Ruach's POV
I remember the voices outside our house as I lay on my bed, in a room that once held a quiet nobility, now faded, worn, and dim. I tried to shut out the noise. I remember my parents speaking calmly, trying to ease the tension. No matter what we did, people always looked at us differently, rarely with kindness. Somehow, they always found a way to make things harder for us, always shouting, always accusing, always…
I jump up from my seat as I wake up from a dream that I can't seem to remember on a train that, from the inside, has a modern and yet also classical design, with each booth having an alternating design of modern and classical aesthetics. As I cleared my mind, I looked around the train filled with people from both Astrixion and Velarith—some reading newspapers, others absorbed in their devices, and a few, like the somewhat handsome boy in uniform with black hair, sleeping peacefully together with… a "little" more stuff than what a normal person would bring in any trip.
I sat back down and looked out the window. A lush, green landscape stretched beyond the glass, so vivid it felt as if a warm summer breeze had just passed through me. But even as I watched the scenery drift by, my thoughts turned inward—to my place in all of this, to my life, and to whatever future still awaited me, Liora Ruach, as a Ruach, the last of my family. Everyone hated us, hated me, because of the massacre brought about by the madness of the first Ruach and Imperatrix Arcanum, the ones who founded and ruled Velarith.
The first leader of the mages. The first Imperatrix Arcanum. The first to attain the rank of Grand Sorcerer. And the one responsible for one of the greatest massacres in Velarith's history—Elyra Ruach. My ancestor, and my family's deepest shame.
According to historical records, Elyra Ruach was once seen as a just and righteous figure. Many in Velarith considered her a savior—a hero who rose during the Crack of Altherea and led with courage and conviction. But at some point, for reasons still unknown, something in her broke. Madness took hold of her, and she began killing indiscriminately. By the time it ended, the death toll was so vast that the official number of victims remains classified. The only estimate ever whispered is that she killed as many people as live in a single province.
The massacre shattered her legacy. The people of Velarith turned against the Ruach family, casting us out and branding us as murderers. Leadership passed to House Selvarin, and from that moment on, every child born of Ruach blood carried the weight of Elyra's sins. No matter what good we did, it was never enough. Our intentions were always questioned. Every misfortune was somehow our fault.
And now, as I reflect on this burden, I find myself asking: Will I share the same fate as those who came before me? Will I, too, be unable to escape the shadow of our name? Am I destined to suffer in vain?
As these thoughts weighed on me, I noticed the train slowing. I was nearing my destination—Velthara City Station.
I stood up, grabbed my suitcase and backpack, and quietly made my way toward the train doors, intending to step out the moment they opened—before anyone could get too close. Ever since the "incident," being around people had left me tense and on edge. Even though I could hide it well enough, the discomfort never truly went away. So I kept my distance whenever I could.
As the train slowed to a stop and the doors slid open, I took a step forward—but something made me pause. A faint, inexplicable feeling tugged at me. I glanced back.
There he was. The same boy, still asleep, unmoved by the motion and noise around him.
I couldn't explain it, but something about the stillness of that moment drew me in. As if some unseen current had caught hold of me, I found myself walking toward him without really deciding to. Before I could second-guess myself, I reached out and gave him a light tap on the head—more instinct than intention.
The second I saw him stir, I froze. What was I doing?
Suddenly aware of myself again, I turned and hurried off the train, just managing to slip out before the crowd reached the doors.
Feeling embarrassed by what I had just done, an urge to find a corner and disappear began to creep in. I didn't even get the chance to look around the pristine station before I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning slightly, I saw a tall man dressed in the standard red uniform of Valthera Academy personnel, though his had golden lapels, a subtle but clear sign of higher rank.
"Lady Ruach, if I may presume?"
"You may. What business brings you to me, sir?"
"I have been assigned as your escort."
"Assigned? That is rather presumptuous. I was not made aware of any such arrangement, nor did I request one from the Academy."
"Indeed, my lady. The arrangement was made by Grandmaster Tremaine herself."
"...Is that so? Then perhaps the Grandmaster has taken to making decisions on my behalf now. Might I ask what prompted such initiative?"
"I'm afraid I was not informed of her reasoning. I was simply instructed to ensure your immediate arrival at her office upon disembarkation."
"A summons, then. Without notice, explanation, or courtesy. Quite unbecoming of one bearing the title of Grandmaster. I see no reason to comply with such a request."
"She anticipated your reluctance, my lady... and entrusted me with this letter, to be delivered should you refuse the request for a meeting."
As I took the letter and opened it, a chill ran down my spine. The very first word on the page was "Expelled."
The moment I saw it, fear surged through me. What did this mean? If I were expelled, how would I ever restore my family's name—our innocence, our honor? Was I truly meant to be trampled on, to be blamed endlessly for crimes not my own?
But as I continued reading, my spiraling thoughts came to a halt. The letter was short. Just one sentence:
"Expelled—that is what you shall be, should you decline my request for a meeting."
I stared at the words in silence for a moment before finally speaking, turning to the man still waiting at my side.
"Request?" I let out a short, bitter laugh. "Don't make me laugh. This isn't a request—it's a threat."
"May I know my lady's answer to the request?" he asked, his voice steady.
"Well, what choice do I have?" I said with a trace of sarcasm. "Of course I'll accept."
"Then allow me to take your bags. This way, my lady."
After that, everything became a blur. My thoughts were tangled, restless—too consumed by the question of why this was happening to fully grasp anything around me. I walked to the car on autopilot, slid inside without a word, and stared blankly as we passed through the towering, iron-wrought gates of Velthara Academy.
The Academy itself loomed like something out of an old story—grand, cold, and quietly watching. Gilded hallways stretched endlessly, floors polished to a near mirror shine, high arched windows casting long, solemn shadows across marbled walls. I should've been in awe. But instead, I felt a strange pressure building in my chest, like the walls themselves knew who I was—and resented it.
And then, without realizing how I got there, I was standing before a large, ornate door. My escort stepped forward, knocked once, then slowly pushed it open.
END OF CHAPTER