《The Rise of Chaos: Academy》


 1. The Frivolous Princess

    -1. The Frivolous Princess-


    ¡°Step forward and place your right hand on the Aptitude Crystal.¡±


    Ahead of me, in the center of this tiny room, was a transparent orb sitting atop a tall metal stand. Below the crystal a magick circle had been etched directly into the marble floor.


    Behind me was a congregation of adults. An assortment of high-ranking ministers and magisters who must have had better things to do than watch this ridiculous ceremony.


    Today I was at the Vanixian Academy for Divisional Officers, an elite school for noble families in our city, to determine my aptitude for certain magicks. Depending on the outcome, I¡¯d be enrolled here for the next six years with the expectation that after graduation I¡¯d be commissioned as an officer in the city¡¯s military, the Divisional Army.


    ¡°Come on little girl, we haven¡¯t got all day.¡±


    A gruff voice in the crowd aired his annoyance with how long I was taking to move up to the crystal. A rush of murmurs spread through the crowd and someone nearby chastised him.


    ¡°You moron, don¡¯t you know whose child that is? That¡¯s the High Regent¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the next-in-line to the Vanixi family.¡±


    A robed Magister cleared his throat and extended his arm towards the orb, trying to usher me towards it.


    With a sigh, I walked over to the stand and placed my left hand over it.


    With a look of agitation, the same Magister dropped his shoulders, ¡°Lady Airis, with your right hand please.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m left-handed.¡±


    He gave me a look of uncertainty and picked up a wooden board with papers clipped to it. After flipping the pages twice, he motioned with his hands to the other magisters in the room.


    Six robed figures positioned themselves around the magick circle, along with the head guy who had been hassling me. A thick mist began to fill the room and the Magister¡¯s hands started to glow a soft purple.


    The mist settled over the transparent orb, drifting slowly down over my hand. The interior shifted¡ªlighting up in the same purple, speckles of reflective shards swirled around its core.


    Light from the shards shot up into the field of mist, illuminating a box-like display of runic writing.


    I couldn¡¯t make out what any of it meant. My father had told me this crystal ball was an artifact from the old empire, that it had been given to our family by the elves. And though I knew a few words in their spoken language, this device was designed to display its results in an archaic form that used only large runic text.


    Another man pushed his way through the crowd of halfwit ministers. He approached me, but seemed to only be interested in the words dancing in the mist. His face was worn heavily with age and a slender silver beard extended down to his chest. He¡¯d introduced himself to me earlier¡­ but I wasn¡¯t paying attention and forgot his name. I did remember he was a Grand Magister¡­ maybe.


    ¡°Superb. Just what we¡¯d expect from a daughter of noble birth.¡±


    The peanut gallery started back up at the old man¡¯s declaration. Honestly. their incessant whispering and scheming couldn¡¯t interest me less.


    What truly bothered me, was that they were all here and my father wasn¡¯t.


    Nonstop for the last month, the palace had been ablaze with excitement that it was finally time for me to have my magickal aptitude tested. So much so, that I thought maybe my father would find time away from his office to participate.


    I let out another dejected sigh and looked at the old man fawning over the lit up display.


    ¡°Can I take my hand off this now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. You¡¯re dismissed. Someone will contact your family with your results within the week.¡±


    I pulled my hand away and stepped towards the gaggle of onlookers.


    ¡°Make a hole. Please.¡±


    A few people tried to shift over, but the majority of them were too engrossed watching the stupid ceremony none of them probably understood.


    ¡°I said, move out of my way!¡±


    Shouting did the trick as the sea of dumbstruck faces looked at me, and realizing they were blocking my way, parted to let me through. I exited the room and let the door slam closed behind me.


    Waiting in the hallway was a beautiful woman dressed in an elegant white tunic with red and gold accents. Curls of auburn hair spilled over her shoulders, framing a smiling face. She pushed herself away from the wall.


    ¡°So, how was it? Everything you thought it would be?¡±


    ¡°It was boring and crammed with smelly old men. So, yeah I guess it was. Hi, mother. Where did Alaric go?¡±


    ¡°I sent him back to the palace, I thought we could spend the day together.¡±


    My mother placed a hand on my head and gently brushed her fingers through my hair. I let my shoulders relax and leaned into her.


    ¡°Father couldn¡¯t make it, I take it?¡±


    ¡°I know he wanted to be here. Something came up that needed his attention at the last minute.¡±


    ¡°It always does.¡±


    The patter of small footsteps echoed down the stone halls and a little girl zipped around a corner, being chased by an exhausted young woman in a short black dress.


    ¡°Big sister! Big sister! Did you pass!?¡±


    The little girl ran full-bore through the hallway and tackled my legs. Strands of crimson-red hair stuck out in crazy angles from her head.


    I crouched down and scooped her up into my arms, patting down her wild hair, ¡°Hey, Rias. Yep! I passed with flying colors.¡±


    ¡°Way to go!¡± My little sister cheered me on, her violet eyes sparkled in excitement.


    ¡°If you were a little older, Airis, you could be mistaken for Rias¡¯ mother,¡± teased my own mother.


    I ignored her and spoke softly to my sister, ¡°Were you giving poor Miss Sofia a hard time?¡± I smiled at the out of breath woman who¡¯d finally made her way to us.


