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Tick-tock, tick-tock - the rhythmic drone of the ancient wall clock echoed through the room. Only a few minutes remained until midnight.
The grumpy, middle-aged teacher sat at the podium, yawning deeply after hours of supervision. In the detention hall, there was only one student: a lone blonde boy sitting upright, seemingly focused on his written lines. The atmosphere was deathly silent, save for the mechanical ticking. It was mind-numbingly dull.
Click. The teacher finally stood up, left the room, and closed the door behind him.
"Sigh... finally gone," the boy breathed a sigh of relief, slumping back into his chair. "Seriously, I skip class for one second and suddenly it's scrubbing toilets, mopping floors, and now twenty pages of lines... aaagh, so boring..."
Avrelian pushed the stack of punishment sheets aside and pulled out a notebook he had been hiding under the desk. In truth, he hadn't been writing "I promise to study diligently" at all; he’d just been faking the movement of his pen. Sure, failing to finish the twenty pages meant he’d be dragged back here tomorrow, but who had the time? He had his own projects to attend to!
"... This wing part would look better curving inward, wouldn't it?" Avrelian muttered while sketching away. "Hmm, if it's too stylized, it'll be hard to craft... which detail should I cut?"
Gong! Gong! Gong! The midnight bell chimed, resonating through the halls. The teenager remained buried in his work, seemingly deaf to the sound. If there was anything that could catch his attention, it could only be...
"Relya!" a voice hissed from the window. Strange, wasn't this the fourth floor?
Avrelian’s head snapped up instantly, and he scrambled toward the sound. He paused for a split second to listen for footsteps in the hallway; fortunately, the guard was long gone.
"Move aside, Silve! This window opens outward!" Avrelian whispered toward the glass before gently unlatching it.
Creak-
Clinging precariously outside was a boy around Avrelian’s age, with emerald-green eyes and brown hair. This was Silvestr Petrovich Solovei - or just Silvestr, or Silve for short (such a long noble name, wasn't it?). Ropes were coiled around his wrists; apparently, that was his method for reaching this height.
"Ah, Relya!" Silvestr chirped happily. "I followed the route you told me about! How are things in there?"
"You're amazing, Silve! we only found that route yesterday, but it’s still pretty dangerous," Avrelian said, reaching out to grab his friend’s hand to pull him inside.
"It’s fine, these pipes can support my weight, and besides, I’m being very carefu-"
Before he could finish, Silvestr’s foot slipped. He nearly plummeted, but Avrelian gripped his hand tight in that split second, hauling him inch by inch into the safety of the room.
Silvestr was Avrelian’s best friend and his primary partner-in-crime when it came to skipping class. Logically, they should have been punished together, but because Silvestr held a noble title, the teachers often turned a blind eye. Avrelian harbored a deep distaste for such blatant inequality between nobles and commoners, but his Silve was an exception. After all, when you're best friends, who cares about status?
"I've come to keep you company, Relya!" Silvestr chirped enthusiastically the moment he was pulled to safety. "If it’s the lines you're worried about, I’ll help you finish them!"
Avrelian didn’t answer immediately. He was busy reconnoitering the hallway and meticulously inspecting the teacher’s desk. He then moved on to ransacking the storage cabinets in the room, where he "accidentally" stumbled upon another length of rope.
"Silve, you’re going to help me, right?" Avrelian asked, his voice brimming with bravado.
"Well, of course!" Silvestr replied without a second thought.
"That’s my boy! Alright, Silve, we’re breaking out!"
Avrelian began scribbling furiously in his notebook, sketching out a mini-map. He was calculating their escape route for the night.
"But if the teacher finds out, you’ll just be punished again tomorrow," Silvestr noted with a hint of concern.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... This isn't just 'running away,' my dear Silve," Avrelian propped his chin on his hand, adopting the air of a seasoned professional. "This... is a Great Heist! We are going to liberate Viktor’s most prized possession!"
Viktor was the name of that grumpy teacher who had just left. A wealthy noble in his own right, he had just become the prime target for these two troublemakers tonight.
Avrelian’s plan was quite simple: they would escape through the same window Silvestr had used to break in. According to the duty log on the teacher's desk and Avrelian’s extensive "detention experience," Viktor likely wouldn't return until 1:30 or 2:00 AM. He usually locked the door from the outside to prevent students from escaping, then headed off for a nap.
