Lay beneath the gleeful stars, on bare soil, the young boy watched. Twinkling with so mysterious a might, his eyes reflected the encompassing heavens and its progeny. Yet, if one were to gaze upon the mirrors of his soul, darkness deeper than a starless night would welcome them.

The stars on the surface of his purple, void-of-life, eyes abated as if the world berated itself for what it had done to the boy. A single pair of tears, crystallines of pain, slid down the beige cheeks.

Wetting his pale skin, a paint more expensive than any trailed further down. No maestro dared say their stroke bested the belle of it.

Without a speck of life, the most beautiful rose had bloomed.

…

Vero’s eyes stared at the dark full ceiling of his small accommodation. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

Staring, quietly so, for a while, he had ultimately turned himself to sit down on the thing that could barely suffice the minimum of being called a bed. Straw sticking through the teared up bedsheet; the bed frame tilting to the side and creaking with the smallest force; the pillow, although of decent size, was comparably hard as the ground.

After a few silent moments of his own, he reached over to the small bedside table on the left. Tightening the grip on the metallic handle, a little harder than one would think, the candle ignited on its own, enlightening the dark surroundings.

No matter how many times he had done the same thing every day, even though it was a simple item meant for the populace. Despite being the basicness of lytic items, it always awed him.

‘Just three more days, mom, dad. I’m sure you would be happy.’ A sudden smile formed on his lips. Although it was an awkward one, at least he put his heart into it.

It has already been three and a half years since the earl brought him over to the earldom. Today would be the last day of his career as a servant for the young lady; well, at least for the duration of the academy. After graduating, he would most likely get an offer from the earl once again.

A quick sigh escaped his mouth as he stood up and headed toward the slightly worn down wardrobe on the other side of the small table.

The passage of time could be heard as each plank loosened at the lightest of steps. He didn’t mind it, though. Though, maybe he should've minded it. Since no complaint was heard from him, the earl and the servants under him paid no heed to the condition of his room.

Even the lowest of maids lived more comfortably.

Vero opened the wardrobe and took out his usual uniform together with fresh underwear.

He laid the clothes on the bed while quickly taking a wash after the night.

Cold water dropped from the wet strands of hair. The boy stood in front of a mirror, which was at least sizable; it covered the top of his head down to his waist. He stared at his scrawny body, neglected over the past few years. Though it was still the middle of the night, he could make out the contours of the bones revealing themselves on his ribcage.

His health was progressively getting worse, yet he just stared, indifferent to it.

Eventually, he put on his black trousers, together with a white shirt and a tailcoat tuxedo on top of it. Right under his chin, he tightened a white tie and put on the black shoes every male servant had to wear.

The door to the room soon unlocked and opened as he went out into the corridor. Vero walked, not for a moment, in a casual way. The training he had been provided with ingrained in him an almost imperceptible feeling of self-reproach whenever he didn’t walk in an elegant way.

The Lytic lamps on the empty walls revealed him in a better light. His skin and tuxedo created a perfect contrast, although not in a good way. Pale skin and a murky night suit. If one saw him, they would simply assume he balked at the idea of basking in the sunlight.

‘The butler’ A sudden thought engulfed him. Coincidentally, a middle-aged man came out on the left, at the end of the corridor.

The man with gray hair and an ample mustache ambled toward the young boy. With a keen and experienced peer, the butler inspected him midway-through the walk and almost bulged his poor old eyes.

“Vero, you actually slicked back your hair!”, his face bestowed a welcome surprise. Everyone in the household knew he was reluctant to comb his hair, although it was an unspoken rule. Rhey suddenly recalled the erstwhile moments of the young lady always nagging at him on her birthdays. He couldn’t help but smile in his heart.

Vero simply shrugged, not making it a big deal. “Well, it is my last day, after all, I decided to stop with my whims, at least for today.”

Rhey stepped in front of him and patted his shoulders with his usual senile smile. “You should know very well that we will welcome you anytime. If you ever feel like the academy is not for you, you can always go back, alright?”. His reassuring words didn’t really work though. Vero knew he was simply no more than a commoner to them.

All of this was simply an investment. A commoner boy going to the academy to learn. If he went back, achieving nothing, it wouldn’t be much of a problem. On the other hand, if, by any chance, he becomes something like a lytist, capable of scribing lytic scrolls, his worth would soar through the sky.

As much as he was grateful to them, the feeling slowly dissipated. He was just not able to join their family; an internal struggle that always eschewed him from doing so.

“Thank you, Mr. Rhey,” he said, with the best work smile he could put on.

Rhey sighed helplessly, “Alright, I won’t bore you with unnecessary things anymore, let’s just go.”

