Harabi stood in front of the principal's office, her heart pounding against her ribcage. The events of the fire in the ballroom three days ago had left the academy in turmoil, and the investigation had finally reached her. Unlike the previous teacher-led questioning, this morning she had been summoned personally. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she raised her trembling hand and knocked on the heavy wooden door.

 "Good morning. This is Harabi Kurosaki."

 "Come in," came the curt reply from inside.

Harabi hesitated, then cautiously turned the door handle. The office was shrouded in a semi-darkness that felt oppressive. Heavy velvet curtains blocked most of the morning light, and the dark wooden panels lining the walls only added to the somber atmosphere. 

At the center stood a large oak desk, its surface covered in a neat stack of papers and illuminated by the faint glow of a green-shaded lamp. Behind the desk sat the principal.

 "Sit down," he instructed coldly, gesturing to the chair opposite him.

“You’re all here,” the principal finally said, his voice breaking the silence.

Harabi turned her head and noticed the others already seated. Rumiya sat closest to the door, her large eyes filled with worry, though she managed a small, encouraging smile. Next to her was Miki, a frail girl with long hair, nervously chewing her thumbnail. Across from them stood Adena, poised and confident, exuding an air of composure.

Two boys stood nearby, strangers to Harabi. One was tall with short-cropped hair and a serious expression, bearing a striking resemblance to Adena - likely her brother. The other had tousled red hair and a detached demeanor.

The principal surveyed the group briefly before his eyes settled back on Harabi. 

“We’re here to address the incident in the ballroom,” he began, “The fire was no ordinary accident. Evidence suggests it was deliberately set.”

A chill ran through the room. The word “deliberately” hung in the air like a threat.

“You are our suspects,” the principal continued, his gaze shifting between them. “We need answers, and I expect full cooperation.”

He paused, his intense eyes locking onto Harabi.

“Ms. Kurosaki, you were seen leaving the ballroom shortly before the fire. Can you explain your actions that night?”

Harabi swallowed hard. “I… I went to the balcony. It was too crowded, and I don’t like loud music,”

The principal’s expression remained unreadable as he leaned forward slightly. “Then why did you run back inside once the fire started? Why not escape from the balcony?"

“I thought someone might need help,” she replied earnestly. “But by the time I got there, the fire was already spreading. I tried to assist… my friends, but the flames were too intense.”

“Were you alone?”

 “No. Rumiya was with me on the balcony.”

The principal’s gaze shifted to Rumiya.

“Ms. Sudzukawa, witnesses say you weren’t seen at the ball. Yet, when the fire started, you were somehow inside. Care to explain?”

Rumiya hesitated, glancing nervously at Harabi before responding. “I arrived an hour early with Ms. Blossom. I don’t enjoy crowded places, so I stayed on the balcony when the ball began.” 

“The same balcony where Ms. Kurosaki was?” the principal pressed, his tone laced with suspicion. “What did you do when the fire started?”

“I saw Harabi running back to the ballroom,” Rumiya admitted softly. “I followed her because I was worried. We tried to help… but the fire was spreading too quickly.”

The principal’s eyes narrowed. “Thank you, Ms. Sudzukawa. Now, Ms. Blossom.”

Miki froze, visibly trembling. She glanced at the red-haired boy before lowering her eyes.

“I… I had left the ballroom to check on Rumiya before the fire started” she said haltingly..”

“You were found injured in the ballroom,” the principal pointed out. “Why did you return?”

“I thought someone might be trapped,” Miki whispered. “But I was too late. The fire spread so fast… I fell unconscious.”

The principal leaned back, his piercing gaze shifting to the boys. “And you two? Where were you when the fire started?”

The taller boy straightened, meeting the principal’s stare without flinching. “I was with my sister in the garden,” he said evenly. “We saw the smoke and ran inside to help.”

“And you, Mr. Flamer?”

Damien Flamer finally looked up, his eyes sharp. “I was assisting the student council with containing the fire,” he said curtly.

The principal scrutinized him for a moment before speaking. “This investigation is far from over. Until the truth is uncovered, you are all under suspicion. Speak of this to no one. Dismissed.”

They all walked out. Harabi had intended to speak with Rumiya about the strange happenings, but her attention was quickly diverted when she noticed how Rumiya’s gaze was fixed on Miki, who was speaking with Damien.