"So, following the route I’ve mapped out, we’ll infiltrate Viktor’s private quarters," Avrelian pointed to the small sketch. "And 'borrow' the treasures from his safe!"
"Hmm, but I recall that safe being full of nothing but liquor. We aren't old enough to drink yet, Relya," Silvestr pointed out. "And selling it now would be a hassle."
While they debated, Avrelian had already prepped the ropes by the window. A true professional at work.
"Then we’ll bury it at 'the usual spot'!" Avrelian said excitedly. "We’ll wait for a beautiful day in the future to drink it together!"
"Okay, let’s do that."
Click-clack, click-clack - Avrelian was using his lockpicking set to pry open the safe while Silvestr stood guard at the door. They had one hour left.
Snap! "Aha! Got it!" Avrelian cheered.
Creeeeak - The heavy safe door swung open, revealing bottles of precious spirits.
"Is this... Fire-water?" Silvestr peered inside. "There’s Dandelion Wine too... and this one looks like it’s from Liyue? Oh, and Sakura Bloom wine... that’s a lot."
"This Viktor fellow has quite the tolerance, doesn't he?" Avrelian held a bottle up to the light. "Every bottle is half-empty, and the production dates are all from this year."
The two boys continued ransacking the safe. A bit of cash, a stack of blank checks, some oddly colored gemstones, and plenty of wine. Avrelian carefully gathered the loot, making sure not to leave any fingerprints or stray hairs behind. Silvestr handled the wine, choosing only the single bottle that remained sealed - after all, opened bottles wouldn't last until they grew up. Since it lacked a label, he guessed it was a fine, aged vintage.
"Alright, let's go, Silv-"
Avrelian’s words were cut short by the rattling of the main door. Someone was trying to enter! There was no time to clean up, they were doomed! The two friends slammed the safe shut and scrambled under the mahogany desk, hands over their mouths, praying in dead silence.
Rattle, rattle! The sound at the door grew more violent.
"Hey, Viktor! The Headmaster is asking why you haven't submitted the report yet!" a voice called from the other side.
"What? What a pain. I'll get to it in a bit; I was just having a craving for a drink," another voice replied, likely the owner of the room.
"It's about the budget or something..."
"Huh?? Blast it! I'm coming right now!"
The footsteps receded into the distance until silence returned. To be safe, the boys waited a few more minutes before daring to peek out.
"Phew... that gave me a heart attack," Avrelian exhaled. "Hurry, Silve, we still have to get to the spot! Ah, wait, let me close the safe properly!"
The blonde boy reopened the safe for a final check. Satisfied, he pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket and tucked it inside.
"What's that?" Silvestr asked curiously.
"Hehe, it's my 'Master Thief' signature!" Avrelian declared proudly. "That way, everyone will know exactly who took the goods!"
"Wow... your drawing is terrible."
"Gah... it’s just a rough sketch..."
"You should redraw it on different paper, Relya. This is the kind of stationery only you use!"
Silvestr grabbed a piece of paper he found in the room and used a pen from the desk to redraw the Raven emblem. This time, the lines were sleek and refined, leaving even Avrelian in awe.
Click - Avrelian carefully closed the safe, resetting the tumblers to their original positions and wiping away any trace of their touch.
The rest of their journey went smoothly. Not a single teacher crossed their path, hardly a surprise, as the rest of the world was long since buried in sleep. Taking advantage of every remaining second, Avrelian and Silvestr slipped through the vacant hallways like shadows.
...
Thump, thump, thump - Avrelian patted down the soil, burying today’s "treasure" in a spot known only to him and Silvestr.
"That Viktor fellow is going to be so bitter, haha!" Avrelian laughed triumphantly.
"Do you really think he won't find out, Relya?" Silvestr asked, a hint of worry lingering in his voice.
"How could he? Only we know about this place, Silve... hey, don't you dare sell me out!"
"Don't worry, I won't."
"Then there's no way Viktor will ever know, ahahaha!"
With the job finished, the two boys returned to the detention hall via the window route. Perhaps due to exhaustion and mounting sleepiness, Silvestr moved noticeably slower this time. His grip slipped once or twice, but fortunately, his best friend was there to catch him.
