Lucien approached next. He tried so hard to look calm, his posture straight like his father’s, but the closer he ca, the more his composure wavered. When he finally reached her, he hugged her from the side, breathing shakily. "Teacher..." he whispered, his voice barely holding steady. "I will miss you every single day."
Alina closed her eyes for a mont, overwheld by the sweetness of three tiny bodies clinging to her. She held all of them close, her arms wrapped around their small fras, and she felt their breaths warm against her collarbone. "Oh my babies... you’re going to make cry," she whispered with a laugh that wobbled a little.
Boo floated forward slowly, his wings drooping, his eyes wide with heartbreak. "Teacher..." he said in a tiny dramatic voice, "Boo’s heart is breaking like glass... very fragile, very dramatic glass."
Luna stood with crossed arms, pretending she wasn’t crying, but her sleeve kept wiping her cheeks. Rocky’s sniff was so loud it echoed in the room. Kelpie hugged himself miserably. Felix stared at his shoes, his hands twisting nervously. Vlad Jr. stood elegantly, dignified, but even he looked like he was holding sadness behind his calm eyes.
Alina opened her arms, and each baby hugged her one by one. She whispered sothing soft to every single one of them, smoothing their hair, rubbing their cheeks, letting them feel every bit of her affection.
After a while, she followed all the babies down the hallway, watching each tiny back wobble toward their waiting guardians. One by one, the little hands waved at her, calling out "Bye teacher!" in small, earnest voices. She waved back with both hands, smiling even though her chest felt a little tight.
When the last child disappeared around the corner, Alina let out a small breath, rubbing her arms lightly.
Ti moved so fast... too fast.
She walked slowly to the staffroom, adjusting her hair and smoothing her dress, trying to push the bittersweet ache down.
But the mont she stepped inside, she paused. Gabriel was the only one there, sitting by the window with a thick book on his lap. Sunlight fell over his white wings, making them glow softly. He looked up imdiately, too imdiately, as if he had been waiting for her.
"Lina?" he said quietly, closing his book.
His voice had a strange softness to it, and Alina tilted her head as she sat beside him.
"What happened?" she asked gently, noticing the nervous way he rolled his quill between his fingers.
Gabriel cleared his throat, his cheeks turning faintly pink. "I... I want to say sothing. I know this isn’t the right ti, but I can’t hold it in anymore." His voice dropped, fluttering like a shy breeze. Even the tips of his ears were turning red.
Alina blinked, instantly flustered.
"Eh? Wait... Gabriel, what are you—"
anwhile...
And at that exact mont...
In the principal’s office, Dante stood before his magic mirror. He had been watching Miss Alina since she was emotionally hugging the babies.
The mont Gabriel said "I want to say sothing," Dante’s entire world froze.
His fingers tightened on the edge of his desk.
His jaw set like carved obsidian. His shadows trembled behind him like furious dragons.
Gabriel... confessing to Alina?
Gabriel? That glowing feathered nuisance?
Dante felt sothing hot coil inside his chest. His shadows swirled faster, the air around him crackling with invisible lightning.
Every word Gabriel spoke was reflected on the mirror, every shy flick of his lashes, every nervous breath.
Dante’s mind scread.
No. Absolutely not.
This angel needs to be locked back in the sky imdiately.
Maybe sealed into a crystal.
Or banished to a remote mountain, surrounded by goats.
He stepped through the swirling shadows without even thinking.
One blink—
And he was inside the staffroom.
Gabriel and Alina jumped.
"Miss Alina," Dante said sharply, his voice smooth but edged with a darkness that made the room shiver.
"Sir?" Alina whispered, startled by his sudden appearance. Her heart thudded.
Gabriel frowned, confused. "Principa—"
"Sorry for the interruption," Dante said, not looking sorry at all. "But I need Miss Alina."
He didn’t give Gabriel even two seconds to protest.
He reached out, took Alina’s wrist with quiet certainty, and gently but firmly pulled her to her feet.
"W wait... sir?!" she gasped, stumbling after him.
Dante didn’t look back.
Not even once.
He walked her straight out of the staffroom, shadows curling behind him like a protective storm.
Gabriel watched the door swing shut again.
Silence.
Then he let out a long sigh and slumped back in his chair, rubbing his temples.
"...I just wanted to say I found my mate," he muttered helplessly. "I wanted to explain about my mate because I don’t want Miss Alina to think anything wrong from my past behaviour. If I ever gave the wrong impression, I’m truly sorry. I only admired Miss Alina."
He closed his book slowly, his face softening into a sad smile.
"My mate... she’s a dark angel," he murmured to himself. "Beautiful... strong... but she doesn’t believe in mates. She doesn’t even believe she deserves it. And she already has soone else in her heart she loves from a distance... even though that soone keeps hurting her."
He leaned back, wings drooping as he stared at the window.
"It’s going to be difficult," he whispered. "Very difficult."
But then he smiled, eyes determined.
"And I’m not giving up."
****
Dante didn’t stop walking until they reached the quiet end of the corridor where soft afternoon light poured through tall windows, washing everything in a gentle golden glow. The hallway was empty, just the two of them, their shadows stretching long across the polished floor. Alina’s breath felt tight in her throat, still unsure why he had dragged her out so suddenly.
He finally turned toward her, his expression strangely intense, as if he was fighting sothing inside himself.
"Alina," he said, his voice unusually low, "don’t listen to Gabriel."
She blinked, confused. "Sir? Gabriel was just talking—"
"And I have sothing to say."
His jaw tightened. His shadows twitched behind him like impatient wolves. His entire aura scread that he was still in ergency mode because he had seen an angel smiling at his human.
Alina stepped back slightly, overwheld by how close he stood. "Sir... why did you suddenly bring here, and what do you want to say?"
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