“Woah… Can I really eat whatever I want!?” Haine’s mouth watered as her eyes darted between all the food stalls.

We were in the Paradis Markets. A collection of street stalls spanning an entire city block, open every hour of the day, every day of the week. One of the biggest tourist attractions of Astraea, second only to the Academy itself. It was a winding maze of people and color, all decorated with crisscrossing banners and tapestries advertising all sorts of wares from all across the continent. But more importantly, the place sold food. Alot of it.

“Yup. Feel free to order as much as you like. It’s my treat.” I held her hand tight so we didn’t get lost as she jumped from stand to stand, ordering whatever sparked her fancy.

After about the tenth stall I began to regret my words. Somehow balancing a dozen plates of nothing but expensive meat dishes in her arms, she beamed with excitement as my coin purse screamed at me.

Finally, with her spending spree finished and my money spared, we found ourselves a table away from the suffocating crowds. She splayed her haul across the table, and I’ll admit that it all looked enticing. From the fire lizard skewers to the fried mud skulkers, and even a plate of dragon stew—not actually made from dragon, but people claimed it tasted just like the real thing—it took all my restraint not to just pig out right there.

I had to maintain some self respect, at least. Maintain the proper decorum of a lady, or whatever my old tutor always tried to drill into me.

“This is delicious!” Haine exclaimed, her mouth stuffed to the brim with food. She was a complete mess, but I couldn’t help but smile.

“Leave some for me, okay?” I said, leaning over to wipe her mouth.

The cool sea breeze blew through my hair as I watched over the docks below. We had a perfect view of the bay, watching the workers and travelers scuttling around like ants as countless ships pulled in and out of the harbor. The shimmering waves reflected the cloudy sky in an abstract swirl of blue and white.

I never realized how beautiful this city could be. Honestly, I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d even eaten a proper meal without a textbook in front of me. Just enjoying the little things in life, without worrying about what tomorrow held. It almost made me forget about my worries.

A voice from behind broke my fragile illusion.

“There you are, sister.” Those words made my heart stop. My skin crawled at that unmistakable voice. Of course it was him. Even though I knew this was inevitable, he was still the one person I hoped I never had to see again.

My brother towered over me, staring right through me with his cold gaze. I averted my eyes. I didn’t dare look at him. It only served as a reminder of everything I wasn’t.

He was the one who inherited our father’s blonde hair. He was the one who inherited our family’s bloodline. He was the one that had all the raw talent, attracting all the attention of our parents and instructors, while I was swept aside to be forgotten.

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Vernon Edelweiss. The student council president of the Royal Knight’s Academy. My eldest brother.

“I heard you failed the entrance exam to the academy.” Each word was like a knife piercing right through me.

“H-how did you know about that?” I could only mutter meekly.

He ignored my question. “It’s only natural, after all. Our academy has no room for failures. I hope now you’ve learned just how much you’re lacking. It’s about time you stop with these delusions of yours and head back home.”

I would’ve been angrier if he wasn’t right. It was frustrating to admit, but he was right. I ran away with all these lofty aspirations, only to be sent crashing back down to reality.

“Ugh. Do you mind getting outta here? You’re killing the vibe,” Haine butted in, taking a bite out of a drumstick.

I gulped. A small part of me was happy she was sticking up for me, but another part of me was mortified. I mean, she was a normal girl. She didn’t look particularly strong, and I couldn’t sense any mana from her. If my brother wanted to, he could… Well, I didn’t want her to be in any danger because of me.

He shot her an icy glance and scoffed. “You should know better than to associate with people of… her ilk. It reflects poorly on our family name.”

“Prick. If you got a problem with me, then say it to my face.”

I mouthed at her to stop. The last thing I wanted was for this to escalate into a big scene. But she just flashed me a smug grin.

“Why you–” My brother raised his voice before quickly recovering his composure. “You’ll stay your tongue if you know what’s good for you.” He was clenching his fists.

“Aw, quit your yapping.” She leaned back in her chair, taunting him to come at her. “What are you gonna do, hit a poor, defenseless woman?” Our commotion was starting to attract more than a few stares. My brother was absolutely the kind of person who would do something like that, but not while he was still wearing the academy uniform. He was always one for keeping up appearances.

After what seemed like an eternity, my brother finally turned away. “This is a waste of my time. We will have to discuss this later, dear sister.” A chill went down my spine. But… at least for now, it seemed to be over. I finally had a chance to breathe.

He turned back towards us again. “As for you…” With a snap of his finger, the drumstick Haine was eating burst into flames. She dropped it in a yelp of pain, as it disintegrated into a pile of ash.

There it was. His blue flames of destruction. Precise enough to only light her food ablaze, leaving her mostly unscathed, but burning with the intensity of the sun. The same flames that were forever seared into my flesh.

“I’ll deal with you soon enough.” He left us with that ominous threat.

“Asshole.” She stuck out her middle finger at him as he left. “Now I’ve lost my appetite.”

“...Thanks. For sticking up for me, I mean. And sorry for getting you involved in all this,” I said. I didn’t think she even understood the situation she was in. My brother always kept his word. Still… I never had someone stand up for me like that. A small warmth developed in my chest. A fuzzy feeling I’d never felt before.

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. The only person to blame is that shitty brother of yours,” she said. Despite claiming to have lost her appetite, she was already back to finishing up her plates.

“B-but… I’m afraid I might’ve put you in danger by dragging you into my family drama.”

“It’s no big deal. You’ve helped me out a ton already, so it’s the least I could do. And don’t get it twisted, either. I didn’t say that stuff just for your sake. He was starting to piss me off, too.” She spoke without a care in the world. An attitude born not from impulsiveness, but from a position of absolute confidence. The kind that I could only dream of having.

And so that tiny feeling in my chest blossomed.