I was still breathing heavily when the morning light started to fill our bedroom. The scary images from my mind were completely gone, leaving only a blank space, but my body still felt like it had been running for hours. I sat up in my bed and wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. The room was quiet and peaceful, completely different from whatever bad dream I had just experienced.
Across the room, I heard the soft rustle of blankets. Elphyete slowly woke up from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes gently and sat up. Her silver hair was a little messy from sleeping, but she still looked as pretty as always. She turned her head and saw me sitting there looking sweaty and tired. Her large, bright eyes filled with worry. I watched as her long, elegant elven ears, which usually stood straight up, slightly pointed downwards. It was a small thing, but it showed how much she cared.
"Are you okay?" Elphyete asked softly. Her voice was quiet, sounding like a gentle morning breeze.
I forced a small smile on my face, trying to stop my hands from shaking. "Yeah, I'm ok," I said.
She just looked at me for a moment. Her ears were still pointing slightly downwards, and I could tell she didn't completely believe me. She knew me well enough to know when something was wrong.
I took a deep breath and relaxed my shoulders. "It's okay. I think I just had a nightmare," I explained. I tried to remember what the nightmare was about, but nothing came to my mind. It was completely erased, leaving only that leftover feeling of fear.
Hearing that it was just a bad dream, Elphyete slightly became relieved. Her shoulders dropped, and her ears twitched back up just a little bit. She gave me a warm, caring smile. "I'll cook you a soup so that you'll feel ok," she said.
"Thanks, Elphyete," I replied, feeling really grateful to have her around.
She went off the bed, fixing her nightclothes quickly, and walked out of the bedroom. I heard her soft footsteps going downstairs to the kitchen. I sat on my bed for a few more minutes, just listening to the normal, safe sounds of the morning. I could hear the birds singing outside the window and the clinking of pots and pans as Elphyete started cooking. It helped me forget the scary, empty feeling in my chest.
After a few minutes, I finally got out of bed. I changed into my casual morning clothes and followed her downstairs. The smell of the food was already filling the mini-mansion. It smelled like fresh herbs, warm broth, and something rich and savory frying in a pan. I walked into the living room and sat down on our soft, comfortable couch. I just waited there, letting the morning laziness take over me.
Then, I noticed Euphyne. The giant, muscular warrior who could break mountains with his bare hands was sitting right next to me on the couch. But he wasn't doing anything tough or scary. Instead, he was holding Snowball, our tiny white kitten, gently in his massive hands. Snowball looked so incredibly small compared to Euphyne's giant fingers.
Euphyne was staring at the kitten with a big, goofy smile on his face. He lifted Snowball up slightly and started talking in a high-pitched, playful voice that I never expected to hear from him.
"Who's the cutest kitty?" Euphyne cooed, carefully scratching the kitten behind the ears. "You're the cutest kitty! Yes, you are! You are a fierce little lion, aren't you?"
Snowball just meowed softly and started purring loudly, rubbing her little head against Euphyne's rough thumb. The sight of this huge guy acting so sweet and soft with a tiny cat was too funny. I couldn't hold it in. I chuckled, leaning back on the couch. Euphyne looked over at me and laughed his loud, booming laugh, completely unbothered that I caught him baby-talking to a pet.
After a while, Elphyete walked out of the kitchen carrying our breakfast. She walked over to the dining table and started setting the plates down. We both got up from the couch and walked over to the table to eat.
She placed a large, steaming bowl of soup right in front of me. It was a bright green veggie soup, filled with chopped carrots, leafy greens, and soft potatoes in a clear broth. It smelled very healthy. Then, she walked over to Euphyne's side of the table. She placed a massive plate completely piled high with bunches of crispy, golden-brown fried meat. The smell of the fried meat was amazing. The juices were sizzling, and it looked so delicious and crunchy.
I looked down at my bowl of healthy green soup, and then I looked over at Euphyne's giant mountain of greasy, perfect fried meat. My mouth started to water.
I looked up at Elphyete and pointed at Euphyne's plate. "Where's my m-"
And before I could even continue my sentence and ask for meat, Elphyete quickly interrupted me. She put her hands on her hips and gave me a very strict, motherly look.
