The members of the White Lotus Dormitory began to celebrate, hugging each other and cheering, showing complete excitement in welcoming Annabell. Annabell looked towards the area where the White Lotus students were gathered and started walking towards them. Everyone tried to talk to her and congratulated her on her choice.
Annabell thanked the people and tried to make her way through them, looking for a place to sit. She climbed the steps of the bleachers, being careful not to stumble as she bumped into someone. When she found a seat, people crowded even closer, and the princess tried to ask them to move away and sit down, but none of them seemed to listen.
In the midst of the crowd, a boy with brown hair started pushing people aside, urging them to sit down. Most of them complained, but seconds later, they complied with his requests.
Annabell thanked him with a nod of her head, and just as she was about to speak, the director announced that it was Ezariel's turn to choose.
Ezariel didn't take long to decide. As soon as the director said he could choose, he headed towards the Black Rose. Unlike Annabell, who had been careful when using the knife, he simply cut his palm without any concern, creating a deep gash. Blood began to drip onto the rose and trickle down the pillar's stone.
Black mist started to envelop Ezariel's body, but his expression remained unchanged. He didn't seem surprised by what was happening. Ezariel didn't undergo many changes in his appearance, although the golden details on his clothing disappeared, and a black-bladed sword appeared in his hands.
The students of the Black Rose Dormitory began celebrating Ezariel's arrival. They all went towards the redhead and welcomed him with huge hugs. The ceremony of choosing dormitories passed in a flash. Annabell couldn't remember the names of the people who entered her dormitory. During events, her siblings always helped her with the names of important individuals.
Annabell was relieved to finally have a conversation that went beyond superficial topics and her brothers. While she loved talking about her siblings, they weren't there with her. The majority of those long conversations revolved around her brothers, and in those moments, Annabell wished she could disappear.
"Hi! I'm Diana, and this is Rosalia!" a girl with blue hair spoke, smiling. Annabell had a faint impression of having seen her during the dormitory selection. "Our room has an available bed. So, if you'd like, you're very welcome to join us! If you prefer your brothers' old room, we'll understand!"
Two girls approached Annabell, both wearing friendly expressions, but the brunette-haired one seemed more enthusiastic. They had a similar appearance, and if Annabell were to guess, she would say they were sisters.
Annabell was surprised and happy about the invitation. She hadn't expected people to invite her. It seemed as though everyone had already assumed she would stay in her brothers' old room. She was somewhat amazed by their courage.
"I think it's perfectly fine to share the room," the princess's voice was as gentle as a summer breeze. Annabell opened a wide smile.
"That's great! Di! I have to tell Mom!" Rosalia stood up, ready to run off, but she was held back by her sister. "Alright! Take a deep breath," she looked at Diana, giving her a thumbs-up sign with her hands.
"We just arrived like you! We're sisters... I think that's pretty obvious!" Diana pointed to their faces and then burst into laughter.
If it weren't for their different hair colors, Annabell wouldn't know which one was which. Behind the two girls, Annabell noticed a different commotion—a brown-haired boy, the same one who had helped her with the crowd. He put a finger to his lips, and in the next second, his hands were on Rosalia's shoulders, startling her.
"I'm Gael! Responsible for welcoming the princess! I'll inform you about everything you need to know about the Academy and our dormitory!" He sat down next to Annabell and waved to the twins, who responded in kind.
"Important information: in the dormitory, the 'authority' is the dormitory chief, and unfortunately, the guy is a complete tyrant. Meet Lucas!" He pointed to a blond-haired boy in the midst of the students.
Lucas seemed like a spoiled child, the perfect embodiment of that word in Annabell's eyes. He was short, impeccably dressed in tight clothes, with absolutely shiny blond hair and a stuck-up nose.
"For some reason, the Academy thought it was a good idea to put him, so his name appears on the List as the Dormitory Chief," Gael rolled his eyes. "If he says something, obey him. Hopefully, he'll step down from this cursed position soon!"
"The Academy? I thought they only selected the students," Annabell's voice carried a hint of shock and confusion.
"Oh! That's a common mistake. The List is a way for the Academy to communicate, and the announcements are also made by the Academy! Since the goal is to maintain peace, it's better to have a neutral person in charge! The director only exists as our physical representative," Annabell blinked several times, processing the information.
Gael continued, "We're still trying to understand how Lucas managed to become the dormitory chief and stay in that position. That guy is completely nuts! The Academy's sense of what makes a good dormitory chief must be a bit confused," Gael shook his head. "Another important point: the uniform! It's not exactly mandatory, but it follows a color pattern, pastel tones and white! Registrations for teams and clubs start next week, and... welcome to the best dormitory in the entire Card Academy!"
Gael finished speaking and struck an exaggerated pose with his arms open, releasing confetti from his hands. He stayed in that pose for a few seconds before starting to clap.
"We won't have to worry about a boring dormitory chief for long. Princess Annabell will soon take over the position!" Rosalia spoke with a proud smile. "I give it 5 months!"
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"The people in the dormitory are saying 3 months! Dominick bet it will be less than a month," Gael put his hand on his own chin.
Annabell smiled upon hearing Dominick's name. She wondered where he might be; she didn't see him during the entire ceremony.
"I agree with the people in the dormitory. I think Dominick is crazy to think it will be within a month. Either way, we're lucky to have the princess as our dormitory chief! If only she were the eldest, we'd be so fortunate. When she gets married, I'll move to the small Kingdom she rules," Annabell widened her eyes and shook her hands, trying to get Gael to stop talking, but it only made him speak even more excitedly.
"I'm not all that, don't talk nonsense!" Annabell stood up and looked around.
