It was a struggle for Adrian to keep his eyes open, his gaze drifting from the nun front of the chalkboard to the sunlight filtering through the high windows. His head drooped, eyelids feeling heavier with each passing second as the nun’s voice droned on about sums and subtraction. Math is fine, but why does she have to explain it forever?

Before he realized it, his body relaxed, and he slumped back against the cool stone wall. The sudden shift jolted him awake just in time to hear his name.

“Adrian!” The nun’s voice rang out, sharp enough to cut through his foggy drowsiness.

The boy opened his eyes and blinked, taking in the amused expressions of the other kids, who sat cross-legged at small wooden desks on the floor, grinning and whispering among themselves.

Suppressing a yawn, he sat up straighter, doing his best to look attentive as the nun fixed him with a stern gaze. She pointed to the chalkboard, where she had just written out a problem: 5 + 10 + 2 = ?

“Well, Adrian, since you’re so… relaxed, why don’t you solve this one?”

Adrian glanced at the problem, blinking a few times before the numbers sank in. Too easy. "The answer is seventeen."

The nun’s eyes softened a bit, though she let out a sigh. “Lucky for you, you’re right, otherwise, I’d have assigned you extra chores for today.”

The nun clapped her hands together. “All right, class is over for now. Everyone, head to the kitchen for lunch.”

A relieved murmur swept through the children as they scrambled to their feet. Adrian pushed himself up slowly, still feeling the weight of drowsiness tugging at his limbs. He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep.

Seven moved up beside him, her eyes curious. “Are you hungry?”

Adrian nodded, following the line of children shuffling toward the kitchen. “A little bit,” he replied, his voice still thick from sleep. Maybe lunch will help wake me up.

The hallway to the kitchen was filled with the chatter of kids talking about everything from the math lesson to what they hoped was on the menu. Smells of roasted vegetables and freshly baked bread wafted through the corridor, making Adrian’s stomach rumble with a renewed sense of hunger. Seven glanced at him and grinned, clearly having heard it. Ah, whatever.

They entered the kitchen, which was bustling with nuns setting out plates and bowls. Long wooden tables stretched across the room, lined with benches. Adrian slid onto a bench, Seven taking the seat next to him as other kids filled in around them.

Plates of steaming mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, and thick slices of dark bread with butter were placed in front of them. A large pot of stew sat at the center of each table, filled with chunks of meat, potatoes, and root vegetables.

Adrian’s mouth watered as he took in the warm, savory scent. Looks better than usual, he noted, reaching for a slice of bread and slathering it with butter.

Seven, already digging into her stew, nudged him. “Better than solving math problems, right?”

“Much better,” Adrian agreed, taking a hearty bite of the bread. The rich, buttery flavor melted on his tongue, and he could feel the drowsiness from the classroom slipping away.

As they ate, the room filled with laughter and chatter. Some of the kids were swapping pieces of bread for extra servings of potatoes, while others joked about the lesson, rehashing Adrian’s almost-nap and imitating his startled reaction when the nun had called on him.

He rolled his eyes slightly, not minding the jokes too much. They're just kids being kids.

Seven looked over at him, a small smirk on her face as she spooned some stew. “You’re lucky the nun didn’t make you scrub floors for falling asleep in class. That would’ve kept you awake.”

Adrian frowned, reaching for the stew with a pout. “Scrubbing floors sounds yucky,” he said, dunking a piece of bread into the broth. “I’d rather be a little sleepy.”

I really don’t have time for scrubbing floors anyway. There’s too much to think about.

Seven leaned closer. “Maybe if you taught me cooler magic, you wouldn’t be bored.”

He tilted his head. “Thing is, you still have a hard time making your magic go where you want it. Harder stuff is trickier.”

Her shoulders drooped. “But I’m trying so hard, Adrian! I know I can do it. Can you show me something new, please?”

Adrian hesitated, seeing how determined she was. After a moment, he nodded. “Maybe I can show you something...”

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Seven’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Really?”

“It’s called a signature spell,” Adrian said seriously. “It’s a special spell that belongs just to you. No one else can make it exactly like yours.”

Her eyes widened. “What would mine be?”

Adrian shook his head slowly. “I can’t tell you. You have to figure it out.”

She tilted her head, listening closely. “How?”

He dipped his bread again, gathering his thoughts. “Okay, pretend you have two people who can make fire magic. One person just throws fireballs. The other one... makes a big fire dragon to throw fireballs for them. See? The spell becomes special.”

“Oh, so it’s like a magic just for me?”

