The next morning, Lyra was abruptly awakened by the relentless ringing of the academy's bell.
From six o'clock onward, the bell chimed every hour, echoing through the dormitory halls. At first, still groggy and desperately clinging to the remnants of her sleep, Lyra tried to tune out the persistent noise. But by the time the clock struck nine, there was no use. She finally gave in and opened her bleary eyes, fully awake despite herself.
Groaning, she rubbed at her dry eyes and shook her head in a futile attempt to shake off the sleepiness. She dragged herself downstairs, knowing there was no choice but to get ready for the day ahead.
Downstairs, she discovered the water she'd fetched the day before was nearly gone. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, the last drop had been used. Not a single sip of water left, even for drinking.
With a resigned sigh, she grabbed her bucket and headed out to refill it, casting a glance at the closed dormitory doors on either side. Vasida and Sylph were still fast asleep, it seemed.
Just as she stepped outside, a voice greeted her brightly.
"Lyra! Good morning!"
It was Senior Lilith, her cheerful energy already on full display, standing by the water tower in front of the dormitory.
"Good morning, Senior Lilith!" Lyra responded, forcing herself to sound a little more awake than she actually felt.
"Off to get more water?" Lilith asked, her staff in hand, water trickling steadily from its tip as she filled the tank.
Lyra nodded, feeling a pang of envy as she watched. Her senior's spell was so effortless, summoning water with nothing but a gesture.
If only she could do that. It would save her the endless trips to the well.
But then again, last night, Lilith's light spell had been grand and dazzling, while now her water spell was more of a soft trickle. Was this normal? Lyra wondered. Surely magic could be more efficient than this, right?
Lilith interrupted her thoughts. "How did you sleep last night?"
Lyra tried to hide the exhaustion in her voice as she replied, "Not bad! But the morning bell… it's way too loud."
Lilith chuckled, a knowing smile on her face. "Oh, you'll get used to that. Once you learn the silencing spell, it'll be much easier!"
Lyra blinked. Another spell to learn? Great. Just one more magical survival skill added to the ever-growing list of must-haves.
It was becoming painfully clear that without mastering magic, this academy was going to be an even tougher place to navigate.
With that thought lingering in her mind, Lyra made her way to the well.
The path was lined with senior students, casually performing the Qingquan spell, their water tanks filling up gracefully. The more advanced the student, the more refined their spellcasting. Streams of water poured from their hands with precision and ease.
Watching them, Lyra couldn't help but recall her mother, Elara. She wasn't particularly skilled in water magic either, but at least she managed more than just a trickle. Lyra sighed as she kept walking, bucket in hand.
She trekked back and forth between the well and the dormitory, while the seniors' spells continued to flow effortlessly. It felt like a personal reminder of just how far she still had to go.
Thankfully, she wasn't the only first-year struggling. Several of her classmates were also out fetching water, casting furtive glances at the seniors who watched them with friendly smiles but made no move to help. Instead, they offered polite encouragement, but not a single one offered to use their magic to fill the buckets. It was clear that manual labor was part of the lesson here.
Lyra had lost count of how many times she had walked back and forth when the academy's bell chimed again; this time twelve times. Her arms ached, and her legs were heavy from exhaustion. Still, her water tower was only half full.
With a rumbling stomach, she gave in and sat down, cutting into a small half of breadfruit she had saved from yesterday. Her face immediately twisted into a grimace. The sourness of the fruit was overpowering, making it nearly impossible to enjoy.
She forced herself to eat a little more, enough to take the edge off her hunger, but it was clear: living off this fruit was going to be a challenge.
At least it had one benefit, after eating, the drowsiness from her restless night seemed to lift. The acidity was refreshing, though the thought of relying on it every day was disheartening.
Determined not to rely on breadfruit for too long, she grabbed a vegetable basket and prepared to head out again. As she stepped outside, the dormitory door swung open, and Vasida appeared, carrying two full buckets of water with surprising ease.
"Lyra! Is your tank full yet? I can help!" Vasida called over with a grin. "The seniors aren't allowed to help us with daily chores, but there's no rule saying we can't help each other!"
Lyra felt a surge of relief. At least there was some solace in knowing she didn't have to go through all of this alone.
