Point of View of Angelica Yue
Soon, all of this will change.... I thought, feeling a bit sad as I looked at my parents and Paul for the last time that day before heading to my room.
I know growing up is normal and natural, but even so... I'm a little scared of leaving my home to go to Birton University.
For a few months now, I had been stuck in my progress, so my parents suggested I go to the magic university in Birton. At first, I thought it wouldn't be necessary, but that thought changed as the days passed.
I wonder what it will be like there. I thought nervously as I got ready for bed.
Since Paul didn't have any interest in becoming a mage or adventurer, no one from our family went to magic university, but unlike him, I wanted to become stronger. I wanted to be someone like Charlotte, the God of Spirits, since, after all, she marked my childhood with all the stories I read about her in various books.
From the little I saw when we went to sign me up, it seemed a bit small for a university, but the facilities seemed to be of good quality, so I think it will be fine. I thought as I lay in bed. I hope I make lots of friends there.
That obsession with being like my heroine made me dedicate all my time to training and searching for new types of magic to learn. Everything was fine in my little bubble until I met Drake because he helped me understand that there is much more to discover in this world, different cultures, places, and thoughts that also contribute to personal growth.
Drake... I hope you come to say goodbye before I leave. I thought half asleep. I really hope so...
The next morning, while helping my mom in the garden, Drake appeared in the distance, surprising both of us. "Looks like he came after all," my mother commented quietly.
"I'll leave you two alone to talk, but you only have an hour since we need to finish this before you leave." My mother said, waving at Drake from afar.
As always, it seems she doesn't like it when Drake spends time with me. I thought, not paying much attention.
After we greeted each other, I suggested we head into the forest, using the excuse of finding a calmer and quieter place to talk, though my true intention was to distance ourselves so my mother couldn't hear us from the house. Drake, hearing my suggestion, didn't think much before following me as always.
While we were walking, a question popped into my mind, a question that made my heart feel confused, confused as I looked at him ahead of me. What do I really feel for Drake?
I carried that awkward feeling for the rest of the way until we finally reached the place where we had been playing since we first met, making my mind and soul clear once again as I faced him.
I... I can't deceive myself anymore. I like him, I like him a lot, but... I know I shouldn't get too many ideas in my head, after all, the difference in our races complicates our relationship. I thought sadly.
"Angelica, since you're leaving soon, I wanted to come say goodbye." He said with a gentle smile, breaking the silence as I was lost in my thoughts about him.
"You're right... In three days, we won't be able to see each other as often as we have until now." I said, looking slightly up to meet his eyes.
I'm not sure if it's a trait of the men of his race, but Drake is growing taller faster and faster. I thought, stepping closer to confirm.
"Hey, you've grown again since the last time I saw you." I said, confirming that he was now taller than me. "It's not fair, you know? At this rate, I'll be the short one." I said, annoyed, as I stepped away from him.
"Don't say that. Your parents are tall, so you'll grow sooner or later." He said, trying to console me. It's true, but still, it doesn't seem fair.
We kept talking about trivial things until I felt Paul's mana behind some trees close to us.
Huh? What is he doing here? Mom must have sent him to spy on us. I thought, annoyed. "Drake. I know it's sudden. But how about we cast a few spells at those two trees over there?" I said, pointing to where Paul was hiding.
Drake, realizing what was going on, smiled before replying. "You're right. Let's throw everything with the intent of wiping out whatever's there."
"WAIT! WAIT!" Paul shouted, coming out of hiding when he saw us gathering large amounts of mana to form our spells.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded as he approached slowly. "I was just passing by." He said with a fake smile.
"Liar." Drake and I said at the same time, making Paul look a bit nervous.
"It's not a lie! Besides! I won't let you be alone with my little sister without getting through me first!" He shouted, pointing at Drake with the wooden training sword he had.
"So you want to face me now." Drake responded, slowly drawing the rune sword he almost always carried. "Hey Drake. With that sword, you'll kill him on the first strike. Here, take this instead." I said, before conjuring a wooden sword with magic.
