From the beginning, Sophia was different from us. She seemed to have noble blood like Ikarius, who came from the Silva family. However, Sophia's lineage appeared to be even more superior compared to Ikarius.
We finally retreated to our rooms, awaiting the dawn of a new day for us, the new students of Axeris Academy.
"Wake up!" a shout pierced through my ears.
The air was forced out of my lungs as Alex oh-so-gently hit my sternum with a force capable of waking the dead.
I threw a pillow at him, hoping it would shield me from my aggressive friend.
"There must be a better way to wake me up than physical pain," I grumbled, rubbing my stomach.
"You tell me. Do you know how hard it is to wake you up? And you reward me by throwing a pillow at me? Even though it's an inanimate object, do you know how painful it is?" He winced, gingerly touching his head where it had hit the floor.
"So, have you changed your mind about joining us?" I asked, rising from my bed.
"I've made up my mind to follow you guys wherever you go," Alex's eyes were blazing with fiery determination.
This kid is a bit scary when he talks like that; my whole body shuddered at his words.
"By the way! We'll be late if you don't hurry up and get ready. I've already showered, so get your butt out of bed." Alex stood on my bed, pushing me with his foot.
"Hey, can't you do it nicely?" I grumbled, annoyed by his actions.
"Oops, sorry," he glanced away as if unaware of what he had done.
"Hey, are you awake, Eizan?" Jeff opened the door just as I was changing. Alex, at least, was fully dressed, but I was only half-dressed.
"Uncle, do you like these amazing muscles of your nephew?" I flexed my body in various poses.
"All I see are skin and bones," he shook his head, giving me a sharp look that seemed to question whether I was the same nephew he admired the day before.
"Anyway, Eva says to get dressed quickly so we can eat." Jeff closed the door behind him without waiting for a response.
I sighed as I began buttoning my shirt.
The uniform Axeris sent us wasn't particularly special. For me, it consisted of a white shirt, a blue vest, a maroon tie we knotted under the collar, and a pair of tailored dark blue trousers. There was also a gold pocket watch attached to a chain in the vest pocket, giving me a scholarly look overall.
Alex's uniform, on the other hand, had a much sharper design. His black blazer had matching white trim with his black trousers. Instead of a tie, he wore a black square-tip tie with a single white stripe, indicating he was a first-year student. With his white shirt underneath and a badge with crossed swords and an intricately carved staff on his chest pocket, he looked dashing.
Was it because he came from a famous family that he got such cool clothes? I was envious.
Instead of the usual tool a Mage carries, Alex wore a two-part black ribbon on his index and ring fingers. These two bands were connected by a thin black chain, giving him a very gothic look, especially since he had just bought a magic staff. He explained to me that this would mark the start of his journey to become stronger than his older brother, even though he always grumbled about how hard he tried, he would always be in my shadow.
I shrugged helplessly, but I made a mental note to thank Eva and Jeff for their genes later.
Watching Alex and myself in the mirror, I could see how much we had physically matured. The nerdy Alex from twelve years ago was gone, replaced by a much sharper and cooler appearance, which oddly contrasted with his personality.
As for me, my eyes were a shade of blue that almost seemed to glow, my black hair providing a stark contrast. My bluish eyes and black hair made me realize how coincidental it all was. What were the odds that my defining features aligned with the element I currently possessed? My facial features were much softer compared to Alex's, but while soft and kind, they also looked calm and elegant.
I studied my face as if it weren't my own. Even after fifteen years in this body.
"Are you sure you made the right choice, Ei? I can't believe you want to enter as a Knight. I thought for sure you'd go in as a battle mage like me," Alex commented, styling his hair. His straight blonde hair was now shorter and styled to the side.
"And I can't believe one of the main reasons you want to attend Axeris as a battle mage is to surpass your brother." I slapped his back hard, giving him a smile.
"Shut up… Just watch. The new and improved Alex will be popular and find his true self!" He adjusted his blazer, checking himself one last time. Satisfied with his appearance, he headed to the door, and I followed.
"You guys took long enough to get ready! Who are you trying to impress?" Eva wagged her finger at us.
"Hurry up and eat. Elisia will be on stage for the orientation because she's part of the student council. She's probably nervous right now, so make sure to cheer her up." Eva sat across from us next to Alex and Elisia.
"I see you both are wearing the necklaces I gave you," I said, my mouth still full of oatmeal and fruit.
Elisia, who wasn't from Eva's family, was eating with us, which wasn't unheard of. Eva had even come to regard her as her own daughter.
Looking around, I realized someone was missing, "Have you seen Sophia?" I asked, scanning the room.
"Ahhh... Since she's a noble like me, she's already left. She'll be on stage with me for the orientation," Alex said. I had a feeling she would leave early, but somehow I felt my level with her was drifting further apart for now.
"I was quite surprised when you said you wanted to attend Axeris as a Knight, Eizan," Jeff said, poking at his eggs.
"Yeah, both are great choices, but in the end, it's the Knights who get all the glory," sighed Elisia. She was also a battle mage, despite her parents' objections. They both wanted Elisia to become a scholar mage because it would be much less dangerous in the future, but Elisia was determined to make a name for herself.
"I'll still take some general mana combat classes whenever I can to flex my muscles, but there's not much to learn if it's just battle tactics," I chuckled.
"Not much to learn… If any students hear you say that, you'll get beaten up—no, wait, even if they could hit you." Elisia laughed, imagining the school's chaos if anyone fought me.
"Please control yourself to some extent, Eizan. There are some very influential family members attending that school. You don't want to cause trouble for my family," Alex warned, his face filled with concern.
"Don't worry. I'll only beat people up moderately!" I saluted while stuffing my face with more oatmeal. Alex just shook his head, but Jeff laughed just as a servant entered.
"Mr. Eizan, Mr. Alex, and Ms. Elisia, the driver says we should leave now if you want to be on time for the orientation ceremony," he said, bowing.
"Well, off we go!" Alex took the last bite and stuffed some vegetables into his mouth before standing and straightening his black blazer.
I stood up and went to where Mrs. Eva and Jeff were sitting, "Thank you for having us while we were here, Aunt Eva and Uncle Jeff." Eva and Jeff just smiled, seeing my face reflect my father's.
"You're looking more like him, Ei." Jeff smiled sadly as he said that.
"Be good, kids, and don't worry about us," Eva said.
"Visit whenever you can and keep in touch!" Jeff added before letting us go.
"Your luggage is in the back of the carriage." The driver bowed and opened the door for the two of us.
"Destination, Axeris Academy!" Alex pointed his finger to the sky as if making a declaration before getting into the carriage.
I couldn't help but smile, looking back at my old home, as I stepped into the carriage that would take me to my new home.