The moment he took his hands off Vero, it felt as if the atmosphere around him eased up; even breathing was much more feasible.

The two of them started walking towards the kitchen inside the mansion while chatting between themselves, although Rhey had done most of the work.

After a few minutes, they found themselves before a middle-aged lady with a stern face. Looking at her making such a face, Rhey’s face tautened as cold sweat started dripping on his sides.

With concurrent pauses between the words, she slowly turned her head towards the butler, revealing a sweet smile. “Honey, what did I tell you yesterday?”

Her voice was calm, yet Vero could sense an indescribable emotion creeping inside. He had never seen the head maid make such expressions. His image of her still as a pond persona immediately wilted.

The butler’s face, on the other hand, shrieked further in horror, seeing his wife’s face. He knew he was in deep horse goop. Quickly straining his mind to think of a decent enough excuse, he stumbled, as if a subconscious force made him spill the beans. “Lilya, darling, I-I’m sorry, I forgot, heh.”

He let out a nervous chuckle with a scratch at his nape.

The smile on Lilya gradually faded, replaced by a deathly blank stare at her husband. She was too tired of his carefree attitude.

“You’re not eating today,” head maid Lilya said calmly, her mellow brown hair swaying as she turned around and prompted Vero to walk beside her. The slight nudge of her hand felt like a mallet hammering on his shoulder.

He quickly moved forward; he wasn't sure his body would stay in the same shape otherwise. Soon, the two passed the door frame that converged the kitchen and the corridor.

Bewildered by their hastened gait, Rhey felt that he had been muzzled like a dog, “Eh?!” He quickly ran after his wife, “Lilya, you can’t do this to me! I’ll be driving the damn carriage for three whole days! I need some real food before the journey”

Not soon after, Lilya’s voice resounded in his ears, “If you want to eat, replace the ostler for today. The horses have to be in perfect condition for the travel.”

“Graceful Taeya, please have mercy,” Rhey prayed silently to Lilya’s wish. No more than a sigh escaped his gusty mouth before he hastily shut it and complied.

Inside the kitchen, a satisfied smirk appeared on the maid’s face. However, it quickly faded as she turned her head to the young servant on her side, “And you,” she pointed her index finger at him, “why can’t you be a good child for once and just rest? It’s your day today.”

Vero looked at Lilya with attentive eyes, “I don’t like being bored.” A simple answer, at least to him. She caressed her forehead as a slow sigh escaped her mouth, “Fine, do whatever makes you happy,”. After she shot him a caring glance, she got to work on the breakfast alongside the main cooks.

Sounds of vegetables being peeled soon resounded in the sizable kitchen. In the corner, where a huge wood-fired furnace was stationed, an old man with a long mustache flipped the wooden baskets filled with dough on bread peels and nicked them with an incredibly sharp knife.

With swift motions, he put all ten breads inside the furnace and kept monitoring them. Vero, on the other hand, was stuck at the arduous job of peeling vegetables. He stood beside the wooden countertop, which was filled with a mountain of carrots, parsley, and potatoes.

Fortunately, there were three other maids helping him go through everything; otherwise, he wasn’t quite sure he would finish all of it in less than a half-day.

The main cooks, in the middle of the kitchen, had already chopped the chickens’ heads off and were defeathering them. After such meticulous work, they quickly buttered and herbed each speck of the chicken while adding citrus fruits inside their buttocks and threw a couple of vegetables in the trays. Finally, they put the chickens inside a lytic furnace and began working on other dishes, such as a steak for the Earl.

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After constant work for two hours, everyone was done. After the maids and the footmen took the main food to the dining room, the other servants took most of the remaining dishes to their own eating hall.

A long table stretched from end to start, with almost every seat taken by the servants. A happy, noisy, though not too much as to not interrupt the nobles, atmosphere descended in the hall. Each and every person knew each other, so they chatted now that they had a break.

Even Vero was approached by a gentle-looking elderly man, “Vero, what subjects are you choosing at the academy?”. Everyone suddenly stopped their actions at the question, which, in truth, everyone wanted to ask.

Naturally, since he was only a servant, it was quite a topic, him being sent off to the academy together with the young miss. And not as her servant, mind you!

The boy stopped eating the sliced chicken left from yesterday and answered, followed by a bite of the freshly baked bread, “Other than the required subjects, I’m mainly thinking of alchemy,”

“Woooo,” silent gasps of awe rendered the audience silent. They had never expected their young boy to choose such profound ways.

“Are you sure, Vero? You can’t change the subject without additional expenses,” A chef from the back asked, to which he reassuringly replied.