"Wow. I didn't know you could do that." He said, surprised. "I learned a few months ago. But since manipulating or creating wood is a rare type of magic. I can only make simple things like this sword." I said with a smile as I handed him the weapon.
"It's still amazing!" He replied happily. Before grabbing it and turning to Paul with a more serious expression. "This time. It's your end." Drake said as he quickly rushed toward Paul. "Not a chance!" My dumb brother replied, enveloping his body with mana.
...
Those two kept fighting for a long time before I stopped them, because the time my mother had given me was about to run out.
"Enough. Neither of you will win if you keep fighting like this." I reproached them angrily. "If you want to keep fighting, do it another day." "But sis, this is getti–" "I said another day." I replied, raising my mana to intimidate him.
"You really are scary." My dumb brother said under his breath before leaving our play area.
"S-sorry Angelica. I got carried away a bit." Drake said, embarrassed, as he dusted himself off. You're an idiot too. This was supposed to be our moment alone before I head off to university, because I'm sure they won't let me see you again until I leave. I thought, annoyed.
"Well, do you want to do something?" He asked awkwardly, trying to calm me down. "No. Not anymore." I replied, looking away. "Come on. I know you're leaving soon, and I don't want this to be our last interaction for the next few months." He said with a smile, subtly getting closer to where I was.
He's right. I wouldn't want to leave it like this. I thought to myself. "Fine. I want you to make a gift with earth magic, so I don't feel alone at university." I said aloud, expressing an idea that had just come to mind.
"A gift? Alright. Wait over there for about 5 minutes. I don't want you to see it until it's ready." "Huh? Alright." I replied, a bit doubtful of his words.
He looked so confident. I wonder what he has in mind. I thought curiously. After I walked away, Drake spent a long time making something with magic, something that made me reconsider my relationship with him.
"Sorry if it's not very precise. But since I've never been there, I just used the book drawings as a reference." He said once he approached the rock where I was sitting. "Is this..."
"Huh? That's right. It's the Tree of Beginnings. I remember you told me a few years ago that you wanted to go there when you grew up." He said, blushing a little before taking a deep breath. "Actually, since that time, I've wanted to tell you something I didn't dare to, but now I think I can." "Tell me something?" I asked, watching him gather courage in his words.
"Wh-what do you think about us going there together when we're adults?" What? "And, to show you I'm serious, I'll give you this little statue as proof of my words." He said, making my heart race.
Yes... just as I thought. Drake is an idiot, because if he weren't, I don't understand how he could come up with something like this. I thought, stopping the tears of happiness from falling from my eyes.
"That would be wonderful." I said with a shaky voice. "Excellent! In that case, it's a promise!" "Yes... it's a promise. We'll go there together. But we still have a few years before that, so let's make the most of the time we have whenever I come back." I said more calmly after controlling my emotions.
Drake, upon hearing my words, smiled for a second before turning his gaze to the side, avoiding looking at me directly. "By the way, Angelica. How often will you come back?" He asked with difficulty.
I'm glad you're excited about it too. I thought to myself. "I'm not sure, but I know I'll be back in four months." I said with a smile. "Then, when you come back, visit me. I'll be happy to see you again." Drake said, returning my smile.
We talked for a few more minutes until I had to say goodbye to him, because the time my mother had given me had already passed several minutes ago, so with a farewell full of emotions, we went our separate ways back home.
Drake... I thought with many feelings as I walked home.
…
This looks better than I thought. I thought as I entered my new room at the university.
"Aren't you too young to be here?" Said an elf girl lying on her bed, holding a book with both hands before looking at me as if she was analyzing me from head to toe.
"A little, but you'll see that's not a problem for me." I replied with a smile. "By the way, nice to meet you, I'm Angelica Yue." I said before approaching her to see what she was reading. As I did so, she was a little surprised to see how I sat next to her without any fear.
"Wh-what, you're so fast." She said before putting her book down and paying more attention to my arrival. With a positive attitude, I started talking to her to get to know her better.
