The acceptance letter had arrived three days after the examination, bearing the distinctive golden seal of Erestia Magic Academy pressed into pristine wax. As expected, both Alicia and I had been welcomed into the most prestigious magical institution in the kingdom. Not that I harbored even the slightest doubt about my capabilities—after all, excellence had always been my standard, in this life as much as my previous one.
A week had crawled by since that pivotal exam, each day stretching with anticipation until finally, mercifully, the first day of term arrived. I stood now in what had become my personal quarters within the Creon estate—a spacious chamber befitting a guest of honor rather than a former village commoner.
