As the carriage drew closer to the academy, the shift from the rural village to a more structured landscape became impossible to miss. Tall stone walls lined the area, organized pathways stretched ahead, and massive buildings loomed in the distance. With every passing moment, the gap between countryside and civilization narrowed.
Tension buzzed quietly between them. Ereno, calm and indifferent as ever, silently observed the changing scenery while occasionally glancing at Eren's face, which was practically glowing with excitement.
"Oooh, I can't wait, Ereno!" she exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. "Look at all these buildings... they're gigantic!"
Ereno nodded in agreement, eyes still scanning the surroundings.
"You always put on that 'I don't care' vibe, but we both know you're just as excited as I am."
Ereno responded with a dry gesture and rolled his eyes soullessly, like he was saying, "Yes, veeeery excited, can't you tell?"
"Heeey, at least don't make it look like I'm the only childish one here," she huffed.
Ereno turned to her with an exaggerated look of surprise, as if to say, "Oh? You finally realized that?"
"Hmph! Say whatever you want, I am not a child," Eren replied, puffing out her cheeks. "I'm mature like you. I'm a big girl."
Without a hint of emotion, Ereno scribbled on a small notepad and slid it over to her:
"Yeah, a big girl with the mind of a child."
The second she read it, Eren leapt at him with a burst of laughter. The coachman quickly calmed her down, reminding them that they were just moments away from arriving. She eventually settled, leaning her head gently against Ereno's shoulder.
As long as she was with him, she knew nothing could ever truly hurt her...
A few minutes passed, and they finally arrived at their long-awaited destination. The coachman stepped down, opened the door with a slight bow, and said politely,
"After you, Lady Eren, and Master Ereno."
"Oh my! It's really a VVIP treatment, don't you think, brother?" Eren said, clearly impressed.
Ereno, true to his nature, didn't respond. He simply stepped out of the carriage, leaving his sister frozen in disbelief.
"Hey!! At least look at me!!" she shouted briefly, offended by the cold shoulder.
"Lady, will you please step out? If you don't mind, that is," the coachman asked, keeping his formal tone.
"O-oh! S-sorry..." she stammered, flustered as she quickly climbed down.
Ereno turned his head to glance at his embarrassed sister, his face blank but oozing with sarcastic judgment. He didn't need to speak as Eren could already feel the teasing radiating from him.
"Don't say anything," she snapped, raising a hand to stop him before he could make a move. "I know what you're about to say."
But he glanced at her with those soulless eyes.
Turned to his notepad.
Glanced again.
Turned back.
Wrote.
Slid the note to her.
"Read it out loud," his gestures insisted.
Eren sighed and read it aloud.
"'Graceful as ever. A true lady in action.'"
"Ugh! I knew you'd say something like that!" she yelled, not realizing they were standing in the middle of a crowd of students. Luckily, most of them didn't care or at least pretended not to. Still, her embarrassment hit an all-time high.
She quickly ducked behind her brother's back in shame. But as she tried to recover, someone began walking toward them. Ereno's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the feeling he got from that person.
A soft voice, one like that of an angel, cut through the crowd, cheerful and bright. "Yoo-hoo~! You two must be the new students!"
A petite girl stepped forward, no taller than Eren's shoulder. Her chestnut-brown hair fell just past her chin, wavy and raw, with bangs that brushed the top of her round glasses. The lenses magnified her warm hazel eyes, which sparkled with a mix of curiosity and quiet confidence. Her uniform hugged her frame perfectly, but unlike the others, she wore it with a ribbon pinned just under a silver crest with a touch of sky blue, like it had been chosen to brighten someone's day.
There was something gentle in the way she moved, her hands folded politely behind her back, her posture straight but never stiff. Her presence was soft, like the kind of person who held doors open too long or smiled at everyone by habit. Even surrounded by noise, she carried a calming air, as if she were used to stepping into chaos and making it feel safe.
"I'm Lilly, a member of the student council. Welcome! You're even cuter than your portraits, especially you!" She pointed at Eren, who lit up like a sun. "Oh my gosh, portraits?! We're already famous?!"
She is not the one...
Ereno showed Lilly a note:
"Don't encourage her."
Lilly laughed. "Too late. She's adorable."
Eren instantly wrapped her arm around Lilly. "I like her. Can we keep her, brother?"
Ereno sighed in silence with agreement.
