Emilio stared for a long moment.
Then he closed his eyes and rubbed them.
He opened them again, hoping he was hallucinating.
No. That purple mist was still there, formless, bouncing up and down slightly. It was slightly elongated and more concentrated at the center but thinned around the edges, moving like smoke wrapping in and about itself.
“What on earth?” He murmured under his breath.
“Oh!” The voice that came was definitely from that purple mist. He really couldn’t discern if that was a male voice or a female voice. “I forgot you humans aren’t used to this form.”
The mist started to twist and turn, the concentration from the center dissipating. Emilio watched, wide eyed, as the mist slowly formed the vague outline of what seemed like a man. However, it was only an outline, there was nothing to fill that outline and he could see through it. The twisting smoke formed its hair that floated in the air as if it was underwater. The eyes were just blobs of purple, there was no nose and in place of lips, there was something resembling a smile, except it was as if someone had drawn a smile on paper and filled it with purple color, smoke spilling from the corners. Where its feet and hands were supposed to be, there were only swirling mist that seemed to dissipate in the air at the edges.
The image was so unnerving that he couldn’t help but take a step back.
“Uh…” he really had nothing to say. He wasn’t quite afraid. But the image in front of him was so strange and otherworldly that it was impossible not to get goosebumps.
The blobs that formed the eyes turned to half moons as if the thing was frowning. The ‘head’ moved to ’look’ down on itself.
“Ah, I forgot to do it properly,” a chuckle reverberated from the form, and its ‘smile’ widened just a bit. Emilio felt a shiver run down his spine. “Sorry, sorry! I was so excited to get a roommate!”
And then the mist started to fill up the empty parts and solidify. In front of his eyes, he saw the now solid form start to change into that of a man. It was as if someone was making a human out of thin air, with flesh and bones wrapped in skin. The end result was a boy that looked a little younger than him, his eyes now had their whites and dark purple pupils in the middle, darker than that of the Archmaster’s. His hair was the same dark purple as his eyes and bounced a bit. He noticed a few of them turning into smoke at the ends. He had perfectly good hands and feet and … genitals.
He was naked.
Emilio flushed and quickly turned around. “Put on some clothes!” He yelled without looking back.
There was a pause. “Oh,” came the reply, a note of sudden realization expressed in that one word. “Ahahahah! Sorry, sorry! I forgot you humans were sensitive to these things. So cute! Give me a moment!”
It was baffling that he still couldn’t discern whether the voice was male or female. It didn’t really go with the form that this … thing took. The young boy looked like someone who was starting to mature into a handsome young man. Was that truly his voice?
“Okay!” The boy - thing - exclaimed from behind him and he turned around to see him wearing a short tunic with a belt cinching it at the waist and dark trousers underneath. Emilio sighed in relief.
“Do you like it?” The boy spun around as if showing off a new dress.
“I suppose.” He did look good. Now that the boy looked normal, Emilio could finally gather his bearings and truly take a look at the boy. He looked like a normal teen, perhaps a bit too cheerful and eccentric. But nothing about him would say that he was nothing but a mist mere moments ago.
He took a deep breath and got to the question he wanted to ask. “What are you?”
The boy paused and then looked at him, grinning. “I was wondering when you’d ask that!” The boy hopped closer and then leaned in, his eyes unblinking as they stared into Emilio’s green ones. “I’m a fae!”
Emilio’s eyes widened. “A … a fae?”
He had read about faes. They were mystical beings that lived in a parallel dimension and only appeared in the mortal world occasionally. They had the ability to manipulate the reality around them and change their appearance at will. They were said to be formless, made of pure unadulterated energy, and the closest surviving kin the world had of the Olden Spirits. Not many had actually seen the faes. They liked to live in their Enclosure, their pocket dimension.
There were a few accounts of encounters with faes by poachers and encroachers, who tried to find some way to trespass onto their territory through forbidden magic and were promptly dealt with by their Court. They came back screaming and crying, their mind already lost to madness. It was a bad idea to enrage the faes. However, it was speculated that people actually encountered faes a lot more than they thought. They just didn’t know it because faes took human forms and roamed among them.
If you, dear reader, suspect that the person you are speaking to is a fae, use the earliest opportunity to go as far away from them as you are able, for faes are fickle and their wrath shall condemn you forever to insanity.
That passage he had read once came to mind.
He instinctively took another step back.
The boy - fae - paused, and then pulled back, rubbing his head. A sheepish gesture. “Haha! Sorry, sorry!” His voice was a bit more subdued than before. “You humans don’t like people getting so close, do you?”
