Four days had passed since Mia arrived at the Arena. The fairies had allowed her to stay in the infirmary's room, as they couldn't find a suitable place for her elsewhere. She didn't complain about it; it was the only wing of the building covered entirely in wood and parquet, making it much cozier than the old brick that composed the rest of the structure. And, more importantly, she was safe among the fairies. She wouldn't go as far as saying she felt at home, but the transition between her world and Istarea seemed smoother in these surroundings.

Vassili had sent her a little note the morning after she woke up, assuring her that everything was settled and she could stay at the Arena without worries until she found another solution. She was somewhat surprised that the Director of the school, assuming there was one, hadn't requested to meet her. Perhaps he didn't have the time and preferred to trust the professor. Either way, it was a relief for her as the prospect of meeting him and answering his questions under his inquisitive gaze – or at least, that's how she imagined it – made her nervous. Regardless, she had a place to live now.

Apart from her lingering anxiety of being attacked in the hallways, she couldn't complain. She enjoyed exploring this new world, and even though she missed her old life and loved ones relentlessly, the blonde wasn't the type to cling desperately to the past. Everything was still too new for the full weight of her extended stay in this world to truly hit her. For now, it almost felt like a vacation.

Carpe diem.

The similarities between Earth and this magical world were numerous. Mia suspected they probably weren't really speaking her language, but she was relieved to understand them upon reflection. She couldn't even fathom how her arrival here would have played out with a language barrier. The food was relatively similar, except it was much healthier, devoid of junk food and highly processed items. She still had many questions about this strange yet familiar world, but she didn't want to pester her two new friends and end up all alone not even a week after her arrival here.

Every morning, she found a new outfit in her closet. Usually, it was a short-sleeved dress that reached just above her knees, available in various pastel shades. Mia wasn't complaining about it either; she had always liked the comfortable feel of dresses, and the style and colors seemed perfectly appropriate for the school's spring-like climate.

Her days consisted of cautious strolls around the castle or in the gardens when Arry and the other students had classes, and seeking Lily's company in the infirmary when she was off-duty. Although curious to witness the fairies' magic in action, she had decided to be as discreet as possible to avoid causing trouble. She also tried her best to stay in her quarters when the other castle inhabitants had free time, preferring to avoid the various curious, haughty, and disdainful glances she received. She hadn't dared to explore all the rooms yet, not always feeling entirely at ease. That was particularly true for the library, although she felt her curiosity would soon push her to cross its threshold, at her own risk.

Nevertheless, she had managed to discover some useful information: the sectarian attitude among the various species wasn't just an understatement, although the school did its best to promote interaction between the different peoples by offering group activities (as she had observed on the notice board during her third visit). On these same posters, she learned that the school's administration was very attentive to the potential violence arising from encounters between the different occupants, as it was strictly prohibited and heavily punished. Technically, she was safe within these walls. Technically.

It was also evident that the negative glances from other students towards her didn't decrease as the days went by, although they seemed only slightly less intense. Sometimes, she encountered students who snorted disdainfully as she passed, others who insulted her as a "filthy human" or a "weakling," and a handful who even went as far as issuing death threats. Generally, she tried to ignore them after sending them a dark look that only she had mastered, and she kept her head held high while paying them no attention, then quickly escaped to an empty spot in the castle to regain her composure, her heart pounding, away from their menacing gazes.

After four days, these attacks were seriously getting on her nerves. Not because of fear – although she couldn't deny it was causing her anxiety – but because her once-sturdy nerves were gradually turning into rubber. Mia had never been the kind to accept being harassed without striking back, something she was better off not doing here. And it was becoming harder and harder to see them as bloodthirsty beasts when all she could see of these creatures were faces and bodies resembling her own. Fake humans who seemed harmless at first glance.

She had to exert a significant amount of self-control not to respond to them with acidity and risk having her head torn off.

When Arry wasn't busy with classes, the two young women spent all their time together. The redhead made it her mission to integrate Mia as much as possible into their world. And, at the very least, she distracted her from her newfound popularity. Oz had eventually abandoned his wariness of her through their frequent interactions, but the blonde still made a point to greet the wolf as well when she joined her friend, risking hurting his feelings.

"Do you not miss your loved ones?" Arry asked as they strolled through the garden in the late afternoon.

"Yes, of course I do..."

Her heart tightened at the thought of her friends and parents. Sometimes, she almost felt guilty about starting a new life here while they were likely mourning her disappearance. Yet that perspective was quickly replaced by the certainty that there was no point in wallowing in her situation and that she should focus on learning to live while adapting to the nuances of this world.

Mia strongly suspected her loved ones were in utter bewilderment or even denial, waiting for her return. After all, if she had understood the story of portals and travelers between the two worlds correctly, her body had vanished from the surface of Earth and hadn't crashed lifelessly from the building. The most plausible explanation for outside investigators was likely that her friends had concocted her fall due to alcohol, and the young woman had simply run away or been abducted.

