I stared at Choco in shock and she looked at me, equally shocked.

"Am I hallucinating or did that plate just really flew into her hands?" I finally asked.

And Choco panicked.

"I -I don't know-", " She is a mage!" Seanna exclaimed excitedly and clapped her hands together, "You are a mage, Choco!"

Choco blinked in confusion and I looked at Seanna, "How...?"

"All the newborn children in Obelia have some small amount of mana in them." Seanna started explaining, "Most of them lose all their mana till they become three years old, but some children's mana grows over time till it begins to form a certain type of power by the time they are six.

"When I was seven I once touched an injured cat and the wound healed itself." She said, "And that's when I was categorised as a healing mage and easily got enrolled in the Royal Academy."

"So Choco's a mage...." I started, "Who can move around objects without touching them. That's one of the best kind of powers." Seanna finished.

"That's so cool!" I exclaimed, smiling at Choco who had a blank expression on her face.

"And since we know she is a mage, she can be enrolled in the Royal Academy if she has enough mana in her!" Seanna added and I beamed.

"Choco! We can go to the same school together!" I said excitedly.

Royal Academy has classes for kids of all age groups. A noblewoman or man can get enrolled when they are 6. For a mage, they can do it as soon as they discover their power. In the knight faction, only commoners with talent for swords can enrol for free in the Academy, otherwise, the knight faction is only open for nobles and require fee to get enrolled. The mage faction, however, is open to all the kids with powers and fee is not asked from the commoners.

"I....can do magic?" She asked, tilting her head sideways.

"Of course! Oh Yess! I feel like a proud mother!" I said and Seanna chuckled, "Aren't you too young to be a mother?" She commented.

"You thought. I'm much older than you think I am." I replied sarcastically (though I was telling the truth) and she laughed.

__

___

The next day I talked to father about taking Choco to the Academy and he agreed. Mother was also in favour of supporting the other kids from the orphanage.

I went to the Academy an hour early the other day, we had to talk to the head of the Mage's department.

Seanna was doing all the talking and Choco was taken to test how much mana she had, leaving me alone outside the door, waiting for them.

"Good morning Lady Adailia." Came a voice from my right and I turned my head to see Raashid and Mari (who had a few papers in his hands) approaching me.

"Good morning, your highness and Mari..nus." I quickly greeted them (almost calling Mari 'Mari' who noticed that and send me a light glare), "Your highness, I was wondering if you figured out who sent assassin to kill you?" I asked. The last time we conversed, the assassin who was sent to kill Raashid still hadn't opened his mouth (even after he was brutally tortured for over a month).

Raashid sighed, "Actually, yes. He was hired by one of the higher nobles in Peruka who had invested in the slavery system, for revenge or something like that. We found that out just yesterday." He said and I nodded. "Anyway, what brings you here so early? And in the mage's building at that?" He asked.

"I was actually here for -", "She's in!" Seanna exclaimed excitedly, bursting open the door and straight away hugged me. "I am in!!" Exclaimed Choco and hugged my legs.

"Now I will go with you to school every day!" Choco said smiling at me and I smiled back.

"You ladies sure our close." chuckled Raashid and Mari looked genuinely surprised at what happened.

Both, Seanna and Choco separated from me and looked at Raashid. Seanna quickly bowed, "My apologies, your highness, I didn't notice you there."

Choco copied her action but didn't say anything.

Raashid chuckled, "You never seem to notice me, lady Seanna."

Seanna blushed.

Are they....flirting?

I smiled widely at the two of them. Finally, some relationship development which I can see.

"What?" Seanna and Raashid said in unison, noticing my look.

"Nothing. I'm just so happy that Choco got in." I said.

"Choco? Is that the kid you took home with you that day?" Raashid asked.

"Yes." I replied.

"Which day?" Seanna asked.

"The day when nearly every guard pissed their pants as if they saw a tiger- or rather a tigress." Mari said, matter of fact like.

I blushed. Damn, the kid is exaggerating. Tigress? Really? I probably looked like a squirrel throwing a tantrum.

"Right." Raashid smirked playfully, "Weren't you the first one to piss your pants, Marinus?"

Seanna snorted and I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing.

"Yes. Right after you shitted in yours, your highness."

I burst out laughing and so did Seanna.

Mari and Raashid joined in a second later, while Choco looked at us with a weird expression.

