Snowdrop Lily - Hope and New Journeys

Nors suddenly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was the ever-unchanging ceiling. Sweat trickled down his temples, and his breathing was rapid. He had obviously just experienced a nightmare. Weak light filtered through the swaying curtains, casting dancing specks of sunlight on the bed. He turned his head slightly to look at the bed beside him.

It was empty, and even his companion spirit, Tuan Yuan, was not there. Clearly, his sister Celia and Tuan Yuan had gotten up earlier than him and left, though he didn't know where they had gone. Ignoring the lingering panic from the nightmare, he got up and walked to the bathroom to start his morning routine.

Ten years ago, Nors and Celia came to Noying Academy by chance. They finally settled down after being adopted by Elder Yu, who had strongly advocated for them.

Noying Academy is the oldest magic academy on the continent of Seraphia, believed to have existed for at least three thousand years. The entire academy is like a magnificent ancient castle, majestically standing on a lake. Its stone pillars are sturdy and upright, like guardians protecting the academy's glory. Ancient runes are embedded in the walls, emitting a mysterious glow that tells the long history of the academy. Every brick and tile of the building is steeped in the passage of time, and every leaf tells the miracles of magic.

In the sunlight, the shadows of the building shimmer on the lake, exuding a sense of ancient grandeur and mystery. Besides the basic facilities, the academy also has its own farm and garden, making it a self-sufficient institution. Although not his birthplace, Nors felt a sense of pride as a student here.

"Good morning, Senior Nors," students greeted him as he walked along the path in the central garden.

"Good morning, have you seen Celia and Tuan Yuan?" he asked.

"Senior Celia and Tuan Yuan are in the central hall, helping with the preparation for the promotion ceremony," a student pointed in the direction of the hall.

Nors's face darkened immediately. Elder Yu must have asked her to help again. That old man loves to enslave my adorable sister! Nors thought indignantly.

"Congratulations, Senior Nors and Senior Celia. You'll both be promoted to Star Rank today!" A student looked at him with admiration.

"Yeah, congratulations!" echoed the congratulations from others.

"Thank you. I'll go find Celia. See you later," Nors thanked them and hurried toward the hall. His eyes caught sight of a massive archway standing on a distant mountain range. It was shrouded in layers of clouds, and from afar, only a golden outline could be seen. A faintly visible white sphere hovered in the middle of the archway.

There was an uneasy feeling that something extraordinary might emerge from it at any moment. It had appeared one morning without any warning.

The academy heads were secretive about this sudden object and took all necessary precautions. After months of observation without any changes, the elders assigned a few people to patrol it and left it at that.

However, looking at the faintly glowing white sphere, Nors felt a surge of unease. He sensed that something uncontrollable might happen. Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought.

Don't overthink things that haven't happened yet.

"Bang—"

Suddenly, an explosion sounded from behind him.

Nors turned and saw two young people arguing fiercely, ready to fight at any moment.

Oh, it's Norsing serious.

It's Scarlett and Alex, those two troublemakers.

"Stupid monkey, I'm going to kill you today!" A girl in a bright yellow magic robe, wearing a hood adorned with a cute cat clip, brandished her magic wand and shouted.

She was Scarlett, a mid-rank magic summoner, and Alex's long-time adversary.

The young man, Alex, dodged the attack easily and laughed mockingly. "Idiot, you think you can beat me? Naive!" he said, making faces and teasing the girl.

Scarlett, veins bulging with anger, forgot the original reason for the argument, focusing solely on beating the troublemaker in front of her. She spun her magic wand, her yellow scarf fluttering in the wind, and chanted a spell:

"Summon Magic, Spirit of Fire - Atul!"

A large summoning magic circle appeared on the ground, and flames emerged from it. As if called by some force, the fire swirled in the air, gradually forming a larger blaze that enveloped the surrounding space in an orange-red glow.

The beautiful flames dissipated, revealing a figure.

It was Atul, the Spirit of Fire, surrounded by burning flames with a dignified face.

"Attack! Strike him!" Scarlett commanded.

Atul raised its arm, and a flame appeared in its palm, which it hurled at Alex without hesitation.

"Crazy woman! You're serious! Don't blame me for being rude!" Alex raised a long knife, the Heaven Slayer Demon Blade, and prepared to strike. Energy gathered at the tip, shining with golden white light.

"Watch this! Heaven Slayer - Slash!" his voice echoed in the central garden as he swung the blade forward.

The blade sliced through the air like lightning, leaving a dazzling red trail that slashed toward the huge flame. The flame was deflected in another direction.

"Not good, that direction! Someone's there!" Scarlett's voice suddenly rang out, causing a panic.

"Hey, idiot over there, move quickly!" Alex shouted.

Seeing this, Nors's eyelid twitched.

At the critical moment, he threw his sword toward the unlucky person.

The sword stood upright in the air, emitting energy waves. The raging fire was blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to advance. The heat of the flame gradually diminished and was eventually nullified.

"It's the Xuán Míng Divine Protection Sword! It's Senior Nors!" someone in the crowd shouted.

The Xuán Míng Divine Protection Sword, Nors's sword, had a strange name.

This sword could nullify any magic attack of the same level or lower, growing stronger with its master. Its existence was a mystery, as no magic history books mentioned it. According to Nors, it was a family heirloom.

With such an effect, no magic of the same level could affect Nors. Every magic swordsman coveted it.

For a while, many people harassed Nors to get the sword, using various tactics. Some elders even tried to pressure him, saying he was too young for the sword, and offered to keep it for him, shamelessly. In the end, Elder Yu, who had adopted them, drove them all away. Even in a holy magic academy, there were always bad apples. Elder Yu provided the greatest protection in their growth.

The mist gradually cleared, revealing the person almost hit by the flame. Alex and Scarlett's faces turned pale when they saw it was their friend, Ethan.

The flowers around had been burned, leaving charred remnants. Ethan, holding a watering can, stared coldly at them, his eyes saying they better give a good explanation or else.

Alex gulped, feeling his scalp tingle. Ethan's gaze seemed to pierce them.

"It was her fault! She has a bad temper! Always goes overboard!" he tried to defend himself.

Scarlett immediately retorted, "What? If you weren't teasing me, I wouldn't have gotten angry!"

"Hmph! I'm being kind by not arguing with you, okay?" Alex crossed his arms arrogantly.

"You got it wrong! I'm the one being kind by forgiving you!" Scarlett yelled angrily.

"Exactly!"

"Monkey! Get lost! You're asking for it!"

The two pushed and blamed each other like elementary school kids, almost fighting again.

"Enough! Are you still in elementary school? This is the umpteenth time this month! My flowers will all die at your hands!" Ethan couldn't take it anymore and shouted.

He felt sorry for the flowers and for himself.

Because he loved flowers, he volunteered to take care of the central garden. Seeing his carefully tended flowers burned to ashes, Ethan wanted to kill. He wanted to strangle these two brats. He had long suggested engraving protective sigils in the garden; otherwise, these two would ruin everything.

Leaning against a pillar, Nors watched the daily drama, enjoying it without intending to intervene.

This pair, an interesting love-hate childhood duo, argued daily and fought every three days. Ethan was the direct victim. They always destroyed his flowers, sometimes even causing damage to the walls. The building manager was miserable, complaining and punishing them multiple times, yet they never learned.

"Hey, you're all here?"

A crisp voice came from behind.