Anyway, she didn't really have a choice. She might as well concentrate on her survival and her current minor troubles before lamenting her pseudo-disappearance on Earth. She couldn't convey any messages to her loved ones and probably would never see them again. Even though that thought didn't please her, nor was it truly ingrained in her mind, she had other things to worry about at the moment. The least she could do for the people she cared about was to stay alive in her new reality.

For now, she still had the vague feeling of being trapped in a dream, torn between the desire to learn more and the fear of dying if what she was experiencing was indeed reality. Although a small voice in her head reminded her that she had almost died already and that, for all she knew, she might be in the afterlife. The events of the past few days created a whirlwind of mixed feelings and confused thoughts within her. Every time she attempted to contemplate them, she found herself even more lost than before.

"I try not to think about it," Mia continued.

"I won't pretend I know exactly how you must be feeling, but I can understand that it could be tough. I was raised in a close-knit tribe. With my siblings, cousins, uncles, and aunts... coming here all by myself... at first, it was really hard for me to adjust. Of course, I can still see them when they come to visit me, so it's not the same, but... it's sometimes complicated for me."

Mia gave her a sympathetic smile, feeling a bit uneasy with the situation. She had never been good at consoling people, let alone knowing what to say in these situations. Normally, when her friends felt down, they just cheered themselves up with a bottle or two of alcohol. Suffice it to say, empathy wasn't her strong suit. That was precisely why she buried herself in the study of dusty old books, where she wouldn't have to face other humans and their complex emotions too often.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Sorry," Arry apologized. "This conversation got a bit depressing. Especially since I shouldn't complain with Oz by my side."

"No worries," Mia replied with a light tone, relieved by the change of subject. "By the way, I know you're a mage, but... how does all that work?"

She had heard several conversations about specialties over the past few days. To her, it all sounded like gibberish. It was time she understood the intricate workings of this world if she was going to stay, rather than constantly avoiding potential conflicts. And her curiosity was beginning to get the better of her. The only certainty she had was that gaining new knowledge and information about her surroundings was never a bad thing.

"Among the mages? Hm... it's a bit complicated. There are several clans, and each clan has a preferred domain: elemental mastery, animal metamorphosis, spellcasting, nature control. In each clan, each family has a specialty, and each individual chooses how they want to use their magic. Generally, they stick to their specialty, as it's already tough to master it that way. For example, in my clan, we specialize in elemental mastery. My family specializes in fire mastery," she explained with pride.

That explains her red hair, Mia thought inwardly.

"And when two parents are from different clans, what happens to the child?"

"Very good question!" Arry exclaimed. "Most of the time, the child follows the mother's footsteps. Fathers don't play a very decisive role in our families. If both parents are from the same clan, let's say elementals, the child will usually take their mother's specialty. They might prefer their father's specialty, but that's rare. With us, it's usually the women who lead."

"Sounds interesting!"

"Yes, it has its advantages, I admit," she replied, sending Mia a wink.

"And for the other species, how does it work?" Mia inquired.

"To be honest, I'm not too sure. This is only my first year at the Arena. Vampires and vilas have some kind of caste system based on the age of their family. Werewolves gather in packs and centaurs in herds. Don't ask me the difference between those two, I'm completely clueless about it! And, to finish, the fairies have a King and a Queen. I'll admit I tend to doze off when the professors talk about these topics in class... You should go to the library if you want to learn more. Have you visited it yet?"

"No, not yet."

Mia didn't dare admit that she hadn't mustered the courage to step inside the library yet, even though she had passed by it several times during her explorations. To her, a library had something sacred about it. Feeling like a stranger in this magical world, she didn't want to appropriate knowledge she might not have the right to possess, even though curiosity was itching at her. Between asking questions, observing people, and burying her nose in their books, there was a world, at least for her. It was absurd, of course, but she hadn't managed to overcome this feeling yet.

"By the way, if you don't mind, I can accompany you there right now. I have a rendezvous in about an hour, and I'd like to get ready," Arry blushed.

"Oh," Mia let out. "No problem."

Judging by the redness coloring the redhead's cheeks, it certainly wasn't a business meeting. Mia wanted to ask her what was the specialty of her date, but she deemed it a bit too invasive. After all, they had only known each other for a few days.

She also didn't necessarily want to encourage her new friend to talk about her romantic life by indicating that she was all ears. She was curious, of course, but she wasn't interested in every detail of her love life. If Arry was the kind of person who would go on and on about the ups and downs of her relationships, Mia didn't want to risk giving her the green light. She wanted to keep her head clear of trivial concerns.

In any case, there was something comforting about realizing that young people from both worlds ultimately led very similar lives, sharing school, family stories, friends, and romantic relationships. Magical beings or not, it seemed that the priorities of young adults in times of peace were the same for everyone, regardless of their world.

