By the time Reese woke up, the sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting a soft twilight glow through the window. The entire room was filled with the gentle shadows of early evening. As her eyes fluttered open, she felt an unusual sensation—a warm wetness against her cheeks.
It took a few moments for her to fully realize that it was her own tears silently streaming down her face and soaking into the bedsheets. She had been crying in her sleep.
Reese sat up slowly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, feeling a wave of confusion wash over her. Crying was something she rarely, if ever, did. Not as a child, not through hardships, and not even in the times when she was upset or sad. It simply wasn't in her nature to shed tears, no matter how deep her emotions ran. Yet here she was, her face damp with tears that had come without her even knowing.
What was more puzzling was the dream. Though she had seen the faces of the people clearly while dreaming, now, upon waking, in memory their images were blurry, slipping further out of reach the more she tried to recall them. She could remember their presence, the warmth and happiness mingled in the dream, but their faces... it was as if they were shrouded in a thick fog, hidden just beyond her memory's grasp. In the dream, they had been so vivid, so real. But now, no matter how hard she strained to remember, the details remained elusive, fading like mist in the morning sun.
A sharp pang settled in her chest as she struggled to recall the dream in detail. It had been such a happy dream with no traces of sadness in it. Then why did she feel this ache in her heart? Why did it leave her with this hollow feeling, as though she was forgetting something vital? It was an empty sense of longing for something—an emotion she couldn't name.
The last time she had this dream was during her stay at an inn, back when she was on her way to meet Valentine. It had been strange then, but now it felt even more unsettling... more intense... more personal... like a puzzle she couldn't piece together.
"What an odd dream..." she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible in the quiet room. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the blanket as she tried to figure out more about these unfamiliar emotions.
*Knock knock*
A soft tapping at the door broke Reese from her thoughts. She quickly wiped her eyes, clearing away any trace of tears before flicking on the light. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to find a girl about her age standing there, smiling brightly.
"Hi! I'm Juniper Marlowe, your next-door neighbor," the girl said, pointing across the hall toward her room. Her tone was cheerful, and her eyes sparkled with warmth.
"Oh, hello!" Though Reese was surprised, she replied in a welcoming tone.
"You're new here, so I thought I should introduce myself. After all, we'll be seeing a lot of each other now." Juniper extended a small box wrapped in a ribbon. "Here, I brought you some cookies as a welcome gift."
Reese's face lit up at the sight of the cookies. "Wow, thank you! I love sweets," she accepted the gift, genuinely delighted. "Come in, let's chat inside." She stepped aside, holding the door open for Juniper to enter.
The girl stepped into the room and looked around, admiring the neat setup. "You've already finished organizing your room?"
"Yes," Reese replied, settling the box of cookies on her desk. She smiled, though she didn't bother mentioning that it wasn't entirely her work.
Juniper sat beside her on the bed, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "I saw you fight today. You were amazing! Honestly, I couldn't believe my eyes."
Reese chuckled lightly, brushing off the compliment. "Thanks. I've heard that a lot today. It wasn't that big of a deal."
Juniper grinned, shaking her head in disbelief. "Not a big deal? You're practically the new celebrity on campus now. Everyone's talking about you, and there are already all sorts of rumors flying around."
"Not even one day has passed through ..." Reese raised an eyebrow. "Word sure spreads fast here."
Juniper nodded knowingly. "Oh, well...Rumors pop up here quicker than they die down. It's like a constant cycle, even if nothing major happens. So, naturally, your sparring match today became the hottest topic in no time."
"I see," Reese murmured, amused by how quickly things could escalate.
"But don't worry, I'm not here to talk your ear off about that," Juniper said with a smile. "I'm here to make a new friend. Can I?"
Reese's expression softened. "Of course. You can consider me your friend already."
Juniper's face brightened even more. "Great! Let's drop the formalities then. I'm a first-year too, in the Magic Department. I think we'll have some general studies classes together."
Reese felt a sense of relief. "That's good to hear. I'm glad to have someone I know in those classes."
"Yeah! Though I assume you'll do pretty well by yourself, I'll still try my best to helo you get settled in this place. I've been here for six months already, so I can show you the ropes." Juniper grinned. "Oh, by the way, I'm in Azure Wings."
Reese smiled at the coincidence. "Nice. I'm joining there too."
Juniper's eyes widened with excitement. "Really? You made a good choice. Our leader and current student council president, Valentine Rosedale, and Vice-President Frederick Elmsworth, the 4th Prince of Herrera, are both quite dependable. You can count on them."
Reese nodded. "I know. I've known Lady Valentine for a long time. Naturally, I chose to join her faction."
"That's awesome!" Juniper beamed. "And honestly, people in Azure Wings are much more reasonable and friendly than the Crimson Claws crowd. They don't judge people based on thier social status. Lady Valentine and Prince Frederick aside, we've got some amazing seniors too."
Reese chuckled softly. "Yeah, that's true. And the people I've met from Azure Wings so far have been really kind, even though I'm a commoner. I've spoken to two seniors—Julius Whitelock and Cedric Pendleton—on my way to the dormitory."
Juniper's eyes went wide in surprise. "Wait, you talked to senior Julius and Cedric?"
"Why? Is there something wrong with that?" Reese asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
"No... Actually, it's really impressive. They're like, two of the most popular guys on campus!"
Reese blinked. "Is that so? I didn't know they were so well-known."
"Oh, they are! Senior Julius is the top student in the third-year Magic Department, specializing in healing and restoration magic. He's super talented and very well-mannered, but... well, he's a bit reserved. Though He's nice, I guess he prefers to keep his distance. And then there's Senior Cedric, who's also one of the top students in the Swordsmanship Department. He's friendly, outgoing, and so easy to talk to. They're polar opposites in personality. I wonder how they became friends..."
