Upon exiting the building, Maya was surprised to see Elena leaning against the wall and smoking a cigarette. Despite being in a school uniform, Elena’s cleaned-up appearance still conveyed her recalcitrant style.

  Her preference for wearing black persisted. An obscure band t-shirt replaced the standard white button-up shirt. The black uniform blazer was casually tied around her waist, and her plaid, black-grey uniform skirt had been tailored into wide-leg shorts. She had swapped the usual uniform shoes for Docs.

  She painted her lips a dark maroon colour and threw on a choker as an only effort to spruce up. More wasn’t necessary; her large eyes and long eyelashes were naturally attractive. In the daylight, Maya could see that her eyes were not dark, but rather deep ocean blue.

  Elena carried no school bag—just a thermos bottle carelessly stuffed into her blazer pocket.

  “Well, at least she’s staying hydrated,” Leo remarked.

  Despite her seemingly casual approach to personal style, she looked incredible. Her tall stature and slender build made almost anything look good on her.

  Maya observed that other students took liberties with their uniforms too, though none as dramatically as Elena had. She studied their clothing choices carefully, knowing she would need to order her own uniform soon.

  “Took you long enough,” Elena muttered, extinguishing her cigarette against the wall. Her grumpy mood seemed to be her default state.

  “I didn’t see you come out,” Maya confessed.

  “How could you? Cramming with those girls simply isn’t worth it. Let’s go,” she was still impatient.

  “You were waiting for me?”

  “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  “Yes. But I thought that since you ignored me you had your own friends to go—”

  “I prefer being alone,” Elena cut her off and started walking.

  Maya blinked at the abrupt dismissal. “So… you don’t have any friends,” she concluded and immediately regretted her bluntness.

  This revelation hardly surprised Maya. Between Elena’s sharp tongue and perpetual scowl, maintaining any sort of friendly relationship with her would demand the patience of a saint.

  Elena stopped and shot Maya a warning look. "I don’t need friends. And frankly, I’m starting to regret waiting for you.”

  Elena quickened her pace, ignoring whether Maya followed or not. As their path curved uphill, Maya struggled to match her long strides.

  “Wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  Though Elena stopped, she didn’t turn to look at Maya.

  ‘Thank Heavens,’ Maya thought.

  “How long will these introductions take? I want to explore downtown,” Leo said, casting a curious glance downhill toward the centre of Amellan. Maya knew Leo could explore on his own, but she appreciated that he wanted to share the experience with her.

  ‘Patience Leo,’ Maya thought, ‘We’ll get to it later.’

  Maya caught up to Elena, who remained motionless, staring indifferently to the right. Following her gaze, Maya noticed the dormitory complex across the road, which she guessed was for male students based on the groups of boys streaming out of it.

  Her gaze was caught on a particularly striking guy—a tall, athletic young man with neatly styled dark hair and an easy smile. His presence was magnetic, and even from a distance, Maya could see how his peers regarded him with a mix of admiration and deference.

  To her surprise, the same guy broke away from his admiring crowd and headed in their direction.

  Feeling her heart quicken, Maya couldn’t help but poke Elena, hurriedly whispering: “That cute guy is going straight toward us!”

  He had a presence that made the world itself seemingly want to conform to his will—even the blades of grass appeared to bow as he walked. His widening smile almost made Maya dizzy. Then he reached them and, without hesitation, pulled Elena into a kiss.

  Maya stared at the couple in a complete daze, her mind struggling to pair the two off though she was seeing it with her own eyes.

  ‘…She has no friends but managed to snag a guy like this!?’

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  “What, did you think he was coming for you?” Leo grumbled beside her, and Maya subtly jabbed him with her elbow.

  Of course not—Maya was simply stunned by his looks. Perhaps they were a good pairing since both were eye candy in their own right.

  Was Mellgrah full of stunning people? She hadn’t noticed at first, but most students were notably fit and healthy—far from the image of a mage as someone brainy and reluctant to exercise. But the envious glances from others confirmed her suspicion:

  ‘Ah, so those two were still in a league of their own.’

  “Won’t you introduce me to your friend?” he nudged Elena.

  Elena apathetically glanced at Maya. “My roommate,” she corrected him, “Maya.”

  “Nice to meet you, Maya. I’m Keith,” he replied politely, offering her a handshake and a bright smile.

  Despite herself, Maya’s heart fluttered.

  “Nice to meet you, too,” Maya said as she shook his hand, careful not to stare at his dazzling appearance too openly.

  Keith was dazzling, indeed. Well-groomed, he wore his school uniform properly as a standard model. His handsome face was framed by dark brown hair, his bright green eyes captivating; making him resemble an idol.

