The capital buzzed with unfamiliar noise, a blend of roaring mana engines, voices in dozens of dialects, and the rhythmic clatter of Academy-bound carriages. I stared at the towering spires of Astraea Academy, rising like a silver blade against the sky.
This was it. The place where names were made, destinies reshaped… and the place where I'd find answers. About my magic. About her.
Those crimson eyes haunted me, though I'd only seen them once—just for a moment, in the crowd. They burned into my memory like flame searing parchment. I didn't even know her name.
Yet.
"Move it, twig arms," someone barked behind me, shoving past with the grace of a drunken ogre.
I offered a tight smile. "Nice to meet you too. Tell your vocabulary I said hi, assuming it ever returns from vacation."
The guy just huffed and stomped off, dragging what I assumed was the entire wardrobe of a minor noble family behind him. Luggage enchanted to float, of course. Because if you can't impress people with power, drown them in wealth. Typical.
I adjusted the strap of my travel bag and headed through the gates.
The courtyard was massive, paved in ivory stone veined with silver, and already full of new students gawking like tourists. Towering statues of legendary mages lined the path toward the main hall, their carved eyes judging every passerby. I gave one of them a cheerful wink.
"Don't worry, old man. I'll make you proud. Or get expelled trying."
I joined the flow of students being herded into the Grand Auditorium. Velvet banners displaying the academy crest—a star entwined with flame and frost—hung from the ceiling. The sheer size of the place made me feel like an ant in a cathedral built by giants.
And then the Headmistress appeared.
She walked onto the stage with the poise of someone who could kill you just by looking disapprovingly in your direction. Long silver robes, hair in a tight braid, eyes like cut sapphires.
"Welcome to Astraea Academy," she began, her voice cutting through the chatter like a well-honed blade. "Here, you will learn not just to wield magic, but to become magic."
Wow. Dramatic much? I resisted the urge to slow-clap.
She continued with the usual speech—history, rules, don't blow up your classmates, yada yada. My brain tuned her out somewhere around 'disciplinary action' and 'mana poisoning is not covered by the Academy insurance policy.'
I was too busy scanning the crowd.
Red hair. Red eyes. Where was she?
Then the room shifted. A presence brushed against my senses. Cold. Familiar. Like a whisper of winter.
I turned my head just slightly.
And there she was.
She sat several rows to my left. Red hair tied back in a loose braid. Eyes like molten rubies.
Our gazes met for half a second.
She blinked. Expression unreadable.
Then turned away.
Was it recognition? Disinterest? Or was I just a creep staring too hard?
Great start.
After the ceremony, we were given our room assignments. Dormitories separated by elemental affinity, of course. Because what's a little magical tribalism among teenagers?
I ended up in the Northern Dormitory. Ice affinity. Surprise.
My room was small but decent. Two beds, two desks, a view of the training fields. I dropped my bag on the bed by the window and took a deep breath. The air smelled of old books, polished wood, and faint ozone.
"Well, roommate, if you're a snorer, I make no promises about not freezing your lungs in your sleep," I muttered.
The door creaked open.
"You're in my bed."
I turned. The guy in the doorway had sharp features, jet-black hair, and a scowl like someone had kicked his puppy.
"Unless your name's carved into the headboard, I think we're good," I said, stretching out.
He didn't laugh.
Tough crowd.
We stared each other down for a few seconds until he sighed and dropped his stuff on the other bed.
"Kaito."
"Yoru."
He gave me a slow once-over. "Ice, huh? Figures."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You look like the brooding type."
I grinned. "And you look like a guy whose sense of humor froze to death years ago."
Somewhere in that exchange, I think we became... not quite friends, but something close enough to tolerate each other. Good enough.
The rest of the day was orientation, magical aptitude testing (which I totally aced, thank you very much), and uniform fittings. The robes were surprisingly stylish, in a "wizard crossed with a battle mage" kind of way.
By evening, I stood in the courtyard again, watching the stars prick the night sky. The moon hung low, a pale crescent.
Footsteps behind me.
"You're staring like the stars owe you money," said a voice.
I turned. Red hair. Red eyes.
Her.
"No," I said. "Just wondering which one I'll end up crashing into first."
She quirked a brow. "Yoru, right? From the ceremony. You kept looking at me."
Busted.
"Was trying to figure out if your eyes were natural or enchanted. Still not sure."
She snorted. "Akari. Fire affinity. Try not to melt if we end up sparring."
"I only melt for charming redheads with unpredictable attitudes."
She rolled her eyes and walked away.
But she was smiling.
And just like that, the stars didn't seem so far away.