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Sakuya woke up from someone knocking at the wooden door the next morning.
As she opened her eyes she saw that the sun was already brightly falling through the window with a wooden framen on the right side of the room.
She sat up and turned her head towards the door.
There, she saw Miyona who was looking inside the room through a gap she had opened through pushing the door only a bit open.
Once she saw that Sakuya was awake a smile appeared on her face, before she entered and sat down on the chair next to the bed again.
She took a deep breath, then blurted out:" Do you know what magic is?"
Sakuya chuckled.
"Good morning to you.", she answered.
Miyona seemed confused for a moment then also wished her a good morning.
Afterwards she looked at Sakuya with expecting eyes again.
Sakuya instead thought about it deeply.
Did she know what magic was?
The word felt familiar but again she wasn't exactly able to pinpoint it.
Hestitantly she nodded, then shook her head.
"Which now?", Miyona asked, confused.
Sakuya could only shrug her shoulder, since she also didn't really know the answer.
Miyona sighed then said:" Alright, then I will explain it to you from the very beginning. In this world there have always existed demons, ghosts and monster. Those are called ayakashi. Some of them are good, while others are bad. But humans who were much weaker then them weren't able to defend against them properly, causing countless to die. The gods who saw that took pity on the humans who were praying to them and chosen to help them. They bestowed a gift of power on a few of the humans. Those were special abilities. There are two types of these. One are superpowers, for example the ability to turn invisible or teleport. Two is the ability to use mana, which you can converge in magic through spells, talismans and magic circles. Those abilities are often only referred to as god's gifts and they are something you posses from birth. But of course one still needs to study and train a lot to control the ability and learn how to use spells, talismans and magic circles. Most Gifted, as humans with special abilities are often called, only posses either, a superpower or magic. Oh, but there are also some who can use both, thought they are the rarest group. Now, let's continue the story. The humans who attained those powers became heroes serving the gods and protecting the humans, leaving behind many legends. But at one point, technology had advanced so much that normal people, who make up most of the population, captured the Gifted and used them for experimentation, locking them up in research facilities, partly because they feared theier powers. The Gifted who didn't want to continue enduring this rose up in rebellion to regain theier freedom. A war broke out all over the world between those two groups and after the end of it, laws were made to ensure something like that never happens again. Moreover schools like the Ryotensu-Magicacademy, there we currently are, there founded. Here, Gifted between 13 and 19 live, attending the school."
"I see.", Sakuya nodded.
She had listened attentive the whole time and a feeling of recognition had welled up inside of her.
I most likely have heard those things before, since they seem to be common knowledge, she thought to herself.
Miyona smiled and continued:" Of course the academy is much bigger then a normal school. The schoolgrounds include a small town with shops and houses as well as some public buildings like a theatre. The school itself is made up of some buildings and parks. The main parts are the schoolbuilding, the sports field, the flowergarden, the teacher dormitory, the student dormitories, the chemical laboratory, the sports hall, the library and the cafeteria. Most of the students live in the dormitories but some also live in the town. Oh, you're currently at the infirmary. The infirmary has its own small building and has been enchanted with a spell that keeps out any noise from the outside in order to ensure that the patients can rest properly."
Sakuya listened silently, but then furrowed her brows.
"Don't you need to go to school? From the position of the sun it should still be midday.", she asked.
Miyona grinned and answered:" It's true that I normally have lessons at the time but I was allowed to be absent in order to help take care of you. Moreover the end of the schoolyear is already near and the teachers don't see things that strict anymore around this time. Oh, that's right! If it turns out that you are also a Gifted you will be allowed to attend the academy as well. But the principal will need to check that first. And…"
Befor Miyona could continue a familiar voice interrupted:" Well,well,well, you can't do it like that."
Sakuya and Miyona turned around and saw Miss Kukiko standing at the door again, watching them.
Somehow it feels like a dejavu, Sakuya thought.
But then she noticed the woman wearing a dark red woman's suit, standing next to her.
