Arion walked out of the Auditorium, stretching his arms. He made it about ten steps before he realized he had a tail.
He stopped and turned around. The Fire Girl and Sebastian froze.
"Is there something I can do for you two?" Arion asked. "Autographs? Donations? Directions to the nearest exit?"
The girl marched up to him, hands on her hips. "YOU! Why did you choose that teacher?"
Arion shrugged. "Every teacher is the same. They talk, I sleep. At least with her, we can sleep at the same time. It's efficient."
"EFFICIENT?!" The girl looked like she was about to explode. "YOU REALLY ARE AN IDIOT!"
She stepped forward as if to poke his chest, but Sebastian stepped between them, acting the peacemaker.
"Peace, Exousia," Sebastian said calmly.
"Wait," Arion interrupted. "Exousia? Is that your name?"
Sebastian looked at Arion with genuine shock. "You… you seriously don't know her name?"
"Should I?"
"She's Exousia Ignis! The daughter of the Grand Duke! A prodigy of fire magic! Everyone in the kingdom knows her!"
Arion picked his ear. "I don't have a clue."
"SERIOUSLY?!" Exousia shrieked. "My face is on the commemorative coin!" She showed the coin, "My father owns half the capital!"
"Good for him," Arion yawned. "Just tell me your name next time instead of assuming I read the gossip columns."
"You are a weird one, Arion," Sebastian muttered.
"He's not weird," Exousia huffed, crossing her arms. "He's just old. He's twenty-two. His brain is probably rotting from age. Some of the staff are younger than him!"
Arion's eye twitched. "Okay, listen here, you brats. Are you following me just to mock my advanced age? Because I will turn this hallway around."
"No," Sebastian stepped closer, his eyes intense and sparkling. "I don't mean to mock you. I just want to… see you closer."
Arion took a step back, guarding his chest. "Whoa. Personal space."
"I want to know everything about you," Sebastian continued, stepping closer. "Your technique. Your stamina. The way you move."
"Okay, stop right there," Arion held up a hand. "Are you falling for me? Am I really that good-looking? Look, buddy, I'm flattered, but I prefer women. Older women. Not… whatever this is."
Sebastian blinked. "What? NO! I PREFER WOMEN TOO!"
"Then stop looking at me with those hungry eyes!" Arion accused. "You're blushing!"
"I am NOT blushing!" Sebastian turned to Exousia. "Am I blushing?!"
Exousia looked at the two of them—one panic-stricken blonde boy and one defensive older man—and made a face of pure disgust.
"You both make me sick," she groaned.
"See?" Arion pointed at Sebastian. "You made it weird. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find a place where people don't look at me like a piece of meat."
"I just wanted to study your magic!" Sebastian yelled as Arion walked away.
"Lies!" Arion shouted back without turning around. "Go study a textbook!"
Since classes didn't start until tomorrow, Arion decided to wander.
He checked the cafeteria (huge, smelled like expensive cheese). He checked the library (too quiet, smelled like old paper). Finally, he found himself at the Training Ground.
It was an open-air arena filled with weapon racks—shortswords, daggers, spears. Even in a world of magic, sometimes you just needed to stab someone.
Clang. Swoosh.
The rhythmic sound of a blade cutting air caught his attention. Arion walked around a stack of hay bales and saw her.
A girl with short, choppy grey hair. She wore a standard training outfit that clung to a very fit, athletic frame. She was swinging a longsword with terrifying precision. Every cut was clean. Every breath was measured.
Arion watched, impressed. Now that is proper form.
Suddenly, she stopped mid-swing. She snapped her head toward him.
Their eyes met.
WHOOSH.
The world vanished. The training ground, the weapon racks, the sky—all gone.
Arion was floating in an endless, dark ocean. The water was cold, pressing against his skin. There was no surface, no bottom. Just an infinite, crushing blue void. He felt a sense of overwhelming insignificance, like he was about to be swallowed by a leviathan.
"Are you okay?"
SNAP.
Reality returned. Arion was standing on the dirt floor of the arena, breathing hard. The grey-haired girl was staring at him, her sword lowered.
"Are you okay?" she repeated, her voice monotone.
"What… just happened?" Arion shook his head, trying to clear the phantom water from his ears.
"You looked like you were falling," she said simply.
"I… yeah. I'm okay." Arion straightened up. "From your clothes, you're a student?"
"Yes."
"I didn't think anyone would be here today. Everyone else is unpacking or partying."
"I train every day," she said. "I just returned from home yesterday. My body felt feeble. I needed to sharpen it."
"Feeble?" Arion looked at the obliterated training dummy behind her. "If that's feeble, I'd hate to see you fit."
"You are a new student," she stated, not asking.
"Yeah. I'm Arion."
"I see. If you are alright, I will excuse myself."
She sheathed her sword and walked past him. As she passed, Arion got a closer look at her eyes.
They were pale white. But her right pupil… it was distorted. It looked like a whirlpool.
That stare… Arion thought, watching her leave. I couldn't move. It wasn't just fear. It was like she dragged my soul out of my body. I need to tell the Old Hag about this.
"Tell who what?"
"GAAAAH!"
Arion jumped a foot in the air. Floating directly beside his ear, upside down, was his Master.
"You really surprised me!" Arion clutched his heart. "And why are you here?!"
"Not your business," she grinned, flipping upright. "So? What were you going to tell me? About a girl?"
"That girl," Arion pointed at the retreating figure. "She has amazing eyes. Strange eyes."
"Hmmmm." The Master squinted at the girl. "Let's see. Nice physique. A bit rigid. She's too focused on upper body strength, so her bust isn't growing, but her glutes are—"
"I MEAN HER EYES, YOU PERVERT!"
"Oh. Her eyes?"
"Both are white. But one has a weird pupil. When we made eye contact, I was stranded. In the middle of an ocean. Just… nothingness."
The Master's playful expression vanished for a split second, replaced by something sharper. Then, just as quickly, the grin returned.
"That sounds intense. Did you die?"
"obviously not! But it was strong. Even with the amulet you gave me." Arion tapped his chest, where a paper talisman was hidden under his shirt. "It pierced right through your protection."
"Well," the Master shrugged, floating circles around him. "She is a student here. This Academy gathers monsters. It's to be expected."
"You're taking this very lightly."
"Because I'm leaving."
"Already?"
"Tomorrow is your first day. I can't be hovering around you like a helicopter parent. But…"
She reached into the neckline of her dress. Arion covered his eyes. "What are you doing?!"
"Storage space, boy. Relax."
She pulled out a silver ring attached to a chain. It hummed with a low, magical frequency.
"Here." She tossed it to him.
Arion caught it. It was simple, silver, and looked expensive. "Are you proposing to me?"
SMACK.
"You are too young for me," she said, dusting off her hands.
"So you admit you're old!"
SMACK. (Harder this time).
"Just wear it!" she barked, her face inches from his. "Put it on your finger. And listen to me, Arion. Don't you dare take it off. Understand?"
"Okay, okay! Scary woman." Arion slid the ring onto his finger. It tightened slightly, fitting perfectly.
"Good luck in the Academy, Arion," she said softly.
Then, she began to fade, turning into sparkles of light.
"Wait!" Arion reached out. "I still never asked you your na—"
She was gone.
Arion stood alone in the training ground, looking at the silver ring on his finger.
"Great," he sighed. "Now I look like I'm married. Sebastian is going to be heartbroken."