I woke up to the most annoying sound one could wake up to.
Knocking.
Hard. Fast. Desperate.
I rubbed my face and glanced down. Eimira is still asleep, her hand curled on me, her hair covering part of my arm. Her breath, slow and warm.
The knock hit again.
I sighed, frustrated.
Eimira opened one eye. "...were you expecting anyone?"
"No..." I whispered.
Eimira slid off me and rolled off to the side of the bed. She didn't rush. She stretched a bit, then pulled the blanket from the bed up over her head.
"Go answer it." She said,
Another knock. It was still too early. Who could this be?
"Zandren, buddy, come on open up."
Zahir.
I dragged myself out of the bed and opened the door halfway.
Zahir pushed in. "Bro... do you know the rumour that's going around?."
I stepped in front of him before he entered fully. "Zahir... It's too early for this."
"No no ,listen." He lowered his voice as if anyone cared. "Someone saw Eimira enter this dorm last night."
My jaw locked. "Ok... and?"
"And she never left."
My heartbeat spiked.
Eimira accidentally thumped the bed.
I made a noise to cover up the sound.
Zahir moved his round body past me and looked around the room. He sniffed.
"Why does your room smell like food... and a woman."
Before I could redirect him, his eyes landed on the used plates on the table.
He walked towards them.
My soul left my body.
"Ah Zahir..." I stepped in front of him, blocking his view. "I was hungry... at night. So I hired a cook to prepare dinner for me. and then I invited her to eat too.
He blinked. "You are acting weird."
"I'm just… tired." I replied.
"Well you don't look tired."
I grabbed his two shoulders and pushed him backward towards the door.
"Zan- Zandren- wait, wait, stop pushing -."
"I'm still sleeping.."
"You're awake now!"
"I'm going back to sleep."
He tried to look past me. "Are you hiding something? Is... did the cook stay the night?"
"No."
He squinted. "Why are there multiple plates... and a female's outer garment on the chair?" He paused. "Did you guys... do it?"
"Get your fat ass out of here." I pushed him out.
"Hey!" He snapped. "I'm not fat. I'm just chubby"
I scoffed. "Yeah, right."
I shut the door in his face.
"I'm fit and you know it." He said, his voice muffled through the doors.
Silence.
I turned. Eimira poked her head from the side of the bed. Her hair, messy and her face still sleepy.
"I mean... We almost did." She whispered, teasing.
I sighed and walked to the bed. "He would have seen you if I had let him walk in a bit more."
She smiled and crawled closer. "How sure are you?"
I laid back down. "I mean, he's a big follower.. he literally worships you."
She chuckled softly. "You were so worried about making friends and you finally got one. So just put up with it."
I groaned. She rested her head on my arm.
"Your first class is starting today, aren't you going to prepare?" She asked, her warm breath on my arm.
I pulled her closer to me."Let's just stay together for a bit, who knows when next I'm gonna be able to be with you like this."
Her fingers slid down my hand before settling in place.
"Next time," she whispered. "Hide the plates and clothes first."
Her soft laugh filled the room. Mine followed, even though my face burned.
We clung to each other for a while before she urged me to start preparing, so as not to be late for my first class in the Academy.
"Here." Eimira handed me a thin rectangular crystal box.
I collected it. "What's this?"
"It's a communication crystal used by Vanguards during a Dark Forest exploration." She started dressing me up. "We can talk using this, whenever I'm unable to come."
I took a look at it and it just looked like a thin layer of glass. She collected it and filled it with a bit of her blessing and the crystal came to life. She showed me how to use it and also told me not to take it out.
I was finally ready to leave the room and head to class. But then I remembered Eimira was still here.
"Mira... How are you going to get out?. It's bright outside now."
She chuckled confidently. "Don't worry. I have a plan."
Knock. Knock.
I walked up to open the door. Aldren.
He had a box on wheels thingy with him. He didn't look too happy... rather he looked deprived of sleep.
