flight. She blamed her years of being a couch potato.

As she hopped, she was trapped at the stairs. Her back facing the wall, she was brave enough to look at her attacker for the last time before she perished.

Damn it! She was gonna die a bird!

Just as it was about to lunge at her, huge talons crushed the snake. They clawed at it, ripping apart the snake's skin, making a mess in the walkway. The attacker turned to her. An owl. It extended one of its claws at her, aiming to give her the same treatment as the snake.

Saved from one hellhole only to end up in another.

It swung its claw, and she moved to the side. She barely managed to avoid the death shot, but it hit her wing. A tear opened, and blood started dripping through her brown feathers.

She panted, now out of energy. She was at the mercy of the owl.

Fear paralysed her. There was nothing left to do.

In a flash, a light shone at the owl before it could attack, the sudden change of brightness dulling its senses. It attempted to rub its eyes but took off to the darkness, carrying the snake carcass with it.

She couldn't process what just happened. Was she just rescued?

"There you are. You're safe now."

A breath of relief escape her beak.

He followed her. His voice is oddly calm, as if she didn't just have a near-death experience. As he picked her up, she saw his worry slipping through his countenance, little by little. She allowed herself to melt in his touch as the adrenaline left her. He deepened his frown when he saw her state.

"You're injured again," he said, his voice laced with concern. He quickly took his handkerchief and made a makeshift bandage. She was amazed at the speed of the reaction, moreso for the fact that he still came for her. Anyone else would've thought she was a free bird.

"You shouldn't wander off on your own." He fussed over her as he cupped her in his hands. "Especially with your wings in a bad condition. Now they've become worse."

Ah, he's still worried about her wings.

She stood up to assure him that she was okay. The movement caused a slight discomfort, but it was just a scratch. That and she was tired of running. Very tired.

Silver allowed her to rest against his gentle fingers, as she slowly lost consciousness. He cradled her in his hands, and took off his cap. He placed her in it, using it as a temporary bedding for her.

He heard a voice in the distance.
"Prefect is that you?!"

People searching for the Prefect at such an hour?

He wanted to help, but he had his own duties. The Prefect was fortunate to have many people concerned for her.

Wherever she was, he wished her luck.

Chapter Text

"Prefect!"

"Luka!"

"Human!"

The voices called in unison. There was some strain in them, for they have been doing this for hours. That, and the fact that they'd argue for half that time.

Deuce cupped his mouth and called out the Prefect's name for the last time. He slouched when there's no response. He leaned on the fence, looking at the isolated dorm with longing. It was silent and eerie; gloom was its only inhabitant. It wouldn't be that way with her. He missed his friend.

"Ramshackle looks... so empty without her, doesn't it?" he said, frowning. He brought his hand to his hair, trying to calm his worry down.

"Of course it does, nobody's staying there." Ace deadpanned. "And why are you being sentimental all of a sudden?

"I'm not," Deuce retorted. "I'm just—"

"It's cringe."

Despite his harsh criticism, Ace's thoughts were as glum as Deuce's. His nerves were jittery. Damn her! Why couldn't she have been less stubborn? Silence loomed over them. Many thoughts pestered them, but they all had the same conclusion.

"Maybe, we should stop it for today... Riddle would be so pissed."

"No, I don't want to incur Riddle's wrath just yet." Ace shook his head. "Also, the Prefect might be alone out there. I can't give up on her."

He took a deep breath for the last time, and he yelled out once more. "Luka!"

"I see a light!" Grim pointed to the end of the walkway.

"Who could that be?" Deuce pondered out loud.

Ace didn't wait for an answer. "Let's go check it out."

They followed the path, running as fast as they could. There was a slight hope that it might just be her. It was unlikely, but it just might be.

"Hello?"

"May I help you?"

They received another shot of disappointment when it turned out to be a senior.

"Ah, sorry, Silver-senpai," Deuce apologised, bringing his hands up. "We just thought..."

"That you found the Ramshackle Prefect?" he guessed, his voice was monotonous. "I could hear you from here."

"Well, yeah," they awkwardly replied. Encountering a senior at that moment was bad news for them. They were shouting at night and breaking their dorm curfew. They imagined how stupid they looked.