“That’s right, I’ve thought over it quite a bit, and I just can’t help but feel attracted to the idea.”

“That’s good, if you can feel, you’re definitely meant for it. Who knows, maybe our house will finally venture out of its comfort zone with you,” The head maid added abruptly, to which her husband nodded. Usually, they would be serving ‌nobles. However, they wanted to hear Vero’s answer one last time, or at least for the five years at the academy.

Vero simply nodded his head and went back to eating his chicken, bread, and a quartered potato.

Suddenly, a brawny man stood up with his cup of frothed liquid, “Everyone, let’s cheer for our little Vero’s success,” he said heartily as the diluted ale was quickly gulped down.

“Yeah!” Most of the people, at least those that weren’t shy, quickly agreed with the guard.

The boy in question only looked at the crowd before also drinking the diluted ale. Unlike others, he usually liked to drink only water. However, it was also nice to celebrate sometimes.

As long as the preparation for the breakfast lasted, the break itself was excruciatingly short. No one could really complain though, as their job was at stake. Everyone silently left until only the late footmen and maids stayed, finishing their plates after serving the family.

With a quick wash after grueling kitchen work, Vero stood before a mysterious looking wooden door filled with intricate lines and spirals, almost as if it was a portal into the land of fairy tales.

He slowly drew closer until a few inches before it and politely knocked on the door three times. The knocks were gentle, not at all obnoxious, like the butler liked doing it; he liked them sounding calm.

“Co-come in,” a stuttering, quiet voice came from ‌behind, carried with a tint of embarrassment. As soon as he opened the heavy door, his eyes were immediately assaulted by a young lass sitting on the floor in a floral white dress, surrounded by all kinds of clothes, pulled out drawers, small perfume bottles, and jewelries lying around.

The young lady sat with her arms down, a defeated look in her eyes. She glanced at him with the hope of gaining some help.

The servant standing under the door-frame could only massage his forehead, “Tini, what happened, mind you tell me?” He cared not for his speaking manners. They could be said to be close friends after all. After only a month of working here, Tini demanded that he speak informally to her.

“I can’t find it,” she spoke in a distressed tone, on the verge of sobbing.

“What?” He asked in a straightforward voice , which sounded like astonishment to her ears. Her brows lowered in momentary ire.

“What ‘what’?! I’m not stupid, alright!”

“No, I’m just asking what you lost,” he massaged his forehead with more verve than before, seeing the overly sensitive girl. The daily interactions with her induced irk even from a closed off person like him.

“Oh,” Tini sounded embarrassed, but with a quick cough, she composed herself as if nothing happened, “First of all, I didn’t lose it, but I can’t find my wand,” she said with droopy eyes, sad that the gift of her late grandpa wasn’t with her the moment she ventured out into the academy.

Not a full second had passed before Vero’s eyes peered at a certain spot on the carpet, covered by a green dress. With a calm gait, he took a coat and hung the dress before lifting the carpet.

Seemingly a straight branch, misshapen in certain areas, the wand lay in the crevice of two wooden tiles. Vero bent over to pick it up; however, as he neared his finger to the wooden surface, a sudden, small tingle in the tips made him stop for a second.

‘More and more,’ he thought, before completely picking up the wand and handing it over, “Here, young lady,”

Tini stared at the heirloom with wide eyes, unwilling to realize what had just unfolded. She searched her whole room for half an hour, and yet, she was beaten to it in mere seconds by Vero! “Let’s not reminisce about this in the future, alright?” she asked kindly, with upturned eyes, staring down at his soul.

Vero balked at making any promises, “Maybe, if you help me in cleaning all of this.”

Tini opened her mouth agape, with a betrayed look, “Clean?” she asked, before dropping ‌her head, “I, I mean, alright.”

Vero could make out a slight gritting of teeth at the end of her reply, leaving him plenty satisfied. Though, he needed to carry on the play. “Do you fancy hanging the dresses back into the wardrobe, or rather, putting every drawer back in place?”, a simple question, to which she could only stutter and pick the former one.

More than three years of her messy habits finally played in his favor. As if used to the situation, he put ‌every drawer, perfume and jewelry back into its original place, much quicker before Tini even finished half of the dresses.

He turned around, only to see a young girl with hands wrapped in a light blue dress, her brown hair in chaos. “Help,” she said, with a weeping look in her green eyes.

Ten minutes later, she blatantly looked at the slicked back hair of her lackey. She didn’t like it not because of the look, but because of the audacity this youngin had, for him not to dress up for her precious birthdays, oh how embarrassed she was during those moments, only she may know.

