Looking at the cloudy sky, where no star could be seen, a girl was thinking about the future. The noise of the rain invades the room's space, reverberating through the walls. And within this space, only a few people are gathered. One of them, a man in a suit with an armband featuring a typical emblem of a teacher, was standing, reading aloud from a book, the content of which was being heard by almost everyone present.
The other people sitting at the desks were dressed in clothes of the same color, with girls wearing skirts that reached their knees and boys in seemingly expensive and well-polished pants and shoes. On the chest of what appeared to be the school uniform, a crest with three dragons and two banners displayed which school it was. The Three Dragons Academy of Aethelgard.
A prestigious school, recognized for its quality in educating students in various areas of science. Some former students later became important figures and recognized heroes throughout the lands of the continent.
Although she didn't carry any symbol that showed she was part of the nobility, one of the students sitting near the window looked outside, distracted. She had short blonde hair, but her most striking feature was her distinct eyes of blue and green.
The girl's mind was far away, thinking about the future, as she stared at the horizon and felt the vibration of the rain hitting the window.
"Lucretia! What is the story I just read about!?!?"
"Oh yeah... the story... well, it's about a dragon, right?"
The man in the suit shouted angrily, getting the girl's attention. The girl, Lucretia, replied looking a bit uncomfortable.
After a few moments of silence, another student, a slim girl with pale skin, dark blue hair, and glasses, spoke up.
"The Dragon Fafnir is a mysterious mythological figure said to have appeared 1000 years ago. In the mythical accounts of Aethelgard, Fafnir was responsible for establishing a new type of ability in humans, known as Singularities, which were crucial for our civilizational development and also for the defense of our lands against external threats."
"Well said, Celina! You are the pride of our class!"
The teacher praised the girl with glasses and waved his hand, asking her to sit down. For Lucretia, he looked to her with a disapproving expression.
(But I spoke correctly, didn't I? What difference does it make?)
Lucretia thought while looking at the girl with glasses. Celina, noticing that she was being watched, turned her face to the side, in the direction of the teacher.
"Lucretia, you should learn from Celina. She is not only smart but also the first in the class to 'awake'. You are the only one who does not have Singularity."
"She is just an orphan of the rabble. Nobody expects anything from her. I don't even know what she does here."
"Yeah, she's such a poor country girl. Always coming in the same stinky, faded uniform."
When the two boys started to mock Lucretia, the girl loudly got up from her chair. Her red eyes and angry expression made them stop talking.
"Calm down, you shouldn't talk like that. She passed the entrance exam like all of us, so she have merit."
"Shut up. I'm going to take these two down."
Celina tried to calm the spirits and Lucretia spoke while approaching the boys who did not seem intimidated, provoking her to fight. Then the teacher intervened saying:
"Lucretia, to the principal's office, now!"
"WHAT!? WHY ME!?"
"Now!"
No matter how strong she seemed, at the moment the teacher told her to go, she lowered her head and headed towards the principal's office. On the way, she stopped and asked to go to the bathroom. The teacher allowed it.
Celina, worried about what was happening, saw Lucretia entering the bathroom and followed her. Lucretia locked herself in one of the stalls, lowered the seat, and stayed there for several minutes, without making any noise.
When she opened the door, her eyes were red and watery. She didn't look at Celina, who also didn't have the courage to comment on what she saw.
In the principal's office, with just her and the teacher, he said:
"Look Lucretia, I understand your upset When I said you should learn from Celina, I was talking about the studies. You need to stop having your head in the clouds and focus on learning something useful. Look, you could even work in a big bank or at the city hall if you are smart. Maybe even find a good marriage."
"Are you telling me that my future is to be an office girl?"
"Lucretia, my child, you are not a noble and you do not have a singularity. It is already a great privilege for someone like you to be in a place like this. Do not waste the opportunity. If you fight at school, they will expel you immediately."
The teacher said while walking around the room, as if he were impatient.
She thought about asking "and the boys?", but held back. They were the sons of influential nobles in the city, so the answer would be obvious.
"But if I want to be an adventurer?"
"Hã?"
The teacher heard Lucretia's question and immediately responded with disbelief.
"But what if I want to be an adventurer? What if my singularity is powerful?"
"Folish. And hanging out with a bunch of uneducated Neanderthals? You are smart and very beautiful for your condition, you must differentiate yourself from the rabble, not walk with them."
"Army?"
"Are you the daughter of a military personnel?"
Lucretia just lowered her head. She understood that, in her condition, she would not be able to make much progress in a place like this.
"Look, my child, listen to my words. You must accept your condition and do as you're told. Life is not fair..."
After a few minutes of sermon, the teacher allowed me to go home with a warning for disturbing the peace by getting up from my chair in the middle of the class.