Reese couldn't help but notice that as Juniper mentioned Cedric, there was a slight shift in her tone—Juniper's voice grew brighter, with an extra layer of cheerfulness.
"So, I guess I've met and chatted with two campus celebrities without even realizing it," Reese remarked.
"Lucky you!" Juniper giggled, her eyes sparkling. "By the way, I specialize in water magic, so if you ever run out of water, I've got you covered." She winked playfully.
Reese laughed. "That's useful. My specialty is pyrokinesis."
"Pyrokinesis? That's the total opposite of mine! I had no idea since I didn't see you use any mana or magic during the fight today." Juniper said.
"I didn't think it was necessary to use it there," Reese explained after a pause. "My sword skills were enough. Plus, I don't really like using pyrokinesis that much. I'm more focused on refining my swordsmanship. Swordplay is kind of a passion for me." Though Reese said that, there was another reason behind her reluctance to use her special ability—pyrokinesis or any other magic. It was something she couldn't reveal to anyone.
"I get it." Juniper nodded understandingly. Fortunately she didn't ask anything more about it. "I'm just so happy I've made a friend here in the dorms. I love having people to chat with. I have a number of friends in my class, but... it gets lonely sometimes in the dorm since there's no one to talk to here."
"Why?" Reese asked, her brow furrowing. "Aren't there other students living here?" She remembered passing several rooms on her way in.
"Not really. There are only three of us on this floor... Well, four now that you're here. The other rooms are empty at the moment," Juniper explained.
"Oh! So who else lives here?" Reese asked.
"Well, one of them is Eleanor, a second-year student and a member of the student council. She's always stressed out and exhausted, so I try not to bother her too much. And then there's… Mariana," Juniper hesitated before continuing. "She's the daughter of a baron. She's...a bit distant and hard to get close to. She barely leaves her room and avoids people. I think she's being bullied."
"Oh..." Reese frowned. It wasn't surprising, given what she had experienced earlier. The campus clearly had its share of troublemakers.
"Yeah. I've accidentally seen bruises on her before, but when I tried to talk to her about it, she ran away. I really wanted to help and even reported it to the council, but she denied everything, saying she just tripped and fell. Every time I try to reach out, she just pulls away."
"Do you know who might be bullying her?" Reese asked, her tone serious.
"I'm not certain, but I have a guess," Juniper admitted, lowering her voice. "It's probably Beatrice Rosedale from Crimson Claws. She and her group have a reputation for bullying weaker students. They love tormenting those they see as beneath them. Most people are too scared to stand up to them." Juniper sighed. "To be honest, things were worse before Lady Valentine became the student council president. Back then, they used to harass inferior students openly, but now they're more subtle about it."
"Hmm..." Reese's expression darkened slightly. It seemed both of the Rosedale siblings were troublesome in their own way.
Juniper stood up and stretched. "Anyway, I should head back now. It was nice chatting with you."
Reese stood up as well, offering a warm smile. "It was nice talking to you too. See you tomorrow?"
"Definitely! Good night!" Juniper waved cheerfully before stepping out of the room.
Reese watched her leave, closing the door softly behind her. She leaned against the door for a moment, letting out a small breath. The room settled into stillness again, broken only by the rhythmic ticking of the clock.
..
Back in Julius's dormitory room at the academy, the soft fragrance of sandalwood lingered in the air, mingling with the faint scent of old parchment and leather-bound books that lined the shelves. Julius sat comfortably on a plush, high-backed chair, completely absorbed in his reading. Across the room, Cedric sprawled out on Julius's well-made bed, lazily tossing a pen into the air and catching it before it fell.
"We were all worried about a kitten, but it turns out we were dealing with a lioness instead," Cedric remarked, his voice casual as the pen twirled through his fingers. He threw it into the air again, catching it smoothly, a playful grin tugging at his lips.
Without lifting his eyes from the book, Julius replied in his usual calm tone, "Are you talking about Reese?"
"Obviously. Who else could I be talking about?" Cedric shrugged.
Julius hummed in agreement, finally flipping a page. "It's true. She's...exceptional. Far more than what anyone would assume."
Cedric stopped tossing the pen and leaned back against the pillows, eyeing Julius curiously. "By the way, why didn't you tell her that you've met her before?"
Julius paused for a brief moment before answering, his tone casual. "I don't think she recognized me. I didn't feel any need to bring it up."
Cedric raised an eyebrow, "Still, you should've mentioned it. After all, you're her biggest fan." He smirked teasingly.
Julius's eyes narrowed slightly, his focus now shifting from the book to Cedric.
Cedric laughed, sitting up and shaking his head. "Oh, come on! Don't give me that look! I'm just stating the obvious. You're clearly impressed by her, aren't you?"
Julius hesitated, his expression serious. "I am, but you're exaggerating things."
"Not even a little. I've never seen you talk to any girl as much as you've talked to her, let alone actually care about one," Cedric pointed out with a playful grin. "Just admit it—"
Before Cedric could finish, Julius snapped his book shut with a loud thud, the sound echoing through the room. "Get out."
Cedric's laughter only grew louder at Julius's reaction. "Whoa, calm down! What's with the attitude? There's nothing to be shy about."
Julius crossed the room, grabbing Cedric by the arm and pulling him off the bed. "I said, get out of my room."
"Hey, hey! Come on, man! Let me chill a little longer," Cedric protested, trying to resist as Julius dragged him toward the door.
"You can chill in your own room. You're distracting me," Julius grumbled, giving Cedric one final shove before kicking him out and slamming the door shut.
Cedric stood outside the door, shaking his head in mock offense. "Seriously? How rude!" he called out, though a smirk still lingered on his face.
Inside, Julius exhaled heavily. Peace and quiet at last!
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