Rimholm University: Clandestine

Chapter 32

The cold morning wind greeted Mira's skin as she opened her veranda's door. Mira scanned her surrounding. For her, waking up earlier than usual is second to none. Mira can do whatever she wanted with sheer enthusiasm. Her body feels energetic to do everything.

He went here last night. I can sense it. Maybe I put myself into a tight sleep but it doesn't mean that there's an exemption when it comes to being keen on my surrounding. Zachary and his kinks again.

Mira closed her eyes and takes a deep breath. She removed her hair tie and allow her long hair to flow with the wind. She stretched her arms before looking at the flying griffins in mere admiration. Those majestic creatures always did that every morning. Mira imagined them as doves or other birds in the human realm; flying around every dawn and becoming one with the wind.

Mira flashed a smile as she turned her whole attention to the plant that her familiar have taken care of. The morning dew drops on its leaf-like a transparent tear-shaped diamond. However, there are plenty of it on those tiny flowers and the broad leaves.

This plant remained beautiful and prosperous despite how the season changed. The girl yearns for everything to stay peaceful to eternity. Unlike in the human realm where she grows up, where her only friends there are her parents. Mira admits that she acknowledge her friends' noises and silly chaos as part of her everyday life. Take Julius and Kellion's fight like an old couple or Freddy's energetic vibe or Salem and Mattheo's silence or...

Zachary's witty nature.

"I should stop being dreamy over ridiculous things. Heretofore I've taken a complete rest so, it is my turn to do morning chores." Mira mumbled before entering back to her room and closing the veranda's door.

Ellis persisted his nose buried in the book and his master let him. Mira take the opportunity to move freely since her two roommates are asleep and started preparing for the morning. From dusting off the appliances, sweeping the floors, and last but not the least, cooking the breakfast.

I'm hoping none of the two of them woke up yet.

The door creaks open, halting her from peering the food to cook, and turned in her room's direction. Mira's familiar watched her in awe after the sight of her fronting the stove. It was his first time witnessing his master doing the house chores herself.

"I won't say that you're finally awake because you have never fallen into a deep slumber and you're just reading, Ellis."

"But why you're doing that, Lady Mira? You should take more sleep. You have a class for the rest of the day. That'll tires you up." He retorted before pulling the chair and sitting on it.

"I won't do that, you know me. Stop complaining and sit there. This food needs to be completely cooked." Mira ordered while gently placing the food out of the oven then placing it in the center of the table. Its aroma loaded the background, making her yearn for it. She take a plate and put some for him. Ellis observed it quietly as if it was also his first time seeing that dish.

Is it his first time seeing a lasagna? Wait--Mira you're stupid, he's a spirit from Devaiah, of course, he's not aware of its existence. You didn't put a single consideration.

"What is this? Is this a sandwich?"

"No, that's a portion of pasta, topped with sauce and cheese. Why?"

"Odd."

"Trust me, it's not. My mother and I used to cook that together. It's also her recipe." Ellis lifted the fork and stabbed the lasagna in curiosity but in some instances, he shoved it on his mouth right away.

"How is it?"

"It's..." Ellis turned at her with delight, "It's delicious!" He exclaimed and then beat back his attention back to his food.

Who imagined someone like my familiar would like it? I never thought of it too before.

"Your mother must be a good cook. She can do such excellent food like this. Aside from raising you to be a good woman, she must be a brilliant one, I may say."

"Thank you but you're speaking flowery words, Ellis. Haha. She's an indeed brilliant one. My mother would be very flustered once she heard that coming from you. I'll visit her later to bring the medicine that's she's asking for, you want to come?"

"Of course." Ellis put down the utensil then looked at Mira, "May I know what is this called, Lady Mira?"

"A lasagna."

"Lasa--what?"

"Repeat after me, La-sa-nga."

"La-sa-nga."

"Great!"

Ellis continued eating and I decided to take a bite as well. Mira was sure that Freddy and the lion shifter that she addressed as 'the sleepyhead lion' will eat on their own when they woke up. When a minute or two have been passed, Mira puts down the fork and marched towards the door straight after she recognized more than two vigorous energy making its way there.

"You should knock." Zachary nudges Salem's shoulder.

"No, you." Her brother answered.

"Come on, do it, man."

"She'll recognize you even she's not looking. For goodness' sake, we're always been here every day. A knock won't lessen your life, my majesty."

"I know, Lance."

"What are you waiting for? Stop making a fuzz and knock now."

"Julius made a point."

"That is why I owe you, Lancelot."

"Forget it. I'm taking away what I've said."

"Alright, just take away yourselves from the verge of fighting. I'll knock now." Zachary laughed.

"We're not fighting!" Mira heard them say in unison.

Before Zachary's knuckle hits the wood, Mira immediately opened it and greeted them with a smile. Zachary turned at her in shock and put down his hand. Julius gave Zachary a matter-of-fact expression. The guy beside him is crossing his arms with annoyance written all over his face and Salem is watching them in silence. A sorely awkward scene if Mira were to ask.

