Inside the bedroom, Luna could be seen running around back and forth to prepare her things. This morning, they were supposed to have classes but she woke up late. She carried two bottles of potion inside her bag and combed her wet hair hurriedly.
"Five minutes! I have to run!" Luna said.
She opened the door loudly which startled Lisha in the living room. The latter looked at her silently as Luna walked out after saying her greetings.
When going downstairs she almost tripped but quickly held onto the stair's handrail and continued running down. It was good that there were only a few students in the hallway as classes often start at this time of the day. Outside the castle, she walked hurriedly to her left where their special classroom was located. It was easily fixed in a day after she blew it up.
Then, a sudden gush of wind burst through Luna's skin which she quickly docked. Her reflexes saved her from avoiding the incoming wind attack. The first one was just a warning but the second wind slash was deadly.
"I haven't seen someone use the wind in magic! Must be fire element user or an earth element user!" She uttered while summoning her golden magic circle.
When Luna stood up, she saw a woman and a man attacking her hand in hand. They have silver-tier badges that made Luna guess that they were lower students.
She walked up to them with the golden flames healing her small injuries and the white flames circling her to defend from large attacks.
"Hey, don't act like kids. I have a class to attend," she uttered.
The two ignored her and continued attacking her despite it being deflected by Luna's flames.
"This is for daring to cross lines with Lady Astrid!" They said in unison.
Luna's brow shot up and shaped her fingers like a gun. The two of them swiftly moved away backward as if they already knew what she could do but it was worthless.
Luna began to target them with utmost accuracy and fired two white flames at each of them. The man and woman stumbled on the floor when their stomach was hit and a bit of blood came out of their mouth.
"Don't show your faces in front of me again, I don't like being late to class," Luna said while squatting on the floor with a scary smile on her face.
Then she hurried to her classroom again with the passers-by that stayed away from her after seeing the horrid ending of the man and woman.
Luna gasped for air after reaching the uppermost floor. It was a disadvantage for a healer to be late when your classroom was located at the very top of the building. She hurriedly ran towards the hallway after breathing and saw Advanced Mage Quinn who was about to reach the room. His steps were slow and relaxed which made her eyes full of hope.
She dashed with all she could and greeted the advanced mage.
"Good morning, Advanced Mage Quinn!" Luna said.
He heard some loud footsteps behind his back but he didn't expect it to be Luna. His right brow shot up.
"Oh, good morning too. If you entered our classroom a second late before me, I would have given you a punishment. You're lucky for today, Lady Luna," he said.
Luna smiled widely and said, "I won't again, Advanced Mage Quinn!"
She quickly went towards her seat and saw Blair on the side who talked towards her.
"I almost thought you will not attend classes for today," he said.
"Of course I will attend. I do not want to miss a single class like from my previous school," she uttered.
Blair went confused. She said she wasn't a noble but she went to a school other than Magic Academy. Commoners either became an apprentice to certain workshops, became an adventurer, or aim to study at Magic Academy for long years.
Luna smiled awkwardly. She seemed to slip her tongue whenever she talked to Blair.
'What kind of spell is that?!' she thought.
"H-ahaha, of course, my master first planned for me to study at an exclusive school. I studied there for a year then teach me himself after he saw my potentials though I still need to graduate here to officially became his student," Luna said.
Blair didn't question her again after the class started. When four 'o clock struck, today's classes were finally finished. Luna's body felt tired even though she healed herself already and she felt that something seemed wrong for today.
On her way to the castle, Luna saw Ashley, Lisha, and Slyvette. They were waiting for her classes to finish.
"There you are, Luna," Sylvette said.
Her expression was different than usual. Luna could see a hint of trepidation reflecting on her light brown eyes.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"We'll test if you will fit into our fleeting team. This is our only free time and Ashley didn't want to waste it. She is our leader by the way," she said.
Ashley's ashen eyes looked serious. Her usual childishness was nowhere to be seen while Lisha only stood at her back silently.
"Let's go to our private training area," Sylvette said.
Luna followed them without uttering a single word. The place wasn't that far away from the castle and the three of them faced her once they stepped their feet on the training ground.
"Walk to the other side, Luna," Sylvette said.
She followed them then Ashley walked forward, leaving Sylvette and Lisha at the back.
She summoned her long sword which was enveloped by a black fiery flame. It looked black but it was the result of her gray aura being sullied.
Luna's brows furrowed. It was the first time she saw someone's magic that changed color. It wasn't a natural black like Akiro's.
Ashley suddenly disappeared from her sight. Her body turned left and right to find her and readied to summon her golden flames.
But the next thing she knew, her heart was directly pierced with the ominous long sword. Luna could feel her blood gushing out of her mouth.
"Worthless. You just have been riding on the great Honorary Master Mage's prestige. You can't even avoid my attack. You're now out of our fleeting team. Die!" Ashley whispered with her envious feelings that lingered through her ashen eyes.
Luna kneeled on the ground and gasped for air. Her eyesight began to be blurry.
"We've been studying here for many years. Only a few people managed to graduate within a year but you clearly aren't one," she continued.
They all turned their backs at her and left. Luna's heart tightened. 'What a cunning lady,' she thought. Her fist clenched tightly and gritted her teeth.
'Faster, faster," she thought as the golden flames continued to heal her wounds.
A streak of light seemed to appear as she fastened her healing abilities but she did not see them.
A two-faced lady would not be the one to end her life, not in her lifetime. She didn't want to hurt others but the students here kept on pushing her to her limits. The Magic Academy was indeed famous, not only for nurturing talented students but also for being one of the most dangerous places in Magus Nation.
"Ruthless huh, I'll show you how to be one," she uttered.
Luna thought of that but she would not let them change her usual carefree attitude. It was what brought her solitude after spending her childhood days with deep hatred. For now, she should just burn whoever enemies that come her way and not worry about them dying. It's their fault anyway for crossing her. It would be not her fault, not even a bit. She would now stop feeling sorry about them.
Luna stood up from the ground. The crimson blood that spilled out of her, and had tainted her clothes and the grass below was nowhere to be seen as if someone did not try to kill her. She walked slowly to the castle with white flames that continued to surround her body.
The hubbubs inside the huge castle's entrance seemed to disappear after seeing her violent mood. They began thinking that her deep dark eyes could swallow the whole out of them.
The known calm golden-tier healer had reached her limits after two weeks. It was regarded as very long for a student that was constantly pestered by others from her very first day of school.
"His student is so scary today!" Someone whispered.
The harsh heat of her flames was affecting them from afar as if it was warning them not to come near.
When Luna reached her designated room, she opened it loudly. There she saw Ashley with her belongings especially the pale pink brooch that Akiro gave to her.
The three of them widened their eyes. They didn't have the time to think because Luna stopped the time.
She quickly took all her things including the things that Ashley took and placed them outside. She surrounded them with her white flames and opened her mouth.
"I hereby lock their magic for two days as my highest authority bestowed by the heavens. Goddess' punishment!" Luna chanted.
A blinding light appeared towards them and the golden feathers that fell above changed into shackles that tightly bound their hands and feet. It disappeared slowly after the great spell was completed.
Luna breathed heavily and did her best to keep the time to stay frozen while her magic kept decreasing. Using the easiest spell of the Goddess' Authority was draining. It was no wonder why anyone couldn't use it. Having high-quality magic was not enough, it also demanded a huge quantity of one's magic.
Time began moving again once she reached the ground floor and stayed on a bench.
"I have to find another room immediately," she uttered.
--To be continued--