"Morning Aldren..." I greeted.
He ignored me.
"I am here to collect lady Eimira."
Eimira's eyes became sharp. "Greet him back..."
Aldren jolted. "Hahaha. Sir Zandren, a lovely morning to you too..." He turned to Eimira. "Lady Eimira, your training session begins in a bit, I advise we leave now."
"Can you please excuse us for a moment." She ordered.
Aldren left the room with a quick response leaving the box in there.
She hugged me.
"So uhh, I'll be leaving now and I also don't know when we would meet again like this, but I'd try to make it as soon as possible."
I stroked her hair. "It's alright, Thanks for being there for me. I really needed it."
Eimira got in the box.
"You can tell him to come take me." She said from the box.
"Ok."
I opened the door to let Aldren in. He gestured how tired he was to me and I just mouthed sorry to him. He started pushing the box, not without bumping into the wall
"Ow!" Eimira yelped.
"S-Sorry..." Aldren laughed silently.
I laughed alone.
"Emptiness is something I was used to, but now it just feels sad." I said, looking at a portrait of Eimira.
"Wait... I forgot to cover it this time. So Glad Zahir didn't see it." I sat on the bed, relieved.
I had been covering the portraits everytime I had Zahir over, or keeping them away because he'd become suspicious of me or just take the whole thing for himself.
I ran my hand through my hair and noticed it had gotten longer. "Is there where I can get a trim here? Maybe I'll ask Zahir."
I fixed my hair, grabbed my key, bag, tag and Plaque, took a breath before locking the door and heading down to Zahir's dormitory.
Zahir's dorm was a four storied building opposite mine. His room was on the far right of the second floor. I knocked once.
The door flew open.
"Zandren! Buddy!" Zahir grinned, already fully dressed. "Come in, bro."
His room looked bigger than mine, mostly because it held three beds, and somehow still had more space for two desks and three wardrobes and two windows, one of which refused to open.
A tall man, around my age, with short brown hair, sat on the middle bed reading a book. He looked up when I got closer.
"That's Wryo Awhalra," Zahir said, waving his hand. "He's a first year too, just like us. Though he is a transfer student all the way from Nymirel and holds the blessing of Aqualis."
Wryo stood and offered a small nod. "Good to meet you. Zahir told me how you helped fend off his bullies. He also said you knocked them all out."
I scratched my cheek. "I just talked to them—"
"With your fist, haha." Zahir cut in. "He's being modest, don't mind him Wryo."
Wryo smiled. "I look forward to knowing more about you."
"Same here" I also replied with a smile.
"Is the last guy also a first year?" I asked, pointing to a bed I thought was the last.
"No, he is a fourth year soldier. Currently in the Second Shield Vanguard of the Terrakan army." Wryo answered.
"Soldier?" I asked, confused.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Those without blessings are classified as soldiers and are put into the first shield or the second shield." Zahir said as he grabbed his hand-held bag.
"So I'll eventually end up in either vanguards?" I thought
"But don't underestimate them, they contribute more to the protection than those with blessings, and some are even as strong as bearers, like Prince Yunok." Wryo said.
He continued. "You see, most people think he has the Blessing of Aenoron, and can fuse his blessing with his body and weapon, but he is just physically gifted."
"I thought no one knew that?" I asked.
"Wryo's family is somewhat close to the Terrakan royal family, so he has had the chance to observe prince Yunok up close." Zahir added.
I stroked my chin. "I see..."
"Enough talk, let's head out. We can't be late on our first day." Zahir took his glass and began to make his leave.
We left the dormitory area and headed to the lecture halls.
We talked a bit more as we walked. Wryo asked about my dorm placement. I asked about him. Zahir, as always filled the quiet spaces with noise and facts about Eimira.
The lecture hall came into view and I was shocked by how large it was.
"Wow..." My jaw dropped. "How big is this Academy anyways?"
Zahir and Wryo laughed.
