Aysel walked down the long corridor, her footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor. Whispers trailed after her, clinging to her like a shadow.
Students stared as if she were a rare creature on display, their curious and wary eyes making her skin prickle.
"Hey… isn't that the girl with five Moon Marks?" one whispered.
"The one they call 'The Anomaly'? Is that her?" another murmured, just loud enough for her to hear.
"I heard she isn't even human. Maybe she's a shadow beast in disguise…" someone snickered, earning a few quiet laughs.
Aysel kept her gaze forward, fighting the urge to clench her fists.
If I were a shadow beast, she thought bitterly, I'd have ended this hallway of idiots in an instant.
Unfortunately, she couldn't. She barely even knew how to control her magic, let alone use it to make them shut up. And on her first day, the last thing she needed was trouble—especially with the Headmistress and faculty already monitoring her every move.
So, she endured the stares in silence.
Passing a row of classroom doors, she muttered the names under her breath:
"Arcane Theory… Runology and Glyphs… Alchemy and Potioncraft…"
She slowed her steps until she stopped in front of a carved oak door.
"Found it!" she whispered to herself, relief softening her shoulders.
Arcane History & Mythology.
Pushing the door open, she slipped inside. Her eyes swept across the room, scanning for a quiet corner, somewhere she could melt into the background. The last thing she wanted was more attention.
"Aysel! Over here!"
The sudden call of her name made Aysel flinch, and the lively chatter in the classroom died instantly.
Dozens of eyes turned toward her. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she gritted her teeth, already dreading the attention. Slowly, she lifted her gaze to see which idiot dared—
Her thoughts stopped short.
Zephyr Aelion.
Of course.
She recognized him instantly—the Starborne Heir, infamous for his troublemaking smile and the effortless way he drew attention to himself. And, unfortunately, one of the people assigned to oversee her training.
There he was, waving enthusiastically, a wide grin plastered on his face, utterly unbothered by the stares of the other students.
Aysel hesitated, caught in a silent war with herself. She could either ignore him and endure the awkwardness… or give in and walk over.
Finally, she exhaled. I have to work with him eventually. Might as well try to get along…
Still second-guessing her decision, she crossed the classroom in a few long strides.
Zephyr's grin widened the moment she reached him, and with a flourish of mock chivalry, he pulled out the empty chair beside him.
"Your seat, my lady," he said, as if he owned the place.
Aysel quietly slipped into the chair beside Zephyr, setting her bag down before pulling out her textbook and stationery. She focused on arranging them neatly, doing her best to ignore the weight of his stare.
When she finally glanced up, he was still watching her, his wide, sparkling eyes paired with that same incorrigible grin.
"I'm Zephyr," he said lightly. "But just call me Zeph. And I'll call you Aysel, too."
He flashed a charming smile and extended a hand toward her in greeting.
Aysel's gaze flicked from his face to his outstretched hand, hesitation tightening in her chest. She could already feel the sharp stares of the other girls in the classroom boring into her back like daggers.
Her fingers twitched, instinctively curling into a fist beneath the desk as she weighed her choices.
What do I do? Aysel thought, panic fluttering in her chest. It feels like my neck's already on the guillotine. Those girls look like they could kill me with just a glare… and this guy? He practically screams trouble.
She sighed inwardly. Whether she rejected his handshake or accepted it, she would still be the center of attention. No one here seemed eager to be her friend anyway.
Fine… might as well make an ally while I can.
"It's… nice to meet you, Zeph," she said softly, giving him a small, polite smile.
She was just about to take his hand when the sound of footsteps interrupted them.
The classroom fell silent as the teacher entered—a man in his mid-thirties with a kind, approachable face. He strode to the front of the room, his voice calm yet commanding.
"Alright, class. Before we begin, I see we have a new student today."
His eyes landed squarely on Aysel. She froze, her stomach twisting. She hated being the center of attention.
"Please stand and introduce yourself," the professor said.
She hesitated, but there was no escaping it. With a quiet scrape of her chair, she rose to her feet.
"My name is Aysel Caelum," she said, her voice clear but restrained. "Just… call me Aysel. It's nice to meet all of you."
She gave a small, polite bow before quickly sitting back down, wishing she could sink into the floor.
"Alright, you may sit down now, Miss Caelum."
The professor offered her a kind smile.
"I'm Professor Veylan, but you can call me Prof Vey. I'll be your instructor for Arcane History and Mythology."
He clasped his hands together. "Since we have a new student today, let's start with a quick revision of world history. Your exams are in a few months anyway—consider this a head start."
With a casual wave of his hand, golden script appeared in midair before settling across the chalkboard, glowing softly with magic.
Aysel tilted her head, reading the words aloud under her breath. "The Sun God Aurivis and the Moon Goddess Lucine…? Isn't that… a fairy tale?"
Zephyr, leaning lazily against his chair, smirked. "It's different from the bedtime folktales you've heard. Trust me."
Her ears perked up, curiosity breaking through her usual reserve. She turned to look at him, her eyes bright with interest.
The reaction seemed to catch him off guard, if only for a moment—before his usual mischievous grin returned.
"You're interested, huh? I can tell you all about it… if you agree to—"
"Mr. Aelion."
Professor Veylan's voice cut through the room like a firm but calm blade. "Please refrain from distracting our new student during class."
Zephyr's grin froze. He snapped his mouth shut, leaning back in his seat with an exaggerated sigh of defeat.
Aysel bit the inside of her cheek to suppress a laugh, her chest bubbling with amusement. Part of her felt sympathy for him… but mostly, she felt grateful. For now, the professor had saved her from whatever deal Zephyr had been plotting.
Turning her attention back to the glowing words, she began to scribble notes as Professor Vey spoke.
"It all began," his voice resonated through the quiet classroom, "with the birth of light and shadow…"