While we talked, I unpacked the things I had brought with me to make the most of the time I had before the entrance ceremony, which, by the way, would be in a couple of hours.
As I listened to my new roommate, I started analyzing her to know how I should behave with her in the future. So her name is Sila...
Sila was a 44-year-old elf who loved magic as much as I did, but unlike me, she specialized in magical research, which made us quickly bond by sharing ideas about mana.
"So, Sila, what year are you in at the university?" I asked, curious to know how much I could learn during the year we would spend together. "Well, this will be my third and final year." She replied with a somewhat smug smile.
"What? How is it your last year? I was told the university lasts six years." I asked, confused by her statement. "That's right, but I can graduate early because, after all, I'm a genius." She said cheerfully, showing me two runes she had on her forearm.
Wow, in that case, this will be a great year. I thought, feeling a bit happy.
After talking a little more, we got ready to attend the entrance ceremony. Once with the other students, I saw there were about 300 in the entire university, which surprised me because I expected there to be many more.
Even though Birton University is not very well known or one of the best, it is still a very good option, but I didn't think there would be so few students. I thought, somewhat puzzled, before reflecting on the local economy. Although it's also true that in the Kingdom of Flok, there aren't many places to earn money as an adventurer or magical researcher, since their main economy is mining.
The ceremony lasted a couple of hours due to its simplicity, where we were welcomed as new students, and the workshops and classes that would take place this year were introduced.
At night, I met Sila again in the dining hall, where she introduced me to some of her friends who were with her.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Angelica." I said, slightly bowing my head in respect. "Isn't she adorable?" Sila continued, cutting off the elegance of my greeting.
As we talked, I managed to catch a glimpse of Irisha, Drake's mom, out of the corner of my eye. There she is, I'll make sure to greet her later. I thought as I resumed the conversation with Sila's friends.
Since I was only 26, it was difficult for someone my age to attend university, but thanks to Irisha's help, I managed to get in without any problems, causing a sincere affection for Drake's mother.
Since she works here, I'll run into her often, which will be great to ask her about Drake. I thought happily.
...
Two months had passed, and during all this time, I gradually got used to my new routine.
Ah! That's right! Today is Magic History! I thought, startled as I realized I hadn't brought the necessary book for the class. What now? What can I do? Without that book, they won't let me into the class.
Thoughtful and worried at the same time, I kept walking through the halls until I spotted someone from the first year I had met through Sila's friends, heading to the dining hall with my salvation in his arms.
"Hey Markus." I greeted the young human before showing him a fake smile. "Oh, hey Angelica, what are you doing here?" He asked after stopping.
"I was heading to my classes, but I just saw you and wanted to come and say hi." I replied before analyzing him to see how I could convince him.
Markus Fleming was a 17-year-old human, and even though he was a decade younger than me, he looked older due to the short lifespan of humans. He was a nice guy, with brown hair and green eyes, making him look like a calm person, deceiving by his appearance.
"By the way, Markus, how did your exams go last week?" "Well, not very well, I had problems with the spell structuring class." He replied with a smile while scratching the back of his neck.
"Really? What do you think if I help you study later because, after all, I'm an expert in that subject?" I proposed, making him a little suspicious. "That would be great, but... What do you want in return?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing special, I just want you to lend me your Magic History book in return." I said, making him suspect my true intentions. "I see..., well, that's fine with me." He said more calmly. "Here, let's meet in the study area of the library after classes."
"Alright, Markus, see you there then." I said before saying goodbye, feeling more at ease with the solution I had found for my problem.
...
"Alright class, based on what you read this week, who can tell me how magic originated in this world?" Asked the teacher before looking at us one by one, inviting us to participate.
"Miss Clarence, magic originated out of necessity." Said one of the students in front of me. "Explain, Sofia." The teacher continued before writing the title of the class on the board.
"Sure, thousands of years ago, the land was infested with monsters of all kinds, so the survival rate was very low, causing the extinction of several races. At that time, humans were the first to discover how to manipulate the mana within them, thanks to that, the other races were able to replicate it, and they managed to kill most of the monsters that are no longer a threat today."