“You’re audacious, you know?” she said with her arms folded, “To think you would care more about your last day than serving your young lady, humph,” Tini blurted out with a pouty face before quickly changing her approach and attacking him out of the blue. More precisely, she went for his head.

Vero couldn’t do much against a prodigy that had been training for years. In his eyes, she literally appeared right in front of him. He started to get worried about what this little devil in disguise intended to do.

Soon enough, he felt her shenanigans as his hair ruffled with the assistance of her small hand. The moment she was done, she couldn’t help but laugh at the blank stare Vero was giving her, “Hahahahaha, this is what you get for all the times you have played me, Vero!” She screamed playfully, as if all of this wasn’t enough for her.

The boy, however, could only disappoint her by revealing the purpose of him coming here, “Tini, we need to pack you up, remember?” Then, he brushed his hair with a simple gesture, and his hair looked perfect once again.

Her playful mood suddenly deflated as she did, indeed, remember what day it was today. After finally calming down the situation, Vero and Tini packed her most necessary things for the academy.

Well, most of it was Tini acting as if she was helping, but in reality, she only pointed out all the things she needed and wanted.

Back in his small room, he placed a wooden chest on the floor, similar to the ones he packed Tini’s things in, just slightly different in color. There wasn’t much he needed to take, just clothes, which were all the same, toothbrush, underwear, and some socks. That was mainly it. However, the most important thing he possessed still wasn’t inside.

He headed towards his bed and lay on the floor beside it. Around the top right corner, where the straw mattress and the bed frame connected, a purse was stuck inside. With his arms slightly longer than his other peers, the purse soon landed on his hand.

The brown string tying the hole in the purse had been undone, revealing a handful of silver, shining coins, 72 to be exact. In the eyes of a noble, it may not have been much. However, it was all Vero had, at least before he could make money at the academy.

Yes, the Earl would pay the exorbitant money for his tuition and a room at the academy. However, that was it. He wasn’t going to give him any allowance, especially since he wouldn’t be working for them anymore.

Anything he wanted to buy, excluding the necessary food and some new clothes, he needed to pay with his own money. Also, the books for the academy themselves would cost him half a gold coin already, which was two-thirds more than what he had currently.

Setting those thoughts aside, the purse was tied again and thrown into the chest, which was also closed and locked with a lytic item, using numbers to prevent anyone from opening it.

That was it. Vero stood up and glanced around the cubbyhole he had been living in for the past three and a half years. Yet, there was no attachment in those eyes of his. He simply took the chest and proceeded to leave the mansion, right to the place where a single carriage was stationed.

In the distance, before a silver-trimmed carriage, a small girl with long brown hair waited together with a tall butler. Behind the girl, there stood a beautiful lady who closely resembled Tini. The Lady of the Earldom, Willia, rested her white gloved hands on her daughter’s cheeks.

Tini clenched the hands affectionately as she looked up to see her mother’s face for one last time before the academy.

A graceful voice descended upon their ears as the Lady chided Tini slightly, “What about your manners, Tini? Your hair is going to get all messed up.”

“I don’t care, if it was my choice, I’d rather stay and train here,” Tini said with suppressed emotions. It seemed that she had already touched upon the topic. Yet she was always rejected.

Willia could only put on a forced smile. She was the same. If it depended on her, she would also rather have her stay, however, that would degenerate the talent woven inside her daughter, and that would put their house at risk of depravity.

She looked up ahead to see a black haired boy coming their way. A kiss landed on the girl’s forehead, “Alright, Vero’s coming, it’s time to go.” A wet line on her eyelid started to coalesce into a single tear as her mother said so.

Soon, Vero arrived before the group and quickly performed a polite bow, “It’s my honor, my lady,”

Willia smiled, “Let’s get into the carriage first, I have some things to say before you two go.”

Vero nodded and handed Rhey his chest, which the butler put in the back of the carriage, together with the young lady’s things.

Willia first, followed by Tini and Vero, respectively; they all entered the carriage.

‘Where am I?’ was the first thought the boy had. He wasn’t in the carriage. He knew that for sure. The moment he saw the entrance to the vehicle, the image of luxurious red, leather-coated seating immediately collapsed.

Seeing Vero’s seemingly unfazed face, Willia smiled softly, “The carriage itself is an item,”

A sort of innate pressure coerced him into finally revealing the flabbergasted expression he had been holding in.

Before his eyes, a living room revealed itself, coupled with a connected kitchen within it, as well as a few doors in the walls, that looked sturdier than any in the servant’s quarters.

The Lady of the Earldom slowly walked towards a white sofa in the middle, while a maid had already arrived before the table to fill it with sweets and hot tea.

