"Let's see…Novarion Academy," Rhea murmured to herself as she scrolled through the school's website on her phone. "I had a feeling it was a top-tier level of education, but even far more prestigious than I thought." She mused, as the page displayed everything about the academy– from photos of the grand campus to glowing testimonials and a detailed breakdown of its offering.
Her eyes widened at the entrance fee amount, and suddenly, it made sense why students never missed a chance to boast about getting in. The craziest part was after paying that huge amount of money to ensure your child gets the best education in one of the best academies, some group of raccoons bully and force them to their death. It made Rhea curious, why his daughter kept quiet all this time.
Based on everything Steven told her during the briefing, it was clear Lila's father had more than enough power in the city to deal with those bullies for harassing his daughter– yet Lila had remained silent about the whole thing. It was too suspicious to ignore.
Currently, she was sitting at the backseat of the car next to Mr Callahan, while Steven rode up front with the driver. Thanks to Linda, who had helped her pack the rest of her belongings in record time, the earlier transition had been smoother than expected.
The maid had even taken it upon herself to carry her luggage out for her– a kindness that made Rhea wonder if Linda had been too eager to send her off.
"Novarion Academy is not a traditional institution," Mr Callahan finally said, leaning back in his seat as he broke the silence in the car. "It's more of a finishing institute for pure refinement, excellence, and legacy. To top it off, it's mainly where students go to chase their dreams."
Rhea raised a brow but stayed silent. He continued. "They accept students between sixteen and twenty-one, which is one of the reasons why I chose you, cause you are of rightful age. Most of the students are heirs, diplomats' children, or prodigies from noble houses. Their families pay more than most citizens earn in a lifetime just to secure a place there. That alone is enough to prove how far one can go to get their children enrolled there."
Rhea secretly rolled her eyes. She wondered if he was aware of the fact that he was also calling himself out. But at the same time, he had more genuine reasons for going too far for a complete nobody like her. Lila was his only daughter after all.
Mr Callahan continued calmly, barely aware of Rhea's thoughts. "Their curriculum is tailored on Politics. Battle strategy. Language. Etiquette. Art. Invention. Whatever your patron deems useful to the society. At the end of the entire program, top students receive something they call a Golden certificate. It's the most coveted achievement there— basically a golden ticket. With it, your future is pretty much secured everywhere."
"Ahhh," Rhea nodded slowly. "So that's why Lila enrolled? For the golden certificate? The name itself does sound like something out of a fantasy. But…" she tilted her head, her eyes still glued to her phone screen. "Isn't that kind of opportunity meant for people trying to escape hard lives? From what I've seen, the students there, well most of them clearly have it all. Powerful families, connection, wealth, security. They don't have to hustle for anything. There's always an inheritance waiting, or a trust fund that kicks in when they come of age. Am I wrong?"
Callahan glanced sideways at Rhea, and she wasn't smiling this time. There was no trace of emotion on her face, and as blunt as her words were– he couldn't deny the fact that there was some truth in them.
However, his daughter, Lila, was completely different. After losing her mother– his beloved wife– in a car accident, something in her shifted. She became more self-reliant, more resolute. She never wanted his money, never cared for the comfort it promised. AndEverytime he brought up the trust funds, she gently refused, insisting she wanted to build a life on her own terms. She didn't want to inherit his name, she wanted to make one for herself, and he admired that about her. She was brilliant, determined and capable of achieving anything she set her heart to.
When she expressed her desire to study at Novarion Academy for the first time, he agreed to it. How could he not?
There had been such fierce purpose in her eyes, such hope that only burned brighter. She wanted to make him proud– and she did. But sometimes, in the quiet moments of his life, he let the guilt slip in. If he had said no from the start… if he had kept her close from the beginning… she would've been angry, of course— but maybe, just maybe, she'd still be here.
He had been too busy to make a proper background check on the academy, but he wasn't going to make that same mistake with Rhea. Apparently, she grabbed things fast, which was inhumane, but also impressive and effective.
Thinking back to her report, he realized she coincidentally had the same birth year and date as his first daughter.
"Boss, we're here," Steven uttered as the car pulled over near a gas station.
He stepped down from the car and approached the young man who was standing next to another sleek black car. While the two of them indulged in a low conversation, Mr Callahan brought out his phone and went through the messages that had been popping in nonstop.
"That man outside will take you to the academy," he said to Rhea. "I can't drop you off by myself since I have places to be. Once you get there, call Steven or me and let us know you got there safely. Before you go, is there anything else you need?"
"There is one thing," Rhea raised a finger as she met Callahan's gaze, noticing the faint crease of his brow. "I need you to start taking better care of yourself."
She paused, then stroked her chin as if trying to remember anything that might be of distraction to him. "Go for early morning walks, eat something other than toast and coffee. See, I was taught that the best way to deal with grief is to let it pass through you, and like a storm, you don't try to outrun it, never. Let it sting you, let it shake you. And when it's done, you rise again. Not because the pain is gone, but because you're still here. I'm sure your daughter would want the same."
Mr Callahan blinked slowly, and for a second, Rhea thought she'd gone too far. But then he nodded, to her own surprise. The gesture was stiff, almost restrained, but something flickered in his eyes. Rhea couldn't understand what it was, but she felt some positivity from it.
Mr Callahan was instantly startled when she pushed the door open and stepped out into the sun. She adjusted her glasses and made her way toward the man Steven had finished conversing with.
"Goodbye, big Daddy, I'll make you proud!" She waved with a grin, and Mr Callahan stared at her for a moment before averting his gaze, and the windows rewind up. It was almost the same reaction Lila gave him when he saw her off to the gate at the academy, and the memory brought a quiet peace for him.
The ride from the gas station to the academy had taken at least an hour and a half, and when Rhea added up the total time she'd spent on the road today, it came to nearly five hours. Now that they were deeper into the Northern Quarters of Aurelis city, she found herself more curious than captivated by the unfamiliar terrain.
Rhea stuck her head out the window as the car wounded its way up a hill that was flanked by dense forest.
Trees stood tall on each side, and at the summit, the Novarion Academy came into view. It stood proudly at the hilltop, as if surveying the rest of the city beneath it, and Rhea could see nearly everything from where she was. In a place like this, falling off a building or the edge of a mountain top must be a regular thing.
About thirty minutes later, the car rounded a wide loop in front of the Academy's grand entrance, and as it slowed to a stop, Rhea leaned closer to the window, lifting her glasses slightly to have a better look.
"Holy Mary Mother of Neptune-nuggets!" she blurted. "Rhea has finally arrived."