Sunday was usually a well-earned day off for Elizabeth, a time when she could relax without worrying about the chaos of school or the responsibilities she had to shoulder. But today was different. Today, she had a mission—one she had carried out countless times before.
It was her turn to safeguard Miyazaki Aria, ensuring that she did not awaken her dormant power. The duty had been passed around among a select few, and Elizabeth had long since accepted her role in this delicate operation.
However, despite all their efforts, the first signs of Aria's power awakening had already begun to manifest. The girl had unknowingly used her ability, albeit unconsciously. That fact alone made Elizabeth uneasy.
Should Aria really remain in the dark about this for her entire life?
The thought had been nagging at her for a while now. Keeping her ignorant was not a solution—it was merely delaying the inevitable. It felt less like protecting an innocent girl and more like keeping a ticking time bomb from detonating.
Elizabeth sighed, standing at a distance as she watched Aria step out of her house with her younger brother, Yuuji, in tow. The two of them chatted casually, completely unaware of the burden she carried.
Her sharp eyes lingered on the girl for a moment before she muttered under her breath, "I don't know what Takeru was thinking, treating his eldest daughter like this."
Her grip tightened slightly as she observed them from afar. Takeru, Aria's father, had made the decision to keep her oblivious to the truth, but was that really the right call?
Elizabeth wasn't so sure anymore.
Elizabeth couldn't shake off what had happened the other day.
A gifted Esper had lost his power after confronting Aria.
The incident had sent a ripple of unease through her. It was no longer just a theory—Aria's presence alone had rendered a powerful Esper completely powerless. And not just any Esper. It was Yuya, one of the most valuable assets they had in maintaining the delicate balance between the supernatural and the normal world.
His absence was a significant loss. With fewer Espers available, it would be harder to hide dimensional cracks from the public eye. They were already stretched thin, and losing someone like Yuya made their work even more difficult.
Elizabeth exhaled slowly, pressing a hand to her temple.
It was precisely because of this that Irana was not currently assigned to observe her own sister. This was no longer about keeping Aria from discovering the truth—it was about understanding the full extent of her abilities.
And if Aria could strip an esper of their power so easily…
Elizabeth didn't even want to think about the consequences. If this continued, more espers might end up like Yuya—powerless without explanation. It wasn't something that could be ignored forever.
Still, it wasn't her call to make. For now, her job was simple: follow Aria, keep an eye on her, and make sure she didn't get involved in anything troublesome. That was all she could do.
Then, suddenly, someone approached Aria. It was a girl around the same age as her, with striking red hair that immediately made her stand out in the crowd. Her confident stride and the way she carried herself suggested she wasn't just some random passerby.
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, observing the girl carefully. There was something oddly familiar about her. She had definitely seen that red hair before, but for the life of her, she couldn't recall where. Was she a student? Someone from the Esper division? A troublemaker, perhaps?
Whatever the case, Elizabeth remained on guard. She wasn't sure what this girl wanted with Aria, but given how unpredictable things had been lately, she wasn't about to let her guard down.
Out of nowhere, the red-haired girl lunged at Aria, her movements swift and aggressive. Aria barely had time to react before a fist came flying toward her. She managed to dodge, but the sudden attack left her momentarily stunned.
Elizabeth's eyes widened as recognition finally struck her. Ariana Freesia.
Of course. Now she remembered. Ariana was no ordinary student—she was an Esper, a second-year with pyrokinetic abilities. A hothead in more ways than one. Elizabeth had heard about her temper, her reckless attitude, and the fact that she never backed down from a fight.
But why is she attacking Aria?
Elizabeth's heart pounded as she rushed toward the scene, her sharp eyes locked on the confrontation unfolding before her. Damn it, Ariana, what are you thinking? If the red-haired girl unleashed her pyrokinetic abilities in a public space, it wouldn't just be a problem—it would be a catastrophe.
Before Elizabeth could reach them, she heard Ariana's voice ring out in sheer disbelief.
"What the—? What happened to my power?"
Elizabeth's breath hitched. It had happened again.
She hurried forward, her usual composed demeanour masking the unease stirring inside her. "What's going on here? Aria, is that you?"
Aria froze at the sound of her voice before quickly twisting around to face her. The instant she recognized Elizabeth, her expression shifted from wary to panicked.
"Elizabeth-sensei?" Aria blurted out.