While Tini only giggled at his reactions, he couldn’t help but ask now that he had calmed down considerably, “Excuse me, my Lady, but shouldn’t this ‘item’ be classified as an artifact already?”

Willia glanced, as an understanding look appeared on her face, “This? An artifact? By no means, my child. An artifact can only be called so when it surpasses the current times, and by that standard, this but a child’s toy in front of them,” However, she didn’t press on the matter, causing the twinkling curiosity inside him to extinguish.

Then, she added, “Now, come here with Tini,”.

And so they did. Tini sat beside her mother, while Vero sat in one of the chairs. The black haired maid promptly poured her Lady and Tini a cup. He, on the other hand, refused, as he didn’t really enjoy the taste of tea.

Willia took a sip before looking straight at the young boy in front of her, “I can’t believe you grew up so quickly, I remember you being much shorter than now.” she reminisced, “I know it was hard for you to accept us, but I’m glad you somehow found your way.”

She smiled sweetly before continuing, "Do you know whose idea it was, to send you to the academy?”

Vero looked at her blue eyes before shaking his head lightly, “No, my Lady,”

Her answer shocked even Tini, “It was the Earl. I don’t know what it was, but to him, something was hiding inside you. My husband believed that you, if trained well, would be no less than any genius of the generation.” She looked at her daughter before grabbing her hand, “As much as he loves our daughter, he had always dreamed of me giving him a son, which I guess is what he sees in you,”

“Uh, I don’t really know what to say, my Lady,” He scratched the back of his head. Should he be grateful for that? Why? The Earl most definitely didn’t stand out to him as a father figure. Besides, he didn’t feel a tingle of pride to be regarded as the ‘usurped son’ of this Earldom.

If any child, no matter from which realm, nobility, bourgeois, commoners, or even peasantry, they would each gladly commit a crime. However, having lived with them for over three and a half years, he had come across a few dark secrets none should know.

But the biggest reason of all, was, he still had parents. Death and life were negligible in those purple eyes. His mother and father still lived in his heart.

Willia shook her head, “No, you don’t have to say anything, I know what I just told you must be confusing. Here, just take this.” Vero’s skin tightened, as some goosebumps arose. A sort of rippling vibration, sourced from the Lady’s open hand, hit him. Suddenly, through the unknown, an insignia appeared on the hand.

“Although they already know you will be coming to the entrance test, this will eliminate any unknown incidents.” She said, while grasping his hand, giving him the insignia as if he couldn’t refute.

Looking at the insignia with the house of Jowin, a beriff executed by two knights with their longswords, he promptly stood up and thanked his benefactors, “I will take this gift with all of my heart. Thank you, my Lords,”

A second after he bowed and sat down once again, the Lady of the Jowin stood up now that her business was done. “As much as I’d like to stay with you two, I cannot delay your trip any further.” Willia looked at her daughter, whose eyes started to water little by little. “Call me whenever you feel like it, eat and sleep properly, train and study rigorously, be kind to your servants, and most of all, don’t be sad,” she said as her hands smooched Tini’s cheeks.

Tini could only chuckle in a saddened tone, though it seemed like some joy had returned in her eyes.

The moment her mother left the carriage, Tini could only go to her room and wallow in longing.

Still seated in his chair after everything, Vero stopped watching the maid clean the table and just moved to his designated room, seemingly blinded by his thoughts, whatever they could be.

His assigned room most definitely surprised him, in a good sense. At least twice as big as the shabby wooden box, fairly decorated with a comfortable looking bed. Alongside those, there was also a desk at which he could revise before the entrance exams, as well as a bookshelf with an assortment of knowledgeable books.

However, what perplexed him the most, was the wooden chest he had given Rhey, which now lay on his temporary bed.

‘Is this another function of the item?’ He thought, but no answer came to him. Why would he be able to answer something like this when he wasn’t even allowed to study magic yet?

‘Would a library cease my questions if I pass the exams? Hm, a library? I guess that could solve the issue with money.” Vero couldn’t help but acknowledge the idea, he had been thinking of which job to choose for quite a while already, but nothing ever came to him. Of course, he would have to first pass, as he liked to remind himself. However, a fleeting feeling of confidence engulfed him whenever he thought of those things.

Whatever they were going to give him, he had already relearnt countless times during his free time as a footman. Mathematics, geography, history, theology, astrology, he knew the basics of those subjects more than any 11-year-old, at least judging by Tini’s and the servants’ kids standards.

The window beside the bed started to show the movement of the landscape. A new chapter in his life was about to begin, one which Vero was sure his parents would love to see.