"I wish I could have something like that one day,"
She said, her voice soft with hope.
A hope that one day, she could afford
to buy a dress like that.
So we stepped inside, hoping for just a closer look at the dress.
As we admired the dress up close, I turned to my mother and said.
"Mommy, don't worry. I'll work hard and buy a dress like that for you one day."
She looked at me for a moment, then smiled—a gentle, yet bittersweet smile.
We spent some time looking at the things in the shop, admiring them in silence.
The air smelled of aged wood and fabric, the quiet hum of the shopkeeper barely
registering in the background.
Then, something else caught my eye.
A sword hanging on the wall.
It was beautiful—its polished blade gleamed under the lantern's warm glow, reflecting the light like captured fire.
A strange warmth spread through my chest as I stared at the sword.
A feeling I couldn't explain.
"Mommy… can I have that when I grow up?" I asked, my eyes never leaving the sword.
But when i turned to my mother, I saw sadness in her eyes.
She gently placed a hand on my shoulder and whispered, „It's not meant for someone like us."
Before I could respond, the shopkeeper glared at us.
„Don't touch anything if you can't afford it!" he barked.
Without another word, he shoved us towards the door and kicked us out.
Heat rushed to my face, my fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.
My jaw tightened as I glared at him. It was new, yet it felt incredible.
„If I had the strength, I would kill this man"
—I didn't know where that voice inside me came from.
It felt foreign, almost unsettling.
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears, and my breath came in shallow gasps.
I was scared of myself—yet, I knew I would be able to do it.
Even if I lacked the strength, I would still find a way.
Back on the streets, I wiped the dust from my clothes and kept walking.
That's when I saw it – a massive castle standing at the heart of the city.
The aura of magic surrounding it was incredible.
The Academy.