So this was why the Archmaster had put him in this room. Of course, this boy - fae - wouldn’t really care if he was a Laik or not. Did they even know what a Laik was? As far as Emilio knew, this was a condition that only ran through humans. He wouldn’t throw him out. He might just drown him in his own mind. Those people downstairs were laughing at him because they knew it. And it wasn’t as if he had any other option. No other person here would take him as a roommate.
Damn that Archmaster. He really wanted to kill the guy.
He looked back at the bo … fae. He was looking at him with that same smile but his eyes were darting about as he shifted from foot to foot, looking unsure of what to do. Emilio paused at that, frowning. The fae didn’t seem like he was ready to pop his mind off. He tried to calm his rapidly beating heart and his running a mile a minute mind. The Archmaster wouldn’t put him into this room if he was in danger. He had given Emilio’s father his word that Emilio would be protected. So, whatever happened, Emilio could at least rest assured that he wouldn’t be killed … or be broken into madness.
If he was going to have to live here anyway… better learn to live with it. Keep an amiable relationship with the guy … the fae who could turn him crazy. Sure. He could do that. He was a Laik. What couldn’t he do, except magic?
He shook his head, realising he was starting to get hysterical. He then took a deep breath and looked at the boy in front of him.
“I am Emilio,” he said, extending his new hand for a handshake. “What is your name?”
The boy’s eyes snapped back to him and he saw them light up … literally. He grabbed his hand with both of his and shook it so vigorously that his hand went half an inch up and down from its original position.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“Slower, slower!” He yelped out and - to his surprise - the boy listened. He slowed down the speed of his handshake and instead gently shook his hand once.
“Like this?” He tilted his head curiously.
The gesture was so much like Jeremiah's that Emilio couldn’t help but smile. He nodded. “Like that.”
The boy grinned. “Good! I’ve always wanted to do this!” He shook his head, gentler this time but still a bit faster than normal. “I’m Balsea! Are you my new roommate? Loren said I would have one soon!”
Emilio nodded. “Yes, I am.” He glanced down at their conjoined hands. “Um … I think you should let go now!”
“Oh! Sorry, sorry!” The boy let go of his hands. “I heard that is how humans greet each other! I tried to do that with others but no one would do that with me.” He visibly slumped.
Ah. He supposed that made sense. Most people would avoid someone they even suspected was a fae, let alone an actual fae.
“Come, come, sit!” He waved towards the empty bed. Emilio nodded and went to sit down there. “Sorry about how you saw me before. I was roaming around the Academy and when pulled myself back here, I forgot to change forms. And then I was so excited that I forgot to change forms properly hehehe…”
Emilio shook his head. “It’s … it’s fine.” It hadn’t been at the time. He almost had a heart attack. But it wasn’t like he could say that. He then frowned slightly. “Wait, what do you mean, you pulled yourself back?”
“Oh, I can spread myself over quite a lot of area.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I think I can cover one-third of the Academy. I’ll be able to cover more as I grow older and stronger!”
“Spread yourself?” He asked, both curious and apprehensive at the same time.
“Yeah!” He nodded excitedly. “You saw my true form, right? I can spread that thinly across a space. My consciousness also spreads with it. Most humans won’t be able to perceive me. But other sensitive species and humans might. I was just outside the balcony,” he pointed towards the small balcony that was attached to the room, “But I wasn’t paying attention here so I didn’t hear you come in. When I pulled myself back and came into the room, you were already in that … what is it called … ah, yes! The bathroom!”
“I see,” Emilio said slowly. Faes must have incredible powers. “And this is your human form?”
Balsea nodded. “Yeah! I like the male form more than the female form and that’s what I always take nowadays!”
“Male form?” He asked frowning.
“Yes!” Balsea leaned back. “See, we faes don’t have genders like most other species. So we can take any form we want! We prefer humans and humanoids, however!”
“So …” he hesitated for a moment but ultimately couldn’t hold his curiosity. “... you also have a female form?”
The boy nodded and then sat straight. In front of Emilio’s eyes, the hair elongated, the chest got bigger, the waist got thinner and the body got curvier. He could see the enlarged breasts straining against the now too tight clothes. Once again, he looked away, flushing.
“I got it, I got it!” He yelped. “Please turn back.”
“You don’t like it either? I knew it!” The boy - the girl - exclaimed. That voice still hadn’t changed. “These things are so heavy and they move so much when I try to move! And some people look at me weird when I go out like this!”
“Okay, yes,” he nodded along, still looking away. “It’s … your male form is better. Please change now.”
“Okay, okay, fine!” There was a small pause. “There!”
Emilio looked back to see Balsea back in his male form. He sighed in relief.
