-A few minutes back-
Dorothy's perception of the world had always been colored by her unshakable confidence, nurtured by the weight of her family name and her own eccentric personality. To her, magic was an undeniable spectacle—something everyone should naturally adore.
She had spent most of her childhood fantasizing about becoming a famous mage, admired by all, a true celebrity in her own right. Her every action, every word, was tinged with the belief that the world would fall in love with her brilliance and unique charm.
So, when she stepped aboard the ferry to the Founding Fathers Academy, her excitement was palpable. The mere thought of starting her magical education in the top prestigious teaching institution felt like the beginning of her ascent to greatness.
She imagined herself being showered with attention, her every move followed by admirers and peers alike, eager to witness her talents unfold. After all, how could anyone resist the allure of Dorothy Vanderbilt?
However, when she entered the ferry's lounge and saw the sea of students, her assumptions were quickly challenged. The moment she stepped into the room, everyone seemed to be focused on someone else. She glanced around, only to find a crowd gathered around a boy—Adrian Noah, who it turned out was casually performing a simple light spell.
Dorothy's heart sank for a brief second, but her instinct kicked in. Without hesitation, she inserted herself into the center of attention, practically demanding that everyone acknowledge her.
"Behold! I am Dorothy Vanderbilt! I and my minion, Mary Vanderbilt, are here to embark upon our academic careers! Oh, be doing magic? Let's see it then?"
She announced with grandiose flair.
"Dorothy Vanderbilt?"
The short fat pudgy 15-year-old boy, with green eyes and raven hair, studied Dorothy's face, while Mary suddenly reddened and took a step back in shock behind Dorothy.
"Good heavens, fans. Well, might as well cast a spell to show my power."
In her mind, this was a performance. A chance to show off, to claim the attention she believed she deserved. But as the pudgy boy cast a basic 0th-tier: Lifestyle Magic light spell and the crowd clapped, Dorothy felt a strange mixture of disbelief and confusion. But then she heard a redheaded boy in Adrian's group saying.
"Of course, Adrian can do magic before school he's the Chosen One."
Was this really the kind of magic that was impressing everyone? A simple light spell, something she and Mary mastered when they were barely out of childhood, and everyone was clapping like it was groundbreaking. This Adrian—pudgy, smug, and clearly basking in the admiration—seemed to hold everyone's fascination, all because of a title.
She exchanged a quick glance with her cousin Mary, who looked both dumbstruck and uncertain. She like Dorothy, wasn't swayed. Dorothy took a small step forward, pushing down the temptation to roll her eyes, and cleared her throat loudly.
"Adrian Noah, is it?"
Dorothy's voice rang out over the crowd, drawing eyes away from Adrian.
"How delightful to meet a Chosen One—but surely, if you're worthy of such a title, you'd be capable of more than a mere light spell? Something truly awe-inspiring?"
The crowd murmured, and Adrian's green eyes narrowed.
"Not everyone has mastered that spell by fifteen."
He retorted, his voice dripping with haughty pride.
"It's one thing to know magic early; it's another to be chosen for greatness."
Dorothy watched Adrian bask in the admiration of his fawning crowd, barely able to hide her disdain.
'This is the 'Chosen One' everyone's been raving about?'
She thought, her face showing a flicker of disappointment. It didn't take her long to size him up as little more than an overblown braggart.
"Well..."
She announced loudly.
"Together we shall root out the minions of the last Dark Lord and write our names in the annals of magic history!"
She paused dramatically, expecting applause—or at least an appreciative murmur. But the crowd's attention remained split, many still glancing at Adrian.
Dorothy's excitement wavered as she glanced down at Mary, who had shyly edged forward. Realizing that her cousin was looking especially nervous, Dorothy pulled her up beside her.
"Come on, you can talk to others! You can talk to him too!"
Dorothy urged, her tone both encouraging and commanding.
"H-h-h-h…"
Mary stammered, her face turning a shade of red as she struggled to speak.
Adrian gave her a condescending smile.
"Sorry, I'm not giving autographs at the moment."
He said with a mock graciousness that made Dorothy's fingers twitch.
"Honestly."
Dorothy muttered under her breath, itching to move on. She turned to ask the crowd if anyone had seen a cat, eager for an excuse to leave. But just then, she heard Adrian sneer to one of his friends:
"And of course, the other one is a homunculus halfbreed too. You can tell by their white hair and red eyes."
