Soft light danced through the carved crystal window, casting rainbow hues upon the walls of the spacious room. The morning air was still cold, creeping slowly through the gaps in the silk curtains that were not fully drawn.
Elysia slowly opened her eyes. The world she saw glittered too perfectly.
The golden ceiling, the pale white pillars, and the deep red velvet curtains swaying gently. Only one thing was missing–the empty space beside her. There was no one to keep her company. Only the neatly folded, hollow, deep red sheets.
Slowly, she sat up, leaning her body against the headboard. Her eyes were still red, whether from lingering sleepiness or from a dream too beautiful to be real.
"Just a dream again," she whispered, almost to herself.
But she did not wallow long in sadness. A faint smile crept onto the corners of her lips, fragile yet steadfast. "It's alright. I am here now. Sooner or later, we will meet."
Knock. Knock.
The door was knocked. A soft voice called from outside. "My Lady... Are you awake?"
Without answering, Elysia stood and opened the door.
A maid with shoulder-length brown hair stood before her. A black-and-white maid's uniform hugged her figure neatly. The woman's name was Asahina. A special attendant assigned to her.
Every family that was a major donor to the academy received special treatment, including a luxurious room and a personal attendant as a form of respect.
"How was your sleep, My Lady?"
"Comfortable."
Her expression was flat. Her smile was a lie.
Asahina bowed respectfully. "My Lady, allow me to assist you in preparing for your first class."
Elysia nodded slowly and let Asahina perform her duties.
Elysia then moved towards the bathroom in the corner of the room. A thin partition served as a divider and also to prevent odors from disturbing the comfort of her room.
Elysia removed her thin nightwear piece by piece before stepping into the golden bathtub adorned with various jewels.
Her eyes scanned every inch of the bathroom filled with precious metals. "They even made the bathroom feel like heaven. I wonder if it's always like this or because Father's donation was too large."
As her hand touched the silver tap, a magic circle appeared. Water flowed, and fragrant, warm steam gushed out, filling the bathroom.
Elysia flinched slightly but quickly grasped the situation.
The girl had occasionally seen magic used in soldier training, but never imagined it applied to technology.
"They combined it with simple technology? What a perfect innovation." Her violet irises narrowed with curiosity. How does this work? Could the concept be similar to energy conversion in my previous world?
A slight curve formed at the corner of her lips. A small hope of finding 'him' grew larger.
After bathing, she put on the prepared uniform. A dark blue tunic with gleaming silver buttons. A striking red badge was placed on her left chest.
Elysia stared at the badge with questions.
"That is a sign that your family is a major donor to this academy."
"A sign? Won't this be often misused?"
Asahina shook her head. "That sign does not mean you are free to do anything, My Lady. Punishment will still apply if you break the rules. However, the sign will protect you from other nobles who try to harass you. Severe punishment will be imposed immediately if they are proven guilty."
"Isn't that a bit unfair?" Her tone was bitter. "The law is sharp only downwards, while those above get full protection of their rights."
Asahina was silent for a moment. A flicker of surprise was clear in her eyes.
"You are very sharp, My Lady. But that is just how it is. With this many students, the law often cannot reach those in the lower ranks. Furthermore, it would be a problem if the academy lost the trust of major donors like your family."
Elysia turned her face away. "Well. I don't care about that either." Her small hand rose, clutching the necklace resting on her neck. Whispering to herself, "I only have one goal. And that will not change."
Asahina tilted her head. But she did not ask further.
She then walked behind Elysia and showed the way to her class.
Along the academy corridor, Elysia did not stop observing her surroundings.
Under the soft sunlight, students in red uniforms passed by.
Some looked relaxed, while others were in a hurry as if chased by time. Some were practicing magic in the academy's vast courtyard. Others were just lounging lazily.
Not far from where she stood, students her age were entering a room. Some were accompanied by attendants, while others came alone, carrying maps in their hands.
"Forgive me, My Lady. The academy only permits me to escort you this far. I will pick you up again after classes end in the evening."
"I know."
After bowing respectfully one last time, Asahina turned and left. Her steps slowly disappeared into the ceaseless flow of people coming and going.
Elysia took a deep breath. The world felt increasingly lonely after realizing her dormitory was separated from Irine's due to her father's request.
The old man probably thought she was worried the incident with Leon and Lirei would repeat. That was likely why he requested their dormitories and classes be separated, so she could focus on studying and make more friends. No need to be too attached to one another.
But without her realizing, that action brought a deeper loneliness to her–she who naturally felt very attached to Irine.
After pondering for a moment, she sighed and looked ahead again. "Enough."
