The dormitories were a labyrinth of identical hallways, a place that seemed like it would go on forever, the walls were lined with polished chrome doors and muted grey walls. Fluorescent lights hummed, casting long, unbroken shadows that seemed to stretch into infinity. Sunlight, filtered through arched, gothic windows, striped the polished marble floors.
Seraphina adjusted the strap of her satchel, the worn leather digging into her shoulder. She clutched a stack of mana theory textbooks to her chest, their weight a familiar burden. Her pink hair, usually a vibrant splash of color, seemed dulled by the oppressive calm of the corridor.
She was heading back towards her room.
[If only I had been there for Audrey, instead I had to get busy with taking care of some bounty, if only I had gotten higher on the entrance exam. Maybe then.. It would've at least saved her]
"Hey."
A voice from behind her startled her, it jolted her to her very core.
[This voice.]
Neila Shaw.
Her blonde twin-tails bounced as she stepped into the hallway, her head was tilted to one side as her baby blue eyes narrowed, as if she was studying her very soul, glowing dimly under the bright lights.
She wore a pristine white uniform, somehow immaculate despite the recent chaos. Her eyes, those unsettling chips of cerulean blue, glinted with an almost bored amusement as they swept over Seraphina.
"Haven't seen you in a while."
Seraphina's grip tightened on her books, her knuckles turning white. Internally, a cold fury began to simmer. Seraphina's pink hair, wispy and framing a face that was usually serene, seemed to glow with a faint, almost ethereal light under the high ceilings.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself into a smile. "You're right, I had almost forgotten your voice. It almost shocked me when I heard it again, how have you been? I trust that you've done well?" The words felt like ash on her tongue.
"You're right, I haven't seen that mug of yours since you left the family and ran away to the Mirlo estate." Neila scoffed, planting a perfectly manicured hand on her hip.
"I didn't run away per se, the Shaw family wasn't really my thing." The smile on her face wavered. "The family really did not give me enough support, there was no point in me staying there in the first place. Unlike you, dear sister, I couldn't make use of the facilities efficiently."
"You say that, but did anything really change? You were working as a maid with novice witches, you think that you'd improve? And you're still holding on to those old ass books." She tapped a finger playfully on the topmost book in Seraphina's stack.
"I'm studying to become a zoologist after all, being a witch myself, it won't be very easy to get into a good school."
"Ah, Seraphina," Neila's voice, though pitched low, carried an unmistakable edge of condescension as she grabbed her shoulder, whispering into her ear with a slow sultry tone. "Give it up, you're never going to get a good job, even if we're a part of the four main families, we're still witches, tools meant to do the government's dirty tasks."
Seraphina turned away and clicked her tongue.
"Anyways," Neila smiled, an expression so genuine that it seemed as if she wasn't acting at all. "Let's talk about something lighter anyways, we haven't seen each other in years, I recall you used to follow me around everywhere, like a puppy, it was rather cute."
"That's because I had nowhere else to go, I thought that I'd learn something from you."
"Remember all those times you'd watch me practice? So eager to learn, weren't you? It's rather sweet of you, even after all this time, you still look up to me."
"Look up to you? Is that what you think of me? Your little sidekick?" She tilted her head, her smile cracking even more.
"Of course."
"Your technique, it's rather remarkable how you've managed to hone it with such a low mana pool." Seraphina's fingers tightened on the spine of her topmost textbook, her knuckles momentarily turned white.
Neila's smirk widened, clearly interpreting the response as genuine admiration. "Of course, it takes a certain finesse, wouldn't you agree? No matter how the Primordials try to make me falter, the one thing they can't seem to tamper with is my genius." She leaned in conspiratorially, her voice dropping to a theatrical whisper. "Still, it was always rather adorable, watching you try. Like a kitten chasing a laser pointer."
[Self absorbed bitch]
Seraphina's eyes, normally a soft, vibrant blue, hardened almost imperceptibly as she met Neila's gaze. "I've been working on my own… interpretations of the technique."
"Interpretations?" Neila let out a brittle laugh, the sound grating in the quiet hallway. "What I think is that you're focusing way too much on the theoretical aspect of the magic, real improvement comes from constant use and the quick improvisations made in the heat of battle." She ran a hand through her hair, a gesture of dismissal. "Or maybe you've become too much of a pussy after running away from the household to the Mirlo estate with your tail between your legs."
[Holy shit, she's pissing me off, was she always like this? I can't fuckin stand her, it's like she's trying to piss me off on purpose.]
"Sister," she began, her voice soft, almost a whisper. "Speaking of the Mirlo estate, congratulations on your latest…let's say, acquisition. Quite the feat, to turn such a terrible tragedy into your own personal gain. Only you could manage to steal such a large number of assets from the Mirlo household."
"I simply made the most out of my situation, otherwise, most of the assets would go nowhere, better off handed to me instead."
Neila's smirk widened. She preened, running a hand through one of her pigtails. "Some would call it ruthless, but I prefer 'resourceful.' And you, Seraphina? Anyways I can't believe you're studying some random ass animal facts. You should just work for me instead, where I'll make more use of you than anyone else will." Neila's eyes darted past Seraphina, towards the broader, more opulent sections of the academy. She then leaned in, her voice dropping to a theatrical whisper. "Though I suppose your particular… talents… are best kept discreet."
Seraphina's amber eyes, when she finally lifted them, held a flash of something cold and cutting that vanished as quickly as it appeared.
[She's insulting me between the lines. What the hell! This is like.. professional slandering! She's a goddamn professional insulter]
At that moment, the distant sound of approaching footsteps broke the stagnant air of the hallway.
Hoshimi and Kira appeared at the far end, walking side-by-side.
[This place, it somehow, reminds me of the Mirlo estate]
Hoshimi seemed lost in his own world, his violet eyes scanning the environment with a detached analytical gaze.
[I guess I'm still hung over Audrey's death, I wasn't before but I am now, I never even felt this way before. I hate this feeling, this stupidly human feeling.]
Kira clung tightly to his sleeve, her head down, trying to make herself invisible against the backdrop of his composure.
Hoshimi stopped right before the two of them, his eyes flickered between Neila and Seraphina, taking in their subtle expressions with a face of boredom.
[I'm too tired for this, I feel mentally exhausted, like I ran a marathon]
He stared blankly at the two of them, too tired to even focus on their faces, his eyes were on the verge of lamenting but his body wasn't built for it, as if a large tall wall stood in his way.
Kira, meanwhile, visibly tensed, pulling Hoshimi's sleeve tighter as her gaze instinctively darted towards Neila. The memory of the Mirlo estate, the chaos, the uncomfortable confrontation with Sophia, still haunted her. She just wanted to pass by unnoticed.
Neila, ever aware of an audience, straightened, her smirk re-calibrating. "Well hello there, Mr puppet, you still owe me that deal that you promised me, you made me drive after all."
"Yea, I know, what do you want anyways?"
Neila tapped her chin, pretending to think of something. "Nothing really, I'm just here to remind you that our Witch's Oath is still in place, I'll make use of it when the time comes, for now I want you to act as a mana well when I need you." Her eyes flickered over towards Kira, then back onto Seraphina.
Hoshimi merely gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod to Neila, his eyes briefly meeting Seraphina's. In that fleeting instant.
Seraphina's eyes narrowed, observing Hoshimi's face.
[What's up with him? He's awfully more obedient than usual, I told him that I'd kill him after all, maybe that did a lasting impression on him]
"Neila," Hoshimi said, his voice flat, bypassing any pleasantries. "Seraphina. We were just heading to our rooms." He replied, his voice flat. "Assignments." He gestured vaguely towards the staircase.