"Oh, something else you should know," Arry began as they headed inside the school. "The library is a bit of a 'lair' for the vilas. It's the only place where you're sure to encounter them, as they don't eat in the school cafeteria and attend very few classes. They prefer to stick together," she shrugged. "Anyway, they shouldn't give you any trouble. After all, the library isn't their property, but still, try to keep a low profile, okay?"

Mia nodded with a worried look from her new friend. Arry gave her a goodbye gesture when they reached the library doors before disappearing into the maze of corridors. She hesitated for a moment, placing her hand on the handle, and took a deep breath to muster her courage.

"Are you going to open that door, human?" an acidic voice sneered behind her.

"Get lost," she retorted with a sharp tone, lowering the handle to enter the room.

The young man gave her a dark look but continued on his way. The blonde quickly closed the door behind her and stood still for a few seconds at the entrance, processing what she had just done. What kind of creature had she insolently responded to? She swallowed hard and took a deep breath before finding refuge between two bookshelves.

You'd better watch your tongue, Mia, if you don't want to get your head chopped off, she scolded herself.

After a while, it was stronger than her. She simply couldn't stand being disrespected. She had managed to keep her composure for almost four days mainly out of fear of retaliation, which was already a lot to ask. Now that she was growing more comfortable and confident, and especially losing patience, the fear of a hostile response seemed to fade beneath her irritation. In those moments, her instinct seemed more tuned to "defend her honor" than "defend her skin." Because of this aspect of her personality, she had always been labeled as having a problem with authority. It wasn't that she couldn't submit to someone's authority; it was that she didn't want to when that person didn't deserve it. She could still hear her mother saying, "It's the same, Mia. The consequences are the same."

Blah blah blah, she chuckled in her mind.

Mia was getting tired of skulking around. Her daring temperament was violently taking over her survival instincts. Bloodthirsty creatures or not, she'd had enough. It wasn't like her to keep a low profile and hold her tongue.

During her exploration among the shelves, Mia didn't encounter many people. She relaxed as she felt the leather binding of the books under her fingers and the scent of old paper, which always sent shivers of pleasure down her spine. She wanted to devour all the works. Her choice fell on a book titled "The Human Genocide," and she brought it with her to one of the reading tables. Many questions still required answers about the workings of Istarea, but knowing what had happened to the rest of her kind was a crucial subject in her eyes in order to understand how much her presence disturbed.

Mia caressed the book's cover for a moment, enjoying the touch of her skin against the rigid, colorful paper. Some books had beautiful leather or fabric covers, testifying to their prestige, importance—or the means of their author. The one she held in her hands was very simple, as if nobody expected it to be read.

With curiosity, she opened the book, eager to discover the writing of this world. Maybe it would be entirely different, perhaps she wouldn't even be able to decipher it... Mia quickly found that she could read its contents perfectly. Mixed feelings greeted this revelation. She was torn between the satisfaction of quenching her thirst for knowledge and the disappointment of having nothing new to discover in this area. After all, she was a literature student.

« This book documents the series of known events that led to the disappearance of humans on Istarea. It was written during and shortly after the war. Some accounts of events contain errors due to the lack of hindsight and information at the time of writing this work. Recent annotations are added to the passages when corrections are necessary. »

Mia had barely finished reading the preface when a series of shivers ran down her spine. An unpleasant feeling that she was being observed in every move she made paralyzed her in her reading, preventing her from turning the next page. When she turned around to try to see who was causing this sensation, her body froze, and she held her breath.

Danger, danger.

Her entire body screamed at her to run for her life. Two tables away from hers sat a handsome young man who was staring at her intently. Not the kind of gaze that makes you melt, and not the kind of beauty that gives you butterflies in your stomach. No, it was a cold beauty and an icy look. Curiosity, suspicion, disdain—she had encountered plenty of those from the school's inhabitants, but pure, simmering hatred was a first, and it was terrifying.

Immediately, she lowered her head and returned to her reading—or at least appeared to. Her eyes moved frantically over the lines of text, pretending to read attentively. Her sweaty hands trembled as she turned the pages, and her mind didn't even understand half of what she was reading, too preoccupied with urging her to flee.

He's a vila. No doubt. Keep a low profile, her instinct cried out.

The individual looked perfectly human, like all the students occupying the school. What had she expected? A monster with fangs and claws? Yet, the aura of power and rage he emanated didn't deceive her about his danger. He could kill her in the blink of an eye, she didn't doubt that.

Ten minutes later, unable to stand the feeling of that gaze piercing into her skull, she quickly put the book back where she had found it and left. Relief washed over her the second her body left the vila's line of sight.

In the end, she hadn't learned much more and hadn't even thought to borrow the book to read it in the tranquility of her room. It frustrated her immensely, but she had been warned enough about these individuals, and her survival instinct had panicked like never before.

The library will have to wait for another time, she promised herself, annoyed to be fleeing again.