"I'm sorry to say that I haven't seen them," Silver answered. "There's no one in this area except for us."

"Aw man," Deuce sighed, discouraged. "And here I thought..."

"Maybe we should head back to our dorm," Ace advised his peers, giving up for the day. "I can't believe we're leaving her."

Deuce resisted. "I... can't. Not after the potion—"

"Potion?" Silver raised an eyebrow at the implication.

"Hey, hey, Deucey." Ace shoved his shoulder at Deuce. "Now is not the time to be dramatic in front of a senior." He turned to the older boy. "That was nothing, senpai. We'll go out of the way now."

"Way to go, Deuce!" Their argument could be heard behind him as they parted ways. Silver brought a hand to his chin, observing them further.

So the Prefect had been meddling with potions. He might have to inform Lilia or a professor the next day, although the freshmen wished to be discrete about it... Maybe he'll keep it to himself and maybe Lilia, for now. He hoped that she was alright, wherever the Prefect was.

Luka, was it? She'd have a lot to deal with the teachers after this.

****

'I am a failure...'

This was her primary thought. She didn't know what else to think. She couldn't do anything in her frailness. She had failed her experiments and she had failed her plan.

In this dream-like state, she sighed. Her arms hurt, and her legs cramped. She was weak. Her emotions seem to be trapped inside the tiny bird body — no one to express her grievances to. No one would understand.

She could've turned back by now, if not for her overconfidence and hasty decisions. She was unable to meet Grim, and the others.

She'd probably have died if not for...

"This little one?" A mature voice spoke through her dream.

"Yes, father," Silver answered. "I found it after it fell from a tree. I took care of it, but it wouldn't eat."

'Father?' She opened her eyes slowly, inviting the light into her vision. From her point of view, it looked like she was on a bed. It was quite messy. There was a guitar, a pile of clothes and a pair of video game controllers.

A gamer...?

"That's quite an interesting quirk, for a bird." Lilia brought his fingers to his chin, studying her.

Nothing prepared her for this discovery. Her jaw almost dropped when she saw the owner of the mature voice. Lilia-senpai?! This looked great! He was a more advanced mage, meaning, he might be able to understand her, or better yet, turn her back. However, she had to be careful first.

"Hmm, care to explain these injuries?" The person in question carefully nudged her wings.

She stiffened slightly. "It was attacked this night by an owl. It would've died had it not been found."

"Oh dear, that sounds terrible!" Lilia covered his mouth, and shook his head. "I'm glad you took care of it, but... pets aren't usually allowed here, Silver."

Scratch that, he might just rat her out to the professors. She'd rather not want that at the moment. They might restrict her lab activities if they ever hear about that.

"I was seeking permission to take care of it for the duration of its injury, sir."

"Hmm, I see." Lilia took the bird in his hands and examined it. "Perhaps I'll allow it this time."

On second thought...

"You're awake, little one." He nudged her head softly. Her head perked up in surprise, but she was hesitant to move. "Don't be afraid. You're safe now."

She flinched, rising from her uncomfortable sleeping position. Lilia was quite an observant one. She bet he knew who she was and she was clinging onto that hope. He pulled her wings and massaged them. Her eyes twitched from the gripping pain.

"Sir, please be careful. It's still tired." Silver's monotone voice did not do justice to the worry in his words.

"Silver, don't be such a worry-wart," the senior brushed the other boy off. "One immediately needs to build strength after one's healed."

I can't say she disagreed with that, but if only he could just stop prodding her ticklish spots...

After priming her feathers, he smiled in satisfaction, placing her onto his desk. "There you go. All neat!"

He turned to Silver. "Nothing is wrong with her, except for her wings."

"'Her?'"

Luka lowered her tail from the self consciousness. A bird... A bird... She was a bird.

"Oh yes, she has a dull plumage compared to her male counterpart."

'Thank goodness.' She breathed a sigh of relief. On another note, that was quite an interesting observation that Lilia made. What did you expect from an intelligent senior?

"I see." Silver stated while picking her up and placing her on his shoulder.

