A bell-like ringing echoing in the distance woke Maya. Sunlight seeped through the windows on her side of the room. Relief washed over her when she realized the bells had saved her from oversleeping—she’d forgotten to set an alarm. Exhausted from a restless night in the unfamiliar bed, and filled with a mix of excitement and anxiety about what lay ahead, she searched for Leo first, but he was nowhere to be found.

  She found it strange. He was usually there the moment she would wake up for the past couple of days. She wondered if she had it in her to handle her new life without his supporting presence.

  ‘You’re going to win today,’ she told herself. Not knowing what exactly she was going to win, but knowing she had to start her day optimistic.

  Elena slept through the ringing, her face dug into the mattress. She probably pushed away her pillow in the sleep, but now was reaching for it to cover her head murmuring angrily for being woken up.

  In no time, Maya got dressed and ready to go. After clipping on a silver broch with intricate academy emblem she stopped, admiring the design of her new school uniform. It didn’t fit quite right, but it was only a temporary solution until she got a new one made.

  Elena, on the other hand, showed no signs of getting up. Maya decided to wake her gently—she didn’t want Elena to miss the first day of school, and besides, she needed someone to show her around.

  “Wake up. The class is about to start,” Maya said softly.

  Elena muttered dismissively. As Maya approached, searching for a gentle way to wake her without provoking her anger, she noticed Elena still clutched a bottle in her hand and smelled strongly of alcohol.

  ‘Seriously…’

  Maya tried to get it from her, but as soon as she pulled on it, Elena automatically gripped it tighter. It succeeded in getting some reaction from Elena, as she turned to give her a warning look.

  ‘Don’t take candy from a baby…’

  “C’mon, I need you to show me the way.”

  With a resigned sigh, Elena rolled out of bed and slid to the floor like a slug. She stood up, swaying for a moment as she gathered her bearings. Still disoriented, she stumbled toward the bathroom, taking one final swig from the bottle. Finding it empty, she carelessly let it clatter to the floor.

  Instead of the bathroom, Elena ended up going to the fridge and pulling out yet another bottle.

  ‘What’s she doing?’

  Maya couldn’t believe her eyes and moved to grab it out of her hand, but Elena resisted just as firmly as before. Despite her slim build and drunken state, Elena’s strength caught Maya off guard—the bottle remained locked in her white-knuckled grip.

  “You can’t be drunk on your first day of school,” Maya objected.

  “Better drunk than hungover.”

  Knowing how to be stubborn too, Maya wasn’t letting go of the bottle. Elena gave her an angry look before giving up and waddling her way into the bathroom. Maya sighed and put it back in the fridge.

  “You do realize she’s still drunk?” Leo said behind her as soon as there was a sound of water running from the shower, almost making Maya jump out of her skin startled.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Yeah. She drank so much all by herself. No wonder…”

  Though tall, Elena wasn’t of a build that would suggest strong tolerance.

  “Russians are insane with their drinking habits…” Leo crossed his arms and shook his head.

  “I don’t think this is related to her nationality, Leo.”

  “I know you’ve been through some shit, but I don’t see you drinking up your sorrows.”

  “You know, we need to establish some kind of signal for you. My heart won’t be able to survive the jump-scares.”

  “Ah… Sorry…. I forgot I don’t make much sound.” Leo scratched his head.

  Maya lingered for a moment before asking: “Where were you?”

  “Huh? Right… Just wandering around. I thought you wanted some space. Being on standby while you sleep feels awkward… And I wasn’t sure if you wanted me here anyway…”

  “Oh… Sorry for ignoring you before.” Maya looked at her feet. “I don’t want her to think I’m a weirdo that talks to herself.”

  “You’re afraid she’ll think you’re a weirdo? Look around. She has knives stuck in the wardrobe frame. I don’t know how you are going to survive being her roommate.”

  Maya’s expression hardened. “Do you think I’m too sensitive to handle someone like her?” She didn’t like that he thought she was so weak and delicate.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  Maya turned toward the bathroom door. “I’m going downstairs! Meet me there?” she called out to Elena. Only the sound of running water answered her.

  “You think she’s okay?” she whispered to Leo.

  “You want me to check?”

  “No!” Maya snapped, then caught herself. “Whatever. Let’s just go” she added, aware she had overreacted.

  It was the first day of school. Instead of starting junior year in high school, she was beginning again as a freshman—but this time at a special magic school. It felt like living inside one of the stories she used to read. Though her device was taken away…

  ‘No. Don’t feel sad about it. This time you’ll have friends, and your days will be filled up with activities you won’t have time for reading.’

  Making her way downstairs, she found the dorm buzzing with excitement as girls rushed to get ready. She passed several others on the stairs, but they were too absorbed in their own preparations to notice her.

  When she got to the ground floor, bumping into some girls who were hanging at the bottom of the stairs, she was shocked at how crowded it was. Maya felt very out of place, squeezing through them to get to the kitchen and grab something to eat.

  Both the small breakfast room and the kitchen, adjacent to it, were crowded with girls hunting something to bite. Overwhelmed, she was left standing still.

  A girl passing through bumped into Maya, the silver coffee pot in her hand sloshing. Effortlessly catching her balance she glanced at Maya.

  “Want some coffee?” she asked with a warm smile. Her voice carried easily over the morning chaos.

  She wore her curly hair in an elegant frost-tipped style that complemented her rich caramel complexion. Something in her confident posture suggested she was an upperclassman.

  “If you manage to find yourself a clean mug, I’ll pour you some.”

  “Thanks,” Maya looked around for a cup but ultimately gave up. “Maybe some other time…”

  “I don’t think I saw you around before. Are you new?”

  “Yeah. I arrived yesterday.”

  “Yesterday?! Oh, dang, this must be a total shock for you.”

  “It is a bit overwhelming, I won’t lie,” Maya was honest.

  The girl introduced herself as Jenny, shared some tips from her own first day, and explained she was the dorm house representative. She apologized for not being able to give Maya a proper tour earlier, having not been notified of her arrival, and offered her help in the future. Though the morning chaos meant she had to rush off quickly.

  After their brief chat, Maya managed to snag a croissant to avoid facing the day’s adventures on an empty stomach. As the dorm emptied out with no sign of Elena, waiting for her roommate seemed increasingly futile. Maya decided to simply follow the crowd—after all, everyone was heading to the same place.