In the early hours of dawn, before the sunlight had yet to spill across the sky, inside a townhouse in the old quarter of the city, a bespectacled girl sat beneath the glow of her desk lamp, typing something on her notebook.
It looked like an essay—
and yet, its content resembled a university application letter far more.
"Dear SEA Academy,
My name is Miss Madison Ariyakul, 18 years old. I am writing this letter to apply for admission to SEA Academy. My body is more than ready for the journey, just as my heart is. I hope the sea will bless me and allow me to become a part of the Academy.
I have enclosed all required documents for your consideration. Please refer to the attached documents.
ith highest respect,
Madison Ariyakul."
The girl placed the letter and accompanying documents into a black envelope and sealed it with a deep crimson wax stamp.
"Ah—has the sun already risen? I completely forgot the candle… where did I put it?"
She rushed down from her bedroom on the third floor, searching all around the house for the candle she needed.
"Mom, have you seen the delivery candle?" she finally called out, giving up.
Her mother would surely know.
"On your head, Maddie. Open the cabinet," came the shout from the kitchen.
Her mother must have been preparing food for her father before work.
Maddie looked up and opened the modern wooden cabinet, just as she was told.
I already checked here…
As if reading her thoughts, the very moment she was about to argue, the object she had been searching for brushed against her hand.
That was close…
"Found it! Thank you!" she called, before hurrying back upstairs to her room. She grabbed the black envelope and headed toward the household furnace.
She lit a garnet-red candle engraved with the image of an owl carrying a letter in its beak.
"Please deliver this document to SEA Academy, Marine South Pier, Coral Reef No. 7, Rock No. 142."
The moment she finished speaking, the flame transformed into a black glow. She held the prepared documents over it, and in an instant, they burned away completely from her hands.
She extinguished the candle.
Then let out a long breath.
At last, the efforts of the past three years had all led to this day.
I hope it works.
Now, she would have to wait another month.
"Well then, Maddie… if I get in, great. If not, I'll just study where I am."
With that resolve, she climbed into bed. Though the sun had already risen, her room was shrouded in darkness behind heavy curtains. Her heart raced as she hoped the next month would pass quickly.