"I have to talk to you, Damien," Miki spoke, her brows furrowed with concern as she stepped closer to him.

Damien turned to face her, his jaw tightening, a flicker of impatience crossing his features. "Not now, Michelle. My family is here. I can't leave them alone with the teachers," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. The urgency in his voice was clear.

"But..." Miki began, her voice trailing off, but Damien cut her off with a quick wave of his hand, a gesture that was almost too dismissive.

"Later, Michelle. I said later," Damien said.

Miki's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, but then she lowered her head, nodding reluctantly. She knew there was no point in pushing him further right now. Still, the expression on her face reflected the weight of something unsaid.

Rumiya, who had been standing off to the side, watched the exchange with an unreadable expression. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she turned away, her steps sharp with irritation. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but the scene had caught her attention more than she would have liked. As she started walking, she wasn’t looking where she was going and, in her haste, collided with Harabi, who had been standing nearby

"Oh, sorry. I didn’t notice you," Rumiya said, her voice startled but quickly recovering.

Harabi, surprised but not offended, offered a sheepish smile. "Sorry... I was caught up in that drama over there. Is that Damien Flamer everyone talks about?" she asked.

Rumiya nodded, but her gaze drifted back toward Damien and Miki. "Yeah. The genius magician with the bright future and the loud surname," she said, her tone distant, almost dismissive. "And also Miki’s boyfriend."

Harabi raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the casual mention of the relationship. "I didn’t know... He looks much older than her."

Rumiya let out a soft snort, shaking her head as if dismissing the very idea of age. "And she doesn’t care about that.”

Harabi noticed the slight tremor in Rumiya’s voice. It was clear now that something had shifted in Rumiya’s demeanor.

 "Do you not like him?" Harabi asked.

Rumiya paused, her eyes narrowing for a fraction of a second before she turned to look at Harabi. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and for a brief moment, Harabi saw a flash of something almost bitter in her gaze.

"It’s not that simple," Rumiya muttered."People idolize him, but I do not trust him."

 "They’ve been together for 3 years already" suddenly, a voice sliced through the tense air "And they’re still a couple. I wonder why Miki hasn’t noticed that their relationship isn’t as perfect as it appears."

The words hung in the air, and Harabi and Rumiya looked back and noticed Aden’s twin brother standing behind them. Both instinctively took a few steps back, bowing to the prince with respect. But he seemed to disregard the formality. He laughed softly, his eyes softening as he waved his hand dismissively.

"There’s no need for all that," he said with a gentle smile, his tone casual, even lighthearted. "Unlike my sister, I don’t care for the attention that comes with being a prince.”

With a more genuine smile, he regarded them. "You’re Miki’s friends, which means you’re mine too." His voice grew warmer, his earlier jest melting away. "It’s a pleasure to meet you both. You can call me Aden."

Harabi couldn’t help but glance at Aden, her curiosity piqued by the sight of the prince so casually mingling with Miki’s friends. "This is the first time I’ve seen the prince in person. I’ve seen Adena so many times when I was younger, but you..." She trailed off, unsure how to finish the thought.

Aden raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I was always focused more on my education than on politics when I was younger," he replied. "But that’s not what I wanted to talk about."

Before Harabi could respond, Miki suddenly appeared. She pushed Aden playfully. "Hey, these are my friends. Trying to flirt with them?"

Aden, knowing the playful jab was coming, sighed, rolling his eyes as he spoke. "I wasn’t flirting, Miki."

Harabi and Rumiya exchanged surprised glances, their eyes wide at the sight of the two. They had both assumed Aden was the more reserved and serious of the pair, but seeing him so at ease with Miki was a revelation. Harabi, the first to recover from her shock, spoke up, her voice laced with quiet amazement. "You two seem really close."

Aden nodded. "We’re childhood friends," he said simply.

Miki rolled her eyes playfully. "I spent all my childhood with Aden and Adena. If only you knew how tired I am of them."

Aden chuckled at her words, clearly unbothered. "It’s true. We’ve been together for a long time. People even joke that Miki is our third sister."

Rumiya, observing the exchange quietly, leaned toward Harabi and whispered softly, "Miki told me she knows the royal family, but I didn’t know it was this close."

Harabi, still processing the conversation, couldn’t hide her surprise. "I’m shocked right now. Just look at Aden... he looks so much like Adena, but he’s nothing like her."