Most people were engaged in their own conversations and self-observations. When they noticed Annabell looking at them, the students waved excitedly. The princess smiled awkwardly and waved back, then turned to Gael.
"Can we go out and explore the Castle?" She suggested, wanting to get away from the crowd of people.
"Sure, if we're lucky, we might come across some course demonstrations. If we're unlucky, we'll be bothered by the Black Rose," Gael grumbled in frustration. "At least that hothead was the second one to be chosen. The first victory is ours!"
"Celebrating a victory too early is the first sign of your defeat," a female voice with a hint of teasing and disdain said. "Princess, be careful not to die from blood loss," the bald woman made a fake crying face.
Annabell didn't bother paying attention to the people. What caught her attention was the red dot in the midst of the crowd. Ezariel seemed to have turned and walked away, dragging the crowd along with him.
"No matter where you go, people from the Kingdom of Hearts will always be unbearable," Diana let out a long sigh and ran her hand over her face. "Did someone from the Kingdom of Hearts join our dormitory?"
"Not this year. Outside of the White Kingdom, only people from smaller or unaffiliated Kingdoms. Same old, same old," Gael shrugged, not really caring about it. "People from the Kingdom of Hearts rarely come here, and even if they did, it wouldn't make a difference."
"We should accept everyone and promote unity!" The four of them looked at each other after speaking in unison. That was the most heard phrase when someone was accepted into the Academy.
"Our father used to say that every day. Before I left home, he said it at least 50 times. I thought I would go completely crazy," Diana laughed, and Rosalia nodded in agreement.
"Father said it 50 times? Mom said it at least 100 times, just yesterday!"
The small group began walking through the enormous castle. Gael spoke about every detail with great enthusiasm. He knew the name of every painting hanging on the walls. The decoration was simple and unremarkable, and Annabell was starting to find the place boring. If the dormitories were like this, it would be the biggest disappointment of her life.
"As I affectionately call it, this is the boring side of the school! No fights, no arguments, we must act like old friends. It's all a bunch of nonsense, just so we can show the rest of the world that we live harmoniously," Gael pointed to the door at the end of the corridor. "That's where the school starts to get fun."
The door was enormous and completely black, with each dormitory symbol carved into the wood, and above it, a huge phrase read, "The peace of all Kingdoms."
Rosalia looked suspiciously at the door and stopped walking, gripping her sister's arm. Annabell looked at them, and Diana began pulling her sister closer to the door. When they got close enough, the door swung open.
The neutral and dull colors faded away in the front corridor, replaced by a vibrant array of colors, and the decoration became interesting and even strange. Crooked furniture, tables in the middle of the corridor, swords, dresses, and anything you could imagine. Despite being a complete mess, it was an organized and enjoyable mess. Flags representing the dormitories were scattered all over the ceiling.
"This is where things get fun. Competitions, fights, arguments—almost anything is allowed as long as it fits within the 'healthy rivalry' of the Academy. Of course, we can't forget the most important rule: no deaths!" Gael pointed to the girls and turned to continue walking. "That's the least important thing. As long as nothing serious happens, everything will be fine."
There was a diverse crowd of students gathered in the corridor, all of them looking excited. Annabell looked inside the rooms with curiosity, observing the various activities taking place. She mentally noted the rooms she would revisit in the near future.
"This is the sword room, where the greatest excitement lies. At least within the castle," Rosalia raised her hand eagerly, and as Gael nodded, she began to speak.
"Currently, there are two legendary competitors. Dominick, representing our dormitory, and Eros, representing the Black Rose. They rarely fight, but when they do, it's an exhilarating event!" Rosalia spoke with great enthusiasm. Gael looked surprised at the girl.
"That's right, and..."
"Out of the five matches I had with Eros, I won three. So the Lotus dormitory remains the champion and the owner of this room," Annabell heard a different but familiar voice. She looked up and saw a face she knew well.
"The last time I saw you, you were 16 years old and dreaming of coming to this school," Annabell made a pouting face. She hated being reminded of farewells.
"I'm glad to see you here, Anna. Your brother...?" Dominick's voice was gentle and hesitant, his expression showing a hint of anxiety.
"He's waiting for you to come back!" Annabell's smile reassured him. Dominick sat down beside Annabell and greeted everyone. "We're childhood friends."
Dominick had a bronzed skin with a slight golden touch, light brown hair, and a relaxed smile on his lips. Annabell and Dominick had known each other since they were children, and when Dominick turned 10, he was assigned to protect Annabell.
"Oh, of course... but I wasn't going to talk about your impressive winning streak," Gael made a face at Dominick. "The rooms have leaders. The leaders can set the rules of the room and handle all the bureaucratic aspects. And the number of rooms under each dormitory's 'dominance' counts towards points at the end of the year. Currently, we're in first place, and we hope to stay that way and widen the gap with the other dormitories. Of course, the number of battles within the room also contributes points, but we don't really care about that."
"I knew we chose the right dormitory, and you wanted to go to the Joker!" Diana nudged her sister with her elbow for her comment, and Rosalia grumbled while rubbing her arm.
The previously noisy room fell into complete silence, and everyone found it strange. Annabell looked around, searching for the reason behind the silence.
"A fight for the position of the owner of the sword room," a powerful voice broke the silence. No one dared to say anything.
On the first day of school, it was expected that hopeful freshmen would try their luck for their dormitories, but in this case, he must have been a daredevil. Freshmen were always warned about Eros and Dominick; challenging either of them was like courting death.
"And he loves being troublesome," Annabell whispered upon seeing the red-haired figure.