Click - Avrelian successfully pried the window open and deftly hauled Silvestr inside. He told his friend to hide in the storage cabinet for a while, intending for them to head back together once the coast was clear. Silvestr obediently followed suit.
In the end, Viktor never returned. The reason was obvious: he was likely off hunting for his missing "loot," haha. Instead, a different teacher arrived to dismiss Avrelian to the dorms. Luckily, she seemed unaware of the twenty-page punishment, saving the boy a lot of trouble. Once she left, Avrelian went back to wake a fast-asleep Silvestr from the cabinet.
Their mission was officially over. Silvestr bid Avrelian farewell at the dorm lobby, and they headed to their respective wings.
Silvestr sat hunched over his desk, working through the homework he’d neglected for the sake of the heist. It wasn't a major issue; today's lesson was easy enough, and with a few quick strokes of his pen, he was finished.
"Time for bed."
Silvestr switched off the light and climbed into bed.
Knock, knock, knock - someone was rapping at the main door. The brown-haired boy didn't pay it much mind, thinking his tired brain was just playing tricks on him.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK! - the sound grew louder.
Clutching his pillow, Silvestr ran to open the door. Honestly, who would be here at this hour...? Through the peephole, he saw a flash of bright blonde hair.
"Ah... good evening, Silve!" Avrelian beamed, quickly slipping into the room. "Those guys back at my dorm won't open the door. It's a pain, so... mind if I crash here?"
Silvestr's dorm was a double room with a vacant bed, whereas Avrelian’s was a six-person squeeze, a typical display of the class divide. It seemed his five roommates were already dead to the world. Silvestr was far too used to this, even when he wasn't serving detention until the early hours, Avrelian often swung by his room just to hang out.
Grumble... "Ah, do you have anything to eat, Silve? That Viktor guy made me miss dinner," Avrelian groaned.
Since this was a recurring theme, Silvestr always kept a stash of biscuits and cold cuts in his cupboard.
...
"Aaaaah, I'm stuffed! I don't know what I'd do without you, my dear Silve!"
Avrelian finished his late-night feast with a look of pure satisfaction.
"Here, I just brewed some tea. Help yourself," Silvestr said, setting down a cup.
"Aaah! You're the best!"
Avrelian took the cup and drained it in one go. And so, at long last, a tiring day of school finally came to an end.
...
"Wait, Silve, where did the other bed go?" Avrelian asked, staring at the empty space now cluttered with wooden crates. Having visited this room countless times, he knew for a fact there were supposed to be two.
"Oh, one of the other rooms had a broken bed, so the staff hauled this one away," Silvestr explained.
Oh. So this was the legendary "There Was Only One Bed" trope in the flesh? Heh. Well, technically there was a sofa too. But somehow, Avrelian flopped onto the bed instantly, not giving the sofa a single second of consideration.
"I’ll just share with you then, Silve. Don't worry, I'll stay on my side," Avrelian said with an air of "utmost" reliability.
"Oh, alright then," Silvestr replied.
And so, the two best friends shared a single bed.
Avrelian was a bit of a schemer. Perhaps due to his upbringing, he always felt the need to work twice as hard just to survive. He carried many secrets, many things buried deep in his heart that he never intended to voice. To Avrelian, Silvestr was the most important person in the world, his closest confidant, and... well, perhaps a little more than just a friend. Avrelian was harborng a secret crush on Silvestr.
Aaaagh, but he wouldn't dare say it, the embarrassment would be fatal. Besides, being "best friends" offered its own perks. For instance...
Avrelian pulled Silvestr into a tight embrace as he drifted off to sleep. Silvestr didn't seem to mind; he simply assumed his friend felt insecure without a bolster to hug. Just like that, Avrelian took advantage of his "best friend" status, step by calculated step... A future Master Thief, indeed. Of course, he wanted to confess his feelings, but now wasn't the time.
"I have to wait for the perfect moment!" Avrelian thought.
Ahaha... and when exactly would that be?
On the other side of the bed, Silvestr... liked Avrelian too. But since he was perfectly content with their current relationship, he kept his silence.
The story of these two boys ends here. (Well, just this fic; Avrelian and Silvestr still have a long, long life ahead of them.)