"Very well Sofia, during that time of experimentation there were 8 warriors who stood out among all the others, they were known as Gods for their incomprehensible manipulation of mana that to this day we still cannot understand." She said, making a brief pause after finishing speaking.
"So, Angelica, can you tell me who those 8 warriors I mentioned are?" She asked before looking directly at me.
The 8 gods... I thought, trying to remember each of them before standing up to answer.
"Yes, Miss Clarence, they are: The Demon God, The God of War, The Immortal God, The Sword God, The Mage God, The Dragon God, The Human God, and The God of Spirits." I answered, before the teacher thanked me and asked me to return to my seat.
"Excellent, now let me explain something that is mentioned briefly in the books, but that is very important to keep in mind." She said, confusing the class a bit. "Although these people existed thousands of years ago, it is important for you to know that several of them are still alive today." She said, before stopping because one of my classmates raised his hand.
"Miss Clarence, would one of those Gods be the protector of the kingdom of Dunumese? Because I come from there and since I was little, I was told that we had a Goddess as a protector." He asked, causing the teacher to focus on him. "Interesting, I didn't know there were people from Dunumese here." She commented, before responding.
The Goddess of Dunumese? Is she referring to Charlotte? I thought, a little surprised. "Answering your question, yes, the protective Goddess you mention is Charlotte, the God of Spirits, she is the only one of the eight whose whereabouts are known or what she has been doing, unlike the other Gods whose whereabouts are unknown, but it is thought that at least most of them are still alive." The teacher said, making the students surprised by the new information.
In the books I read, Charlotte's name is barely mentioned, but her name is there, so I thought the rest of the people called her by that name just like I did. I thought, while the teacher continued with her class.
"Several of these gods are the center of worship in various places or cultures, so they are known worldwide by their titles." The teacher said before explaining the influence these worships had on the world.
My family worships the Demon God, because he was the one who saved us in the era of the beginning, but... I wonder if Drake's family worships the Dragon God, because I don't remember seeing anything in his house every time I went there.
After all the classes, I went to the library to meet Markus, who was waiting for me while trying to hide his clear face of frustration and despair.
"You look terrible Markus, what happened?" I asked, worried to see him in that state. "Angelica... I will really need your help, today I didn't understand anything again..." He responded sadly before showing a smile. "Would you help me with two more courses?"
"How dramatic, he reminds me of my brother." I thought out loud without realizing. "Your brother? Is he someone great too?" He responded with a silly smile.
"Hahaha, he's a fool, so if you want to compare yourself to him, that's fine by me." I said with a better mood. "What? If that's the case, no thanks." He said, shaking both hands in an X shape. "But it's okay Markus, I'll help you." I finally said.
We studied for a few hours until my mealtime arrived, making me say goodbye to Markus.
Markus is nice, despite how silly he looked, he seemed like a good person deep down. I thought happily as I headed to the dining room.
If everything keeps going this well, I think these years at university will go by quickly.... I thought with nostalgia.
Point of view of Sasha Ozdem
In these 9 years, I haven't heard anything about my brother or Kayt, I wonder if they are still there. I thought as I looked at the starry sky that showed on this cold night.
I hope I can meet them soon, because even though I now have a family that cares for and loves me, but I still miss them.
"So here you were, Sasha, I've been looking for you for several minutes." "Sorry, mom, I went out to look at the sky again." I responded to the elf who had taken care of me all these years as her daughter.
"It's okay, but let's go back before the food gets cold." She said, taking my hand and leading me along the difficult snowy path that led from our animals' place to the inside of our house.
At least in this place, I can be calm while I wait for them to arrive. I thought as I looked at the hundreds of snowy mountains around my new home. Don't take too long, Leo, Kayt, I'll be waiting for you.
Announcement:
Who am I?
It will be a story that will be released at the end of this year, this story will be starring Leonardo White (Leo), Sasha's brother (Chapter 9.5), in it we will learn the story of Leo since he had the accident.
This story will be different from Drake's because although they are in the same world and at the same time, they will not interact until several volumes later.