.
Hours became days, days became weeks, weeks became months, and months spanned into years...
Two years went by in a blink, and Celia spent that time ticking off a list of things a dutiful daughter should know...
She learned to ride, learned to dance, learned the pianoforte, learned basic fencing, learned her manners, learned to play chess, and paid attention to her studies.
But that was just on the surface...
Her genius, combined with twenty-five lifetimes of learning the same things, raised her skill and knowledge levels far above most adults, so she displayed only what was necessary... Just enough to be a dutiful daughter, and qualify for the Elfsworth Magic Academy, Luxia's biggest magic secondary school.
She wasn't sure why she felt drawn to Elfsworth Academy, or why her desire to attend was so overwhelming, but going there felt right!
However, the elders who knew how brilliant she was as a child, kept trooping in to complain to her father...
"What happened?! She was so promising as a child!" A High Mage lamented to her father. "So talented and such a rare beauty! I thought I had met the future Queen!"
"Peh peh peh!" Celia was eavesdropping through one of the ice flowers she had planted round the Scarlett Estate, so she could only curse at the passing wind. "Which Queen?! Old man, If you want to die, die on your own!"
Thankfully, Lord Scarlett remained the ever-supportive father, and he merely chuckled. "My Cece is still a genius! How many can enter Elfsworth?! Only the top geniuses of the Kingdom!"
"It's not the same! There are a select few who don't even need to go there, and they get lessons directly from the King's Grand Mage! I thought she would be one of them...!" The old man complained.
Somewhere on the grounds, Celia smiled and skipped away.
In past lives, Celia had indeed been one of the Golden Five... Rare geniuses chosen to study in the palace.
But that had only made it easy for Prince Vitav to notice her and study her, and his desire to become King made him choose her as his bride.
He wasn't wrong... Celia's presence beside him had solidified both his father's and the people's favour for him, making him the perfect candidate for King, despite being an illegitimate prince.
By Celia's ninth life, she was incredibly bored of all those predictable events, but she put herself in the same places, determined to live and love Vitav, and the only changes she made were to try saving her life.
But in this life, Celia was determined to avoid the Palace and Vitav.
So she looked forward to life at Elfsworth Academy, where she could blend in, lay low, maybe make a friend or two, and experience life differently!
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That night, Celia's peaceful slumber was suddenly interrupted by a fierce voice echoing through her dreams.
"You'll never be happy together!" The words made her toss and turn, as the winter winds whistled softly outside, and moonlight bathed her room in a soft glow.
As she struggled in her sleep, images of an exquisite ice chandelier flashed before her eyes, and she found herself at a grand hall adorned with glittering crystals.
'My eighteenth birthday!' She thought, recognizing the familiar scene.
She had danced with Vitav on this day, and he had claimed her first kiss, leaving her lightheaded and blushing.
But now, the hall was shrouded in semi-darkness and the chandelier's bluish glow made her feel anxious.
She raised a hand to her head as her mind reeled, and the persistent voice came again...
"You'll never be happy together! You can only be mine!"
With a start, Celia awoke, her heart raced as sweat and tears streamed down her face, and she sat up in bed, trying to make sense of the unsettling dream.
It felt too real to simply dismiss.
"Whose voice was that?" Celia whispered to herself, wiping away her tears.
The voice sounded evil, yet strangely familiar, leaving her feeling uneasy, and her mind raced with questions as she tried to shake off the lingering fear.
'Is it a warning? A premonition?'
Her gift of Foresight was only tied to predicting calamity, and she had never been able to control it, but it never came as a dream...
She usually just froze, her irises turned silver, and then she began mumbling.
The first time it happened, Lord Scarlett had been scared out of his wits, because Celia was just five, and was mumbling about a plague, but thanks to a high mage who was present, it had been identified as foresight, and the plague was averted.
At age six, she predicted the grand library would burn. It had come true, but there were thankfully not too many casualties. And at eight, she predicted that Darnia, a neighbouring Kingdom would attack, and the Combat mages had been fully prepared, thanks to her prediction.
There were a few minor calamities predicted after that, but once she turned nine, it was as if that ability completely disappeared!
So why would it come back now? And why as a dream?
Celia shook her head, doubtful that it was a premonition, and she gave up on the nightmare.
It was best to get some sleep and focus on the day ahead.
It was her first day at Elfsworth Academy...
A new chapter in her life filled with endless possibilities!
.
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Elfsworth Academy's grandeur was second to none, and a few whispers insisted it was grander than the Royal Palace!
Celta personally knew this wasn't true, but she admired Elfsworth's gigantic gold and royal blue structure, imposing against the crisp snowy winter sky.
Celia drew an excited breath, as she was helped down from the Scarlett family carriage.
"Have a great first day my Lady!" Butler Gray, one of the Scarlett family butlers waved at Celia, as she skipped excitedly to the grand wide doors.
As she made her way through the bustling corridors, she marveled at the large crowd, and the diversity of the students around her.
There were fairies here and there, surrounded by a surreal glow which charmed anyone careless enough to approach without a protective spell.
There were a few goblins, easy to spot because of their bold blueish or greenish skin, and there were even a few mermans and mermaids, with wild and beautiful luscious hair, fin-like ears, and jewelry made of every precious sea gem Celia knew of.
But the elves were clearly the most, with their fair looks, startling eyes and pointy ears.
The Academy's uniforms were an elegant black and white frilly frocks for the girls, with neat white socks and black shoes, while the boys wore black pants and boots, white collared shirts, and grey striped vests.
Boys and girls wore black neckties, but the girls wore draping bows, while the boys wore formal bow ties.
The academy itself was a masterpiece, with ice sculptures dating back centuries adorning its halls, and Celia couldn't help but feel impressed, as she absorbed the magical flow, which was ever-present in the air.
She passed a window and grinned at her rosy-cheeked, but unkempt appearance.
In previous lives, she had always styled her hair meticulously, but today she left it to hang loose, so she wouldn't look elegant!
"Cece!" Her father had protested with a hand to his forehead. "Why must you go out looking like the less fortunate?! Wait! I'll summon Lady Leblane to come and style you properly!!"
But Celia had remained resolute in her decision, and she had spent almost twenty minutes persuading her father to let her go!
Celia shook her head and hurried off to the assembly hall, which was a spectacle on its own. It was decorated in the same gold and royal blue hues, and the Academy's coat-of-arms covered an entire wall.
As the eager first years crowded in, there was a sudden bang, and golden light flooded the stage.
An elderly man appeared before them, with a distinct air of authority, and though the children around him oohed and aahed, he looked annoyed as golden confetti rained down on him.
"Welcome." His gruff voice echoed through the hall, commanding attention. "Strive for the best, and don't get left behind."
With those simple words, the stage vanished, and the mild sound of swishes made everyone look up.
There were multiple gasps as small brightly coloured orbs began appearing high above their heads.
"They are the names of classes!" A boy observed, pointing at a yellow ball, which read: Year One, Gold Class, and then a red one which read: Year One, Ruby Class.
There were almost a thousand students in the large hall, but only about two or three hundred of the orbs, which were divided into five classes:
Gold (Yellow), Sapphire (Green), Jade (Blue), Ruby (Red), and Amethyst (Purple).
And as they each mentally calculated the odds, everyone understood the meaning of the words, "...don't get left behind!"
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