"Good day! Come in, make yourself home." Mira forced a smile and opened the door widely. After they entered, Salem closed the door then stand on the corner away from them. All of them are wearing their uniforms already; ready for our morning class but Mira? as a matter of course, is still in her pajamas. It makes her look like she is tardy to attend the class in effect.

"Pardon my clothes. I choose to do the chores over myself."

"It doesn't matter. When we went to their dorm, these two are still both asleep." Julius retorted while pointing at the siblings. Noticeably ruffling someone's feathers.

"I take a good look inside of these four walls and I don't see who the heck asked."

"My point is about you remained in his sleep despite the awareness of the time and we always did before we approached the class."

"Well ding dong, my majesty! No one cares." Kellion clapped back. Mira stopped halfway putting cutleries and looked at Zachary and Salem in astonishment. Ellis whistled after he wiped off the water from the dish he washed. Mira cleared her throat to conceal the laughter that threatened to slip out.

Don't cut that from the picture. Sometimes, even Mira to herself mystified why they fought whatever the circumstances are. Both of them are like guardians in their circle of friends...it's not her solely who has spoken about that, Freddy and Mattheo too, also Zach. They're like old walked down the aisle partners thinking differently over something.

"Have you guys eaten? I cooked breakfast, it's free for amongst of you to eat." Mira converts the topic. Zachary and Salem turned their attention to me so the battling males in front of them.

"Sure!" Zachary didn't think twice to stand up and take the seat on her left. The old married couple---Mira may say, Julius and Kellion sit facing them.

"How about you, Salem?" She hoisted a deep breath before hunching on a chair on Mira's right side. Zachary once informed Mira about Salem taking a hard time with everyone. Nevertheless, Salem is undeniably younger than all of them.

A big reticent youngster who can rip her enemies to shreds. Nothing bizarre.

"You didn't cook this food originated in the human realm with anger, aren't you?" Salem through a meager voice asked on telepathy. Eyes glued to the food. A hearted laugh slipped upon Mira's lips as she gave attention to it.

"If I did I certainly would cook it poorly, Salem," Mira answered back then takes the metal utensils; taking a step further in front of her dorm mates' room.

"We advise it's better to cover your ears," Ellis told them. Zachary and the others doubly covered their ears with their hands. He looked at Mira and give her a slight nod.

*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*

On the other side, Freddy popped his eyes open in panic. For the reason that's he's panicking by the thunderous sound, the elf found himself hanging head low. Freddy groaned after he stood up and marched outside.

"Howdy! Wake up, folks! The sun is having its sovereignty in the sky!" Mira's buoyant voice gave rise to Zachary shaking his head back to reality. He's near on slipping down his hands when Mira crashed the utensils together once more.

"Someone please never allow her to wake up early." Mattheo murmurs before crawling off his bed towards the door, "Morning like this kills me." The shifter opens his door and lays himself against the hard yet carpeted floor. He yawned and went back to sleep again like he always did. Mira claps loudly to wake him up, "It's you the one who told me about forcefully waking you up on this king of situation then you're saying that any of them should stop me?"

"You don't have any intentions to kill me, right?" He asked in a staggering tone, face lingering on the ground. Mira placed the utensils back on their shelf. She glanced at the sleepy shifter's head peeking on his door, "We have a class schedule today. You already have your uniform on." Mattheo faced her direction; still, go through his eyes closed.

"I know it's my habit to wake up earlier than you, accomplish routines before class, sleep back again. But could you please Lady Selene that I'm on my heat that's why I locked myself---" He opened his eyes and meet the view of four royalties dining.

"Lady Selene and other mentors would like to hear his excellent excuse, that won't cause a detention for him." Mira glanced at Salem who casually puts down the fork and leaned on the chair. Mattheo quickly stood up, slamming the door.

"Lady Selene and Lady Lyra are taking absence today. Lady Marionette sent them on the mission." She explained while eyes cast on her wounded hand, "Lady Marionette talked to me yesterday after the dorm leader's meeting." Salem stood up then wash the dish that she used.

"Speaking of the meeting, have you guys decided about it?" Julius asked.

"Megan and her friends already agreed. I'll accept them too if there are shifters on other teams." Zachary replied. He leaned to Mira, "We're talking about those participants on the upcoming games, which dorm would they rest in before and after the festival." He whispered.

"I see," Mira answered back.

"I'm sure some of them will be on this dorm too," Julius commented, "They won't do anything awful, there's no point to worry though."

"How about you, Salem?"

"I don't want extra luggage. Furthermore, I take my gamble that none of them don't have any race involved in themselves. Purebloods with their pride."

Zachary and Julius eyed one another then allowed the atmosphere between all of them to collapse into strangling silence. None of them dared to move a muscle, aside from Mira who's been pacing out until now. She's mindlessly wrinkling the table cloth and staring through the resting vase in the center.