In a secluded corner of the academy, the two stopped to catch their breath.

  Elira pressed her back against the cold stone wall to calm herself. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  That was dangerous.

  And amazing.

  When they were surrounded, she thought it was over. Things would escalate, she would lose control. But somehow, they managed to escape.

  And despite the constant fear of losing control, Elira couldn't hide the tinge of excitement bubbling inside her.

  She looked at Arlen.

  "Are you sure about this? What about your family?"

  Arlen chuckled. It was a dry, bitter sound. "My family? They could rot in a ditch for all I care."

  "...Huh?" Elira blinked, bewildered.

  Arlen rolled his eyes. "They threw me away the moment they knew I had no talent for casting. If they had at least tried to help, my life wouldn't be so miserable."

  "...Sorry."

  "Apology accepted. We should focus on the current matter. With your talent, you could handle the other students after learning more spells. But the Princess is the core of the problem."

  Arlen pushed his glasses up.

  "The academy prohibits fighting unless it is a mock battle or a formal duel. They only ignore the bullying because Marcelline causes it. If we put even a scratch on her outside of a duel, we will be in big trouble. What’s her problem with you, anyway?"

  "I don't know. She's a bitch?"

  "Pfft... probably."

  Elira nodded. "So... you mean I can kick her ass if I challenge her to a duel?"

  "The problem is that you can't. I mean the 'kick her ass' part. As the Princess of the Empire, she received top-notch training and education. I wouldn't be surprised if she could pull off high-level spells."

  "But I got talent."

  "Yes, you do. That is why I have been teaching you theory lately. You need at least some level of understanding before learning better spells."

  Day in and day out, Elira and Arlen hung out.

  They found a strange rhythm.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  "Arghh! What is all this gibberish? I can’t understand a single thing!"

  Thud.

  Elira slammed her forehead onto the table, clutching her hair in frustration.

  "Elira... I have explained this to you four times already."

  Arlen took off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. He knew Elira wasn't the brightest person around, but he never thought she could be this... dense.

  Elira, who had lived her life without any proper education before coming to the academy, groaned.

  "This spell is so hard!"

  "Yeah. This spell is a no-go. Let's look for another one."

  "Wow, this barrier is so pretty!"

  Arlen and Elira were in the practice field to test her newly learned magic.

  A golden barrier formed a dome around Elira. Unlike a standard smooth shield, this one was covered in a web of glowing, cracked patterns.

  "Told you you'd love it."

  It was an unusual spell. Obviously, a normal barrier spell wouldn't have cracks covering it. This one was modified for a specific purpose. The barrier could block a powerful attack, but only once.

  This was their hidden card against Marcelline.

  "But you still have to learn a standard barrier spell to catch Marcelline off guard," Arlen reminded her. "If you only use this one, she will be suspicious."

  "But those barrier spells are so damn confusing!"

  Elira, who had been ecstatic while looking at the pretty golden cracks, cried out in desperation.

  The morning sunlight poured through the window.

  The birds were singing. Students were chatting and laughing outside.

  Elira rose from her bed, yawning. Another night of sleeping without nightmares. Another day of waking up without pain. She readied herself for another day of training with Arlen.

  Humming a song Arlen had taught her, Elira walked to their meeting place.

  Ever since the incident in the library, that bitch Marcelline and her lackeys hadn't caused any trouble for her or Arlen.

  It was peaceful. So peaceful that Elira wished it could last forever.

  Elira reached their meeting spot.

  Arlen wasn't there yet.

  So Elira waited.

  And waited.

  And waited.

  But Arlen didn't arrive.

  Time passed. Minutes turned into an hour. She became more and more worried. The feeling of dread, cold and familiar, started to creep up her spine.

  Finally, Elira decided to go find him.

  She went to all their usual spots. The library. The cafeteria. The garden. He wasn't there.

  She kept searching until she reached a classroom in a secluded corner of the academy.

  Inside, she heard laughter.

  Marcelline's laughter.

  Elira took a very, very deep breath. Her hand trembled as she reached for the handle. She opened the door, really, really wishing Arlen wasn't in there.

  But he was.

  Inside the room stood Marcelline and her lackeys.

  And...

  Blood.

  A lot of blood on the ground.

  And Arlen's body.

  I'm going to kill them.

  I'm going to rip all their limbs apart one by one...

  Elira clenched her fist so hard she could feel her nails digging into her palm, blood dripping out.

  Sitting on top of a desk, looking down at the broken boy on the floor, Marcelline spoke up.

  "Look who finally showed up."