joy.

The young man’s emerald eyes gazed into Eva’s as he straightened his slouching shoulders. He turned to face her fully, his blue coat fluttering lightly within the breeze.

He was just as stunning as the day Eva had first seen him, yet something about him was missing.

With the crunching of snow, he breathed slowly.

“You have been chosen by Kioku Kitsune to be one of his Lieutenants,” stated the young man.

“H-Heh...?” stifled Evangelique. “No way, you can’t mean the one and only-”

“I do,” interrupted the young man. “Kioku Kitsune, the leader of the Kitsune clan and ruler of the winged creatures, the Ayesiva, has chosen you to serve as Lieutenant, a protector for the many lands around us.”

“But I’m a teacher!” exclaimed Eva. “I work with Alethia Mission Organization under the Soujourner class, so there’s no way I can be-”

“Yes, AMO has been made aware of your new obligations as a Lieutenant. Do not worry much about that.”

Eva looked to the ground. She stood awkwardly, shaking due to not just the snowy weather, but the news that she had received.

The five Great Countries, or Tsaleri Né-viir, in the ancient language, Tevari, was known to all who lived upon the earth and within the skies.

There was the Kondo clan, who resided in the country of Matheilios. Though they had a graceful and svelte appearance, they held the strength of a militia within their bones.

The Kenma clan from the country of Valisophe were bronze in tone and towering in height, with locks of white hair and hidden eyes. They carried wisdom and foresight in their minds and hearts and had been considered the most enlightened creatures to walk the earth.

From the country of Saleidora came the Iyashi clan. According to legend, they were healers with the ability to touch the wounded and heal them.

A mystery was the Takeshi clan of the country known as Haisura, whose powers varied between each person. They were inhuman, yet easily assimilated with the humans around them like a chameleon to its surroundings.

The Kitsune clan from Aebeörn was infamous and considered by all to be the most mighty. Despite this, their powers were all but notorious. They were Ayesiva, beings with taintless white wings and the favor of fae.

Evangelique had always thought them as mysterious but kind, for they were selfless protectors of the world around them and never asked for acclimation.

The tales of their exciting yet dangerous adventures were ones that she held as fond memories, for her mother always told Eva a story or two about them before she had to go to sleep.

Thinking of the reality of becoming a Lieutenant felt more like a trippy dream than a reality.

“Say...did you receive anything that you might’ve lost long ago?” asked the young man.

Eva looked to him, surprised by his question.

“That’s why I gave you that camellia,” started the young man, who had turned his face from her. “Each Lieutenant is connected to another for an unknown reason. When I gave you the camellia, I sensed something of yours was missing.”

The young man fiddled with the fringe of his scarf.

“I hope...that you got that thing back, as I did before you.”

Evangelique stood gazing at the young man. He spoke so softly and kindly to her, despite his knack for cutting her off in mid-sentence.

“...I had lost a certain gift of mine when I was a child,” replied Eva slowly.

“It was a genetic sort of gift, and it reminded me of my mother. Though I am still human now, I can feel that gift returning to me.”

Evangelique smiled as she looked at her hands and remembered the glowing patterns from before.

“So, thank you,” added Eva. She grinned brightly.

The young man looked at her, only to soon turn away.

“That is good to hear,” responded the young man, who seemed rather bashful.

Eva looked down, smiling softly. Just then, another question came to mind.

“Oh, that’s right...” started Eva.

“Yes?” replied the young man.

“If you don’t mind my asking...what was it I witnessed last night?”

Eva clamped her hands together. A part of her felt it was a difficult question for the young man to answer. She hoped it wasn’t something that would make him want to leave.

“What you witnessed was my Lieutenant ceremony,” began the young man, slowly. His eyes became glassy with despondency.

“..and the funeral of someone that I cared for very much.”

“Oh...my condolences...” replied Eva. A weight settled on her chest, and regret started to sink in.

“Thank you...” whispered the young man.

There was a still and solemn silence between them. Snow twirled slowly down upon the two, and the young man who was once looking at Evangelique now looked away again.

Though his bright orange hair covered his pale face, she could tell what was missing from him. When she first saw him, he had two large scars across his face. Now, they were mysteriously gone.

“I was a Squire before yesterday,” stated the young man, randomly.

“A Squire?” replied Eva, who was thankful for the new conversation.

“Sometimes Clan Leaders such as Kioku Kitsune and the other four find someone who they would see as fit or worthy to become a Lieutenant, but they already have quite a few Lieutenants,” started the young man. “At the time when I met him, this was the case for Kioku-daya. Thus, I became a Squire, someone who learned and served under a Lieutenant...”

He clenched his shaking fists. To Evangelique, it seemed as if he was barely able to keep his emotions intact.

“...So that one day, they could take over the duties of the Lieutenant they served under...” finished Eva.

“Yes...that is correct,” responded the young man. “Though I just became a Lieutenant, I know much about what we must do. So if you need it, I will be here to help you.”

“That’s very kind of you, but I-”

“Yoohoo! Young miss!” called out the voice of another young man.

Evangelique turned to see a young man with white hair that went halfway to the end of his neck. He was dressed in the attire of a clergyman and wore red tassel earrings on his ears. His innocent, mint-colored eyes stared with curiosity at Eva and the young man.

“Are you Miss Evangelique De’ Sejour?” asked the young clergyman with white hair. His voice was calming and gentle but had a strange hint of prince-like aristocracy in it.

“Yes, I am,” replied Eva.

“Ah! Very good,” responded the young clergyman. ” Brother Augustine and Sister Cordelia wondered where you went off to...and here you are!”

The clergyman walked towards Evangelique.

“We should head back to the dormitory now since that’s where they think you have headed towards,” stated the white-haired man.

He looked at the other young man with the same smile.

“Ah...very well then,” replied Eva. She looked at the forlorn young man.

“It was very nice to meet you...?”

“Tsubaki,” replied the young man. “It was very nice to meet you as well.”

He slowly took her hand and bowed politely. Eva awkwardly curtseyed, giving him a small smile.

“Let’s hurry home,” said the young clergyman. “It’s starting to get a bit late, after all!”

Eva nodded, running off towards the young priest. The two started to walk away together in the snow, silently. Evangelique turned to see the young man, Tsubaki, again. However, when she did, she found that he was absent from the scene in which they met.

It seemed that somehow, someway, he had disappeared within the silence of the snow.