Dorothy froze, her face hardening.
"Very well."
She declared sharply. Before anyone could react, she delivered a swift, well-aimed kick to the groin of Adrian, sending him crumpling with a yelp. She then turned to his red-haired friend and followers, leaving all the boys groaning in pain on the floor. The rest of the crowd stared in stunned silence as Dorothy stepped forward, hands on her hips, shouting into the astonished silent crowd.
"BEHOLD! I AM DOROTHY VANDERBILT!"
she proclaimed, her voice ringing out in the shocked stillness.
"THE TRUE CHOSEN ONE! ALL WHO WOULD BESMIRCH MY GOOD NAME AND THAT OF MY COMPANIONS, BE WARNED: MY RETRIBUTION WILL BE SWIFT! I CLAIM VICTORY OVER THE FALSE CHOSEN ONE, ADRIAN, FOR I WIN AGAIN THIS DAY!"
She turned to Mary, who was wide-eyed, but Dorothy gave her an encouraging nudge.
"Pose and introduce yourself properly."
She whispered.
Mary gulped, then straightened up, glancing nervously at the crowd.
"I-I AM MARY VANDERBILT! F-FOREMOST FRIEND AND COUSIN OF DOROTHY VANDERBILT! A-AND I THINK WE CAN BE FRIENDS, NO MATTER WHO OUR PARENTS ARE! A-AND THAT NO ONE SHOULD BE A BULLY EVEN IF YOUR PARENTS ARE MIX-BREEDS OR NONMAGICLES!"
Dorothy nodded approvingly, hands on her hips.
"Hmph. That will do for now."
She said, satisfied.
A casual but firm voice sounded from behind her, cutting through the crowd's astonished murmurs.
"Hey, girly."
Dorothy turned, her gaze falling on a tall boy, towering at 6,4 feet and composed. He looked older than the other students, wearing a General dorm uniform and meeting her gaze with calm, dark blue eyes.
"Mind easing up?"
He said, his tone steady.
"I think they've had enough."
Dorothy's sharp red eyes settled on Liam, a smirk tugging at her lips as she assessed him. She didn't move, keeping her heel pressed firmly on Adrian's back. Her gaze flickered between Liam's black-cuffed General Dorm uniform and Adrian, who was struggling to lift himself off the ground, his face twisted in humiliation and anger.
"Who are you supposed to be?"
Dorothy asked, her voice a smooth, taunting drawl.
"Another one of Adrian's minions, here to save your master?"
Liam held her gaze, standing his ground. There was something powerful, almost magnetic about her presence, and he could feel the system's quest humming in the back of his mind, urging him toward her. For the sake of his objectives, he knew he'd need to walk a fine line, keeping her attention without making it look like he was coming to Adrian's defense.
"I'm Liam."
Se said, meeting her smirk with a slight grin of his own.
"Just someone who doesn't see the need for a power display to make a point."
Dorothy's eyes gleamed, intrigued.
"And what if I disagree?"
She pressed her heel down a little harder on Adrian, who let out a low groan, his pride clearly taking as much of a hit as his back.
Liam shrugged, keeping his expression neutral.
"Then maybe you're wasting your energy on people who aren't worth your time."
He glanced at Adrian, adding.
"People like him don't need to be taught lessons—they just need to know where they stand."
For a moment, Dorothy's gaze softened, her smirk fading as she considered his words. The system's quest seemed to pulse with anticipation, as if it were waiting for her response.
Finally, she laughed, stepping back and allowing Adrian to scramble to his feet, his face a mix of rage and embarrassment.
"Fine, Liam. You've got my attention. Maybe you're not just another pushover in this sea of nobodies."
Adrian shot Liam a dark look, his eyes flashing with a familiar resentment. But Liam ignored him, keeping his focus on Dorothy. He could feel the path ahead becoming clearer: the Chosen One, Dorothy, was interested in him, and he'd just taken the first step toward the alliance the system had presented him.
Dorothy crossed her arms, tilting her head as she regarded him.
"So, Liam… Are you planning to keep impressing me, or was that a one-time show?"
Liam's grin widened slightly.
"Guess you'll have to stick around to find out."