Cleo felt the weight of dozens of eyes on her. Her ears flattened against her head, and she instinctively lowered her gaze to the floor, her tail curling around her leg. 

‘I caused some kind of trouble just for talking… This feels like my old world all over again,’ she thought bitterly.

Beside her, Celeste noticed her friend’s dejected posture and immediately stepped closer, her hand instinctively reaching out to pat Cleo’s head. 

“Professor Vanhowe,” Celeste began, her voice steady but tinged with concern, “has something like this ever happened before?”

Professor Vanhowe, an older woman with sharp eyes softened by her years of teaching, paused. She rested her chin on her hand, clearly hesitant. 

“Only once, as far as I recall,” she said finally. “But… it was when Emperor Vanzar attended this school, long before any of you were born.”

The classroom fell into a heavy silence as the professor’s words lingered. Cleo glanced around, noticing the subtle, hostile glares some students now directed Celeste's way. 

‘Why are they all glaring at her after she mentioned this Vanzar guy?’ she wondered uneasily.

Before she could dwell on it, the shrill sound of the bell signaling the end of class echoed through the room. The students scrambled for the door, eager to escape the tense atmosphere. 

Professor Vanhowe’s shoulders slumped as she made no effort to stop them, instead turning to the mess on her desk with a resigned sigh.

Cleo stuck close to Celeste, Lily, and Ophelia as they left, listening to their hushed conversation.

“Hey, don’t even worry about what Vanhowe said!” Lily declared, her bright grin attempting to inject some positivity. “You’re nothing like that evil man from the Umbrafell Empire!”

Celeste gave a weak shrug, her head hanging low. 

“I know that. But you know how rumors spread. By tomorrow, everyone will think I’m his long lost relative or something. It’s just… exhausting,” she said, her voice cracking slightly.

Cleo felt a pang of guilt. She nudged her wet nose against Celeste’s hand, hoping to comfort her.

Celeste recoiled as though she had been stung. Her eyes widened in shock and anger as she snapped, “Don’t touch me, you cursed beast!”

The words struck Cleo like a blow. 

Her ears flattened against her head, and she took a trembling step back, her tail tucked between her legs. 

Before Celeste could apologize, Cleo bolted down the hallway in the opposite direction they were going, her heart racing.

“Cleo! Don’t go, please!” Celeste shouted, sprinting after her. “I’m sorry!”

No matter how fast Celeste ran, Cleo always seemed to be just out of reach. Eventually, Cleo found herself outside the school, staring at the rolling hills and a shimmering lake nestled nearby. The sight calmed her frayed nerves slightly.

‘Maybe a swim will make me feel better,’ Cleo thought, padding down the slope toward the lake. The cool water lapped invitingly, and she didn’t hesitate to wade in.

Behind her, Celeste reached the grand doors of the school, panting heavily. She scanned the area frantically. 

“Where did she go?” she muttered between gasps. A loud splash drew her attention to the lake, and her heart sank as she raced over there.

“Cleo! Get out of there, it’s dangerous!” Celeste shouted, her voice sharp with panic.

Cleo tilted her head in confusion. 

‘Dangerous? What could be dangerous in this beautiful lake?’ she thought, her curiosity briefly piqued before her survival instincts kicked in. She turned to paddle toward the shore, but something dark moved beneath the water behind her.

Celeste’s breath hitched. “Hurry! It’s right behind you!” she yelled, reaching for her wand.

Cleo paddled furiously, her limbs burning with effort. ‘Oh no, no, no! Just let me make it to the shore, please! I don't wanna die so soon! I just got comfortable walking on all fours!’ she thought, trying her best to ignore the danger and focus solely on swimming toward Celeste.

The water exploded as the creature emerged. 

A grotesque, twisted figure with webbed claws and jagged teeth loomed over Cleo, letting out a piercing scream that disoriented her. 

She whimpered, her head pounding from the sound, but forced herself to keep moving.

Celeste gripped her wand tightly, her voice trembling as she whispered, “Walstogen.”

A beam of orange light shot from the wand, striking the creature squarely on the forehead. 

The creature, known as an Aquatic Vargulf, froze, its body locking in place before it sank back into the depths, its furious gaze locked on Celeste.

Cleo finally stumbled onto dry land, shaking off the water with an instinctive vigor that drenched Celeste in the process.

“Hey! Watch it!” Celeste laughed, though the tension in her voice lingered.

Cleo whimpered softly, her entire body trembling. Celeste’s smile faded, and she knelt down beside her. Gently, she placed a hand on Cleo’s head, scratching under her chin.

“Look, I’m sorry for what I said earlier,” Celeste said quietly. “I didn’t mean it. I was just… scared. Being associated with someone like Emperor Vanzar isn’t exactly a good thing, you know?”

Cleo let out a soft groan, leaning into Celeste’s touch.

Celeste smiled. “Can we start over… partner?” She held out her other hand, palm open in a gesture of trust.

Cleo hesitated, then placed her paw in Celeste’s hand. “Y-es… Ce-les-te,” she barked softly, her voice shaky but sincere.

The bond between them, tested by fear and misunderstanding, had now grown just a little bit stronger.

To be continued…