The evening in the dorm was quiet. Harabi lay on her bed, her nose buried in a book she had been trying to read for hours, but thoughts about the day's events were making it hard to concentrate. The lamp on the nightstand barely illuminated the room, its soft light not giving a full picture, but it was enough. Tatsuki's bed next to her was empty - she hadn't returned yet, and Harabi felt lonely.

She turned the page, but again couldn't read even a few lines. What had happened that morning was still spinning in her head. She had been sent back to her room right after the incident, and she hadn't left since. Harabi sighed heavily, her heart was heavy. The only thought that was bothering her was that this wouldn't reach her parents. Her family had always been demanding, and being in the middle of an incident in her first month at the academy would be unacceptable for them.

"Two incidents in a few days... Damn, how did I get into this?" she whispered to herself, glancing up at the ceiling.

She put the book down and got up from the bed, heading for the window. It looked out onto the academy, its tall buildings still glowing in the evening gloom. The street was full of people, students gathered in groups, some rushing about their business. Harabi didn't know them yet, but they already knew her - it was unbearable. Each of their greetings seemed forced, as if they knew something that she didn't.

Suddenly, her gaze fell on a familiar figure at the exit of the dorm. It was Rumiya. Harabi narrowed her eyes.

"Where is she going?" flashed through her mind as she saw Rumiya heading towards the boys' dorm.It seemed odd, it was late at night, and Rumiya didn't seem like the type to break the rules of the academy without a reason.

Harabi was about to reach for the window, about to open it and call out to Rumiya, when there was a knock on the door.

She froze, her heart jumping in her chest. She stared at the door for a few seconds before she hesitantly said,

"Yes, come in."

The door opened slightly, and Tatsuki walked into the room, her face calm as always, but Harabi could see some tension in her eyes.

"You're back already," Harabi tried to smile. "How was your day?"

Tatsuki closed the door behind her and walked to her bed without answering right away. She took off her coat, carefully hanging it over the back of a chair, and only then turned to face her friend.

"Not so well," she said shortly. "Are you okay?"

Harabi couldn't help but tense up, but she tried to speak calmly:

"Yes, of course I am ok."

"I see," Tatsuki said, sitting down on her bed. "You're lucky everything worked out. Although be more careful next time."

Harabi nodded and went to the window again, looking down. Rumiya was still walking towards the boys' dorm, her figure almost hidden in the evening shadows.

"Tatsuki..." she began, without turning around. "Have you seen Rumiya ? Why is she going there?"

Tatsuki came closer, looking in the same direction.

"Rumiya? To the boys' dorm? That's strange... Although, maybe she has something to do?" Tatsuki shrugged. "But it's better not to interfere. If she wanted something, she would say so, right?

Harabi frowned.

"I'm not sure..."Maybe we should find out?

"You don't want to get into trouble again, right?" Tatsuki said with cold logic. "Just leave her alone. You don't even know what's going on. Maybe she has a reason."

Harabi turned away from the window, still feeling uneasy, but unable to find anything to say in response.

Harabi narrowed her eyes at Tatsuki, realizing that she was clearly hiding something. It was obvious that she didn't like Rumiya, even if Tatsuki was trying to hide it. Harabi returned to her bed, and after a moment of silence, she decided to ask directly:

"You don't like Rumiya?"

Tatsuki shrugged without looking up.

"What makes you think that? I barely know her. How can I not like someone I don't even know?"

Harabi didn't accept that answer.

"You despise her or avoid her, it's obvious..."

Tatsuki raised her head sharply, a shadow of irritation flashing in her eyes.

"No... That's not true."

"Then why are you so cold to her?"Harabi insisted, sensing that her friend was not finishing the sentence.

Tatsuki sighed, a note of sarcasm sounding in her voice:

"And should I run into her arms?"

"What?" Harabi frowned in surprise, not understanding what this tone was about.

Tatsuki got up from the bed and, going to the window, looked outside. Her face became serious.

"Harabi," she began, "she is the daughter of the Sudzukawa family. And all these rumors about your sister and her sister...."

Harabi froze.

"Do you really believe the rumors?" she asked, trying to figure out how deep this hatred went.