  In contrast, Elena was a living mess. Maya didn’t know much about her, having met her just last night, but suspected she wouldn’t be considered of good standing. On the other hand, the guy she was dating looked like an unironic prince.

  The trio continued to walk together, but Maya intentionally began lagging behind, unnoticed. The envious stares from all sides made her painfully aware that she didn’t fit into their picture.

  Ahead loomed the towering walls of a citadel. Though not as tall as the city walls, they commanded respect with their massive metal gates that welcomed students. This was The Amellan Academy—a city within a city. Maya had assumed the town was the heart of this place, but she'd been wrong. The Academy itself was Amellan’s true centre, and she had never seen anything like it.

  “Oh, gosh. I’m so excited,” said a stubby, auburn-haired girl walking next to Maya. “It feels like we’ve been waiting for this moment forever.” She spoke with a distinct foreign accent.

  ‘Italian, perhaps?’ Maya pondered, unsure if the girl was addressing her.

  “I just arrived last night, but I share your anticipation.”

  “Really? And you’re not lost? I was so lost on my first day. It was such a shock, you know? One day you’re hearing all these stories, and the next, you’re living them,” the girl was ecstatic.

  Maya thought her enthusiasm was endearing. “I’m still disoriented, but I’m trying not to show it.”

  “You’re doing a great job then,” the girl laughed.

  They had just entered the gates, taking in the vast, beautifully manicured courtyard. Freshly cut grass carpeted the enormous space, a grand building standing across the way. The courtyard was bordered by arcades, creating porticoes on all sides, with a fountain serving as the centrepiece. Directly opposite the entrance rose the academy’s main building—an imposing structure that towered above the surrounding walls. With its numerous annexes, the complex seamlessly blended interesting mix of neo-styles with a unique flair of its own.

  Maya lost sight of the short girl as students swarmed around her. While everyone else seemed to know where they were going, she felt lost and uncertain. She hesitated to follow the crowd blindly, wishing she had taken time to read the orientation file they had given her.

  As she scanned the crowd for a familiar face—a short list—she noticed a few students who looked oddly out of place. Not in the way she felt herself to be. They simply stood and observed, attracting no attention.

  ‘They weren’t just lost, they weren’t even there…’ Maya realized, ‘Just like Leo.’

  A chill ran through her veins. Was she seeing other spirits?

  Unlike what one might expect of ghosts, just like Leo, they didn’t have any ghostly or translucent qualities to them. They appeared just like regular students, though some wore pyjamas or casual clothes instead of uniforms. Yet something seemed off about them. Their expressions were eerily vacant, as if they were disconnected from their surroundings.

  Maya’s attention was drawn to one girl, slightly ahead of her. She was staring blankly into the distance. When her gaze met Maya’s, she raised her eyebrows in surprise.

  Suddenly, someone bumped into Maya, apologized, and moved on.

  ‘That’s what I get for standing in people’s path.'’

  She looked for the girl again, but she was no longer there.

  ‘What am I even doing? Should I allow other spirits to know I could see them?’

  Reality snapped back into focus, and a feeling of hopelessness washed over her. She didn’t know where to go. Just then, Leo came to her rescue.

  “Follow me,” he said confidently.

  Following his lead, she entered the grand academy building. Its splendour, a mixture of stone, wood, and marble, was breathtaking. However, there was no time to admire the opulent entrance hall.

  “Did you see other ghosts there?” she inquired quietly, no longer concerned about who might hear her. After all, no one seemed to be paying her any attention.

  “You could see them? I didn’t mention it earlier because I thought you might not be able to. But this place is packed with the dead,” Leo shared, a hint of concern in his tone.

  “What do you mean packed? There were only a few of them in the courtyard.”

  “Few of what? Who are you talking to?” Elena’s voice suddenly sounded behind her.

  Maya stopped with her mouth agape, not knowing how to respond. How did Elena appear so abruptly without her noticing? She searched for the right words but came up empty.

  Elena watched her with suspicion.

  “Girls, we don’t have all day. Take your seats.”

  A woman, presumably a teacher, urged them forward, gently guiding them towards a large hall. The entrance ceremony was being held in an impressive auditorium with a sloping floor and semi-circular seating, spacious enough to accommodate five hundred students.

  Maya was relieved when interrupted and pretended to be busy looking for seats to avoid Elena’s gaze. She scrambled to think of an explanation, berating herself for not preparing one for such situations. They ended up sitting next to each other, but fortunately, Elena didn’t bring it up again.