 Aden, with his usual calm demeanor, laughed lightly at their observations. "Sorry, I have really good ears. And yes,I know I’m not like my twin sister."

Miki, ever the tease, added with a wink, "Adena, Aden, and I are definitely not birds of a feather flocking together."

Harabi smiled. "You two seem like siblings, but Adena... she seems to be out of your circle."

Before anyone could respond, a voice interrupted them. "There can only be two twins. And even though I don't want to admit it, Aden is my twin."

Adena’s smirk widened as she took in the group’s reactions. "I don’t know what you’re all discussing, but let me make this clear. There’s no denying Aden is my twin, even if we don’t always see eye to eye."

She took a few deliberate steps forward, closing the space between her and Miki. Her eyes narrowed, and she looked down at her with a mix of frustration and something darker. "All of you seem to be careless enough to make fun right now. Didn’t you hear the rumors?”

Harabi, sensing where this was headed, felt a knot form in her stomach. She instinctively shifted uncomfortably, her gaze flickering toward Rumiya, who seemed to be trying to disappear into the ground, avoiding eye contact. Miki, caught off guard by the sudden shift in Adena’s demeanor, stepped back slightly.

Adena’s gaze hardened as she continued, her words cutting through the silence. "You are one of the suspects, too, by the way," she said.

Miki, unable to hide the sudden tension in her chest, opened her mouth to respond, but Aden stepped forward again.

Harabi couldn’t stay silent anymore. "We’re all in this situation.”

Adena just looked at Miki with a sharp red eyes. Then she slowly turned to the girl with black hair and smirked: " You know, I was speaking to YOU, right? "

"I know there are rumors about me and Rumiya again. And about our sisters… But," Harabi paused, glancing at the others, "I think, right now, we need to come together. We need to find the truth about this arson."

Adena raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a mocking smirk. "Hmm, is that what you say?"

Rumiya’s face tightened in frustration. "Harabi, what are you - "

Harabi cut her off, her voice calm but firm. "I know you told me to be careful, but here we are, already getting more attention than we need. And we have to deal with it."

Adena scoffed, stepping closer to Harabi. 

"Hey, Ada... Don’t say - " Aden tried to stop his sister. 

"I am speaking now," Adena snapped. "Just close your mouth and take your little friend Miki away. I’m speaking to Harabi."

Adena began walking slowly around Harabi. "You know, I’m just so interested in you.”

She laughed, a sharp, bitter sound that cut through the air, and continued her slow circle. "About the new rumors… they don’t have a huge difference from the old ones. Two mysterious daughters, from two absolutely different families, with a rather interesting common past…" Adena paused, her eyes narrowing as she sized up Harabi, her words a deliberate taunt. "They suddenly appear at the academy this year. And the next day, people saw them together, and then the fire started."

Adena stopped walking abruptly, turning on her heel to face Rumiya. She pointed at her, her smirk growing wider. "Some people say it was you. You and your ‘new’ friend."

 Adena suddenly just walked past them. "Have fun, Harabi. And Rumiya…"

Rumiya took a small, hesitant step toward her, but before she could speak, Harabi held up a hand, signaling for silence. She needed a moment. She needed to think.

 "Harabi, Rumiya," Miki began. "Don’t let Adena get to you. She’s always like that.

 Aden, who had been watching from a short distance, finally walked over to them. He flashed a half-smile, trying to ease the atmosphere. He stood next to Harabi and smiled.

"Yeah, Adena’s a lot to deal with," he said, chuckling softly to break the tension. "But we’ve known her for years. Trust me, she likes to stir things up just to see how people react. It’s part of the game with her."

Harabi nodded, still visibly shaken, but she appreciated their attempts to calm her down. Rumiya, too, seemed to breathe a little easier after hearing Miki’s words, though she remained quiet, her gaze distant.

Miki looked at Harabi for a moment, then back at Rumiya "Listen," she said, her voice brightening slightly, "how about a walk? The academy’s huge, and we could use some fresh air. Plus, I can show you guys around, introduce you to some of our friends. It’ll help take your mind off of everything, I promise." 

Aden nodded in agreement. "We’ll even make it a small tour of sorts. You’ll get to meet some people who aren’t wrapped up in all the drama." 

"Alright. A walk sounds good. I guess we could use a break from all this drama," she said, managing a small smile.