It was a sunny morning in the small town of Ninia, when my mother had birthed me prematurely. Too small and weak, they had expected me to live for only a few months, but I'd surpassed all expectations, growing, albeit slowly, into the lady I was today. As the result of my early birth, the mana inside me ran strong, but unstable.

I'd never met my mother, since she'd passed during my birth, but my aunt had been raising me for the past few years with all she had to offer, teaching me the magic I'd inherited from my parents.

Today, I would be finally leaving home, and everything I knew, to go to the Auluirith Empire, where the crown prince himself had hired me as his mage.

Depositing the last of my baggage into the carriage, I climbed inside and waved my aunt goodbye, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. She smiled warmly, wrinkles folding as she brushed her gray hair behind her ear.

I sighed softly as I melted into the carriage seat. It would be a long trip.