"You're sick right now, and you need your veggie soup," Elphyete said firmly. Her tone left no room for arguing. She was taking care of me, and in her mind, nightmares and cold sweats meant I needed healthy vegetables to recover, not heavy fried food.
I looked at the crispy meat one last time, let out a long breath, and sadly agreed. "Okay," I mumbled.
I picked up my spoon and started eating the veggie soup. Honestly, even though I really wanted the meat, the soup was incredibly good. Elphyete was a master chef. The broth was warm and flavorful, and the vegetables were cooked perfectly. It actually did make my stomach feel much better, and the lingering coldness from my nightmare completely washed away. Euphyne, meanwhile, was happily chewing through his mountain of meat, giving me a thumbs-up while his mouth was full.
After finishing eating, we all went upstairs to get ready. We put on our academy uniforms, grabbed our bags, and made sure we had everything we needed for the day. We finished preparing and left the mini-mansion together, walking out into the bright morning sunlight. The walk to the university was nice and simple. The streets were filled with other students chatting and laughing.
When we arrived at our classroom, we walked in and sat at our usual desks. But something was different today. Standing at the very front of the classroom, near the chalkboard, was Principal Alex. He was the head of the whole Mage and Warriors University, so seeing him in our normal class was a big deal. The room got quiet very quickly as everyone sat down and paid attention.
Principal Alex cleared his throat and looked at all of us with a serious but excited smile.
"Good morning, students," Principal Alex announced loudly so everyone could hear. "Today, I have some very special news. Starting soon, we will have an adventure class! This means you will not just be sitting in this room reading books. You will travel around the continent of Fhajin to learn about the world with your own eyes."
The whole class started whispering excitedly. Traveling around Fhajin was a huge deal. Sir Vael had told us before that Fhajin was the only massive continent on our planet of Dhenshin, and it was filled with wild areas, deep forests, and unknown places. Going on a real adventure meant we would finally see the world outside the city walls.
"And of course," Principal Alex continued, raising his hand to quiet the room, "Sir Vael would still be your teacher for this journey."
I looked around the room, trying to spot Sir Vael.
"However," Principal Alex added, "managing a group of students in the wild is a lot of work. So, you will have an assistant traveler for your adventure. Please, meet Miss Cherha."
The door to the classroom opened, and a woman walked inside. She looked very different from the fancy teachers at the university. She was wearing practical, tough leather armor that looked like it had been through a lot of battles. She had sturdy boots, a utility belt filled with small pouches, and a friendly, confident smile on her face. Her hair was tied back in a simple ponytail so it wouldn't get in her way.
"Hello class, I'm Cherha Fielgrine," she said cheerfully, giving us a small wave. "But just call me Ma'am Cherha."
"Hello, Ma'am Cherha," the entire class replied together in a respectful tone. She seemed really nice and approachable.
Principal Alex nodded, satisfied with the introduction. "Miss Cherha will explain everything to you all," he said. He gave a polite bow to the class and to Ma'am Cherha, and then Principal Alex left the room, closing the heavy wooden door behind him.
Ma'am Cherha walked to the center of the room and clapped her hands together. "Alright, everyone! It is great to meet you all. Let me tell you a bit about myself and how this adventure class is going to work."
As she started talking, I glanced toward the very back of the classroom. Sitting there, slumped in a chair with his feet propped up on a desk, was Sir Vael. He had a book covering his face, and I could hear the faint sound of him softly snoring. He was completely asleep while the new assistant teacher was doing all the work. It was so typical of him.
Ma'am Cherha didn't seem to mind Sir Vael sleeping. She kept smiling and explained her background. "I am a retired adventurer," she told us. "I spent many years traveling across Fhajin. I know how other places work. I know the safe routes, the dangerous forests, and most importantly, I know how the outside of dungeons work. When you are out in the wild, survival is just as important as fighting or casting spells."
She walked back and forth as she spoke, looking at each of us. "Because we will be camping and traveling a lot, we need to be efficient. I can cook decent meals for a large group, and I can clean our campsites fast. I use my special instant clean magic. It allows me to wash clothes, clean pots, and clear away dirt in just a few seconds using a specific type of water mana. And more, etcetera. Basically, I am here to make sure you all survive the trip and focus on your learning without worrying about the small chores."