"If she doesn't eat, just get her some tasty bird seed, or force some down her throat." Lilia took a seat next to his desk, arranging his books. "Anything else you want to talk about, Silver?"

"I do, sir," he replied, sitting next to Lilia. "I've heard from the Prefect's friends that she might have been experimenting with potions."

Luka snapped her head towards him. They met when she was unconscious? She frowned. It sounded like she missed her one time opportunity. If only she could've held on better, or even if she was a bit patient, she would've been closer to her goal.

Or... Maybe she was closer than she thought.

"Potions, you say?" Lilia brought hand to his chin, eyes on the bird. "That does explain her disappearance. Something must have gone—"

The bird leapt off Silver's shoulder and onto his desk. She jumped and flapped her wings, gaining their attention.

"What is it?" Silver asked, while Lilia raised an eyebrow.

It's now or never. She must get this through to them. How would she convey this clearly? She pointed her wings to herself, and then to the outside. Seeing their blank expressions, she pointed towards them and back at herself.

"You're safe now. This is hardly the time to be afraid." He moved to catch her, but she maneuvered swiftly to avoid his hands. He didn't understand her. She wanted to bang her head against a wall.

He picked her up, but she screamed as loud as she could.

"What's wrong with her?" He frowned and tried to console her.

"Silver, I think she's trying to tell us something." Lilia stopped him. "I do understand a bit of bird vocabulary."

Relief spread throughout her body. Once he set her down, she spoke out in chirps, accompanied by her gestures.

"Me. Prefect." She pointed at herself and reinacted her accident. She pretended to have a cauldron, and mimicked an explosion. Then she acted as if she was shrinking and emerged as a bird.

Lilia brought his hand to his chin, widening his eyes. "Oh, this is quite shocking."

"What?"

"Silver, this bird you found seems to be the Prefect." He shared the revelation with him. "The potion apparently transformed her into this form."

She nodded with glee. The load of her secret was gone. She was quite glad to get through to someone. Hope was still alive.

"What?" The boy widened his eyes. That means in his bedroom, at the garden, at Ramshackle...

He shook his head, putting aside his embarrassing thoughts and replacing them with a rational mind-set. Shape-shifting potions are usually out of reach for normal students. "How'd you get a shape-shifting potion on your hands?"

She answered truthfully.

"A mix and match?" Lilia's tone was filled with surprise, and then he chuckled. "My, you must be lucky, or in this case, unlucky. However, it is clear that you were irresponsible."

A stab to the heart, but it was true. It was quite an unscientific and immature behaviour. She knew she was better. She wanted a second chance.

Sighing, she mustered up the courage to ask for an expensive favour. "That aside, can you help me?"

"Help you?" He replied. "I could do that, however, you do know that you must give something in return, right?"

She looked up to think. Does she have anything of value? Nope, none whatsoever. Does she care about the risks involved? I mean, could things be any worse than this?

"Do with me whatever you like," she said, opening her wings wide. She didn't ponder upon that fact that she was making a deal with Lilia Vanrouge. How foolish do you think was this decision? Eh, Azul would be worse.

The vampire narrowed his eyes. His lips curved upwards, revealing his fangs. "Ohoho, I hope you do know what you're doing."

She gulped. He clapped his hands with enthusiasm.

"Silver, my boy, wake up. We shall be preparing something."

****

"Hah~ hah~ hah~" She was out of breath. She couldn't take more of Lilia's teasing.

"Sir, I think you should let her rest for sometime." Silver couldn't take the poor bird's suffering. In all honestly, he fell asleep through most of it, and he didn't know how long it had been, but he knew that it had been long enough. Long enough to get her this exhausted anyway.

"Relax," Lilia reassured him, his tone full of amusement. "This will all be worth it."

Luka jumped for dear life, bouncing up and down as she tapped the screen. The game produced a "ding" sound everytime her little bird avatar crossed a tower. However, she would always only make it up to two towers before she crashed.

She herself gave up and collapsed to the ground, sitting on the phone screen while panting.

"Dear Prefect, I am a little disappointed you couldn't make it to five," he sighed, and turned off his video camera. "But I guess this will have to suffice. After all, I got my footage of a bird playing Flappy Bird."

