Let's recap, shall we?
I've been reincarnated into the body of a teenage noble girl named Lumière Elaris Caelum von Arandale (fuck that name).
I have zero recollection of how to be a noble, a lady, or a functioning human being in general.
I've been dumped into a magical academy full of rich, stuck-up, magically gifted pricks who think they're better than me (they're not).
I have absolute power — like, I-can-destroy-mountains-with-a-thought kind of power — and no fucking idea how to control it.
I accidentally summoned a fireball the size of a small dragon during my first magic class and almost turned the classroom into charcoal.
I got yelled at by my professor, put on magical probation, and banned from doing anything fun.
And to top it all off, I'm sharing a room with Seraphina, who hates my guts and probably fantasizes about stabbing me in my sleep.
So yeah. Living the dream.
But today?
Today was the day I met Love Interest #1.
And let me tell you — he did not make things any less chaotic.
"So… you're the one who set the classroom on fire."
The voice came from behind me.
I was sitting alone in the courtyard during lunch break — not by choice, but because no one wanted to sit near the girl who almost melted the ceiling. Even the birds had flown away. I was halfway through a dry sandwich (thanks, noble cuisine), trying not to look like a complete outcast, when that smooth, slightly amused voice hit my ears.
I turned around.
And there he was.
Tall. Dark-haired. Sharp jawline. Piercing silver eyes that seemed to see right through my soul (or at least through the bullshit I was trying to front). Wearing the darkest shade of royal blue robes I'd ever seen, adorned with silver runes that probably meant something magical and pretentious. He had this whole "I'm mysterious and brooding and way too cool for this place" vibe going on.
And he was looking at me like I was a puzzle he couldn't quite solve.
"Oh, you mean the fireball chick?" I said, taking a bite of my sandwich and not bothering to hide my sarcasm. "Yeah, that's me. Lumière. Nice to finally meet the guy who thinks I'm a walking disaster."
He raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't say disaster."
"Oh? Then what would you say? Walking natural disaster with a side of chaos and poor impulse control?"
He smirked. Just a little. "Something like that."
I blinked. "Huh. And here I thought you were gonna lecture me or call me a menace to society or whatever."
"I was," he admitted, walking closer and sitting down across from me like we were old friends. "But then I realized… you didn't mean to do it. You weren't trying to show off. You just… lost control."
I stared at him. "Wow. And here I thought you were gonna be another asshole noble who thinks I'm a freak."
He shrugged. "I've seen worse."
"Oh yeah? Did one of them also summon a fireball big enough to roast a cow during their first week?"
He chuckled. "Not exactly. But I've seen a few students blow up their own robes. Or turn their classmates temporarily invisible. Or accidentally summon a swarm of magical rats."
"…Magical rats?"
"Don't ask."
I stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out if he was messing with me. But he just leaned back, completely unfazed, his silver eyes glinting with amusement — and something else. Something I couldn't quite place.
"So," I said, narrowing my eyes. "Who even are you?"
He smiled — that same lazy, unreadable smile that made me feel like he knew something I didn't. "Kaelion Duskbane. Fourth-year Arcane Arts student. Specializing in Void Magic."
"Void Magic?" I raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that, like… the edgy one? The 'I summon shadows and brood in corners' kind of magic?"
"Something like that," he said, his smile widening just a little. "People tend to be afraid of it."
"Yeah, well, I'm not," I said, taking another bite of my sandwich. "Fear's kinda boring."
He tilted his head, studying me. "You're not what I expected."
"And what did you expect? A simpering little noble girl who faints at the sight of magic?"
"Something like that," he admitted. "But you're… different."
I snorted. "Wow. A compliment from the mysterious brooding mage. I'm thrilled."
He laughed — a soft, quiet sound that somehow managed to be both charming and unsettling at the same time. "Don't let the robes fool you. I'm not as scary as I look."
"Sure you're not," I said, smirking. "You just look like the kind of guy who talks to shadows and whispers secrets to the moon."
"And you," he said, his gaze sharpening slightly, "look like the kind of girl who doesn't care what anyone thinks."
I hesitated.
Then I shrugged. "What's the point?"
He didn't respond right away. Just looked at me — really looked at me — like he was trying to figure out what made me tick. Like he saw something in me that no one else did.
And for some stupid reason, that actually made me feel… weird. Uncomfortable. Like I'd just been caught doing something I wasn't supposed to.
"Anyway," I said quickly, standing up and brushing crumbs off my skirt. "Nice chatting with the Void Boy. But I've got better things to do than sit around and talk about my alleged magical instability."
"Like what?" he asked, standing as well.
"Like surviving this place without setting anything else on fire," I said, walking away. "Wish me luck."
He didn't follow me. Just watched me go, that same unreadable smile playing on his lips.
"Good luck, Lumière," he said softly. "You're going to need it."
Later That Day: The Rumors Start
By the time I got back to my dorm room, the entire academy apparently knew about the fire incident.
And Kaelion Duskbane.
And the fact that the "mysterious noble girl" had somehow managed to conjure a fireball so powerful it nearly took out half the classroom.
Seraphina, of course, had heard everything.
"Oh, look who decided to grace us with her presence," she said sarcastically as I walked into the room, dropping my bag onto the floor. "Did you intentionally try to burn the school down today, or was that just a happy accident?"
"Wow, you're just now bringing that up?" I said, flopping onto my bed. "I thought we were past it."
"You nearly killed someone," she snapped. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is for House Arandale?"
"Relax," I said, rolling my eyes. "No one died. No one even got hurt. I'm basically a hero."
"A reckless hero," she shot back. "And now everyone's talking about you. Especially that… that Void Mage."
"Oh?" I said, sitting up. "What about him?"
"He said he watched the whole thing," she said, her voice dripping with disgust. "And that you were… 'fascinating.'"
I blinked. "Fascinating, huh? Damn. I knew that robe looked magical."
"He's dangerous, Lumière," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Everyone knows Void Magic has a… reputation."
"Yeah, yeah, brooding loner with a dark past and a penchant for shadows," I said, waving her off. "I've seen that trope before. Trust me, he's probably just misunderstood."
"He's not misunderstood," she said firmly. "He's trouble. And if you keep hanging around him, you're going to get dragged into it."
I rolled my eyes. "Wow, thanks for the life advice, Mom."
She glared at me. "I'm serious, Lumière. You don't know what you're dealing with."
"Neither do you," I shot back. "But hey — if he tries to sacrifice me to a demon or whatever, I'll make sure to scream loud enough for you to hear."
She didn't laugh.
Neither did I.
But something told me this was just the beginning.
[TO BE CONTINUED…]