From inside the train, a young boy with black hair cut well below his ears and very strong blue eyes came out. He had his gaze focused on the pages of a booklet he had.
Although he had traveled by train before, that was the first time he traveled alone, so it was more than obvious that he was nervous. From now on, he was alone, on his own, but he had promised his family that he would take care of himself, so he did not want to make them worry.
‘Okay... the best thing to do now is to go to the dormitories to see the situation of the luggage I sent. I hope nothing went wrong with my bags... Then, I'll try to stay as presentable as possible and I'll…’
The thoughts of the anxious boy were quickly cut off when he felt some force take possession of his glasses.
‘What? Magic?’
He tried to raise his hands to hold his glasses, but they were pulled by a magical force.
“Hey!”
His face began to turn red, the stress of the trip mixing with the anger of being harassed by someone on the very first day!
“Who was the little shit that did this?!!!,” He shouted, without even knowing who he was addressing, but willing to fight if the situation required. “When I catch you, I swear I'll…”
“Excuse me, are these glasses yours?”
A voice went to him and asked him a question.
It was a sweet and low voice, but because it was like that it made a contrast with the boy's voice and caught his attention. Even with his vision blurred, he was able to identify something that resembled glasses on top of what seemed to be a pair of small hands. He said a "excuse me", took the glasses and tried them on. His vision cleared up, those glasses were really his. Also, thanks to the recovery of his vision, he can see who had been the person who had been kind to him: a girl with braided brown hair and eyes so dark that it was difficult to know where her iris ended and her pupil began. She was wearing Avalon's uniform and, like him, wore glasses. ‘She’s cute’ he thought, ‘just like her voice...’ and his face, even though he was no longer angry, remained red.
“Thank you...,” He thanked, feeling shy.
“It was nothing. Look, I don't know how the glasses fled out...”
‘Shit, shit, shit!’ He mentally cursed, ‘I scared her! She must think I'm a delinquent!’
“Oh, don't worry! I was angry, but I'm not anymore. Especially not at you. When I yelled ‘who was the little shit…’ , I wasn't talking at you, you know, right?”
‘Oh, how I want to bury myself in a hole and only leave after 200 years... Not even for all this to be just a embarrassing dream... I'm just going to introduce myself to at least say that I wasn't completely bad.’
“I'm Ozul Tanwen,” the boy gave his name.
“I'm Amaris Ph...,” At the time of saying her last name, Amaris had stuttered. “Welemir! Nice to meet you, Ozul!”
Amaris reached out her hand to Ozul, who returned the gesture and shook it. He felt the previous shame going away with the wind, but now he had no idea what to say next. Maybe it would be better to withdraw until he had a subject to talk about.
“I... I need to go to the dormitories to see my bags,” Ozul nodded his head, as if he were saying goodbye, and walked again.
“I can show you the way if you want,” To Ozul's surprise, Amaris offered and walked next to him.
Ozul wanted to say that he didn't need it and that it was enough for him to follow a group of veterans so he could find the dormitories, but his stomach was faster than his modesty and it began to grumble.
“Do you know where I can buy some food?”
Amaris didn't mind showing Ozul the way to Balad. Not only did she show him the way, but also accompanied him, entered the restaurant and sat right next to him on the counter! Ozul was bewildered by Amaris' presence, but he had no desire to send her away. However, he felt embarrassed by the silence, soon after having his order written down, he tried to start a conversation.
“So, Amaris, which year are you from?”
“It's my first year here.”
“Really?!,” He felt surprised. “It's just that you offered to take me to the dorms and showed me this restaurant, so I ended up thinking you were my upperclassman.”
“Oh, no. I arrived in Norwill yesterday. This is the only place I tried the food, that's why I brought you here. I don't know other places to eat here, but I swear the food here is good!”
“Don't worry. I'm glad anyway. In the end, I was hasty and assumed that you were an upperclassman instead of asking you what year you were. I hope I didn't end up being a nuisance for you.”
“Nonsense! I offered to help you, didn't I? No wonder you thought I was an a upperclassman. But that's good! This means that I look reliable!”
“Yes, very reliable...”
Amaris laughed happily. Ozul couldn’t help finding her laugh cute.
“Since you are also in first year, we will end up seeing each other a lot,” Amaris continued talking. “in this case, if you want, we can spend some time together between classes. What do you think? Is that okay with you?”
“Yes, of course, I’d like to!”