He chuckled to himself. "It is a fairly humorous happening, isn't it, Silver?"

The boy yawned. Not from boredom, mind you. It was understandable since it was almost midnight. Rubbing the drowsiness off his eyes, he looked at the exhausted bird. Was she okay? Did her injuries get worse?

Her chest rose and fell at a rapid pace. She looked like she was about to faint any time. Poor thing had been trying to cross the towers for the past... half hour or so? He sighed to himself. His father was an unpredictable one, but, I guess - and Silver might agree - that it's part of his charm.

"I don't get it," he admitted, crossing his arms. "But I can see how it's entertaining."

Lilia smiled to himself, editing and modifying the video on his phone. Silver diverted his attention to the bird, again. He wanted to relieve her like he always did to unfortunate animals. Was it okay though? He did touch her before, but now, since he knows... He needed to check first.

"You look tired."

'Of course I am!' Luka groaned to herself, but she was too tired to complain. She would be glad if they could hurry it up a bit. Her legs were adding to the soreness of her body. As if her wings were not sore enough anyway.

There was a slight delay in response, until she heard him say softly, "Please excuse me then."

Perhaps, to answer her complaints, Silver picked her up, and let her rest in the palm of his hand like a cushion. He pressed his fingers against her wings, and her legs, massaging the pain away.

She could only think of how firm and tender his fingers felt. His touch seem to imbue a sense of satisfaction in her. He was like the first rain of spring that drizzles on the dry earth, quenching its thirst. Like this, all of her grievances were rinsed away and all that remained was relief.

Perhaps it was worth it to help Lilia see a bird playing Flappy Bird, as ridiculous as it was.

"There! I have saved it to my precious collection," Lilia exclaimed with a contagious satisfaction. "Now, to uphold my part of the— My, oh, my, that's quite the smile you've got there."

The boy snapped his head towards his father, and stopped whatever he was doing. A slight redness decorated his cheeks while he looked at her and back at his father. "No, it's just... I was thinking of—"

Lilia covered his mouth with a snicker. "Ehehe, it was a joke. Don't take it seriously."

"Sorry, sir."

'Lilia can be impish sometimes.' Luka thought, ignoring the warmth on her face.

"Now, let's see what we do with you." He picked her up and searched her for any weird signs. He peered through her feathers, in case there was anything on her skin. "Hmm, nothing."

She yelped when she felt a prick near her tail. He plucked away a feather!

"Since you mentioned that you made a mix and match potion," he explained, storing the feather in a ziplock bag. "I need a sample from you. I will then try to correlate the results with other potions in the archives."

She nodded hesitantly. He sighed. "This would be easier if you had just told the professors, you know?"

At that, she shook her head furiously. No one must ever find out. Aside from those who have already found out. She'll make up an excuse later, but the teachers must not know. She needed that credit.

"Are you sure?" He tilted his head. "The longer this goes on, the more suspicious they'll be."

"I can handle it," she chirped, puffing her chest.

Seeing her determinance, he hummed. "Very well, we shall keep it a secret for now. Just know that we will not be able to help if you're found out."

"Sounds good to me."

"Alright. I will be doing the research tomorrow, while you stay in Silver's care."

"Don't do anything stupid," he warned her, and booped her beak. "Okay~?"

"O-okay..."

****

"It's cold." She wanted to say. Despite the rain outside lulling her to sleep, she wasn't able to. The temperature felt far too low. Back in Silver's cold room she was, now with the added ambience of a storm outside.

Such gloomy weather...

She got up from the tray, and walked around. With half-lidded eyes, she checked up on Silver. He was fully asleep. He looked so peaceful that she bet no one would be able to wake him up. She wished to steal some of that comfort so she could at least get some shut eye.

Or maybe she could sleep the entire day. It sounded like a great plan, but she had already made up her mind to explore what her bird body had to offer. A tiny stream of excitement flowed through her as she wondered how fast she could run, what stuff she could eat, and perhaps the most exciting aspect, how long she could fly.

But flight was out of reach. If only she her wings were better...

Even if she didn't have the injury, they were sore from all the moving around. The day had been very hectic, and the last thing she needed was a restless night.