"Why is everybody laughing without me?" Came a voice and I looked behind Raashid's tall frame to see Caiden approaching us.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Nothing." We all said in unison and he frowned, "Come on! Don't leave me out!!" He whined.

"Nothing really, let's go now, we have a lot of work to do." Raashid said and we quickly bid each other goodbye.

Seanna took Choco and me on a tour to the Mage's building since we were still early and the building was comparatively empty. After that, we dropped Choco back at home (she'll be joining two weeks later) and came back at the time when first class started.

Time soon passed and it was already lunch time.

Other than the announcement for Empress selection contest where female participants of age 18 or 19 were supposed to give their names to the Principal's secretary, nothing special happened. I had no idea what this contest is gonna have and I don't need to know since I'm not participating. The contest was going to take place four weeks later.

As I was making my way towards my usual table (the one at the centre), I suddenly felt really odd. Like I really didn't want to sit there, gaining everyone's attention. But you know what, that's exactly how I feel every day. So I ignored the feeling and continued to make my way towards it.

"Lady Adailia, would like to join us?"

I turned to see Caiden looking at me brightly.

I smiled but then looked at Mari and Raashid sitting on the same table, "What about his highness and Sir Marinus? Would they be alright with that?"

"I don't really care." Mari replied indifferently and I looked at Raashid, "I don't mind either." He said and gave a polite smile.

I smiled back and took a seat, "Then, thank you for having me here."

As I sat I saw Seanna enter the cafeteria. I asked Raashid, "Is it alright if I call Seanna over?"

"Sure." He replied.

Seanna joined the table looking a bit uncomfortable which soon melted when we started talking about random stuff.

Throughout the lunchtime, people were throwing us weird looks but I didn't mind.

Because this time, I wasn't the only one receiving them.

The rest of the week passed by and they were the best days I've had in a while. Raashid was talking more and more to me and we were comfortable with each others company.

__

___

"Let's see who can finish this sum first." Raashid said and pointed a question out of his book.

I quickly read it and nodded.

"Okay, ready? 1, 2, 3! start!" Caiden announced and both Raashid and I started solving it at a high speed. This was one of the random things we did when we were done discussing things like empire's economy, new schemes and what's the best solution to deal with the drought in the west of Obelia. Raashid had started discussing these stuff with me after I gave him my suggestion on something random which he liked a lot.

"Done!" Raashid exclaimed and I gritted my teeth in annoyance as I wrote the last number. I was so close to winning.

"I am done too!" I said shoving my book in his face.

"But I was done first." He said smirking and I frowned.

"It's not fair! I want a rematch!"

"What about it is not fair?" Raashid asked, smirking.

"You.....Your fingers are too long! That's why you can write faster than I can!" I falsely accused him.

He looked at me incredulously while Caiden nodded, "That's right Raashid. Give her a rematch!"

And I won the next one.

__

___

Everything around me was dark.

I couldn't see a single thing nor could I hear anything.

I looked around and on my left, not too far away, was a girl.

Choco...?

She wasn't.

It was Eunah.

Her black hair was messy and her eyes.... Looked dead.

"Why..." She mumbled.

"Why would you leave me like that...?"

I felt my heart drop when I saw what she was looking at.

It was a picture of us together. I had my arms wrapped around a five-year-old Eunah, both of us smiling at the camera.

"Eunah....." I said. She turned her head to look at me.

"What?" She snapped.

"It's me..... Your Unnie*..."

She scoffed and then glared at me, "You think it's funny to mess around with me like that?"

"No...its really me.." I tried, my eyes tearing up.

"Look at your face in the mirror!" She spat.

A mirror appeared out of nowhere.

An image of a pale beautiful girl with pink hair appeared in front of me. Her Emerald eyes, glistened with unshed tears, as I had in my eyes.

It was the same image I saw in the mirror everyday I woke up for the past few months.

And I still can't get used to that.

"You still think you are Choi Haeun?" Came a sarcastic voice and the mirror disappeared to show a man with white hair and red eyes.

He laughed.

"Grow up." He suddenly said seriously, grabbing my shoulders and shaking them.

"You aren't Choi Haeun anymore." He said, his red eyes boring into me, "You are.."

My eyes snapped open and Seanna's face came into view, her hands on my shoulder.

"You are late again. Wake up." She said as I stared at her in confusion.

"What the fuck?"