I opened my eyelids, my blurry vision slowly focusing itself on what lay in front of me. A white ceiling stood above me, my body resting on a small double bed. I slowly sat up, attempting to recall the events that led me here.
My mind finally remembered my interaction with Asthia. I sighed, slightly embarrassed. Even if I had convinced myself that opening myself up to Asthia was the right decision, the action itself was still embarrassing.
I took a deep breath, my body feeling lighter. I could still feel the scar left by Katherine's death, but it somehow didn't weigh me down as much as it used to. Did it have to do with how I let out my emotions?
I got up and put on the simple clothes that were laid out for me: a white button-up shirt and black jeans. I rolled up my sleeves, revealing the mark on my hand that was now glowing a bright cyan.
I closed my fist, concealing the mark. I had to be careful in public, or my identity would be exposed to the public. I no longer had to fear for my life, but it was something I wasn't keen on revealing to anyone.
The school term was starting soon, and I had to practice for the entrance examination that was held for all candidates. In terms of the written task, I was fairly confident in my knowledge of Auroria, having read all kinds of books as a child. As for the other half of the exam, the combat trial, I was way above the norm for any kid my age, and I would actually have to focus on concealing most of my ability if I wanted to have a rather normal school life.
I had never attended school back on Earth, being born to fight, so I was hoping I could go through my years at the academy as a normal student, without attracting too much attention. I knew I'd have Asthia as a friend, but who knew how popular she'd become.
I made my way down the hall, realizing I had been resting inside my room. Had Asthia used her link with me to locate my family? The possibilities arose with the power of the link were numerous, and if you didn't trust the other individual with every cell in your body, you'd live the rest of your days in constant paranoia.
"Princess Darck, I once again thank you for bringing our son back," said Jane kindly, her general warmth and kindness spreading throughout the house.
"No, no, it was my pleasure," exclaimed Asthia, not knowing how to react. Did she expect my parents to know about my relationship with her?
I approached the top of the stairs, looking at the two women. I smiled at their behaviors, both of them unsure how to approach the other.
"Asthia, how long was I out?" I asked suddenly, descending the stairs. Both women snapped out of their exchange, focusing their attention on me. I could tell my mom was shocked by how I had addressed the Royal Princess of the Dragons, but Asthia merely looked at me.
"A few hours."
"Thank you for earlier," I said, not being able to meet her eyes. The girl smiled. Her face was slightly red at the mentioning of what happened.
Jane cleared her throat, clearly at a loss for words for what was happening in front of her.
"Jay, do you know Princess Darck?" she asked me. I could tell my mom was on edge with how informally I was addressing the Royal Princess of Lares, but I merely nodded, comforting her ever so slightly.
"I met Asthia after the fire. She and her family helped me survive," I explained. Jane looked at Asthia, her eyes watering up.
"I see. Thank you for saving my son," she said, her emotions getting the better of her as she ran to hug the young girl.
Asthia flinched at the sudden approach, startled. I could tell she didn't feel threatened or disrespected, but the girl clearly wasn't expecting the sudden embrace.
"Jay was the one who saved me in the first place, I should be the one thanking you!" exclaimed Asthia. Jane laughed, backing up.
"Will you be attending the Academy?" asked Jane, curious.
"Yes. I am one year older than the first years that will be attending, but I got special permission to start the school year as a first-year."
"What will you do about the entrance exam?" I asked.
Asthia was someone who was on equal footing with me in almost every possible way, and I didn't doubt her intelligence and cunningness either. If she deliberately chose to go all out during the combat exam or contain her power, it was all a calculated choice.
"I have to prove myself. I can't hold back," she responded confidently, a fiery ember blazing in her eyes. I smiled. It was definitely the best choice of action. If the other students were immediately exposed to Asthia's true power, nobody would be able to doubt her strength.
There was definitely opposition that would arise from the demonstration of power, but the large majority of the students would idolize this new transfer student. Considering Asthia was the first dragon to ever attend the school, she would have to show what she was capable of.
"I'm guessing you'll be laying low?" she asked me, understanding my way of thinking.
I nodded.
"You better hope you don't get matched against me then, I doubt holding back would even let you make it out alive," she joked. I laughed.
Considering only the victor of the combat trial was allowed into the academy, I had to make sure that I won my matchup. I did not doubt in my mind that I would be way above the power of my opponent, but the trick would be measuring how much power I would need to use to actually pass the exam.
I needed to use this opportunity to practice and develop my skills as a binder even further. I believed that I would be taking a break from the deadly lifestyle of an adventurer, but a middle schooler didn't sound much better to me.
I could tell my mom was a lot more cheerful now that I had arrived home, and the idea of my attending a normal school with no monsters trying to kill me at every corner was extremely comforting.
I knew my time as an adventurer had come to a close, but this new chapter wouldn't be easier.
Everyday life was the hardest thing for me to get used to in the first place.