Suddenly, the book fell off Sir Vael's face at the back of the room. He slowly sat up, stretching his arms high into the air and letting out a loud yawn. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the class.
"Yeah, what she said," Sir Vael chimed in, his voice sounding lazy and sleepy. He pointed a thumb at Ma'am Cherha. "Ma'am Cherha is here cause I'm way too lazy to clean up after all of you, and I am too lazy to explain everything about camping. So, listen to her if you don't want to eat dirt on our trip."
The class laughed nervously. Sir Vael was the strongest person we knew, an Otherworlder who could destroy planets, but he was hiring a retired adventurer just because he hated doing dishes and explaining basic survival rules. It was funny, but it also made a lot of sense.
For the next few hours, Ma'am Cherha went over the basic rules of traveling. She talked about what kind of clothes we should pack, how to identify safe drinking water, and the importance of staying close to the group. She was very organized and clear. It felt good to have someone normal explaining things, instead of Sir Vael just throwing us into a crazy situation without warning.
When the sun started to go down outside the windows, Sir Vael stood up and walked to the front. He clapped his hands to get our attention.
"Alright, that is enough talking for one day," Sir Vael said. "We'll have a few days of break right now. I want you all to use these days to pack your bags, rest up, and prepare for the adventure. Once the break is over, we will meet back here at the class, and we will set off on our journey."
We all nodded, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement.
"See you all later," Sir Vael said. He casually raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
The classroom around me vanished in a quick blur. There was no walking, no opening doors. In the blink of an eye, we got teleported back home by Sir Vael. I found myself standing right in the middle of the living room of our mini-mansion, with Elphyete and Euphyne standing right next to me.
The evening went by quickly. Elphyete went straight to the kitchen to prepare dinner for us. Since I had eaten my healthy soup this morning, she finally made a huge feast with plenty of meat, roasted potatoes, and sweet bread. We all sat at the dining table together.
Euphyne was practically bouncing in his chair. He seemed incredibly excited about the upcoming adventure. He kept talking about all the giant monsters he wanted to wrestle and the huge mountains he wanted to climb in the wild parts of Fhajin. He was so hyped up that he didn't even chew his food properly. He literally ate the food at one gulp, swallowing massive pieces of meat and bread in seconds.
"I must rest and build my energy for the journey!" Euphyne shouted happily, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He stood up from the table so fast his chair almost fell over. "Goodnight, my friends!"
He ran out of the dining room and went upstairs to bed, his heavy footsteps echoing through the house. Snowball trotted happily up the stairs right behind him.
Elphyete and I finished our dinner at a much slower, quieter pace. We cleaned up the dishes together using the sink, since we didn't have Ma'am Cherha's instant clean magic. After everything was tidy, we locked the front door, turned off the lights downstairs, and walked up to our bedroom.
The room was cool and quiet. We both changed into our nightclothes and climbed into our large bed. I laid down on my side, facing the window so I could look at the stars outside. I was thinking about the adventure class. I wondered where we would go first and what kind of things we would see. It felt like my life was finally moving forward.
As I laid there, I suddenly felt the mattress shift behind me. Then, two soft arms wrapped around my waist, and I felt a warm body press against my back. At bed, Elphyete hugged me at my back. She held onto me tightly, resting her face against my shoulder blades.
I was a bit surprised. My heart did a tiny jump in my chest. I turned my head slightly to look over my shoulder at her.
"Why are you hugging me?" I asked quietly in the dark room.
She didn't let go. She just squeezed me a tiny bit tighter. "It's cold this night," she said softly, her voice slightly muffled against my shirt.
I looked at the window. It wasn't really cold at all. It was a perfectly warm, normal evening. I knew she was just making an excuse because she wanted to be close to me, maybe because she was still thinking about my nightmare from this morning, or maybe she was just feeling affectionate. I couldn't help but smile a little bit. I didn't want to argue with her or point out that it wasn't cold.
I just sigh, letting my muscles relax completely into her warm embrace, closed my eyes, and went to sleep.