“Exactly. But it’s hard. You have to really understand your magic and... well, yourself.” And she’ll need patience too.

“If I make one, my magic gets stronger, right?”

He nodded, chewing thoughtfully. “Kind of. It’ll be more like... a part of you.”

Her fingers drummed on the table. “So how do I do it?”

Adrian crossed his arms. “Two things: covenants and a legend.”

“Covenants? Like, rules?”

“Sort of. It’s like a promise you make when using the spell. For example, maybe you can only use it when it’s raining, or only at night.”

She scrunched her nose, curious. “What’s the point of that?”

“It makes the spell stronger,” he explained, voice soft but firm. “Sometimes, it means giving up something for a little while. Like being really tired after using it.”

Her eyes widened. “Would a big promise make it super strong?”

“Maybe, but it’s not that simple. It depends on you and your magic.”

She nodded seriously. “I get it. Be smart about my promises.”

He smiled a little. “Then, there’s the legend. It’s like a story you say when you cast it.”

“A story?”

“Yeah, but a story that means something to you.”

Seven’s eyes lit up again. “So if I pick the right story, it’ll make my spell super special?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “But it has to feel right to you.”

She grinned, deep in thought. “What kind of stories are good?”

He shrugged lightly. “It depends on you.”

“Well… let’s go to the library! Maybe I’ll find something there.”

Adrian glanced at his food and then nodded. “Okay, but let me finish eating first.”

“Fine,” she said, bouncing a little. “But hurry!”

She’s really eager. I hope she knows this won’t be easy.

Adrian pushed the last bite of bread into his mouth and chewed quickly, wiping his hands on a napkin. Seven was practically bouncing in her seat, eager to leave.

He smiled faintly, swallowing the last of his lunch. She never runs out of energy, does she? He rose from the bench, and together, they made their way toward the hallway leading to the library.

But when they approached the library’s double wooden doors, a nun stepped into their path, her hands folded sternly in front of her. “And where do you two think you’re going?”

Adrian opened his mouth to answer, but before he could speak, Seven blurted out, “To the library! We want to find stories for—"

“The library is not a playground for idle curiosity." The nun interrupted. "And if I recall correctly, Adrian, you have an arithmetic review next. You were already drowsy enough in the morning lesson.”

Adrian stiffened, resisting the urge to groan. Another math class? The idea made his head throb, but he knew better than to argue outright. “Yes, Sister,” he muttered.

The nun turned her stern gaze to Seven. “And you, young lady, are late for your music class. Sister Maribelle has been expecting you. I suggest you hurry unless you want to practice scales for the rest of the day.”

“But we’re learning something important!” Seven protested, her voice rising with frustration. “Please, just a little time—”

The nun’s expression hardened. “Enough. You both know the rules. Lessons first, then leisure. No more arguing, just go."

Adrian’s shoulders slumped as he exchanged a glance with Seven, but even she knew when to back down. Slowly, they turned and began walking in opposite directions, Adrian toward the classroom and Seven toward the music hall. The nun watched them until they disappeared around the corners, ensuring they were on their way.

As soon as the nun was out of sight, Seven doubled back, catching up with Adrian as he trudged toward the classroom door. She grabbed his hand and leaned in. “What do we do now?"

"Maybe just wait for another time?" Adrian suggested.

"But I don't wanna wait to learn magic. Can't we just sneak to the library later?"

"I… uh, don't think we can do that?"

"Why not? I can sneak out of my room easy, and you live upstairs already where the library is. We can just meet at the big stairs."

"Seven, listen, you forgot something."

"What's that?"

"The nuns lock the doors to the big stairs by the time you're supposed to sleep. So, you won't be able to go up."

"Oh… right."

Seven’s face fell, her bottom lip trembling. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, and Adrian could tell she was on the verge of tears.

He let out a heavy sigh, glancing around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. She’s really upset about this. There has to be another way.

He considered the idea of sneaking her into the library after dark. Too many risks. If we get caught, we’ll be stuck doing chores for a week, or worse. He needed a better solution, something that wouldn’t get them both into trouble. Then it struck him. Wait, Sister Selena could probably help.

Adrian leaned closer. “Hey, don’t cry, okay? We can ask Sister Selena for help.”

Seven sniffled. “But… what if she says no?”

“She won’t, not if you listen to what I say.”

“What do you mean?”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “Just follow my lead. She’s not as strict as the others, remember?”

“O-Okay. I’ll do whatever you say.”

“Good, let’s go find her after our lessons.”