*** Trigger Warning: Bullying ***
Early the next morning, the gremlins were strangely quiet for once as Aayla quickly finished getting ready. There was no chittering in the air ducts or scratching on the floor. Just the gentle chirping of birds.
Even after almost three weeks, Aayla still hadn't finished adjusting to this world. Everyday felt like she was cosplaying at a magical Victorian themed living history museum. Aayla looked at her pocket watch. 30 minutes until opening time. Just enough time to go over her welcome speech, the resident welcome packages, general supplies and check for gremlin damage again. One could never be too cautious with gremlins.
Exactly 600 welcome packages with 25 extra for exactly 600 residents. 20 minutes until opening. The storage rooms in the basement are full and gremlin free. 10 minutes until opening. Big smile and short welcome speech practiced. 5 minutes until opening. Lost the front gate key. 4 minutes until opening. Gate key found in another pocket. 2 minutes until opening.
Aayla walked briskly out the front door and headed for the gate. She exhaled into her hands and rubbed them together to ward off the cold. A small crowd had gathered in front of the gate. Daren and Chris were no-where to be seen as usual. Aayla frowned. What good are two helpers if they never show up? At least she planned for them to not show up.
Many gazes filled with curiosity, contempt and apathy fell on Aayla as she tried her best to brightly smile. She checked her pocket watch to calm herself down, which read exactly 8 in the morning. Aayla inserted the key into the lock, twisted it then quickly stepped back. The gate unlocked with a bell like clang and began to open inwards.
Aayla gave a short curtsy, just like what she practiced with Ramona in the previous weeks.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Aayla Glowery, and I will be the head resident advisor for this upcoming school year."
Everyone was absolutely silent and stared at her without a word. Then hushed whispers broke out among the crowd. Aayla clenched her trembling hands and did her best to maintain her smile.
"This is the Nafriton Residence Hall. If you are not here to sign into the dorm, please follow the road back to the university. Dorm rooms have already been assigned and cannot be changed unless approved by a deputy headmaster or Headmaster Marin. Parents and guardians are welcome to help students settle in, but are only allowed on the dormitory grounds during sign in. This will be strictly enforced by the dormitory's artifact spirit, which also forces other safety measures.
Thank you for your understanding, and welcome to the grand re-opening of Nafriton Residence Hall!"
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As those around the gate waited patiently for the dormitory to open, they began to chat about the latest rumor making its way through the school. Apparently, Ramona Heston's goddaughter was attending Nafriton this year. Yes, that Ramona Heston. The Deputy Headmaster of Operations and the Chinebar Republic's best expert on ancient history, Terra, archaeology and ancient languages. This rumored goddaughter has been talked about for years, but without any evidence most doubted her existence.
The gossips went crazy with that news alone, let alone when the other pieces of news got around. A pitiful young lady recovering from illness, a daring escape with family heirlooms from mysterious attackers, personally admitted by Headmaster Marin, and fighting off a magical beast with her bare hands during the True Order attack on Forest Waypoint. Personally, most people only really believed that two of the rumors held any sort of truth. A sickly young lady fighting off assassins and magical beasts bare handed? Please. Only fools would believe that nonsense.
Theodore Lawlor stood with his parents in front of the main gate of Nafriton Residence Hall. His parents excitedly chatted with other beaming parents while waiting for the dormitory to open. The drop off period at the start of the year provided a great opportunity for parents and students alike to make excellent connections. Literally any student from this campus could easily rise to the top of the magical community. Even if they weren't nobility, the students here all had excellent magical abilities. Well, most students did.
What was her name again? Rahla Gulowi? No, Kaela Glori? No, that's still wrong. Oh! Aayla Glowery! That's her name. In any case, that lady is already an absolute legend. Theodore chuckled gleefully thinking of those arrogant, air-headed aristocratic ladies just looking for a husband that bribed their way in.
Ancient History, Magizoology and Aerial Studies are the only majors that don't require magical ability for admission. With expenses so astronomical for those fields, unqualified candidates can weasel their way in with vast sums of wealth, even into universities of Nafriton's caliber. Aristocratic ladies are especially fond of buying their way into the university then scheming their way into apprenticeships solely to boost their reputations and marriage prospects. Deputy Heston happens to be one of their favorite targets since no one has publicly become her personal student yet.
Nafriton has been losing many excellent candidates for the Magicless Majors to Chinebar National University in recent years due to rumors of admissions fraud and bullying. According to the news circulated by gossips and tabloids alike, the headmaster must be trying to revamp the Magicless Majors. One anonymous source that confirmed the rumor allegedly works near the headmaster's office.
He frowned to himself, but his smile returned quickly. Strangely, those husband-crazy ladies of the Magicless Majors have become among the snobbiest, most elitist students in the school despite their lack of talent.
Their happiness won't last for much longer. Someone personally taught by Deputy Heston can't be any less than a genius. Now that they are being compared to such a person, those annoying young misses must be gnashing their teeth in frustration.
Though he was starting his third year, this was the first time that Theodore actually enjoyed the highly excitable atmosphere. The first year he was too nervous and didn't sleep the night before. Just a few weeks into the school year, he unknowingly made a fatal mistake. After returning a dropped book to one of his noble classmates who happened to be majoring in Aerial Studies. The delusional woman assumed that he, an upper middle-class plebeian, was trying to woo her no matter what Theo did.
So, she and her friends made their best efforts to destroy his life in general. They ruthlessly tormented Theodore for most of his first and second years. No one would come forward as a witness, and all the concrete evidence disappeared. The friends he made during his first weeks immediately distanced themselves. Even his roommates joined in by locking him out overnight several times.
Praise be to the God of Light that the group finally lost interest after one of them had a bad break up in the middle of his second year. The ex-boyfriend's group kept his tormentors occupied ever since. A few other former victims rejoiced with Theodore and they became his first true friends since he started school.
"Theo, it's almost time. Oh! I'm so excited! Now that those vixens have long lost interest in you, you can finally have a decent school year."
His beaming mother and father walked over from another group of parents. His mother grabbed his arm and squealed like a little school girl. His father laughed and nodded along, also pleased that his son's school life is turning around. Hopefully he can find a good daughter-in-law to bring home or a good master to apprentice under.
Suddenly, the people around them started whispering and pointing towards the mansion in the distance. A young woman with tan skin and dark brown hair walked crisply down the lane towards the gate. Strangely enough, Theodore couldn't sense any mana from her at all. That's odd. Was the young woman ill or something?
When she got closer, a small wave of mana was emanating from the black bracelet on her wrist. Calm and composed, the lady ignored the many stares and checked her pocket watch. At exactly 8 in the morning, she opened the front gate with a smile and an elegant curtsy.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Aayla Glowery, and I will be the head resident advisor for this upcoming school year."
By the Celestials it's her?! Theodore couldn't concentrate on the rest of her speech. The crowd grew slightly restless as murmurs of disbelief and excitement rippled through the crowd. The rumors about her illness must be true. Then, there could be a bit more truth to the outlandish rumors as well.
A smile crawled up his face. Even without magic, Theo had a feeling that she would still put the husband seeking crazies in the Magicless Majors to shame, including his tormentors. They're not that smart, but they are insanely petty and jealous. There's no way that they'll take any threat to their status lightly.
Since those crazies split from the ex-boyfriend's group, both groups are constantly fighting and easier to spy on. Maybe he could get some evidence of their bullying this time. Maybe he could even bring them down. His friends will definitely help. The victims from the ex-boyfriend's group could be interested as well. His grin grew larger.
This school year was going to be simply marvelous.