Elizabeth took in the scene—Aria, pinning the red-haired girl to the ground, her younger brother Yuuji clutching the hem of her shirt like a frightened child. The scene couldn't have looked worse.
"Aria…" Elizabeth sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Care to explain why I just found you in what looks like a street brawl?"
Before Aria could even open her mouth, Yuuji suddenly pointed an accusatory finger at the red-haired girl beneath her.
"This bad woman attacked my Onee-chan all of a sudden!" he declared.
Elizabeth's gaze flickered to the red-haired girl still trapped beneath Aria. That fiery hair… that face… it finally clicked.
"And you… Ariana," Elizabeth said, her voice edged with authority. "You have a lot of explaining to do."
Aria flinched slightly at the name. "Ariana?" she repeated.
Elizabeth barely paid her any mind as she processed the situation. Ariana Freesia. A second-year student. An Esper with pyrokinetic abilities. And yet… the very power that made her dangerous had just been rendered useless.
Aria blinked, still clearly trying to wrap her head around things. "Wait… Sensei, you know her?"
"Of course," Elizabeth responded, crossing her arms. "She's your senior. A second-year."
Ariana clicked her tongue in annoyance while Aria looked at her with renewed scepticism. "This troublemaker is a student at our school?"
Ariana scoffed. "Tch. So what if I am? You got a problem with that?"
Aria shot her a glare. "Yeah, I do. You just attacked me out of nowhere!"
"You were playing dumb, pretending you weren't Irana! Who wouldn't be pissed?" Ariana snapped back.
"Because I am not Irana!" Aria's exasperation was palpable.
Elizabeth let out a tired sigh. This back-and-forth was getting them nowhere. With a sharp gaze, she gestured at them both. "Enough. Both of you, stand up. We're not going to have this conversation on the ground like children."
Aria hesitated before finally letting Ariana go, standing up and brushing herself off. Ariana sat up, rolling her shoulders as if this whole ordeal had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Elizabeth's eyes darted between the two of them, her expression firm. "Now, explain. Properly."
As Elizabeth listened to Aria's explanation, she quickly pieced together the situation. It wasn't particularly complicated—Ariana had mistaken Aria for Irana, and for some reason, she had taken offence to it, treating it as a provocation rather than a simple misunderstanding.
Elizabeth sighed, rubbing her temple. So this was just another case of someone mixing up the twins… except this one resulted in a full-on fight in the middle of the street.
Her gaze flickered to Ariana, who stood with her arms crossed, her expression still brimming with irritation. "So let me get this straight," Elizabeth said, her tone calm but firm. "You mistook Aria for Irana, and instead of clarifying things like a rational person, you decided to attack her?"
Ariana clicked her tongue in annoyance. "She was acting suspicious. I thought she was trying to mess with me."
"Enough!"
Both Aria and Ariana froze. Even Yuuji, who had been clinging to Aria's sleeve, stiffened at the sharpness in her tone.
Elizabeth took a deep breath, steadying herself. She had already seen enough for today—Aria's ability, Ariana's reckless aggression, and the undeniable proof that things were escalating. But this wasn't the time to delve deeper into the implications of what had just happened. Right now, the best course of action was to separate them before things spiraled out of control again.
She turned her gaze to Aria, her tone softening slightly. "Aria, you can go ahead and enjoy your day with your little brother. There's no need for you to stay here any longer."
Aria blinked, surprised at how easily she was being let off the hook. "Oh, um… okay. Thank you, sensei."
Yuuji, standing beside her, perked up. "Thank you, sensei!" he said, bowing slightly before grabbing Aria's hand as if to pull her away before Elizabeth could change her mind.
Elizabeth watched as the two of them turned to leave, Yuuji chattering excitedly about where they should go next. Aria, however, glanced back once, her eyes flickering between Elizabeth and Ariana as if debating whether she should really just walk away.
Elizabeth met her gaze with a firm nod, silently reassuring her that she would handle whatever came next.
Once Aria and Yuuji were far enough away, Elizabeth turned back to Ariana, her expression hardening.
"As for you—" Her eyes narrowed. "Stay here. We need to talk."
Ariana crossed her arms, her usual defiance flickering beneath the surface, but there was something else there, too—uncertainty.
Elizabeth didn't give her a chance to protest. Whatever Ariana had to say, whatever excuse or argument she wanted to throw, it didn't matter.
Because this wasn't just about a misunderstanding anymore.
This was about what Aria had unknowingly done.
And Ariana needed to understand exactly what that meant.