"Is this your first time here?" Wryo asked.
"Uhm yes..." I answered
"I see..." He replied. "Most first years usually come here to gauge their Blessings, and what path they belong to."
"Ok, so what do they teach though?" I asked.
Zahir stepped in front of us and started walking backwards.
"The whole first year is basically about The Holders and Bearer class. You also learn about the blessing paths and by the end of your schooling you would have reached the end of the path which is Divinity."
I pointed at him. "Damn... You really do know a lot."
"Heh heh heh." He struck a pose. "Be amazed by my brilliance"
"You are going to trip" Wryo said.
"I have the greatest balance known to all of Terra—"
He tripped.
But Wryo and I caught him by the hand, and he pulled us with him.
We fell. Together.
"Heh heh... Sorry." He whispered.
****
We stepped into the hallway a few moments later. Students already rushed in groups toward the central building. Most had already started their classes, but we were still finding ours.
"I-I think it's this way?" Zahir pointed in a random direction unsure of which way to go.
I turned to Wryo."Hey Wryo this isn't your first time right?"
He looked at me confused. "Ehh... I was here once. Just once, you can't expect me to know the direction."
"I was afraid of this happening. I can't contact Eimira or the others either. Ryona is the only one I can at least get in contact with since she's more known amongst students. But I can already see her laughing at us. Oh yeah." I thought.
"The map..." I said suddenly, startling Wryo and Zahir.
"What map?" They both asked.
"A guide gave me a map of the school, and it also contained the one for our classes." I explained, carefully searching through my bag. "Ah yes, here it is."
I brought it out and quietly prayed that it wasn't another picture of Hyrar.
It wasn't.
"Thank the dragons.... Awwn he even highlighted the path." I showed the rest. "Let's go."
We walked through the hallways, the map being our guide and also getting to know more about both Zahir and Wryo. Some hallways had sculpted statues of old Terrakan legends, students and previous kings.
We took a last turn and saw a line of students in green cloaks with gold mantle cord tied around their waist. Each one had an eye that glowed with a symbol which glowed brighter. Some green yellow. Some yellow and green. Some purple and blue. The symbols pulsed, as if alive.
Wryo lowered his voice. "These are Writers. They are a special class which uses powers different from Blessings. They see the future, the past and so much more. They are considered traitors by birth due to writers being the cause of a great war between nations, several decades ago."
Zahir leaned in. "They are considered dangerous because of the outside knowledge they possess as they get stronger. But they are mostly used for healing since they excel at it and can literally regenerate lost limbs and even organs."
"What do you mean by outside knowledge?" I asked.
"Knowledge that isn't a part of Caramien. For example the Arcstones and Aurastones. A communication crystal no one knew about till a Writer introduced it." Zahir answered
"The stronger the Writer's ability, the more chance they have of doing things that are alien to us." Wryo said.
"Yeah. They basically rewrite reality. Hence the name "Writers." Zahir added.
We picked up the pace.
We finally got to the class room. It was huge as expected and partly filled with students. Conversations filled the air and students gathered in clusters laughing or whispering. A few glanced over as we walked in. Then more. Heads turned. They stared longer at Wryo than expected. Then me.
Zahir lowered his head. "Poor me..."
Wryo muttered. "They are staring at you two."
Zahir shrugged. "I'm probably just too big to escape their field of vision."
I held in my laugh.
I patted his back. "Stop that Zahir, don't talk about yourself like that."
A few students waved at Wryo. He seemed to be quite popular around the school. As we passed, I could hear whispers about how good I looked and also how I got Eimira to sit down with me.
Zahir picked three empty seats near the middle row. "Oi, you guys come sit. Trust me you do not want to be in the front row."
I went first and they followed.
Moments later everyone was seated. The teacher walked in.
The whole class went silent almost immediately. Her footsteps could be heard from where we sat.
"Good day student. Welcome to Tarrion Academy. I am your teacher, Xilo Aevorah."