The rest of this most unusual encounter ended much more simply than it had begun. The two boys exchanged a few familiarities. Devion thought perhaps this was how people met here. Strange, yet memorable.
It was in the most deafening silence that the two teenagers left the room and resolutely headed towards the canteen.
Sol Wolfrad. The name didn't mean much to Devion. His family must have been more modest. It had to be said that Dev was used to dealing with children from wealthy noble families.
As Devion imagined all the scenarios and lives his comrade might have lived, Sol broke the silence.
"Sorry about earlier." He turned his head, a big smile on his face, and Dev thought he reminded him of a fox. It was also at this moment that Devion noticed more precisely the location of Sol's scar.
A large scar across Sol's mouth was something Devion had never seen before. Apart from his own, he was sure he'd never seen one so singular.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Sol ran his fingers over his scar looking at the ground. "I could have had one, let's say… More aesthetically pleasing."
"At least you got one."
Surprised, Sol raised an eyebrow in astonishment. Devion looked at the sky and the sun tickling the treetops, it was quite warm on this first day.
"Not everyone undergoes an awakening, let alone a second awakening."
Sol smiled, then fell silent, closely following the boy who had finally beaten him to it. Devion, like Sol, was a scar bearer, but his scar was even more unique.
The young mage had a scar perpendicular to his eye, tracing down his cheek in the shape of a tear. Did this give him an heroic side? In any case, Sol found the dark-haired man far more interesting than when they first met, and even if the test was more of animosity than friendliness, he hoped they would become friends.
Devion stalked his way into the dining hall, but Sol couldn't ignore the spectacular amount of magic in his wake. He thought that it was better to make him his ally than his enemy.
Devion hadn't quite understood why it had been necessary to summon him to introduce him to such a surprising character as his new roommate. No matter, at least he could socialize a little, even if that wasn't his strong point. He preferred to let himself go and wait for people to come to him.
The day went by slowly, with no new events adding to Devion's preoccupations. He ended his journey by throwing himself onto the bed in what would now be his bedroom.
After a somewhat awkward lunch at first, the atmosphere between Sol and Devion had gradually softened and they had finally been able to exchange some of the simplicities that two teenagers like themselves were supposed to be able to do naturally. Sol explained that he had, as Devion guessed it, come from a modest family where he had been taught to always be on his guard and to test every new magician he met.
Lunch had gone smoothly, but something had caught Devion's attention.
"Are you resting?" Sol placed his bag on the nearby bed and took off his jacket. "Thinking back to lunch?"
"Who were all those people?"
Sol smiled and sat down opposite Devion, crossing his legs and raising his chin to the sky. He breathed heavily, the brunet watching him lying from his bed with his arms crossed behind his head he straightened slightly to hear him better.
"Surely you know Carla Artheimer." Devion nodded. "Well, the other one with the black hair, that's her sister, Elena. Let's just say she's known for being rather cold. She's part of the Scholar Assembly."
"Hm… I see." Devion stood up, obviously rather satisfied with the answer his comrade had given him.
"I imagine she's strong."
"Yes, very."
"Do you know her symphony rank?"
"Ascendant, I think?"
"Not bad."
"Not bad? It's really good, it's even excellent! The vast majority of entrants to Orpheion are in the Resonant stage. She's only in her second year, but usually we move up to the Resonant stage at the end of our studies at Orpheion." Sol paused for a moment. "Wait, what's your rank?"
Devion let out a chuckle.
"The last time I was rated Ascendant." Devion raised a hand to the sky twirling ice and fire together in perfect harmony. "But I will say that now I tend toward a little more."
Carla was under far too much pressure for a sixteen-year-old. Not only was she under pressure from her parents to represent the Parvanian elite, but she also had to honor her status as princess and ensure understanding between the two kingdoms.
Initially, the young girl had not really accepted this exchange to Orpheion, or rather she had categorically refused it. However, her friend Maya had convinced her and sung the praises of her sister, who had already been there for two years. So Carla had given in to her parents, but above all had given in to her friend.
Just as Maya's older sister Lyra had been at the institute for two years, Carla's older sister Elena had been there for a year. Elena's presence in the corridors of Orpheion was a rather motivating reason for refusing to go.
Carla had started her first day at the academy much like everyone else. It would have been a real waste not to let a young woman of her level join Orpheion.
