[Three Skies University, New Hope Super Capital, Rhombu]
In a dedicated training facility somewhere on campus, a young lady pulled back a taut string made of double-layered, quintuple-weaved silk. Slender fingers gently slid down the line, feeling the tension on the bow.
Her eyes were as calm as a frozen sea. Unmoving. Undisturbed. Relentless in their pursuit of a goal. She let nothing disturb her, not even the fly landing on her nose. Her focus shifted slightly to accommodate.
She took a deep breath and released the string. It beelined toward the target, quiet yet efficient. It went through the first loop, the second, a swinging pendulum loop, curved around a steel plate, deflected off another steel plate, and finally landed on a tiny red dot.
A perfect shot. A bullseye.
She exhaled, nodding her head.
It was the same shot every day. When she first started, she couldn't even hit the target. It was a big wooden circle with a dot in the middle. She felt ashamed. She continued practicing. Now she hit the center every time. It was an art. Then came the challenges. Curved shot. There were many kinds. She was practicing those now. It was going well.
She turned to the bleachers. Saw her friends giving her a thumbs-up. She smiled.
"Nice!!!"
"Mia, you'll be an Olympic-tier archer soon enough."
"Isn't she one?"
"Olympian archers can carry objects, activate switches, and solve puzzles by shooting an arrow!"
"You've been watching way too many movies."
"But there's science behind it, right?"
"A lot of made-up physics too."
"Hmmph. I'm just trying to encourage her."
"Don't suggest impossible things."
Mia giggled, amused by the suggestions.
"I'll keep trying my best to evolve my abilities. I naturally have great ambitions!" Mia said ecstatically.
"Oh my god! What on god's earth!!"
A shout attracted her attention. She turned around just as two arrows left the bow. The arrow on the bottom was picking up dust on the ground. It swept the floor in a zig-zag fashion. The arrow on top was carrying it using an updraft.
Mia furrowed her eyes, wanting to get a closer look.
The top arrow was strange. It always curved around any objects in its way, carrying the bottom arrow with it. If the obstacle was too wide, it would lift the bottom arrow up with it. The arrow was able to navigate an otherwise complicated obstacle course.
It flew into a trash can before falling in.
She looked at the floor. Clean and spotless. It felt like a true miracle to her but also distasteful.
She paid closer attention to the archer. Right before he released his next arrow, a burst of blue light from his hand.
'An Enchanted Magician!' Mia thought, shocked, her eyes widening.
She knew a lot of Warriors, Magicians, and Rogues. The military, the mysterious dojos with their Supernatural Entities, and the academic system. They all had different ways of interacting with the innate trait inside each person's body. Each person within these branches expressed those traits in different ways.
Enchanted Warriors, Enchanted Magicians, and Enchanted Rogues. Then there was Kendo, Soccer, Football, Archery, and more. All of it was theory and rarely tested. Technology was the most practical way to apply it. A lot of different combinations, but very few people possessed a trait.
Her own situation was unclear. She could curve a shot, but was that her own ability? Was it attributed to her trait? There was no light, though. That was the confusing part. Her parents had been trying to find something for her. She even consulted with the school officials and any Enchanted person she could find.
Nothing.
Not one lead.
After sorting through her thoughts, the scene felt rather ordinary. She was slightly downcast as well. Being Enchanted was probably the difference between her small ability now and her wider ambitions.
"Mia"
She looked. It was the Enchanted Magician. He was smiling at her. She smiled back. Upon taking a closer look, she recognized him. The Prince of the Sky's younger brother. Originally, she didn't pay any mind to the title. Still, after hearing about his character repeatedly, even seeing some videos of him in action, she unknowingly began to use it.
The Prince of the Sky was an extremely talented Enchanter who had recently realized the secret to double enchanting. He was even harder to meet than the dean.
His younger brother rarely noticed her with the gaggles of women around him. Yet, here he was, taking the initiative to talk to her.
"Yes?" Mia asked with a bit of hope.
"I can see that you're on the cusp of finding your identity, but you're struggling to find that last step. I can ask my older brother to take a look and give some pointers."
(Silence)
"I am honored and humbled to receive such an opportunity, Eric! But I must ask," Mia struggled to find the right words to speak.
"Your demeanor has become different recently. It's changed. To be blunt, you feel like a different person now than in the past, and something about that attracted me," Eric admitted as his face turned red.
"Oh," Mia said in relief.
She thought he would confess to her out of nowhere. It was still a confession but felt rooted in something more wholesome. That was acceptable to her. She had planned to straight out refuse anything like *I love you*.
"If you'd like, I can ask my brother after class is over," Eric offered.
"Sure," Mia nodded with a smile.
"Based on what I've heard him saying, the secret is tied to motivation, inspiration, and creativity. He can give you a more detailed answer," Eric explained briefly.
(Ding)
(Dong)
(Ding)
(Dong)
"Alright. I'll be waiting then," Mia said with a smile before bidding farewell.
"Wow!!! So incredible. I got to watch a really awesome show today."
"I wish I could become an Enchanter!"
"Talk to the Prince of the Sky then. Maybe a single word from him will make your dream come true."
"Stop talking nonsense. Give a guy a break, will ya?"
"Will anything happen between those two?"
"Who?"
"Eric and Mia, of course!!"
"How would I know. Guys confess to girls all the time. Most of them don't end in anything."
"But Mia's the second belle of Three Skies University now."
"If you have a point, make it."
"Sorry. I just like discussing the three belles."
"I think you enjoy delusions in your head."
The crowd watched Mia leave with her friends before heading off themselves.
The bow was taller than her and was angled on her back. She always carried it with her, never storing it. It had become a part of her pride, her identity. She felt incomplete without it. It wasn't fancy or simple. She built it herself spending a few weeks in the nearby forest.
Redwood, sanded down. The strength of the individual parts was stronger than the glue that bound them together. Regardless of how much strength she put into it, it never broke. It became her signature look on campus. Royal Archer Queen. That was her nickname, one that she didn't dispute.
"Mia. Does that mean you'll become Enchanted soon?"
"I'm not sure. I don't want to get my hopes up," Mia shook her head.
"If it does work out, what type of Enchanter do you want to become?"
"Maybe an Enchanted Warrior?" Mia responded.
"Not a Magician?"
"Not for me. Olympians need strength. Without strength, I won't get far," Mia replied.
"But, a Warrior is really."
"Stop with the damn stereotypes. We'll support her if she wants to become an Enchanted Warrior."
"Of course, I was just expressing my opinion."
"You guys, stop it. Before we contest what type of Enchanter I should become, it needs to work first. Traits are considered to be set in stone, and it's unheard of for one to be created post-natal," Mia laughed.
"Of course it'll work. You're way too talented."
"Thanks, but without potential, talent is only a dream," Mia answered.
"Humble and talented!"
"Should we get lunch after class?"
"Yeah."
"What shop?"
"How about Deli World?"
"They have the best meats, for sure."
"This week they apparently have a tuna special."
"Isn't that your favorite, Mia?"
"That's why I mentioned, hehe."
"Tuna sounds great," Mia nodded.