When they were dismissed to their rooms, Aurora held onto Calypsera's hand as they made their way down the long corridor toward their dormitory.
Calypsera glanced down at their joined hands for a brief moment but chose to ignore it. Aurora seemed like the type who clung to people easily, and Calypsera neither had the heart nor the energy to pull away.
The corridor was lined with tall windows and flickering enchanted lanterns that cast a soft glow across the stone walls. Students walked past them in small groups, chatting excitedly as they carried their luggage toward their assigned rooms.
Eventually, they located their room.
Their luggage had already been brought in by the academy attendants, neatly arranged beside the door. Both girls stepped inside and began unpacking.
The room was simple yet elegant. Two beds stood on opposite sides of the room, each with dark wooden frames and neatly folded bedding. Between the beds was a tall divider that served as both a dresser and a small wardrobe space. Behind the divider was a shared washroom.
Calypsera never had many belongings anyway.
Her luggage consisted of only a few dresses, books, and small personal items. She unpacked everything quickly and placed them neatly in her space. Within minutes, she was finished.
Meanwhile, Aurora had barely begun.
Calypsera sat on the edge of her bed and watched her new roommate unpack what seemed like an endless collection of clothes, jewelry, decorative shells, trinkets, and fabrics.
It was safe to say Aurora might have brought half the ocean's wealth with her.
"I'm kidding," Calypsera thought silently, though the idea wasn't entirely far from the truth.
At some point, Aurora suddenly turned to look at her new roommate.
"Do you understand everything I say?" Aurora asked.
Calypsera nodded.
"Good!" Aurora said excitedly. "Then I don't have to worry about trying to communicate with you. What a relief."
She turned back to continue organizing her things, humming happily to herself.
But only a moment later, she froze.
Aurora slowly turned around again, her eyes widening in sudden horror.
"Sera… how do you communicate with me if you need something?" she asked, shock evident on her face.
She paused for a second before adding quickly,
"It's okay if I call you Sera, right?"
Calypsera, who had been quietly observing the mermaid the entire time, couldn't help but smile softly. She nodded.
Does she always wear her heart on her sleeve like this?
Aurora's emotions were so open and transparent that Calypsera found it strangely refreshing.
Calypsera reached into her small bag and took out a notebook and pencil. She wrote something down and then used simple hand gestures as she showed Aurora the page.
Aurora leaned closer, watching her intently and trying her best to understand both the writing and the signs.
Her effort genuinely pleased Calypsera.
Back home, no one had ever tried this hard to understand her. No one cared enough to learn how she communicated.
They simply called her the mute siren.
Soon, the room was filled with Aurora's bright laughter.
Aurora began telling her a long and exaggerated story while also attempting to mimic sign language. Every now and then Calypsera would shake her head, silently correcting her when she got it wrong.
Aurora would gasp dramatically, then try again.
Eventually, Aurora finished organizing her belongings.
Calypsera could have sworn she had never seen so much gold and blue gathered in one place before. Aurora's side of the room shimmered with oceanic colors, decorated with pearls, sea glass, and fabrics that reflected the hues of the sea.
Compared to that vibrant display, Calypsera's side looked far more subdued.
Her space leaned toward darker tones, blacks, deep violets, and muted shades that gave it a slightly gothic appearance.
The contrast between their sides of the room was almost amusing.
Soon, they both changed into more comfortable outfits and made their way toward the dining hall for dinner.
The dining hall was enormous.
Long tables stretched across the vast chamber, each sectioned off according to the different levels and ranks within the academy.
Except for the vampire tables.
Those were reserved exclusively for elite vampires.
As Aurora and Calypsera stepped inside, the chatter in the hall did not stop like it had earlier that day, but that did not mean the attention disappeared.
Eyes still followed them.
Students whispered quietly among themselves as they walked toward the tables designated for new students.
They took their seats as more students continued to troop in, filling the hall with noise and conversation.
The table quickly began buzzing with gossip.
Nesera rolled her eyes the moment her sister sat down nearby.
She definitely looked too polished and elegant to sit next to a mute.
Nesera had already begun mingling with other influential students and did not want anything ruining the image she was carefully crafting for herself.
Still, she didn't ask Calypsera to leave either.
She simply refused to acknowledge her presence at all.
Calypsera didn't care.
"I heard that Lord Nikolai does not have a team yet," a girl sitting close to Nesera said excitedly.
"I call dibs on him. You all can choose the other Lords."
Nesera's eyes lit up instantly, but she quickly masked her reaction.
"How come he doesn't have a team yet?" she asked casually, using her fork to pick up a vegetable and place it in her mouth.
"Does he have a mate?"
"Of course not," the girl replied.
"They say no woman from any species has been able to catch his eyes."
She lowered her voice conspiratorially.
"You know pure-blooded vampires mate for life. Once they form a bond with someone, they can never be with another."
"There are rumors suggesting he once took a lover," she continued quietly. "But she died. Since then, he hasn't been able to find another."
Calypsera raised a brow slightly.