‘To whoever made that tasteless prank with my glasses, just this time I'll let it slide... But what am I thinking?! It's not because I ended up meeting a girl who wants to talk to me that I should turn a blind eye to anyone who is making fun of me!‘
While Ozul tried to put his thoughts in order, both his order and Amaris's had been delivered. Amaris had ordered a chocolate cupcake with a small cup of coffee, unlike Ozul, who had ordered a filled-to-the-brim breakfast with a generous portion of coffee.
“Wow,” Ozul scratched the back of his neck. “seeing the difference between our dishes, I feel embarrassed.”
“Don’t be! I already had breakfast before going to the train station, so I decided to just try this cupcake.”
After speaking, Amaris took her cupcake and took a bite, evaluating and later on approving the taste and softness of it. By her side, Ozul started by taking his cup to his lips. When the coffee touched his tongue, it was as if his body had been electrified.
“Ah,” he sighed. “I feel like I'm coming back to life!”
“So you’re a fan of coffee, aren’t you?,” Amaris asked, after swallowing the cupcake bite.
“You can say that again! And this one is wonderful, even though it's not from a coffee shop!”
Just as people lose their inhibitions when they drink alcoholic beverages, Ozul loses his inhibitions when he drank coffee. If before he felt embarrassed by the size of his plate compared to Amaris's, now he was eating without a worry.
“You’ve ordered a lot of food...,” Amaris murmured almost inaudibly. “Was there nothing to eat on the train?”
“There was, actually, but this was my first time travelling alone, so I was so nervous that I didn't eat anything the whole trip.”
And there was Ozul Tanwen, confessing things that he minutes ago would be ashamed to admit. And all this because of a sip of coffee.
While they ate, Ozul and Amaris continued talking. Ozul spoke of his family, especially his younger sister, who was called Nina, and the city he lived in, Tromoa, which was located in a mountainous relief.
Amaris also spoke a little about her personal life, like the coastal city where she lived, Juar, her family and the potions store that her parents had. She also mentioned an older brother, but she stuttered while pronouncing the first name, but then corrected herself and said his name was Jay.
At the end of the meal, Ozul seemed to be in a better mood than before. Amaris had already finished eating a long time ago, so they paid the bill and left the restaurant. As Amaris had promised before, she accompanied Ozul to the dorms and left him there so he could prepare for the entrance ceremony.
When Ozul was finally in his room and completely alone, he finally allowed himself to display a silly smile. He would never expect that his nervousness for being alone and the joke of some wannabe comedian would lead him to have coffee with a girl. And she was cute! And on top of that, this girl wanted to keep talking to him!
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But he didn’t even knew that his meeting with Amaris had been orchestrated by her friend, who had been responsible for making his glasses fly away.
Anyway, he didn't even bother to look for the author of that prank afterwards.
………
Leaving one of the dorms, a boy with mint hair and graphite-black eyes walked quietly towards the Academy’s auditorium, not realizing that a red-haired boy with pale skin and with olive eyes was sneakingly approaching, wishing to have a some fun.
“Hey, dude!,” the redhead surprised him from behind and put his arm around the boy's neck. “I was passing by a group of girls and one of them said she thought you were hot! And she looked fine! I wouldn't miss this chance if I were you!”
“What? Where?,” naive, the boy turned around, but didn't see any girl. “Wait a moment... You were tricking me!”
“That’s right! Hahahahaha, you should had seen your face, hahahaha!”
“You need be more careful with who you mess with! If it was with someone else, they could had beaten you!”
“Thank you for the concern, but if someone was stupid enough to try to raise their hand against me, I would make him regret it in a moment…,” the redhead's expression was changed, as if he was thirsty for blood and violence. “…Maybe I would even have to control myself so I wouldn’t tear off the person's hand... Just kidding!,” he smiled again and stretched out his hand to the mint-haired boy. “I'm Elias Arthuro.”
“Ângelo Cardinal. Nice to meet you.” And he shook Elias’s hand.
Ângelo continued with his route to the auditorium and Elias insisted on following him, without saying anything. Ângelo didn't understand why he kept going after him, but didn't try to send him away. As long as Elias didn't bother him, Ângelo saw no reason to argue.
“Hmmmmm...,” Elias finally decided to break the silence. “Let me guess: your parents forced you to study here as a punishment!”
“What? No! I'm here of my own free will.”
“So what’s with the weird face?”
Elias' question had been on point. Ângelo had his brow furrowed and his gaze lost. Clearly he felt out of place and hadn't even realized that he was showing it externally.
“It's just that...,” Ângelo looked in his mind for the words he wanted to say. “it's pretty big, you know?”
Elias, in turn, gave him a mischievous smile.
