RHEIN'S POINT OF VIEW
Forelody greeted me with a cheerful chirp as soon as I stepped into the hallway, perching neatly on my right shoulder.
"How are you? I thought something might have happened to you."
"Of course, I'm fine," I replied with a grin. "I just fought a yvus mnarillaza."
I glanced around, frowning when I didn't see the praciens belonging to our fellow examinees—nor Owlice. "What about Allie? Hasn't she come out yet?"
"They finished a while ago. You were the last one. Why did you take so long?"
I didn't bother answering. Instead, I just chuckled. Maybe I enjoyed dodging attacks a little too much earlier.
Fortunately, I caught up to Allie while she was packing her things. "Congratulations, Allie."
"You too," she replied with a faint nod.
I gathered my belongings, and we left together. On the way to the gate, I asked about her opponent.
"He's a crazy aiasmnarillaza," she said flatly.
"How did you beat him?"
She kept her gaze fixed ahead, lips pressed shut. Clearly, she didn't want to elaborate. Allie isn't one for unnecessary talk—and this definitely isn't an ice cream conversation.
Owlice was the one who answered. "She told me earlier—she trapped her opponent inside a giant block of ice, then filled it with high-pressured water."
Forelody and I exchanged wide-eyed stares, somewhere between awe and alarm. "You killed him?"
"Almost. When I realized he was weakening, I shattered the ice," she replied coldly.
"Cool," I muttered, though part of me meant it literally.
By the time we reached the rear gate, the rest of our group—and Principal Oak—were already there. She lined us up before her, smiling warmly.
"Congratulations to all of you," she said after clearing her throat. "You have passed the final entrance exam. You are now official students of the Mnarill tesAleid."
Cheers and smiles broke out among us.
With a flick of her hand, Principal Oak revealed several white stones resting in her palm. Using his sychimnarill, she guided them toward us. When they landed in our hands, they began to change—white stones shifting into shimmering badges.
"You are required to wear these badges inside the school, whether or not you are in uniform," she explained. "Attach them to the left sleeve of your clothing. They represent your magic. Even if your mnarillaza type changes or evolves, your badge will always reveal the truth."
I glanced at Allie's—hers was a blue snowflake. She was smiling faintly at it.
I wanted to feel the same, to admire mine… but I couldn't. My curiosity outweighed my pride. Turning my head, I met Forelody's silent gaze. The confusion in her eyes mirrored my own.
We were told to keep our badges for now, then Principal Oak led us to the academy's main campus.
Beyond the gate was a lush, plant-covered passageway. After several minutes of walking, we arrived before another gate—this one forged of gleaming gold. It swung open at the touch of his palm.
My breath caught. If the preparatory campus is palatial, this is heavenly. Massive towers rose in every direction, connected by bridges and bathed in soft, golden light.
According to Grandfather Lembo, the academy covered every level from elementary to college, teaching not only human-world subjects but also those tied to magic and all of Mnarra. Students here trained to master their mnarill to its fullest potential.
The grounds teemed with life—some students chatted, others read, a few played and chased each other like children.
We followed Principal Oak to her office to collect our uniforms and class schedules. Afterward, she escorted us to the dormitories at the rear of the campus. Allie and I were the last to be dropped off since our room was on the top floor. Thankfully, there was an elevator.
"This is your room," she said, handing us each a key. "Your roommates are still in class and won't be back until later. You'll have to introduce yourselves then."
As she turned to leave, I called out, "Principal Oak."
She paused. "Do you have a question about your room, Rhein?"
I shook my head, exhaling. This had been on my mind since earlier. Reaching into my hoodie pocket, I pulled out my badge. "From what I learned in preparatory classes, the green leaf represents an ofris mnarillaza. I am an ofrismnarillaza… so why is my badge a light green feather? There must be some mistake."
Her lips curled into a knowing smile. "You already know the answer, Rhein. You didn't need to ask me," she said before walking away.
I stared after her, then at Allie and Forelody. My thoughts returned to one of our preparatory lessons:
Hwizta and deore mnarillazas are the highest forms of Ecialis—special-type mnarillazas. When the asle of mnarillazas with sealed magic is broken, they temporarily become ofris mnarillazas. Over time, as they gain their mnarill, their true powers emerge.
No wonder Forelody had doubted me when I first said I was an ofris.
Meeting her gaze, I smiled. "You were right, Forelody. I'm not an ofris. I'm a hwizta."
"Hwiztamnarillazas belong to the royal family alone. Are you one of them?" Allie's question caught me off guard.
Impossible. My parents were dead, and my sister was left behind in the human world. "No. That's impossible."
"Maybe, you're a distant relative. Or perhaps part of the clan the royal family came from… the Lithosowan Clan, if I'm not mistaken."
"Maybe," I said, though I truly didn't know.
We entered the room, and I reached for the light switch—only for both of us to scream when we found two girls waiting in the dark.
"Shhh!" The one with a red pracien clamped a hand over my mouth. "It's just us! We're not ghosts, my gosh!" she laughed, finally letting go.
"Sorry about her silly ideas," said the girl with glasses, a violet pracien perched on her shoulder. "She wanted to scare you by turning off the lights and waiting here. We even cut class for this. Honestly, I don't know why."
We were still staring at them when they introduced themselves.
"Lovely Ash, an yvus mnarillaza. This is Fierie."
"Kate Wagner, a resce mnarillaza. Her name's Gemrose. Like Lovely, I came from the human world."
For a moment, I felt my eyes glimmer. Grandfather Lembo's records had been right—half the students here came from the human world.