People in pristine uniforms and neatly knotted ties moved through a vast courtyard, framed by towering stone buildings that loomed like sentinels of tradition.
The students carried thick books under their arms, lost in the monotony of campus life.
Some clustered around benches flanking leafless hedges, their conversations weaving in and out of the frosty winter air. It was an idle symphony of gossip, laughter, and weary sighs.
Then, disrupting the calm like a sudden gust, someone darted past.
"Hey!" an indignant voice rang out as a student stumbled aside, nearly knocked over.
"Sorry!" the hurried boy shouted back an apology without stopping, his shoes striking the stone walkway with clipped urgency. He continued to weave past the incoming students, his breath puffing in quick bursts.
He reached the chiseled stone stairwell and began ascending two steps at a time, stopping random students along the way to ask an important question.
"Have you guys seen Sol?"
Most shook their heads, offering shrugs or confused glances before walking on. After confirming their responses, he kept approaching every other person who came along the way.
All of them seemed to have the same answer—until finally, one gave him a major clue.
"I think I saw him heading toward the Sky Dorm."
He shouted a quick thanks and dashed off toward the dormitory wing, soon arriving at an empty corridor.
He passed several closed doors before abruptly stopping at one, confidently pushing it open with a slam.
Inside, a boy sat beside an open suitcase, carefully folding a shirt and pressing it flat against a small stack.
"Sol, I've been looking all over for you," he complained breathlessly, pushing up his glasses that were sliding down his nose. He then shut the door with a thud and made his way inside.
He crossed the room and found a comfortable spot on the windowsill, not wasting a second to sit down and relaxe his tired body.
"I apologize, Jonathan," Sol greeted, looking up with mild surprised by the unexpected visit. "But why were you looking for me?"
His honeyed-brown eyes remained focused on his exasperated friend, though his hands stayed busy folding clothes to place in the suitcase.
"The members from the council were asking for the task list." Jonathan said through tired breaths, his limbs still sore from running. "Weren't you supposed to put it on the notice board?"
"Huh?" Sol blinked in confusion as he stood up, setting aside the folded cloth for a moment. "Ashley took it from me this morning. She said she'd handle it," he explained, brushing a few loose strands of brown hair from his forehead, revealing his knitted brow.
"Ugh, I don't know about her. I haven't seen her all day," Jonathan groaned, pressing his fingers to his temple in resignation.
"Well, I have some more typed out. We can use one of those." Sol calmly reassured his friend, whose face was shadowed by worry.
Jonathan's eyes lit up in immediate relief. "Seriously? That's a lifesaver."
"Shall we make our way over there?" Sol offered, smoothing out the creases in his robe. After a few firm pats, the fabric hung straight again.
Jonathan was already halfway out the door, and Sol followed behind him with a helpless smile.
A hollowed creak echoed through an austere room when its door was nudged open. The space was elegantly furnished with sturdy wooden desks, and the high walls were almost entirely lined with bookshelves filled to the brim with leather-bound tomes.
At the far end, a tall arched window dominated the scene, its glass panes offering a panoramic view of the campus grounds below, where students in uniform milled about like dots on a parchment.
As soon as Jonathan stepped in, he faltered at the doorway, his breath instinctively catching in his throat.
There, standing by the window with his hands neatly clasped behind his back, was a figure he recognized immediately, even from behind. The poise, the silhouette and the air—it could only be one person.
Noticing his friend's sudden halt, Sol leaned in from behind with a puzzled glance over Jonathan's shoulder.
"What happened?" he asked, tilting his head to one side with curiosity.
"Uhmm… You go ahead and take it. I'll just wait out here," Jonathan mumbled, his gaze skimming restlessly to the corners of the hallway, as if trying to disappear into the shadows.
"Alright." Sol nodded, brushing past him without much thought and stepped into the room. That was when he finally saw the person inside, someone he was very familiar with.
"Brother Julius," Sol greeted with a sudden brightness.
The man turned, his charcoal-black hair catching the sunlight like strands of silk ink.
Sol came up to him with sparkling eyes. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here," he chirped.
Julius's gloved hand rose to gently pat his younger brother's head, and Sol's grin deepened in response.
"Ahem."
A loud cough drew Sol's attention to his friend who was still waiting outside, seemingly desperate to leave as quickly as possible.
"Right…" Sol muttered as he turned back to his brother. "Excuse me for a second, Brother Julius. I'll be right back."
He walked across the room, oblivious to the way Julius watched him go. His dark jet eyes gleamed like garnets pressed into obsidian, carrying something mysterious.
Sol opened a drawer from one of the desks and pulled out a sheet of parchment from a carefully arranged stack. He then made his way to the door and handed it to Jonathan.
"This one should—"
"I'll be going now. Let's talk later."
Jonathan grabbed the paper and turned on his heel, disappearing down the corridor without another word. Sol blinked after him, puzzled by his haste.
'Strange. He must really be in a hurry.'
With a shrug, he turned and made his way back.
"What were you doing here all alone?" Sol asked, approaching the tall figure still gazing out the window.
Julius turned slowly, a tender smile playing on his lips as he wrapped Sol into a firm hug, pulling him close.
"I was waiting for you, of course," he murmured, leaning in to press his face against the pale neck and tightening his arms around the toned body beneath him. "I missed you."
"But we just saw each other yesterday," Sol laughed, his cheeks dusted with pink as he hugged his brother back.
"Hmm, did we?" Julius hummed in his baritone voice, his black eyes tinged with a reddish hue. Even in shadow, they seemed to glow, like embers caught behind glass. "To me, it felt like forever."
His pointed nose hovered along the lines of Sol's neck, a wide snicker spreading across his lips. Then, just as casually, he pulled away and ruffled Sol's silky hair one final time.
He watched as the unsuspecting lamb smiled back at him with utmost trust.
It was almost pitiful.… showing affection to his own demise.