Confession Box

Marina had taken Crystal to the confession booth. There was a big pink box decorated with red ribbons at all corners, and adorned in bold, fiery letters across the front was an invitation to discover a suitor within: 'Confession Box: Knock twice and find out if you have an admirer.'

Crystal recoiled in distaste, scrunching her nose feeling nauseated with the words. "It's the corniest thing I have ever seen in the whole wide world," she lamented, casting a disgusted glare at Marina who looked at her in disbelief.

"Love, by its very nature, can never be deemed as such," Marina interjected, her voice tinged with a hint of passion. Crystal simply shook her head, emitting a low chuckle.

"Are you the same Marina who was bickering with Chroma over focusing only on men and not other aspects of this evening?" Crystal chided teasingly, causing Marina to flush with embarrassment as she cleared her throat, averting her gaze.

"That-- is certainly beside the point, but this is different," Marina made the excuse for her own curiosity, and Crystal couldn't help laughing out loud, her stomach hurting now.

"Very well, very well. I simply wish to ascertain if someone is attracted to me. Is there any harm in that, after all?" Marina brashly placed her hands on her hips, and Crystal simply shook her head, her laughter continuing to echo through the surrounding space.

"Indeed, my dear friend, there is nothing to worry about. Go ahead and knock on the box, and know that you have my unwavering support." Crystal raised her fist in the air, a glint of amusement in her eye. Marina rolled her eyes at her friend's dramatic flair, but in the end, she ignored it and followed the instructions, knocking twice on the confession box.

As she stood there, her heart racing, a childlike glee bubbled up inside of her. And then, as if by magic, a small note leaped out of the box and landed in Marina's waiting hand, stunning both Crystal and Marina.

Marina had already found her mate, she knew that much. "What about your twin flame? Is this not cheating?" Marina pondered the same thought, wondering if she had made a mistake. Did she really want this?

Although she was excited, she didn't actually think she would have an admirer. She mostly wanted to confirm her suspicion that Aurelius had taken a liking to Crystal and had opted for going first as to not appear suspicious.

"Well, it is not as if I would be reciprocating such feelings, ha-- ha-- ha-- ha," Marina nervously chuckled. Crystal held back her laughter again as the sudden terror on Marina's face reminded her of the first day she had met him. The only difference from today's Marina was that she wasn't dripping water everywhere, having better control of her powers.

Marina unfolded the note, which had been carefully folded in half. She read the words silently in her mind since Crystal was also staring at the note with her big eyes fixated. 'I had a suspicion that you would not let this opportunity pass, my dear Marina. To spare you any potential embarrassment, I, Chroma, have taken the liberty of composing this note for you. Rest assured, I shall also notify your beloved of this incident.'

Crystal erupted into a fit of giggles, crouching down and holding her knees. Chroma really was a piece of work, and her antics to annoy Marina never failed to amuse Crystal.

"There is no humor in that," Marina protested, though she couldn't help but feel a flicker of amusement herself. She crumpled the note in her fist, and Crystal's laughter only grew louder. "I shall make sure to get even with Chroma after the event," Marina made a mental note.

Looking at Crystal, still hysterically laughing on the ground, Marina scoffed and proceeded to lift Crystal off the ground by pulling her arm with a gentle yet firm grip.

"I implore you to desist your madwoman-like cackling and approach the confession box." Marina demanded. She had gone to great lengths to make a fool of herself just to prove to Crystal that Aurelius was indeed attracted to her, and she wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away.

“Who would even bother leaving me a love note? I doubt I'd even get a joke note like that,” Crystal commented on her lack of involvement with her peers. But Marina shook her head, unwavering in her efforts to persuade Crystal to approach the confession box.

“Okay, geez. I will knock. Let go of my hand first,” Crystal sighed in defeat. Marina gave her a big smile as she let go of her arm, and Crystal knocked on the confession box without any enthusiasm or expectation. But to her surprise, a note came fluttering out of the top of the box and landed in her hands.

Crystal was astounded, even more so than when the note had landed in Marina's hands. She looked over at Marina, who was already staring back at her, a knowing expression on her face that conveyed 'I told you so'.

“Maybe Chroma is just playing a prank on me as well,” Crystal shook her head in denial, while Marina sighed in frustration; Crystal was indeed dense, she had concluded by the end of the day.

“Go ahead and open it and we shall know for sure if it is a joke or a real love confession,” Marina smirked, and she saw a blush crept onto Crystal's cheeks.

Crystal cleared her throat, completely hoping that it would be a joke just like Marina and the demon lady from the fortune-telling booth was a mere coincidence, but Crystal was very soon going to be proven wrong.

‘Greetings to the most exquisite fae that has ever graced my eyes. Your beauty is undeniable, but what captures my heart more than anything is your kindness and your enchanting smile. I yearn to draw closer to you, but I understand if you feel uncertain. I kindly implore you to open your heart to me, but if that is not feasible at the moment, I shall patiently wait for you.

Crystal felt goosebumps all over her body. The fact that she couldn't perceive anyone's aura from the note irked her even more. There must have been a spell cast on the notes so that students who could see or feel auras wouldn't be able to discern their origins.

"I told you so, I did predict this outcome. Who could resist the charm of such a beautiful and amazing lady like yourself?" Marina complimented her friend, causing Crystal to blush even more.

“It-- it still could be a joke,” Crystal said, swallowing hard, to which Marina shook her head.

"I implore you to abandon your denial, Crystal. Your physical appearance is truly attractive, and it is only natural that others take notice of this fact,” Marina said, observing Crystal becoming increasingly flustered by the second. She then decided to add a bit of spice. "Furthermore, I harbor a strong suspicion regarding someone who may have written this note for you.”

Crystal shook her head, knowing exactly who Marina was referring to. “I told you that Aurelius is just a--” Crystal's words were cut off as another note flew out of the confession box and landed in her empty hand, taking both her and Marina by surprise.

‘Mates,’ Crystal recalled the demon lady's words, and she felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. This would all have been thrilling if she were just another student at the academy, but she was not. She had a purpose to fulfill and goals to achieve, and she didn't have time for all these distractions.