"You'll love the campus," Lilly said, gesturing for them to follow, "We've got everything from a magical herbarium to a combat arena. Oh, and a tea garden; best hiding spot ever during boring lectures. Not that I'd ever skip, of course."
"Oooh~, You're a rebel then, huh?" said Eren while giggling.
Lilly winked, "Only on Wednesdays."
She glanced at Ereno, "Don't worry, I won't ask a hundred questions. You're the 'observe first, speak later' type, right?"
Ereno tilted his head with absolutely no care as she smiled again, a touch softer this time and walked alongside them, hands behind her back, her steps light but steady.
"You two got lucky," she said with a soft smile. "It's a quiet day. No speeches, no patrols… a real perfect time for a tour."
Eren tilted her head, "Wait… isn't today the entrance exam? That's why there were so many carriages, right?" She said while being surprised
Lilly nodded, "It is. But you're not taking it, you're here as special scholarship students. Everything was handled in advance." the student council girl replied, explaining their situation.
Ereno raised a brow.
"Scholarships like yours don't come around often," she added, eyeing them with curiosity. "The board must've really seen something in you."
"Huh!? How come no one told us about that?" Asked Eren as she finds it hard to understand.
"Well~, to be honest, this thing is the only one i don't know." Replied Lilly while maintaining her mysterious, playful tone.
Eren puffed her cheeks. "You're making it sound so mysterious."
Lilly gave a soft chuckle. "Maybe it is."
Ereno scribbled something and handed her a note:
"She's definitely messing with us."
Lilly smirked, reading it. "And you're definitely quick."
As she cheerfully led them through the courtyard, a few passing students gave curious glances. Some whispered, others just stared. It was hard to tell whether it was because of the twins' arrival or the girl beside them with the council crest shining on her shoulders.
Then a voice cut through all the whispers.
"So you're the scholars, huh?"
A tall student, maybe a year or two older, stepped out from between two pillars. His uniform was perfectly ironed, not a single wrinkle can be seen. He moved with confidence, his gaze was sharp and coldly observant.
Eren peeked out from behind Lilly's shoulder, still slightly flustered. "Um… hello?"
The boy didn't answer right away. His eyes scanned her quickly, then settled on Ereno. His stare lingered... too long to be casual. And then his gaze dropped, just briefly, to the faint curve of something under Ereno's shirt.
"New students?" he asked at last, his tone was smooth but not warm.
Ereno gave nothing away. He stood still, posture relaxed, eyes unreadable.
"You're not from around here, are you?" the boy continued, polite but investigating.
"Is it that obvious?" Eren asked, a nervous smile pulling on her lips.
He gave a shallow shrug. "Only to those who know what to look for." His eyes flicked between them. "You carry yourselves... differently."
For the briefest moment, Ereno's fingers twitched near his amulet, a subtle reaction that didn't go unnoticed.
"I'm Kieran," the boy said at last. "Student council." Then, after a pause: "Welcome to the Academy. Let's hope you can keep up."
With a faint smirk, he turned and walked off into the sea of students, leaving behind a thick silence and a few staring eyes.
Eren exhaled, then whispered, "What was that about?"
Ereno didn't answer. He simply stared ahead, lips tight, his hand resting over his chest right where the amulet lay.
Lilly let out a small sigh as Kieran vanished into the crowd,"Don't mind him. He's always like that; talks like he's solving a riddle no one asked for."
She glanced between the twins, offering a sheepish smile,"But, hey… he did welcome you. That's rare, believe it or not."
Eren, still half-hiding behind Ereno, muttered, "Some welcome…"
Lilly chuckled, then gently nudged Eren's shoulder.
"You'll get used to the weirdos around here. Or become one. No middle ground."
Even Ereno's shoulders relaxed slightly at that.
Lilly looked between them again, then tilted her head, her voice softening just a bit.
"You okay?"
Eren opened her mouth, but it was Ereno who responded, just a single nod, brief but firm.
"Alright," Lilly said, straightening up, her cheerfulness returning. "Come on. Orientation's about to start... and you don't want to be late on your first day, especially with Kieran sniffing around like a hawk."
Even though lightening the mood worked a little; whispers spread quickly through the crowd.
"Wait, they're the scholars?"
"You mean the ones who didn't take the exam?"
"I heard they just got in because of connections…"
Students around them began to stare. Some looked curious. Others looked annoyed. The mood changed fast.
Lilly raised her hand, trying to calm things down. "Hey, hey, let's not start rumors! They're just..."
"Of course you'd say that," someone muttered. "You're council."