Tatsuki didn't answer right away, just clenched her hand into a fist. Then, slowly, as if weighing each word, she said:

"I..." she paused for a moment. "I'm just trying to maintain my family's reputation. And yours too."

"Mine?" Harabi was confused.

Tatsuki slowly turned to her, her voice growing colder:

"After Kurosaki Meruka's death and Sudzukawa Mire's disappearance, the relationship between your families isn't the best. You haven't severed it, but it's strained. And my family, the Shirakawa family, has. The Shirakawa and Sudzukawa are no longer partners, and I have no intention of improving that situation."

Harabi was at a loss. It all sounded too complicated, but one thing was clear: the conflicts between their families were deeper than she imagined.

“Wait, did you say ‘cut off’?” she asked, feeling something inside her tighten with anxiety.

Tatsuki held her gaze at Harabi, as if debating whether to continue the conversation.

“Yes,” she finally answered, moving closer to the bed and sitting down on the edge. “My family decided that they could no longer maintain ties with the Sudzukawas. There was too much intrigue, too many unanswered questions. After Sudzukawa Mire disappeared, it became clear that they couldn’t be trusted.”

“But what does this have to do with me?” Harabi frowned. “My family and theirs are different. I’m just trying to understand why you treat Rumiya like that, when it’s not her fault that our families are going through this.”

Tatsuki sighed heavily and leaned back, supporting herself with her hands.

- It's not just because of rumors, Harabi.You may not realize it now, but reputation is everything at the academy. Your name, your background, it all affects how you're treated. Rumiya is the daughter of the Sudzukawas, and the Sudzukawas have tarnished their name. And even if she hasn't done anything herself yet, her past follows her. It doesn't matter whether she wants it or not.

Harabi listened in silence, trying to process what she was hearing. Her fingers involuntarily clenched into a fist.

"Do you really think I should stay away from her just because our families decided so?"

Tatsuki looked straight at her.

"I think you need to be careful. If not for yourself, then for your family. You're tied to their reputation right now. If someone decides that you're too close to Rumiya, it could affect your future at the academy. And if something gets out at home..." She didn't finish, but the point was clear.

Harabi felt a conflict growing inside her. On the one hand, she understood that Tatsuki cared about her, but on the other, it all seemed unfair.

“But Rumiya isn’t her family,” Harabi insisted. “She just wants to study, like the rest of us. Why should she be judged for something she can’t change?”

Tatsuki narrowed her eyes, as if Harabi’s words had struck a nerve.

“In the world we live in, it’s not that easy to let go of the past. And even if you want to protect Rumiya, remember: you can’t protect everyone. You need to choose what’s more important to you.”

Tatsuki sighed softly, watching Harabi’s reaction. Apparently, the conversation had taken a more serious turn than she had originally planned.

“Harabi,” she began, “what do you know about the head of Soleil?”

Harabi frowned, a little confused.The question caught her off guard.

"The leader? That's... Rumiya's mother, isn't it? Sudzukawa..."

Tatsuki nodded.

"Sudzukawa Lian" she repeated. "She left MistLand 12 years ago... Leaving the town and her youngest daughter, who was only four years old at the time."

"What?" Harabi's voice wavered. "She left the island? I didn't know anything about that..."

"That's not surprising," Tatsuki continued. "The elders tried to hide this information so as not to cause a scandal. But recently, the truth came out. Sudzukawa Lian disappeared after the death of her husband and the loss of her eldest daughter. No one has seen her since then."

Harabi sat down slowly on the bed, her hands shaking.

"I didn't know..." Her voice was almost a whisper. "Why didn't my parents tell me anything?"

Tatsuki shrugged slightly, her face calm.

"They hid the whole story from you. Like so much else. The whole town knew about Sudzukawa Lian, but no one spoke openly. Your parents probably didn't want you to get involved.

Harabi tried to digest what she had heard. Bits and pieces of phrases, rumors that she hadn't taken seriously before floated into her head. Now, they all seemed like parts of a huge mystery.

"But why did she run away?" Harabi asked, still not understanding the whole picture.

Tatsuki frowned, looking out the window, as if searching for the answer.

