I looked at myself in the mirror one last time before going to wait for Phoenix. I am not good at applying makeup, so I didn't apply any, but I did hold my hair in a bun with hairpins. It was enough. I have always hated my appearance, so looking pretty wasn't a priority for me.
The reflection staring back at me seemed like a stranger. My dark hair, now neatly pinned up, framed a face that had seen too much. The lack of makeup did little to hide the scars, both visible and hidden, that I carried with me. I took a deep breath, trying to summon the courage I needed to face the night ahead.
I haven't forgotten that my face is the reason why I was tortured by those people. I just lost the ability to like my face at some point. While other people obsess over looking pretty, my priority lies in surviving. I couldn't help but think of the countless hours spent in fear, the taunts, and the pain inflicted because of my appearance. It had left me wary and distrustful, always looking over my shoulder.
I heard a knock on the door and knew who it was without having to check. I walked to the door and opened it. Phoenix turned and looked at me; he dressed up too.
"Uh…" he started. What? "Are you ready?" he asked, avoiding my gaze. What?
"Yes," I replied. I didn't have anything I needed, so I walked out and shut my door. There was no need to lock it because it was in the middle of a forest close to the mountain, and I have a wolf.
I turned and looked at him, but he looked away again. What is wrong with him?
"Shall we?" he asked, and I nodded. "The dress really suits you," he said, taking my hand.
"Thank you," I said. "And thank you for getting it for me. It's a really pretty dress."
"It's nothing," he said.
There was a carriage, luckily, because I did not see the night ending well if I had to walk down to the hall.
We walked inside the hall together. The grand space was filled with the buzz of conversations and the soft strains of music. Elegant decorations adorned the walls, and the chandeliers cast a warm glow over the room. Everyone was socializing, mingling with people from other dorms, their laughter and chatter creating a lively atmosphere. However, despite the outward cheerfulness, I could still sense the underlying hostility. It was in the way some people glanced at each other, the tight smiles that didn't reach their eyes, and the subtle but ever-present tension in the air.
I scanned the room, recognizing faces from my time at the academy. Some smiled and waved, while others seemed to deliberately avoid making eye contact. The old rivalries and unspoken grudges were still very much alive, hidden beneath a veneer of politeness.
"Faina," I heard a voice and looked in the direction it was coming from. Clove waved at me; everyone was together in one corner.
"I guess we've found them," Phoenix said.
As I approached, I was tackled by a really tall person. What is going on? I couldn't see past the shoulders of the person giving me a bear hug.
"I missed you," the person said. She pulled away and looked down at me.
"Sienna?" I exclaimed.
"It's been a while," she said. She was still tall and pretty. She looked the same as the last time I saw her, but with a little warmth around her. Is it marriage or the baby?
"Faina," Clove said, dragging me into a hug. "You look so pretty."
"Thank you, Phoenix got me the dress," I said, assuming that she was talking about the dress. Her eyes darted to Sienna, and they spoke in an unknown language that only their eyes understood.
"Is that so?" she replied, stepping away as she tried to hide the grin, but I saw it clearly.
"Faina," Skye said. "It's been a while. You are the only person in this group that I haven't seen in years."
"And you are the only person that doesn't bother me," Leo added. It's unfair how tall everyone is.
"Faina, how have you been?" Wolfe asked.
"Fine," I replied.
"Why are you all acting like I'm not here?" Keith said. Keith. He also looked the same. If I thought Sienna was tall, I am deluding myself. Keith and Phoenix must have eaten manure because they were much taller than I remembered, which only meant:
"Faina, is it me or are you shorter?" Keith asked. It is you; you are awfully tall.
"It's been a while, Keith," I said, hoping he'd stop.
"You really lost height," he said. I am taller now; I am a few decades away from reaching five feet.
"Stop teasing her," Phoenix said, and Clove started blushing again. Is there something between them? Are we about to have another couple in our group?
"She likes it," Keith argued. I do not.
"Are you sure?" Sienna said.
Looking at how tall everyone is, I can't help comparing them. Who would be the tallest among all the people I've met so far?
Among the ladies, Alia and Skye are close, but I can't tell who's taller. I would have chosen either Phoenix or Keith, but I'm not sure how tall Teon is because I wasn't close enough to tell.
"What is this reunion about?" Leo asked.
"Just an excuse to drag us back here and see who they can use," Sienna said.
"Speaking of use, I heard you are teaching now," Clove said.
"Just for a while," I replied.
"Don't let the old man force you to continue," she said, and I nodded. "Now, if you'd excuse me, I have duties as an azure," she said.
"Don't go looking for trouble," Wolfe warned, but she ignored him.
"Let her be," Sienna said.
I looked around the hall, noting people wearing azure. I didn't know most of them.
"You're Faina Alden, right?" someone said, and I turned.
"Yes," I replied, noting that I shouldn't stay long with the person because he's a scarlet.
"The Alden that makes Galliel look bad," he said.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You think no one knows that you're just the result of nepotism? How can you be a professor after spending just a few years in the academy?" he asked. I worked hard for everything, and this person is belittling me for it. I was angry, but I couldn't say a word.
"Who's this?" another scarlet came.
"The Alden girl," he said.
"Oh," she said with a look that annoyed me. "How does it feel being the youngest professor?" I didn't respond. "We work hard to make a name for ourselves, but the minute we walk out, some kid is handed things freely because mommy said so," she spat. They want me to react, but there's nothing to say even if I could.
"Why don't you all blame your pathetic selves first?" I heard a voice that scared me and made me wish the ground would swallow me.
Why is he here? And as an azure.