Aurelia paused by her trunk, tightening the straps on her leather satchel. The crate beside her was crammed with bubbling potions, scrolls of ancient incantations, and well-worn herbarium tomes.
A small army of alchemical flasks clinked softly as she arranged them alongside bread loaves, cured meats, and a woolen cloak. All seemed in order – ready for the journey ahead.
Just then, warm sunlight spilled into the chamber, and the door swung open with a cheerful creak. "Aurelia!" called a bright voice. Before Aurelia could turn, arms swept around her in a spontaneous embrace. Her older sister Rowena grinned, bouncing on the balls of her feet with delight.
Rowena's auburn hair tumbled around her shoulders, and her emerald eyes shone excitedly. "I knew you'd be busy," she laughed, helping Aurelia unstrap a heavy alchemy book from the top of the trunk.
Aurelia let out a soft tsk and folded her arms. She wasn't exactly thrilled by the interruption. "What is it, Rowena?" she asked curtly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
Rowena only beamed wider. "I couldn't let you go on this grand adventure without seeing your face one last time!" she announced. "I'm so happy you're finally going off into the world. I've been counting down the days!"
Aurelia rolled her eyes and turned back to her packing. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," she muttered, trying to refocus on sealing a small jar of salve.
Rowena leaned in, peering at her sister's preparations. "Don't forget your healing potions, and oh! Did you remember the alchemy handbook Father had you copy out last week?"
Aurelia snorted. "You'd think they'd want me to be well-equipped if I'm the genius?" she said dryly.
As if on cue, Rowena shrugged playfully. "Well, you know Father and Mother," she said. "They're busy as ever. Both of them. Father would have us practice our curtsies in our sleep if he could!" She laughed at the image, hands on her hips. "All the high court would be talking about your departure if they found out. Trust me, they've got plenty on their minds besides my silly little sister setting off on an adventure."
Aurelia arched an eyebrow. "Is Mother planning a welcome party when I inevitably return in one piece?"
Rowena grinned. "Probably a full feast! You know how she is, brewing apple cider and baking extra pies, just in case. And Father... I'm sure he's bookmarked the map of the kingdom so he can point out to any visitor exactly where you should be going."
Suppressing a reluctant smile, Aurelia turned to the open doorway and placed her satchel over her shoulder. "And Sebastian?" she asked, almost lazily. Sebastian was their eldest brother, bold and ambitious, destined for greatness.
He's been gone for quite a while, maybe a few months…
Rowena gave a knowing nod. "Sebastian? He's off making a name for himself, as always. Last I heard, he was with the royal cavalry, training for some grand campaign. No doubt he'll be back here soon, writing letters about dragons or whatever else he's convinced exists. He'll be famous in no time."
Aurelia shrugged. "Figures." She slung her bag more securely on her shoulders and stood up. "Alright, I'm done. Thanks for... checking on my stuff," she said, struggling to keep her voice even.
Rowena stepped closer, touching the tip of Aurelia's nose with her fingertip. "Farewell, dear sister," she said softly, her cheerful tone switching to something tender. Aurelia felt herself blush, even though she wished she wouldn't. "Make us proud. And write as often as you can, okay?"
I'm not a child…
Aurelia cleared her throat, eyes flicking away. "Goodbye, Rowena," she mumbled, brushing off the affectionate gesture. She paused in the doorway and glanced back.
Rowena smiled warmly despite Aurelia's gruff response. "You too," she added awkwardly, voice low. With that, Aurelia stepped out into the bright morning and closed the door behind her.
A footman took her trunk and her bag with practiced care, Aurelia handed them over without a second thought and climbed into the waiting carriage. The leather seat cradled her as the servant closed the door. She gave the driver a curt instruction, Arcane Academy, and the carriage jolted, then rolled through the estate gates.
For a while, she said nothing, staring out the small window. Fields and orchards blurred past into the careful geometry of the city: spired roofs, gargoyled balustrades, fountains that sang with trapped light.
The air tasted faintly of ozone and something older, residual Aether dancing above the streets, visible only to those who had learned to feel it. Her fingers found the rim of the satchel and drifted over her potion bottles, the alchemy guide she'd rewritten twice, the little silver charm Rowena had teased her for keeping. Each object was a measure of readiness, a piece of the armor she wore that day.
This place, this was Rowena and Sebastian's school, after all. The thought should have comforted her. Instead, it sharpened every nerve, a mix of familiarity and pressure. She imagined the Academy's halls, the rune-carved stairways, the professors with their weathered robes and sharper expectations. She pictured students moving through practice rooms like tides, each one carrying their own Aether, subtle currents of potential that the world could either temper or amplify.
I'm not even there but I can feel the pressure of it on me.
Aurelia drew in a breath and let the smallest pulse of Aether wash through her handful of practiced spells, testing the cadence of her control. Nothing showy, just a memory of flame at her fingertips, a steady hum to remind her she'd done this before. Confidence bloomed, quick and cool, then settled into the trained calm she preferred.
Calm down…Don't falter…Show your progress…
The carriage turned up the final avenue. The Academy's spires came into view, a forest of stone and crystal that drank the sunlight and poured it back as faint, shimmering runes.
Other carriages had already gathered; banners snapped in a polite wind. Aurelia's jaw set. Whatever awaited her beyond those gates, expectations, rivals, the weight of the Caelistra name, she would meet it head-on. She smoothed her robe, adjusted her satchel, and watched the gates open as if she were stepping through a plan already penned.
A Caelistra has entered, and now it's time to show the name's worth.