(meaning— power)
"No!!!!" Atherina shouts as a surge of mysterious power somehow knocks the three men into unconsciousness and yet, all the other kids were unharmed.
The imperial guard following Atherina and Janine from the rooftops and shadows finally showed himself. "Your highness, please get out of here." he uttered.
"No! I have to check if they're okay!" Atherina opposed as he ran towards Basilio bleeding from his wounds.
"My lady...I'm sorry...I can't have the nice meal you were talking about..." Basilio says in a faint tone.
"Your highness, please, let's go. I'll have the patrolling guards tend to them." The imperial guard uttered again. "Please princess, let's head back. You're covered in blood." Janine tries to convince Atherina but she just can't leave the first person she met outside wounded, bleeding, and maybe even dying.
"You're the...princess???" Basilio asked in confusion in his faint voice. Atherina nodded, "Yes, yes I am. I order you to stay alive while help gets here, okay Basilio?" Atherina says while still crying her eyes out.
"It hurts..." Basilio exclaimed as more blood poured out of his wounds.
Moments later, the three men who hurt Basilio and the other kids started to regain consciousness. The three of them were pretty confused how they were knocked out by the kids, but then gazed on Atherina. 'A high noble who pretty much has plenty of money', they all said in thought.
Fear started to run through Atherina's thoughts, she wanted to run away but couldn't. She can't leave all of them behind.
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{Atherina's POV}
"Well...well...A pretty lady from a noble family. How did you get here, sweetheart?" One of the men asked me as they slowly try and get near me.
"Stay away from her." The Imperial Baccay, who I believe was assigned to watch and protect me. I recognize him from the barracks, He's Joseph. He raised and wielded his sword to the three men.
"You really think we can't just take that girl away from you? I'm pretty sure you know how much she's worth. We can split it." One of the men persuaded.
"I believe your heads will be worth nothing if you try and lay a hand on her." Joseph says to try and protect me, Janine and the other kids. I try to surge and manifest the power of Divine healing towards Basilio.
I can't just run away from this.
Even with my own life in danger.
I was trembling, and I suddenly forgot all of my teachers and brothers' teachings on controlling my mana flow. I have my necklace to help with that, but that can still cause my powers to overpower my own body.
'Focus Atherina'
As I try harder to get my power to surge right out of me just like before.
But I can't.
I can't do it.
What am I doing wrong here?
"Your highness, we have to go. I can't hold them back for much longer." The Imperial Baccay, Joseph says. He suddenly carries me on his back, and Janine follows us from behind. "I'm Sorry your highness, I can't risk letting you get hurt." He says as the three of us ran away, while the three big men were knocked down to the floor.
"No! We can't leave them behind!" I cried out. But Joseph and Janine just kept on running away.
Will they die?
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Atherina lost consciousness from the shock she's experienced. Joseph and Janine ran towards a carriage and the Imperial Patrol guards that was called on earlier just arrived.
"Take her back to the household." Joseph instructed the Coach. He will stay to instruct the guards about what has happened in the alleyway and street ahead and will follow the carriage in a short while to still look over Atherina.
The carriage arrived back at the household, and Danilo, the butler has carried Atherina to her room and reported to the Empress and Emperor of what happened based on what Janine has said through a telepathic communication system that only the Imperial Family can use.
Even with how eager the Empress and Emperor wanted to go to Atherina, they just instructed the Imperial Doctor to come over and check on her.
"She ran out of mana. Did she use her power recently?" The Imperial Doctor asks.
"Yes! She did! Me and the Imperial guard felt that surge of power and that causes the three big men to fall unconscious for a few minutes!" Janine announced.
"That explains why. With her amount of mana lost, that surge might have been felt by some of the people in our capital." The doctor advised.
"But why were we unharmed with the surge and only those three men felt that surge?" Joseph asks in Confusion. He had the right to be confused at that moment, with Atherina's overwhelming power of divinity, it could have been impossible for someone her age to control it. Let alone have it target a specific type of people.
"Maybe it was targeted based on how her highness was feeling at that moment and targeted the specific type of people. Those, who maybe can inflict danger towards people." The Doctor explained. This made the people around Atherina at that moment, astonished by what her powers can do.
"Will she be okay soon? She has her entrance examinations on the academy tomorrow! She'll definitely be upset if she doesn't attend the first phase." Janine asked.
"She'll be fine. I've given her a mana supplement to regain her consciousness later on and she'll be back at it tomorrow." The doctor assured.
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[The Next Day]
"Good luck on your exams Athy!" the Empress, and Emperor, cheered for their daughter in delight. "And please be careful. Don't let us worry like that especially when you're outside the palace." Her father, the emperor sigh in worry.
"Father, I'll be fine, I promise! Thank you, mother, father. I have to go now; the registration will start soon!" Atherina says as she ends the telepathic communications call with her parents.
With that, she had to walk towards the academy, with her identity and real name hidden. She will be known as; Rina Fei Dolores for now.
"Are you not feeling sweaty or hot, your hig- I mean, Rina?" Janine asks as they walk towards the Academy gates. She's currently portraying as Rina's older sister to explain why she's worrying so much.
"I'm Fine Janine, now, please go. I have to go in. I'll see you later on." Atherina says as she went in the Academy gates.
There alone, you can see the division from those who are noble and those who just wish to attend the academy by a mere slim chance. Nobles and middle-class are pouring in from carriages showing their families' insignias representing how 'rich' they are based on titles given by the Imperial family.
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{Atherina}
A group of us, including all the nobles were escorted by someone from the supreme student council and we were led to a classroom where we could all take the exams. Even with us walking through the halls in this academy, I haven't seen one of my brothers.
Are they even in the academy today?
We all entered the room, and there was already obvious who was talking to who. All the nobles and middle-class families who entered by carriage were already grouping together and those who didn't were alone.
A professor entered along with a student.
'Oh!' I said in thought. It was Layton, the son of the Marquis! He's best friends with my brother, Asterio. He gets along with Alejandro and Alain too, but with the obvious age and skill gap in both magic and arts, Asterio and him get along better.
He was scanning the room as his eyes saw me. 'Was he looking for me?'
I wanted to greet him, but I forgot I was portraying someone from not of noble blood and I would probably be humiliated if I ever try to communicate with someone like him.
I saw a small smirk form his lips and then proceeded with the instructions towards the written exams.
"This will be the first phase for your entry here in the Aegerine Divine Academy of Magics and Arts." Layton started. All the girls were in awe of him, it was pretty obvious since he entered the room.
'ew'
"If I see you cheating or copying someone else's work. You are further disqualified from taking the exams any further." He taunts. "I will burn your paper right in front of you if you attempt to do so." He attested.
'Well, he's intimidating.'
"And if I see you use your power to attempt to cheat or exploit any of the people here for your own benefit, you are further banned from taking the examinations from any academy across the continent." He remarked.
"Please, do your very best future students of the Aegerine Academy." The professor present in front says as he distributed the examination papers through his magic.
"You have 300 minutes to accomplish this 10-page exam." the professor exclaimed.
"Start!"