Just as the two previously agreed, Zeke and Fredric met by the courtyard fountain at the end of self-study. The two still had about an hour left, so they decided to check out the gardening club, which had become notorious for being difficult to join.

The courtyard fountain was a historic artifact recovered from an opening inside a cave. It is believed to have been preserved at the entrance to hell. The popular theory is that when hell was sealed, a global earthquake occurred, swallowing parts of cities and structures. The fountain was thought to be an artifact crafted in that era. When the barrier containing the demons was cast, it stopped all possible damage to the rock encasing hell, making it unbreakable. Because of this, the fountain and other objects caught in this layer were preserved, seemingly untouched. When hell broke open, the fountain was flung out, landing safely in a crevice where it remained until it was eventually discovered and brought to the academy.

The fountain stood grand and ornate, adorned with intricate sculptures that told the tale of a sailor falling in love with a mermaid. Bound by the laws of their world, the two could only meet beneath the glow of a full moon, their fleeting love captured in a moment of longing. Each full moon, they would embrace, their forms forever immortalized in the fountain's central sculpture—the sailor and mermaid standing atop a magnificent ocean, its surface reflecting the silvery moonlight, surrounded by shining spouts of water that danced around them like stars in the night sky.

"Intricate, isn't it?" Fredric remarked.

"I've never really been into fine art," Zeke replied.

"This is not fine art," Fredric paused, "Just a story."

"A work of fiction?" Zeke wondered.

"Perhaps, yet one that was born from necessity," Fredric remarked.

"What necessity?" Zeke asked.

"A necessity to teach the world a valuable lesson," Fredric said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Love conquers all?" Zeke guessed.

"Keep going, no matter how difficult it gets. Even if all you get is one day a month, take it and don't dare give up," Fredric smiled. "A beautiful theory," Zeke said.

"It's written on the fountain, below the lowest crevice," Fredric touched the letters. "Ancient Babylonian." "You know it?" Zeke asked.

"The dragon you killed taught me," Fredric sighed.

"You must have been close," Zeke said.

"We weren't," Fredric explained. "That prideful bugger tried to kill me every time we saw each other. Right up until he gave up. He taught me Babylonian just to be less lonely during the downtime."

"Yeah, that sounds like something he'd do," Zeke said with a sad expression.

"The two of you spent a long time together," Fredric remarked.

"Well, yeah, but most of that time was spent trying to kill each other," Zeke laughed awkwardly. "But despite that, I felt a strange kind of kinship with him, like he taught me a lot. Sounds crazy, right?"

"A little," Fredric said, looking at the sky. "But a little crazy is good sometimes," he smirked. "Now come on, let's go get those veggies."

The gardening club was located in a forest not far from the cliff overlooking the city. It was a wooden cabin surrounded by multiple glass orangeries connected by paths. The entire area of the club was incredibly tidy. The paths were carefully laid with varied stones, intricately placed with care. They were outlined by large flat rocks, creating a sturdy border that also served as a makeshift fence, deterring visitors from walking on the grass. Old black lantern-style lamps dotted the compound, keeping the place well-lit even at night. The central cabin stood tall and magnificent, masterfully crafted out of large logs with decorative vines creeping up its sides. The building consisted of two stories and several rooms, allowing the members of the club to stay overnight when needed. A massive hall was situated on the first floor, complete with a cozy fireplace.

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The cabin was covered in slightly purplish vines, all carefully trimmed to perfection. The white barred windows appeared in pristine condition despite being manufactured before the Cataclysm, each scratch or abrasion meticulously painted over, leaving only a minimal texture of the past. The roof was clad in glowing red tiles, cleaned spotless with great care. The gutters were encased in vines of a different variety, tied together by metal strings, giving a bluish hue to the gray metal pipes. The inside of the building was spacious, decorated with many plants placed in every part of the interior. Each plant carried its own personality, and their presence made the entire space feel like a family.

"Hello, is anyone there?" Zeke called out.

But there was no response. It seemed as though the place was completely empty.

"It seems like nobody's home," Fredric smirked. "Maybe we can grab a few veggies without anyone noticing," he whispered, rubbing his hands together while looking both ways.

"Stop—" Zeke started to say, but before he could finish, Fredric had already snuck away.

Immediately, Zeke followed, leading him to one of the orangeries.

It was a beautiful place filled with exotic flowers and plants. The ceiling supported even more varieties of vines, each distinct from the rest. On the left were flowerless plants like ferns and clubmosses. To the right were fungi, some exceptionally large, consisting of a wide variety of strange protruding shapes. At the very front stood carnivorous plants, all seemingly designed to trap or hunt small critters or even mammals, with large expansive maws that wouldn't let their prey escape without a fight.

"Hello, are you here to join?" a soft voice called out from the distance.

Zeke froze, unable to speak, surprised by the girl rummaging through the carnivorous plants. She touched their leaves with care, gently caressing and carefully trimming them.

The girl appeared short and frail as she squatted down close to the ground, wearing an oversized tracksuit and flip-flops. Her light brown hair was loosely tied into a messy bun, with a few wavy strands poking out onto her face.

"I'm not sure," Zeke murmured.

"Huh? I didn't get that," she said, looking towards him with her large lime-colored eyes, her graceful doll-like face partially obscured by large pink glasses. "Not quite," Fredric intervened. "We're here to ask if you can give us some fresh veggies."

"It's a shame; I was in need of some manpower," the girl sighed, looking back at the plants. "You can ask the club president when she comes back, but honestly, I wouldn't bet on it."

"Oh? And when will she be back?" Fredric wondered, intrigued.

"Intruders! We have intruders! Amy, battle stations at once!" a voice screamed from outside.

"She's back," the girl sighed, standing up and dusting herself off.

"They're here, Melanie!" she screamed back.

Immediately, another girl stepped in through the doors, taking an aggressive posture.

"Blooms," she spat, looking down at the two's uniform badges.

The club president was of medium height, with curly brown hair and a tanned complexion. Her face appeared incredibly visually pleasing, almost to an uncanny level, covered in freckles.

"Why are you here?!" she shouted aggressively.

"Veggies," Zeke blurted out nervously.

"Huh?" She looked visibly surprised. "Well, too bad! You're not getting any! It wouldn't be fair to give you things for free!" She crossed her arms and looked away. "For fuck's sake!" Fredric sighed.

"What was that?" Melanie asked aggressively.

"I swore," he said, covering his eyes.

"Why?" She jutted her head forward.

"What? I can't swear in here?" Fredric dragged his hand up to his forehead. "Is it against the rules?"

"And what if it is, you bastard?" she shot back, inching closer.

"Too bad," Fredric replied, leaning forward to match her stance. "I'm not part of the club, so why would I care about your rules?"

"Well, should we just join?" Zeke suggested, laughing nervously.

"What?!" Melanie and Fredric shouted in unison.

"If we join, you'll give us some veggies, right? And then you can boss him around as much as you want," Zeke explained.

"Hmm, that does make sense," Melanie said, grabbing her chin in thought.

"Yeah, that makes no sense at all," Fredric grumbled. "But fine. Will you give us veggies if we join?"

"Yeah, but you'll have to come here every Thursday and do some chores," Melanie said.

"Deal!" Fredric extended his hand.

"Deal!" the club president said, shaking it with a warm, welcoming smile.

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