“Okay, enough about me. Tell me about yourself! Who are you? Where have you come from? Why are you here now, after three months have passed in this year?”
The questions came in a barrage. He had not expected those questions to come. After all, there was no one in the Academy who didn’t know who he was by now.
Emilio hesitated. Should he answer? Should he tell the truth? Couldn’t he keep it to himself a bit longer? Couldn’t he sit and speak with someone like a normal person without feeling the judging or pitying eyes on him?
No, you can’t.
He couldn’t. He didn’t have that luxury. Even if he hid it from the other person, he was bound to find out sooner or later. Better get it over with now rather than have him (her? them?) find out later and hate Emilio. Better break it off now rathe than get attached to the person and then lose them. That was what hurt the most. He knew from experience.
“I am Emilio Florian, the eldest son of Baron Florian.” He then paused. “I’m a Laik.”
"What's a Laik?"
Emilio looked at the fae in surprise. He definitely had not expected that. He didn't know how to answer that … no, he did know how to answer that. He didn't want to.
Stop it, Emilio.
"A Laik is…" He started, shifting uncomfortably, before letting out a shaky exhale and continuing, "a Laik is a human who cannot gather and use mana. They cannot do any magic."
He was waiting for the other shoe to drop anytime soon. But Balsea had more surprise in store for him.
"Oh!" Balsea hit his - their left palm with the side of their right fist as if coming to a realization. "Like faes who can't regulate their energy well!"
"There are faes like that?" Emilio exclaimed, momentarily forgetting the anxiety he had been feeling.
Balsea nodded. "Yes! Some faes are born without the ability to regulate their energy well. So it gets stuck weirdly or get rigid in places."
"What… what happens to them?" He asked cautiously.
"What would happen to them?" The fae shrugged. "They grow up and live like the rest of us. Some of them might not live as long as the average fae but it's a good life. They might not become Elders or gain a high position in society but that's true for most of us. They certainly don't lack anything."
"That … that's good." Emilio sighed. A strange sort of relief washed over him. It seemed, in this regard, faes were much better than humans, it seemed. Most humans abandoned their children or, worse, sold them off once they turned out to be Laik. Especially commoners. Nobility… well, there were instances and history of Laiks being killed off. Emilio truly had been lucky to have had such a good father.
And then Balsea started to pester him about … everything, really. His life, his family, humans, their culture… Emilio ended up having to explain the gender differences in the societal and cultural context of Aeloria and why it might not be a good idea to go out as a woman without proper dressing and social manners.
He also ended up asking him - them, he corrected himself - about themself. He learnt that in fae years, Balsea was a rebellious teenager and had gone against their parents to escape into the human world because they was so curious about humans. But as a newly arrived fae, they had a lot of trouble trying to imitate humans. They apparently ended up looking… something like a mixture of human and smoke. It ended up frightening the people of the town they were in and they ended up being hunted and driven away.
They had since hidden themself from humans and stayed in their true form, spreading themself to see the human world. Until he came close to the Academy and was caught by the Archmaster, who then 'asked' him to enter the Academy, telling them that they could live among humans, learn about humans and human magic.
Apparently, Balsea had come with hopes of making friends. The hopes were quickly dashed, however. But it seemed Balsea made the best of the situation, staying in their human form among the students and in true form when they were alone in order to observe everything they wanted to. They seemed pretty content but Emilio once again had the urge to kick the Archmaster, this time for manipulating the poor fae into entering the Academy when he knew what kind of discrimination they might face.
The sound of bell tolling brought them out of their conversation.
"Oh that's the dinner bell!" Balsea explained. "Come on! You humans have to eat thrice a day, don't you?"
Emilio realized he hadn't eaten anything except breakfast and the tea in the Archmaster’s Office. It was fine though. He did not need to eat as much as the average person. His body did not need to recover lost energy as much as a normal person with mana. One of the 'perks' of being a Laik, he supposed. Still, he had built up a better appetite through training with Captain Killian the past few years. He was feeling a bit hungry. But he didn't move from his place, hesitating.
"What's wrong?" Balsea frowned.
"I…" He hesitated, looking at the boy. "I… don't feel like going down now. You go and eat."
Their frown deepened before they sighed. "I get it. You're tired, right? Don't worry. I'll bring our food here. We can chat and eat!"
Before he could stop them, they were out the door.
Emilio sighed. It seemed he would have to learn how to keep up with everyone around here, even his eccentric roommate.
He leaned back and stared up at the ceiling.
The Academy, huh?
The dream he had squashed.
The dream that had come true.
Classes started tomorrow.