Happiness... something to be pretended at, now. Something to be approximated. But to be felt? No. That wasn't an option for them.

Concern, though - Axel could manage that, right now. He kept glancing over at Xikkuyo as the pair moved through the corridors. Definitely going to have to keep an eye on her, here... but - ah. A couple of patches of darkness in the corner of his vision seemed to be shifting.

"Two this time. Handle them how you want, but I want you to use magic at least once. If you can't, it's alright... we'll keep working on it."

They'd get there, he was sure. But this was going to be the critical test.