Carla was an Ascendent and double elemental type to boot! Where her sister had only one elemental, Carla intended to show her that she was the one who would make their parents proud.
"I'm sorry about you know… Lunch time." Maya was putting her things away in the small cupboard provided for them in the bedrooms. "Your sister is really..."
"Unbearable." Carla looked at her reflection in the mirror adjacent to her bed and adjusted her uniform. "I don't care if she's in the Scholar Assembly. I'll be better."
It had to be said that Elena's smashing arrival in the dining hall hadn't gone unnoticed. A member of the Scholar Assembly for more than a year now, Elena was always much noticed, despite her cold, distant side. The brunette had passed by her sister without so much as a glance or a hello. The relationship between the two sisters had always been like that, nothing was new to anyone.
Maya wasn't fooled. Elena was deliberately ignoring Carla because there was this stupid conflict between the two princesses: who would be the strongest. Elena had taken the lead, much to her sister's dismay. But no one had won, at least not yet.
Carla had stood up and overturned her sister's tray with a flick of her hand. Elena's entire lunch had ended up on the floor.
"What did you do?" Elena kept her composure, her tone as icy as ever, not moving a millimeter as she stared at her sister.
"Hi, sis. I'm glad to see you too."
The tension in the whole huge room had risen suddenly, everyone turning to see who could emanate such a devastating magical aura. Obviously, everyone knew the two Parvanian princesses.
The scar on Elena's forehead began to glow, as did Carla's scar across her neck. Particles of ice and blizzard began to dance with the already tense atmosphere. The students could be heard holding their breath, none daring to interrupt the terrifying dance of the elements caused by two princesses.
"Oh! No, no and no. That's enough of that. My ladies, let's calm down." Professor Kel Shapper arrived looking panicked but he was just as energetic and smiling as usual. "Let's calm down. That's enough of that. The rest of you, back to your lunch!"
Elena was the first to release her powers.
"I'll always be better than you."
Carla looked down under her friend's desolate gaze. For once, Elena had won. But the battle was just beginning.
Further back in the assembly a young boy seemed to have been observing this low-class brawl with the utmost care. Interesting, he thought. Orpheion was full of surprises.
Maya smiled at her friend's motivation, then ran a hand through her short blue hair and let herself fall back onto the bed. She straightened up again and tilted her head towards Carla.
"Do you want to go to the welcome party?"
"Will my sister be there?"
"Surely... I imagine?"
"Then let's go Maya." Carla held out a smiling hand and Maya finally grasped it to rise to her feet. After all, she should be fine, there were two of her. As long as it was just the two of them, everything could only go well.
Calm was a luxury that usually only lasted a short time in this sumptuous academy. Where every story born in Orpheion came with its own share of chaos. This new year sounded the death knell for the peace that had barely been established.
As the day drew to a close, the students hurried back to their rooms to prepare for one of the most important evenings of the year, the Welcome Party. Where this evening was specifically for first-years, everyone was invited. Refusing to attend was generally frowned upon, as it was an opportunity to get to know everyone and forge real ties in a society where two kingdoms were still in tension.
Thepra was an immense continent divided into three kingdoms, three nations. Kaelor and Parvana tried to maintain calm, peaceful relations and ally themselves to guarantee an elite of magicians, while the kingdom of Erebus was more on the side.
Hardly any Erebus students enrolled at Orpheion. It was rare to hear anything about this third, sadly silent kingdom. The mysteries of this kingdom, however, remained of interest to many Parvanian and Kaelian citizens.
Devion looked at himself in the mirror; he was wearing a black suit, the first time he'd worn such an outfit. The young boy stared for a moment at the long scar that ran down from his eye to the bottom of his cheek.
"Devion, shall we go? We're going to be late." Sol asked. He'd been more discreet since their first encounter. It had to be said that he felt more self-conscious than most of the people he'd tested hadn't really passed his test.
"By the way." Devion turned his head toward his new friend. "You can call me Dev. But yes, let's go."
Sol smiled and trailed after Devion to follow him toward the exit of their room. Dev had passed his test with flying colors. Perhaps it was also because Sol was afraid. Afraid of the terrifying aura Devion exuded. What was probably most terrifying, was that nobody seemed to notice.