Lyra shook his head with a small smile. "I got enough water this morning to last a few days."
Fetching water, though tiring, felt like a necessary task. If she could manage it on her own, why not? After all, it was part of the academy's unspoken training; a lesson in endurance as much as magic.
Vasida raised an eyebrow. "So, it's not full yet, is it?"
Before Lyra could reply, the dormitory door creaked open and Sylph appeared, munching on a piece of breadfruit, her expression just as sour as the fruit she was eating. Vasida turned to her, asking if she wanted help fetching water, but Sylph waved her off, shaking her head.
"I've already fetched several buckets," Sylph said, rubbing her stomach. "Got up just a little after Lyra."
The morning sun was beginning to climb higher, and Lyra, still feeling the bite of hunger, decided to change the subject. "Hey, do you both want to go get ingredients together?"
Sylph's face lit up at the suggestion. She'd eaten breadfruit for both breakfast and lunch, and her stomach was full, but just the mention of the sour fruit made her mouth pucker again. "Yes, please! I can't take another bite of breadfruit today."
Vasida, however, shook her head with a contented grin. "You two go on. I'm still full from last night. Breadfruit might be sour, but it's filling enough for me."
Lyra nodded, understanding. Vasida had a knack for eating breadfruit quickly, without seeming to notice the harsh taste. It was quick, convenient, and she never had to deal with the sourness for long.
Sylph disappeared back inside the dormitory for a moment and returned with a small vegetable basket. "The food pick-up point is near the planting area, right?" she asked, looking at Lyra.
Lyra pulled out the Freshman Guide and scanned the map. "Yeah, it's that way," she said, pointing towards the farmlands. "Come on, let's go!"
With Sylph leading the way, the two witches walked out of the dormitory area, heading down the narrow dirt path and turning left at the first intersection. The forest of breadfruit trees thinned as they walked, and soon the landscape opened up before them.
Ahead, a low fence enclosed a sprawling field, the sun casting a golden glow over the farmland. Rows of crops stretched far into the distance, and further back, a line of small houses marked the food pick-up area. Beyond that, thick hedges and towering walls hid the herb garden from view. Only the treetops peeked over, whispering of the secrets within.
Lyra gazed at the fields, her eyes tracing the lines of plants, but it was the hidden herb garden that caught her curiosity. What rare plants were growing behind those hedges? If only she could see past them…
"Lyra, look!" Sylph suddenly grabbed her arm, her voice bursting with excitement.
Lyra blinked and followed Sylph's pointed finger towards the farmland, squinting to see what had Sylph so worked up. At first, all she saw were fluttering butterflies, their bright wings a blur over the crops. There didn't seem to be anything unusual.
But Sylph's eyes, sharper than Lyra's, sparkled with wonder. "Do you see it? There's a fairy among them!"
"A fairy?" Lyra squinted harder, scanning the butterflies until she noticed one that didn't quite belong. Was that a… figure? She could just make out a small, winged being flitting among the butterflies, barely distinguishable from the fluttering wings around it.
Sylph could hardly contain herself. "A fairy! Look at her! She's wearing a little skirt made of leaves, and she's guiding the butterflies! She must be a leaf fairy; caretakers of the plants, just like in the Young Witch Book!"
Lyra stared, her heart pounding with excitement, though she could barely make out the tiny figure. She could see something… a small creature, definitely not a butterfly. But her vision wasn't sharp enough to see the details that Sylph described.
"She's so cute!" Sylph continued, practically bouncing in place. "A real leaf fairy, just like in the stories!"
Lyra, straining her eyes to see more, could only nod in agreement. It was times like these that reminded her of the advantages Sylph had inherited from her father. With an elf for a father, Sylph had inherited their remarkable eyesight, allowing her to see things in crystal clarity from far away.
Still, even Lyra couldn't deny the thrill of seeing something so magical. She and Sylph continued along the path, their eyes fixed on the little fairy among the butterflies, momentarily forgetting their mission to pick up food.
The food pick-up point wasn't going anywhere, but spotting a fairy in the wild? That was a rare sight they couldn't afford to miss.
Without a second thought, they veered deeper into the farmland, chasing the enchanting sight of the leaf fairy and her fluttering companions, eager to witness more of the academy's magical secrets.