She shivered and searched for any makeshift blanket. Paper didn't work, too hard. She could get on the bed, but she didn't want to create any inconvenience for him. There was also the possibility that she could get crushed.

Before she could take another step, lightning struck right behind her (or rather, close to the window.) The loud, shattering thunder made her jump in shock. Again, she had a poor awareness of her surroundings and she fell down to the floor.

Struggling up from her fallen state, she sighed. The floor was way colder than above. It was worse. She searched for any anchor where she could climb back up. Spotting a trail of some sort of cloth, she gripped it with her claws and began climbing up the chair.

She found herself a pile of clothes on top. She was at another chair. From there, she couldn't find a way back to the tray, her bird bed.

Oh well, she shrugged it off.

There were plenty of clothes she could snuggle in to warm herself. Too tired to even bother being concerned, she buried herself in the pile. She hoped that Silver wouldn't mind. She found a deep pocket and settled to sleep there.

****

'Riiinnngg!' She awoke to one of Silver's alarms, and in one of worst sleeping positions ever. Turns out she slept through the whole night in a vertical position.

What happened? She tried climbing out of the deep pocket, slipping occasionally. Her head popped out, and she was greeted to a startling environment.

"Eh?!"

She was not in Silver's room, but she was in Mr Trein's history class.

Chapter Text

That blackboard, those floating lights, the multiple desks arranged in a layered fashion...

She wasn't dreaming — this was definitely the history classroom, and it was empty.

Did Silver fall asleep again? She mentally sighed. 'This guy...'

She looked up. Aside from his nose, she could make out his sharp jawline, and a deep frown in his lips. He always seems to have a frown. Besides that, his unmoving posture and closed eyes explained everything. And, oh, he has surprisingly long eyelashes. 

The cramped space inside his pocket was making her feel heated. If she could just push herself up a little bit, then maybe this sudden hotness would go away. She pushed too hard however, and she plopped down on the table.

Shaking her head from the disorientation, she hopped back up. Hmm, his stuff was scattered all over the desk. His notes progressively got messier, indicating his progressively increasing drowsiness.

How long was he gone?

Anyhow, it had been a while since the bell rang. She must wake him up before he got any later to classes.

She didn't want to poke his sensitive area like before, and she was lazy to climb his towering figure from down there. His hand was supporting his head as he nodded off. That would do.

She pushed against his arm, trying to dislodge it from its position. It resisted harder than she thought, until she was lucky enough to move it slightly, and that was enough to make it slip.

Silver almost fell face flat on the table, if not for his quick reflexes. His eyes were opened wide, and his head shot up immediately. The surprise was further amplified when he saw her.

"You? What are you doing here?"

"That doesn't matter," she responded, with a frantic chirping. "You're getting late to class! Get up." Although he wouldn't understand anything she said.

"I was worried when I didn't see you this morning, but I was getting late so..."

He paused. She waited for him. Until it finally clicked.

"Ah, I'm late again!"

In a hurried manner, he stuffed his notebooks and stationaries into his bag. He also took her along, apologising for his tight squeeze. At this point she's used to his fingers supportively cradling her.

****

His classmates appeared tiny from afar, but that wouldn't be for long, that is, as long as Sir Vargas was on his tail.

They made the unfortunate encounter the moment Silver exited the changing room. That too, Vargas was what, 200 metres away? How that man managed to set a sight on them was beyond her, but the moment he started charging towards them instilled dread in her.

Luka barely abled to hang on his shoulder; her claws digging deep into his uniform. The wind blew into her face. It reminded her of the times she'd stick her head out the car window. (This is not recommended!) The sheer distance covered in one second both amazed and scared her. For one, this meant that Silver was an extremely athletic person that could rival The Flash, and second, Vargas was even faster than that.

He was catching up! And she could do nothing but spew words of encouragement at Silver to run faster, as if they were equivalent to a nitrous boost in a racecar.

The muscly man was determined to reach the grounds before Silver could. Why? Probably because of his sick impulse of wanting to impose a punishment. She had been a victim once, and it left her body aching for the entire day.