She seemed to be around twenty, just like Miss Kukiko.
She had dark-brown hair and monolid scarlet eyes, making her seem a teeny tiny bit scary, but the kind smile that appeared on the unknown woman's face then she saw the two girls wiped away that feeling right away again.
The she cleared her throat and said:" I'm the principal, Mizaki Minami. I'm happy to meet you and I also have some questions for you as well, Sakuya."
"Should we leave the two of you alone?", Miss Kukiko asked, but principal Mizaki shook her head.
"No, it seems like the two girls have already become friends and it's always good to have a friend at your side.", she then said with a smile.
Miyona stood up and sat down on the side of Sakuyas bed, freeing the chair for the principal who sat down there then.
"Now then,", she started,"Could you tell me your full name, Sakuya?"
"I-i don't know.", Sakuya answered timidly and dropped her gaze on the blankets, a bit ashamed not to remember anything.
Miss Mizaki looked at her, nodded and continued with her next questions:" Where are you from? Who are your parents? Where is your family? Do you have siblings? How old are you?", but Sakuya could only shrug her shoulders, looking more and more helpless and desperate with each question.
Only the warmth of Miyonas hand holding her own prevented her from bursting into tears.
Somewhere in the middle of the conversation her friend and grapped her own, showing her that she was not alone.
In the end principal Mizaki needed to give up.
"Do you remember anything?", was her last question.
"Only my name.", Sakuya answered.
In her head she added: And I'm not even completely sure about that.
Miss Kukiko then turned to speak with the principal:" Seems like she suffers from amnesia, most likely caused by a great shock. Her memory might return later on, but I can't say how long that will take. In the worst case, it might never happen."
The principal nodded and said:" Alright. For now you will stay here, Sakuya. During our talk I used my superpower to test you. You definitely are a Gifted, thought I couldn't exactly determine your special ability. Once we find out something about your identity I will come talk to you again. Since the schoolyear will soon end we would normally wait and let you enter 10th grade once the new schoolyear starts, but since it seems like you already became quiet attached to Miyona we will make an exception and allow you to enter Miyonas class. You will also move in with her and her roommate in the dormitory. In a few days you will receive your school uniform. Once you're allowed to leave the infirmary, Miyona can take you to visit the town to buy all necessary things. Miyona, please look out for and take care of Sakuya so that she can quickly settle in. Please work hard and be diligent in your studies, Sakuya. Now then, I will take my leave.", she said and stood up.
The two girls quickly thanked her and bowed her goodbye.
Then the principal left the infirmary.
By now, it had already become late afternoon and Sakuya, who was still weakened, was really tired.
Even to continue sitting up was quiet hard for her, with her eyes shutting themselves every few minutes.
Miss Kukiko changed the infusion for Sakuya and then, she and Miyona also took theier leave.
Befor leaving, Miyona hugged Sakuya once and promised, to come back to visit her tomorrow.
Once they had left, Sakuya laid down, but despite being tired she couldn't fall asleep again.
She was exited to see the town in a few days and to attend school together with Miyona.
But there were also other emotions inside her, deeper and darker ones.
They were a storm howling in her mind.
All the unanswered questions and the emotions, some of them had freed, there going on a rampage, leaving Sakuya as a big mess inside.
Who am I?, she wondered.
And then another question: What if I'm evil and try to harm them?
She continued to toss and turn in her bed, her mind overflowing with questions and fears.
While Miyona was there she had felt at least a bit calmer, but now she was alone.
Around her was only silence, inside wich her own thoughts seemed at least ten times louder then before.
As the sun started going down, painting the room with a red and golden light, she sat up again and suddenly silent tears started falling from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks.
One stopped at her lips, leaving them with a salty taste.
"I'm scared.", she whispered into the empty room but only silence answered.
She then lay back down, curling herself to a ball, pulling the blanket over her head to hide.
Even then she fell asleep, her tears didn't stop.
All of her earlier excitement and happiness had vanished into thin air, leaving only fear behind.