Eren stepped forward, her voice shaking. "We didn't even ask for this! We just..."
"You skipped the exam. Special carriage. Everything handed to you," another voice snapped from the crowd.
The whispers got louder. More students stopped to watch.
Eren clenched her fists. "Why does everyone think they know us?!"
Lilly stepped in front of her, trying to shield her. "Please, can we all just calm..."
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Eren snapped. Her voice cracked. "You don't know anything!"
But the crowd only got more tense.
A short distance away, Kieran stood quietly, arms crossed, watching the scene unfold with unreadable eyes. He didn't step in. He didn't say a word.
Then, a voice broke through the noise. Calm. Cold.
"That's enough."
Everyone froze.
A tall man with silver hair and a sharp gaze stepped forward. His cloak showed the academy's crest, one worn only by the top instructors.
"Sir Erling…" someone whispered.
He walked up to the twins and stopped beside them. His eyes scanned the students around them.
"They were accepted. That's all you need to know," he said. His voice was low, but it cut through the tension like a blade. "You will treat them with respect. Or you will deal with me."
The crowd went silent.
Erling looked at Eren, then Ereno. "Are you alright?"
Eren nodded slowly. Ereno didn't speak, but gave a small nod.
"Good," he said. Then he turned to the rest. "Move along. You're wasting time."
The students started walking away, some still whispering, but no one said anything out loud.
Lilly sighed with relief. "Thank you, Sir Erling…"
He nodded. "Keep them out of trouble."
Then he walked off without another word.
Eren wiped her face. "Okay. I really like him."
Ereno stayed quiet, but a small breath escaped him. A calm one.
His fingers brushed over the amulet beneath his shirt, feeling its steady warmth. The noise had faded, but the tension still lingered in the air, like a fog that hadn't yet lifted.
So this is how it starts.
Glares. Rumors. Accusations.
They think they know us. Feel us. Understand us.
Yet… they jump to stupid conclusions without even asking why.
It's not because of who we are…
It's because of who they think we are.
And still… I did nothing.
Just stood. Quiet.
Watched. Silent. Like always.
I used to be silent.
I lived in silence. I adapted to it. I embraced it.
But this silence… this one wasn't mine.
It was the weight thrown at us since the moment we were born.
And still... I didn't move.
While my sister stood there, fighting for both of us.
Why can't I feel anything?
No anger.
No bitterness.
No fear.
Am I really… human? Because all I felt was… I didn't care.
Not even a little.
But maybe that's what's most amusing. To watch humans turn on their own like that... so fast, so loud.
No listening. No thinking.
It's kind of funny, that I'm a human too honestly.
If I turned out to be the thing they think we are…
The thing they're too afraid to say aloud...
A demon…
I wouldn't even be surprised.
He glanced at Eren, trying to be strong. At Lilly, still by their side.
One step at a time, he thought. That's how it'll be.
Ereno's eyes stayed on Sir Erling's back until the man disappeared into the crowd. His presence had left a silence heavier than the noise before it.
Lilly let out a breath, like she'd been holding it in for too long. "Well… that could've gone worse."
Eren didn't speak. She just stood there, still gripping Ereno's sleeve like it was the only thing keeping her steady. Her eyes weren't teary, they were just drained. As if the moment had taken something from her she wasn't ready to give.
Some students kept throwing glances. Most looked away quickly. A few didn't bother hiding their stares.
Lilly turned to them again, voice lower this time. "I didn't think it'd go that far. I should've stepped in sooner."
Eren gave a small shake of her head. "You tried. That's more than most."
Ereno scribbled something on his notepad and turned it toward Lilly.
"We've been through worse. This one just had a bigger audience."
She tried to smile. It wobbled. "Still... welcome to the academy, right?"
Eren chuckled lightly. "What a warm welcome."
Lilly clapped her hands once, her voice rising just enough to carry hope. "Alright. Enough of this. Come on, I'll show you around. Let's find something in this place that doesn't suck." The twins followed. Slowly. Side by side.
Up on one of the stone balconies above, someone leaned against the railing.
Kieran.
He watched in silence, arms folded, face unreadable. Not a word left his mouth. But his eyes never left them.
Eren didn't say much after that. She just walked beside her brother, close enough for their arms to brush. She didn't need to say anything. Ereno glanced her way, just once, and offered the smallest of nods. She smiled. Whatever this place was going to throw at them… they were used to walking through storms.
Together.