"Who knows. There are many rumors... Some say she lost her mind after her losses. Others are sure she was running away from something... or someone. But whatever the case, her disappearance only made things worse for the Sudzukawa family."

There was silence, broken only by the distant hum of the students outside the window. Harabi felt uneasiness growing inside her.

Tatsuki continued to stare out the window, her gaze cold and focused. Harabi sighed heavily, feeling all this information weighing on her.

“But why is this important to us now?” she asked quietly, trying to make sense of this whole story. “What can Rumiya do? She doesn’t know anything about her mother’s past…”

Tatsuki was silent for a moment, then turned to Harabi.

“Rumiya may not know, but that doesn’t mean she’s not dangerous. The Sudzukawa family has always been influential, and people forget that power can be passed on even through those who don't know how to wield it. Her mother left her here, but that doesn't make her any less of a figure in the world of magic. Many believe that sooner or later, Rumiya will be drawn into this conflict."

Harabi shook her head, not believing what she was hearing.

"But she's just a student, like us. She doesn't look like someone who would be drawn into intrigue or dangerous games."

Tatsuki chuckled, her eyes sparkling.

"Maybe at first glance. But, Harabi," her voice became softer, almost warning, "I'm not saying this to scare you. Just be careful. Some secrets are best left in the past, but they always find a way to come back.Harabi stared at the floor, still unsure why this had to do with her. Everything seemed so confusing, and Rumia seemed so far removed from those old, sinister stories. But Tatsuki’s words continued to buzz around in her head.

“What do you suggest?” she finally asked.

Tatsuki rose from the bed, her figure seeming more tense than usual.

“I suggest you keep your distance. You shouldn’t get too close to Rumiya. Her fate has already been determined by her past. And if you get caught up in it, you too might become part of a story you don’t want to be part of.”

Harabi didn’t respond. Her mind was spinning around everything she’d just heard. She was trying to figure out how any of this could possibly affect her, and what dark secrets Rumiya’s family was hiding.

“But I’m already part of that story,” Harabi said quietly, feeling fear begin to fill her heart.

Tatsuki slowly turned her head in her direction, a hint of sympathy appearing in her eyes.

"Your role in it isn't that big, Harabi," she replied, lowering her gaze. "Meruki and Mire were friends in the past, and look where that led. To your sister's death and the complete destruction of the Sudzukawa family."

Harabi felt as if those words had struck her. Her sister... She had thought about those events many times, but she had never connected them to the history of the Rumiya family. Now, it all seemed too real, too close.

"But was it their friendship's fault?" Harabi's voice trembled. "Wasn't it a coincidence?"

Tatsuki slowly shook her head.

"Many people in the academy think so. But I believe there's more to it. The Sudzukawas have always been a dangerous family, and their influence stretches far beyond the island. Mire has disappeared, and no one knows what really happened. But the fact remains: your sister is dead, and their family is destroyed. I don’t want you to suffer the same fate.

Harabi, feeling her throat tighten, whispered,

“But Rumiya … she’s not like that. It’s not her fault what happened to her family…”

Tatsuki looked at her again, this time with cold determination.

“Rumiya may not be to blame. But her past is a shadow that will follow her wherever she goes. And if you choose to stand by her side, that shadow will cover you too.”

Tatsuki stepped closer and placed her hand on Harabi’s shoulder, her voice softening,

“You can still get out of this, Harabi.” I want you to think about yourself, about your family. What seems like a small thing now could grow into something bigger. If you start delving too deeply into the Sudzukawas, there may be no turning back.

Harabi felt a struggle flaring up inside her, between the desire to protect Rumiya, who perhaps didn't know she was at the center of these secrets, and the desire to preserve her future at the academy and the respect of her family.

"I understand that you want to protect me," she answered quietly, looking into Tatsuki's eyes, "but if I don't know the truth, will I really be safe?"

Tatsuki looked at her for a long moment, then slowly looked away.

"Sometimes the truth is the most dangerous knowledge. Don't seek it if you're not prepared for the consequences."

After these words, silence fell, and the room sank into calm again, broken only by the dim light of the lamp. Harabi felt that this night would be long, full of reflection and doubt.