As Elysia walked into the classroom, many pairs of eyes looked at her with varied gazes. She returned them with a cold, piercing stare, like a frozen knife stabbing into their chests.
The classroom was a small hall with green-painted walls. A golden chandelier hung from the ceiling. Long, semicircular benches were arranged neatly in tiers.
Elysia moved towards the corner of the room, a place that would make her feel less conspicuous.
Only seconds after sitting down, a girl entered with a cheerful smile adorning her chubby cheeks. Her brown hair flowed long, covering her back. Her skin was paler. And she was human.
"Yahooo~ good morning, Tudo (everyone)!"
Elysia narrowed her eyes. Tudo? She is Algarvean?
The girl glanced at her, then walked towards her while humming softly. "Hey, what's your name? My name is Celina d' Velharis. I'm the second daughter of the Duke of the Algarve Kingdom. Just call me Celina."
"Elysia Alveria Lunestre."
"Lunestre? You're from that prosperous Lunestre! Are there many rabbits like you there? Conta pra mim (tell me)!"
The girl leaned in, close, so close their noses almost touched. Her blue irises, deep as the ocean, stared at Elysia with clear curiosity.
Elysia pushed her away slightly. "Alright, but back up a bit."
She laughed softly, pulled herself back, and sat next to Elysia. "Desculpe (sorry). I got too excited. I'm often considered weird because I'm too expressive. I figured I'm just not cut out to be a noble figure."
Elysia sighed. "It's fine, I'm used to it. Some of my sisters are similar to you."
"Really? Who? I heard your race can have more than ten children! Você pode me contar? Por favor (Can you tell me? Please)...." She looked at Elysia with a pleading expression.
Elysia had no choice. Like it or not, she had to indulge her desk mate's selfish request.
Yet, a very faint smile spread on her lips. Celina's cheerful and enthusiastic nature reminded her of her two sisters—Elene and Irine.
The academy... wasn't so bad. Maybe enjoying herself a little wouldn't be a problem, right?
"You know, Elysia." Celina leaned back against the wooden chair. "I hope I can keep up with the magic lessons well. As you can see, my Atlantea is still broken. Sometimes I even mix it with my native language, né?"
Elysia just listened silently as Celina kept complaining.
Celina brought her face close again, her hands gripping Elysia's shoulders tightly, looking at her with a pleading expression. "Hey... you'll help me when I'm struggling, né?"
Elysia only nodded slowly.
"Sim! Você é a melhor!" (Yes! You're the best!)
This time, Elysia frowned, she didn't fully understand what she said.
Creek.
The classroom door opened again. This time, it wasn't a student who entered. But a middle-aged man with a thin build and dark circles under his eyes. He wore an elegant blue robe with silver embroidery around it.
The most striking feature of his appearance was a pair of goat horns curving backwards among his blue, curly hair.
He smiled enthusiastically, a contrast to his tired eyes. "My name is Antonio Santos Da Silva. You can call me Professor Antonio. I am... your homeroom teacher for now. Nice to meet you all, and accept a gift from me!"
He waved his hand energetically upwards.
Suddenly, magic circles filled the classroom canopy, and candies and sweet snacks rained down from there.
Elysia stared wide-eyed, as did the others. The magic tap had surprised her, but a demonstration like this surprised her even more.
"This is... magic?"
"Uau! Doces caindo do céu!" (Wow! Candys falling from the sky!)
Celina immediately grabbed the candies and put them in her mouth. She wasn't suspicious or surprised at all. Instead, her eyes shone brightly as if revealing her burning enthusiasm.
She stood up and slammed the desk. Staring at Antonio with blazing spirit. "Professora, me ensina aquele feitiço que faz chover doce!" (Professor, teach me that spell that makes it rain candys!)
Elysia frowned. If translated, the girl probably wanted to be taught the candy spell, or... that was more or less what she understood.
Antonio laughed softly. "Of course, but be careful. Your native language is showing."
"Ups." She immediately covered her mouth. Her cheeks reddened slightly. "Desculpe," she murmured softly.
Antonio's laughter echoed in the small classroom.
"I like your spirit. But we won't learn it step by step while waiting for you to be able to awaken the flow of magic in your own veins," Antonio explained. "So.. until that time comes, learn from the greatness of your teacher!"
Snap.
After he snapped his fingers, a spectrum of colorful light suddenly filled the classroom. A beautiful light that looked like an aurora. All eyes were mesmerized again seeing it.
"I hope you can have a little fun in my class."
Under the glitter of the artificial aurora, Elysia smiled very faintly. No one knew that the hope growing in her chest was not about magic, but about 'him' who always appeared in her dreams, 'him' whom she never stopped searching for.