In the end, Lilia's training paid off, and he joined his line of classmates just as Vargas crossed the marked line.

They made it. They both released a sigh of relief.

"Silver!"

Both the boy and the bird stiffened at the sound of his name. Looks like there wasn't any escape.

"You sprinted well," he praised with a grand almighty slap on his back. "Great leg muscles!"

Normally, there would be a series of chuckles from the class, but they remained dead silent. This was because, in Vargas language, he would've tortured him with countless laps around the ground if he failed to win. Luka deadpanned. This teacher was the epitome of unpredictable.

"But the next time you lack timing, it'll be 50 sets of 50 pushups with you."

"Yes, sir." The student could only gulp. She waited for the teacher to question the obvious.

"Let's start with your warm-ups first. Then I'll continue grading your flight skills from the other day."

'Huh.' She guessed there was always some sort of animal following him, to the point that no one questions him. It looked like she won't be an issue. Plus, Vargas was less hardcore that day.

"I hope you didn't get hurt," Silver said as he joined the class in their laps.

She shook her head. It was rather thrilling.

"That's good."

Laps were that; laps. Boring as f—

"Silver! I am so sorry!" Kalim came running just as they've started stretch exercises. Despite the strenuous workout, he still looked as energetic as when he first began. Luka wondered where does his freshness come from. She herself felt the need to sweat just by looking at them.

"Jamil needed me for something and I had to leave early. Because of that you were almost late."

"Don't worry about it. It was mostly an error on my part," Silver said, finishing up his leg stretches. "I shouldn't always depend on you."

'So Kalim wakes Silver up during classes?' Luka noted.

"No, I will to make it up to you somehow."

"No, really. It is fine."

The two went back and forth this way, to the point where it was comical, and rather mildly annoying... Like puns... I'm not witty enough to make a pun right now.

'If only Ace and Deuce were this fluffy...' Luka thought. 'What have they been up to?'

She wondered if they were worried about her, or if they got into trouble because of that. That happened before, but there was no guarantee if they'd be the selfish pricks they used to be. Grim would be the most affected. By the way, where did he sleep? He wasn't in the dorm the previous night.

But most, importantly, did they clean up the lab and preserved her solutions? She wanted to work on this potion again. The time invested in making them must not be wasted.

Oh, what was she thinking? She doesn't deserve that.

She looked at the two friends, who now talked about other random stuff. To think of it, it was mostly Ace and Deuce. She spent her time alone in the lab, while Grim was left alone. Wow, she had been a jerk to them, and now this... She really dragged them into trouble with this, huh?

She owed them.

"But I still feel like I owe you for leaving you behind," Kalim lamented.

Feeling pity for his persistance, Silver gave in. "Then, I guess you could look after this little one during my flight test."

Kalim's cool, but she'd rather not.

"Sure!" The other boy beamed. Silver nudged her a bit, and that got her to Kalim's wide open palm. With that, he left to test his flight capabilities.

'No wait, don't leave me!'

Luka wanted to whine like a toddler being left in preschool. Kalim was notoriously known for being lax, whether he means it or not. She remembered the way he treated Grim during the winters. Without Jamil, she might be doomed.

"Here I have these sunflowers for you, tiny bird." And a platter of food was placed before her. "Sorry, it's all I have right now. I'll get you more later."

...Nevertheless, he might have some caring qualities underneath that careless facade.

She swallowed the seeds one at a time. Sunflower seeds have never felt so delicious. Her hunger stripped away her previous disgust of the oily seed. She had not eaten anything since last night, and her last meal had been... She didn't remember when.

"You really are a tiny one, huh? You're about the size of my forefinger."

Well, she sometimes got too excited in her lab work, and she forgot about eating.

"I think you should eat more," Kalim commented. "Man, I should've brought some crackers. Grim loved them last time."

'I doubt that.'

"Oh, I know, you'll love coconuts."

That's true.

"They have the most refreshing taste. The coconut water will energize you just like that. They say it can heal poisons."

That's also true.

"Hah, now I want coconuts. I'll get some later on. You too. You need the strength."

She'll love that.