“Huuuummmmm, pretty ‘big’, huh?,” He insinuated indecently.
“THE SCHOOL, you moron!,” Ângelo shouted, making Elias laugh, but then lowered his tone of voice. “It’s so awesome that it makes me wonder how I even got here.”
Ângelo's gaze was directed to Avalon Academy ground and he felt lost again. Elias nodded as a sign of understanding. It was obvious that Ângelo needed encouragement and Elias was willing to offer a few words to motivate him, so he patted Angelo's back and told him:
“Look, if you remember or not, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you managed to get in. You've already faced the hard part! You'll handle the rest easily!”
Apparently, Elias' words managed to take away some of Angelo's fear, because the boy now didn't seem to be as lost as before. Feeling better, Ângelo looked back at the redhead.
“…You're very laidback...”
“You’re making me blush!,” Elias joked and put his hands on his chest as if he was in love.
This time, it was Ângelo who gave a mischievous smile.
“…Maybe you’re the one who was sent here for punishment.”
“Touché!”
Involuntarily, Elias and Ângelo started laughing, as if they were old companions who had just told an inside joke. Without any formalities, at that moment, the two boys decided to become friends, or at least try to cultivate a friendship.
………
After checking her bags and her dorm room, a young girl with blue hair and eyes went to the park to rest. Her name was Lynette Mildrin. That would be her first year of studying in Avalon. Since she didn't know anyone in Norwill, she was alone, but for some reason this solitude made her feel lighter and freer.
Sitting on one of the benches, Lynette just leaned back and closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax as she felt the wind touch her face and sway her freshly cut hair. Everything was so serene for her...
“Excuse me, missy!”
... Until a voice interrupted.
Lynette opened her eyes to see who was calling her. She saw a girl with dark skin, amber eyes and grey hair. Judging by her appearance, she was probably 15 years old, which makes it strange that she called Lynette - 16 years old - a "missy". The most curious about this girl was that she had ears and tail similar to that of a Eurasian lynx. Even her hairstyle had a shape similar to the silhouette of a lynx's head. She was a beast person.
“You study in Avalon, don't you?,” The lynx girl asked. “I have a question about this school.
Lynette looked at the girl from top to bottom. She was wearing a hooded fur coat, a dark graphite skirt, tights and boots. On her shoulders, she carried a very large traveler's backpack, which showed that the girl had very strong arms and back. Lynette became suspicious. That clothing was very unusual for an Avalon student, especially if considering that the ceremony would take place in the afternoon.
“And you would be...?”
“I'm Rebeca Lirytad,” The lynx girl gave her name. “It's my first year here.”
“And where is your uniform?”
“I was wearing the school’s blazer, but then I found a hot dog seller and, as I was hungry, I bought one,” While talking, Rebeca ran her hand over her face to remove the bread crumbs that got stuck. “Since I didn't want to get the blazer dirty, so I took it off and put on this one I'm wearing. But if you want to confirm, I'll get it here in my backpack.”
Rebeca put her backpack next to Lynette and took out her blazer. This diminished Lynette's distrust.
“What do you want help with?”
Seeing that Lynette was willing to help her, Rebeca took a booklet from her backpack, which was precisely the one that was given to students when they enrol.
“It's about the last page,” Rebeca opened the booklet at the end and showed it to Lynette, pointing to the text contained on the page.
Lynette took the booklet from Rebeca's hands to check the page. There was only a brief paragraph with the following sayings:
"After the ceremony, a teacher will call you and ask to accompany them. You need to follow them, as this is an important procedure."
“My concern is about this ‘important procedure’. I didn't receive any more details about it,” Rebeca clarified herself. “Can you tell me what it is?”
Lynette read the paragraph carefully and found it familiar. She took the same booklet she had from the inside pocket of her coat and opened it on the last page, comparing it with Rebeca's.
“Hmmmmm.... Looks exactly like mine,” She commented. “Even I was surprised by how vague it was.”
“Wait, there is a paragraph like that in your booklet too?!,” Rebeca got goosebumps. “I showed it to a lot of upperclassmen at the train station and they all showed me their booklets and the paragraph wasn’t there! They thought I was crazy or lying!”
“Why precisely our booklets would have statements that are not present in others? This is very suspicious...”
“Suspicious indeed! In this case, we'd better keep our guards up.”
Lynette nodded in agreement.
“Well, I'd better head to the dorms to get ready. See you around!,” Rebeca was about to leave the park until she remembered something important and came back. “Wait! You didn't tell me your name.”
