"That's it, Kael, let's go. Time to act." We followed them to the cafeteria. Kael looked suspiciously enthusiastic—a Plan had formed in his head.

  First, he headed toward that white-haired Dragonkin. I saw my brother whispering something to him, gesturing actively and apparently reminding him of some old debt. The Dragonkin grimaced skeptically at first, but when he saw Greg and realized it was his roommate, he smirked predatorily.

  The plan was as simple as two plus two: the Dragonkin leads Greg away under a plausible pretext, Kael distracts the princesses, and I... I make my move.

  Honestly, as I stood in the shadow of a pillar, the feeling of utter absurdity wouldn't leave me. What are we even doing? Weaving intrigues around a guy in a mask as if he’s the key to world domination.

  The Dragonkin sat down next to Greg. They grumbled about something for about ten minutes, until Greg finally deigned to stand up and follow him toward the exit. At that moment, Kael, like a seasoned diplomat, glided over to Alexia and Lianel, blocking their view and showering them with questions.

  "What 'boys' meeting,' Dragonkin?" Greg grumbled, stepping out into the empty corridor. "I want to eat!"

  My cue. Step one. I blocked his path and silently held out a piece of candy. Greg didn't even hesitate. He eagerly snatched it and popped it into his mouth.

  The Dragonkin, standing nearby, looked at me with obvious suspicion but stayed silent.

  Step two. I stepped right up to him. Close enough to almost feel the cold radiating from his mask. A short, sharp strike to his chest, right over his heart. One. Two. Three. Then—light claps over his ears.

  "Umm... what?" Greg mumbled, continuing to chew. "Do you have some weird greeting ritual?"

  I didn't answer. I stepped behind him, exactly copying Alexia's gesture—I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressed myself close, and began rapidly whispering an obedience formula into his ear. A spell that binds the will through the rhythm of the heart and hearing.

  Finishing, I triumphantly snapped my fingers in front of his nose. "Now—sit!" I commanded.

  Greg froze. He finished his candy, licked his lips, and looked at me over his shoulder. "What do you want? What are these cheap tricks you're throwing around?"

  I froze. "What do you mean? You were supposed to..."

  "Alastia," Greg sighed, and infinite exhaustion could be heard in his voice. "Such low-level manipulation techniques don't work on me. You can't fool a fool with that."

  He lazily turned around and trudged back toward the cafeteria.

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  "Wait!" I yelled at his back. "So... they haven't put anything on you either? No charms? No binding?"

  "Nope," Greg tossed back without even turning around. "I just like it when I get scratched."

  The Dragonkin walked up to me, his yellow eyes burning with anger. "That wasn't our deal, Alastia," he growled. "You didn't just want to test him; you wanted to bewitch him. The candy—to invoke a sense of debt. The strikes to the heart—to bind the mana threads. The spell in the ear—to cement the command. Three techniques in one... You play dirty."

  He spat angrily and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

  I was left standing alone, feeling like a complete idiot. For the first time, the "triple trap" had snapped shut on empty air.

  "Alright," I thought, wiping my sweaty palms. "If magic doesn't work, we'll go another route."

  I returned to the cafeteria, plastered my friendliest smile on my face, and sat down right next to the princesses. Greg was already sitting there, melancholically picking at his plate with a fork.

  "Oh, hello!" I chirped cheerfully. "Your name is Lianel, right? And you're Alexia?"

  The princesses exchanged a glance. Evident bewilderment could be read in their eyes. "Yes, that is correct, Alastia," Lianel answered coldly. "To what do we owe this sudden urge to socialize?"

  I only smiled wider. The game was just beginning.

  Alexia's hand. Again. That ridiculous, methodical rhythm. Her fingers buried themselves in his hair, and Greg... he "melted" again. His eyes closed, his shoulders slumped. He started falling asleep right in front of the entire cafeteria, turning from a formidable mage into a shapeless lump of bliss.

  My left eye twitched nervously. "How do you do that?" slipped out of me. "Is it some kind of advanced psycho-magic? Are you pouring mana directly into his brain?"

  Alexia looked at me, and there was so much condescending superiority in her smile that I wanted to hit her. "No magic at all, Alastia," she sang. "Pure tactility. Want to... try it yourself? If you aren't afraid."

  She pulled her hand away, and for a second Greg grimaced in displeasure, as if someone had taken away his heating pad in the bitter cold.

  I froze. My heart started pounding somewhere in my throat. Slowly, very cautiously, I reached out my hand. My fingers, clad in thick gloves, touched the crown of his head.

  Oh.

  The world around me instantly went quiet. All my irritation, all my thirst for destruction, all that eternal anxiety I carried inside me simply... evaporated. I felt Peace. Deep as the ocean floor.

  And then Greg made a sound. A quiet, vibrating rumble somewhere in his chest. He started purring. Like a cat.

  I began to stroke his hair. It was soft even through the fabric of the glove. I wanted to keep doing this forever.

  "Do you feel it?" Alexia's voice sounded right next to me. "Do you feel how good it feels to him? This calmness is contagious, isn't it?"

  I nodded, unable to tear myself away.

  "Take off your gloves, Alastia," the princess added insinuatingly. "For a better effect. Skin to skin. That way he'll feel you for real. And you him."

  I froze. Her words hit me like ice water. Take off my gloves?

  I imagined my bare fingers touching his head. What would happen first? Would his mind crumble to dust? Would his flesh begin to wither, like that bird in class?

  I sharply yanked my hand back, as if Greg had suddenly heated up to a thousand degrees. "I can't," I forced a fake smile, feeling my face turn to stone. "I'm... allergic to sincerity."

  I stood up abruptly and, without looking at my brother, walked briskly toward the cafeteria exit.

  Inside, right beneath my ribs, it hurt unbearably. It wasn't magic. It was pure envy. Envy of Alexia, who could give him warmth without fearing she would turn him to ash. And anger at myself for being nothing more than a tool for destruction.

  I stepped out into the corridor, clenching my fists. My gloves felt like heavy shackles right now.