"Pshh, I doubt that just coconut water can plump up a bird as teensy as that." A beastman swooped into their conversation. He snatched her away from Kalim's open palm. "A bird like you won't even fill a stomach."

'A fox!' She froze under his strong grip, most likely because it choked her. Release! She needed release!

"You shouldn't be playing with it like that." Kalim scolded, and tried to get her back from him. "That bird has feelings too."

'Of course, more similar to your species than you'd think.'

This fell onto deaf ears. The fox guy frustratingly avoided Kalim's attempts to snatch her away, and yawned. He had the audacity to treat a lady that way, and yawn! He wasn't listening to Kalim reprimands. Luka wanted to punch that grin off his face, as much as she couldn't. But at least he loosened his grip a bit, after Kalim mentioned it.

"Heh, spare me your preaching. I know my way with birds. I've had bird pets at home."

She didn't believe him. Silver treated her better anyway. 'No, Luka, no. You shouldn't be too dependent on a man.' That right, she could endure this.

"Oh." Kalim's protests died down. "That's amazing! So you must know your way around them."

"Yeah well, you could say that." He nodded, scratching his neck. "Coconut is a good treat for a bird. Just don't give her any desiccated ones, unless you want her stomach to blow."

'Is this guy a threat or not?'

Kalim rubbed his chin. "Yeah we wouldn't want that, would we?"

"Secondly, she lacks muscle." The fox pointed out. "If you want her to build that up, you must train her to build it. And what other way than that art of flight, it's own natural instinct?"

"You must be very appreciative to call flight, 'art.'"

"Of course, flight is a graceful form of physical art, capable by only a select few of nature's creatures. Such grace, such physical prowess, I can only be grateful for magic to give us a figment of experience in this virtuosity."

He pounded his fist in his chest, eyes closed to ponder further about the wonder of aerodynamics. Passion can be seen, no, felt leaking out from his words and body language.

'A fox obsessed with flight. How wonderful!' Luka tapped her wings in the same manner one would with fingers. 'I swear if he forces me to fly, I will—'

"Hmm, your wings look terrible."

'Great! That means you have eyes.' She wouldn't be seeing the sky soon.

"We need to train her properly."

'No please.'

"We need to force it in it's natural habitat: the sky."

'Welp!'

"Now, birdy, show me how skilled you are!"

With this, he launched her just like a rocket launcher into the sky.

Air escaped her body as she felt a sudden weightlessness. If she didn't act fast, she might end up as a pulp on the ground. She tried opening her wings, but she felt a sharp stab there as she did. She faltered, and soon enough, her altitude abruptly fell.

Kalim paled as he watched her struggle to keep afloat. "You did mention having birds as in HAD, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Silver's gonna kill me."

Luka was having the perilous time of her life for the fourth time in two days. At that point you'd think she was used to it.

'Flight enthusiast, my foot! What a fake! May all real flying apprecitors f—'

There was a point where she stopped moving, the pain numbing her senses. The force of gravity started to overpower her projectile motion, but... she didn't fall.

Her eyes widening, she couldn't believe the sight. She was gliding smoothly as the air passed through her injured wings. They didn't hurt. It was like a flowing stream carrying a paper boat. She didn't know how she was doing it, but she could fly. It was more of gliding than flying.

The view looked spectacular from up there. The boys looked so tiny, along with the field. She could see the woods near the Ramshackle Dorm, and the botanical garden was just barely visible.

A kite yell abruptly stopped her sightseeing. Adrenaline started pumping into her blood once more. Her nemesis was back. At that height, there was no one to help her, she must escape in her own.

Gliding was slow. She must move faster. She tried flapping her winds. She felt waves after waves of pain as she hopelessly moved her wings. Was this even enough to escape the speed of a bird of prey? It was not. She couldn't take it. She fell.

Now, it was the race between gravity and the kite. Which would kill her first?

"I got you."

She felt a force stop her from falling. Her lungs breathless once more, a familiar warmth surrounded her. She heard the whine of a kite. These sounds grew more and more distant, and she was no longer at the mercy of gravity.

"You're safe now." His voice ebbed away her panic, and calmed her breathing down. She surrendered herself to the comfort.

How many times has he rescued her now?

She felt pathetic.