“I'm Lynette Mildrin.”
“Great! See ya, Lynette!”
Rebeca said her goodbyes and Lynette reciprocated by waving back at her. However, as soon as Lynette found herself completely alone, her forehead was frowned. Her serenity had been replaced by insecurity. After all, what was this "important procedure" about?
………
Before the entrance ceremony began, the Avalon Campus was already full of students. Upperclassmen were meeting up with old friends and catching up while freshmen took the opportunity to better explore the campus, some with the help of a guide and others not. To avoid the anxiety of being in a big and unknown place, many freshmen formed small groups, which could result in a friendship in the future, while others chose to wander alone and this was the case for Gregório.
A few minutes ago, Gregório had been surrounded by a group of students interested in his life, but he had managed to get rid of them. The students in question were nobles and they were surrounding Gregório precisely because he was also a nobleman. More specifically, the eldest son of the Marquis and Marquise Callister. In other words, those young nobles were only interacting with him to have some information or favour from the Callister Family. Unfortunately for them, Gregório felt suffocated in their presence and distanced himself, not caring if it would offend them.
As soon as he found a hidden corner on campus, he leaned against one of the walls and closed his eyes.
‘I know this little game of power is practically a tradition among the nobles, but that doesn't mean I have the interest in getting involved,’ Gregório thought. ‘They’ve already have enough power to live in comfort, so why are they hunting for more? That's ridiculous’
“I’ve heard your name is Gregório Callister. Is that right?”
Someone had interrupted Gregório’s moment of silence. When he opened his eyes to see the person, he came across a female student with green eyes and long blond hair that was loose and adorned by a red tiara. ‘When you think you managed to get rid of all of them...’ Gregório sighed.
“Excuse me, but haven’t you been informed that a conversation usually starts with a greeting or asking the person's name?,” He asked sarcastically.
The girl, on the other, was very courteous.
“I was going to personally ask you your name, but I ended up finding it out on the way.”
“Certainly.”
“…Aren't you going to ask me my name?”
“Whether or not you’ll introduce yourself is up to you.”
“So I'll give you the kindness of telling you my name,” and with a curtsey, the girl introduced herself. “My name is Erina Banloros. It's a pleasure to meet you.”
Erina's last name sounded familiar to Gregório.
‘Banloros... ah, I've heard of it. A family of rich merchants who a few decades ago bought a title of nobility. The person responsible for raising the family's status was Henrique Banloros, the current leader of the family, married with 4 legitimate wives and father of 18 children. So she's one of his children. But which one is she? Most of Henrique's children are boys, so there’s little information about his daughters. I heard that one of them is in the army, but it's definitely not that girl here. The daughter in question is older…’
Gregório's reasoning was interrupted by Erina's slight laughter.
“If you want, I'll give you my portrait for you to carry in your pocket!,” She provoked while playing with her hair.
“I Refuse.”
“You prefer me in person, then?”
‘Presumptuous! What does really she want with me? Did her father send her here to create an alliance with my family? It is possible considering that, as the Banloros are part of the new nobility, the most traditional nobles do not see them with good eyes. Or maybe not, since she revealed she only found out my name today, but there is also a chance that she is lying to fake innocence. Anyway, I have to put a stop on her intentions with me. And I need to do it quickly, otherwise she'll take control of the conversation again!’
“You came here because you want something from me, so be straightforward and say so.”
“Since you insist...,” Erina approached Gregório. “I heard that you are good at fencing.”
‘No, you don’t! Fencing is common among the nobles. You're just trying your luck!’
“And you came here simply to show what you found out?”
“Hehehe, of course not, silly!,” She got closer to him. “I want you to spare with me.”
Gregório was taken by surprise. He was expecting her to ask to see him training. Judging by her appearance - so well-groomed and preppy – he couldn’t tell if she was good with swords or not.
And Gregório’s confusion was exactly what Erina wanted.
“I was also trained in the art of the sword, so I would like to see your skills while we duel,” Erina's smile became more mischievous. “I think it would be a good experience for both of us,” Having said she wanted, she walked away from Gregório. “Think a little. Answer me when you're ready. I'll be waiting. See you another day, handsome!”
And Erina left, not giving the chance to Gregório answer.
‘A duel? Why would she want a duel? Is she by any chance some sort of battle enthusiast? This better be a joke...,’ Gregório sighed. His face expressed frustration, but suddenly his eyes widened. ‘One moment... did she call me “Handsome?!’ He took his hands to his face, covering his reddened cheeks ‘Damn it! In the end, she found a way to control the conversation!’