    ¡°Noooo! We were just playing tag.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Who won?¡±


    ¡°Probably Miss Sofia!¡±


    ¡°Probably?¡±


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    ¡°I wasn¡¯t keeping score.¡±


    Laughing to myself, I set my sister back down on the ground and she took off running again.


    Miss Sofia, one of the family attendants and the main steward for Rias, approached my mother and said something to her too quiet for me to hear.


    My mother nodded and walked over to me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get lunch somewhere in the market plaza, you can tell me all about the test you passed with flying colors on. What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, I dunno. Maybe noodles.¡±


    We then split up with Miss Sofia and Rias, who headed back home, and left the academy grounds. Mother and I walked through the winding streets of Axio towards the expansive market square.


    There were a few markets for each Republic that called Axio its home. The city was broken up into three major districts, each one was associated to a different faction. The part of the city we lived belonged to the faction that shared our family name, the Vanixian Republic. My father was the son of the last Emperor of a now dead empire of the same name.


    The other factions in the city were the Renaultian Republic and the Maarin Republic. But we didn¡¯t spend much time in those sections of the city. While our family was treated as a sort of royalty in the Vanixian districts, the others treated us with disdain.


    That tension was the main reason why father was always at work¡­


    Honestly, the burdens of this family are too much for a teenage girl.


    I sighed again and my mother flicked my ear.


    ¡°If you keep doing that, you¡¯ll develop a habit.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Just overthinking.¡±


    ¡°Airis, I know your father expects a lot from you. Too much sometimes. I want you to be able to live a normal life while growing up. Other girls your age are playing with their friends and attending social events.¡±


    ¡°I attend plenty of social events.¡±


    ¡°Military ceremonies with your father don¡¯t count. I wish you¡¯d be more carefree and enjoy your life while you¡¯re still young.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m carefree!¡± I put a big smile on my face and spun around with my arms out.


    My mother scowled at me, ¡°You can¡¯t fake it with me. That superficial silliness doesn¡¯t fool me or anyone in the family. I¡¯m worried about you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah well, I¡¯m happy with how I am.¡±


    She sighed and let the matter go.


    Eventually the sweet smells of fresh baked goods and roasted meats tickled our noses. I found an open bench while she ordered lunch from a stand nearby.


    The bustle of the city distracted me, I watched the hundreds of people rushing around looking for food or a good deal at one of the merchant stalls. Occasionally a carriage would roll through the main road and someone not paying attention would almost get ran over, drawing the ire of both the coachman and pedestrian.


    A series of shouts echoed from down the street and I whipped my head around to see what the commotion was about, my gaze froze over dozens of soldiers that emerged from a side-way road, marching in formation. They wore the distinctive red plate armor of the Vanixian Republic. A lot of them had deep gashes that cut across the metal plating, revealing the dull gray underneath; and almost all of them had bloodstained bandages peaking through around their arms, legs, or heads. Probably a patrol group returning from a monster extermination mission, and from the looks of it not an entirely successful one¡­ Yet another reason for father to be stuck at work, and maybe the one that kept him so busy today.


    Returning with two bowls of steamy noodles my mother pulled my attention away from the divisionals going down the street.


    We ate in silence¡ªmostly, as I occasionally slurped my noodles.


    ¡°Fwaaaaah¡±, my mother sighed, leaning against me, ¡°If anything, you still act like a child while you¡¯re eating. I¡¯ll just have to be content with that, I guess.¡±


    One particularly long noodle had gotten wrapped up in my latest fork-twirl and as I sucked it into my mouth a big stream of broth landed between my legs, narrowly avoiding my clothes. I quickly scooted myself back so that the liquid wouldn¡¯t spread out and get on my pants.


    ¡°Noodles taste better when you eat ¡®em like this. Especially when they get so messy!¡±


    My mother shook her head and laughed with me. After we¡¯d both finished eating we were back to quietly walking through the city streets.


    The storefronts of various shops still had gaudy decorations up from the Capri¡¯?ni festival last week. Why anyone would celebrate the mid point of a month, every month, made little sense to me. It felt more like an excuse to drink in excess and pretend the world wasn¡¯t in as terrible a state as it truly was.


    I sighed again, and another finger flicked my ear. I pursed my lips and took a step to distance myself from my mother¡¯s reach.


    The entrance to a shop nearby had a sign out front which read, ¡®Relics of old ¨C certified antiques from the Empire¡¯.


    I stopped in front the store and peered in through the windowed entryway. A number of mismatched shelves and stands were all over the place, giving the store the appearance of a maze.


    ¡°Did you want to look inside?¡±


    My mother came up behind me, peaking through the glass as well.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    We pulled open the door to the dulcet ring of a bell hanging just above us. A balding man looked up from a counter along the side wall and greeted us.


    ¡°Welcome in! Please look around, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find something that catches your eye!¡±


    I started shuffling through the myriad of displays, gawking at the weird items available for sale. There were a lot of bound books, and most of them didn¡¯t look to be in great shape¡ªthough, it¡¯s not like you¡¯d expect much that escaped from the Empire to be in pristine condition.


    Rounding a corner to a new aisle of knick-knacks something shiny caught my eye. On the lower shelf between a row of folded linens was a box of metal coins. An assortment of gold, silver, copper, and even some nonstandard ones like bronze and nickel, filled the box like a treasure chest.


    A tiny part of my brain lit up in excitement, and I felt like an adventurer who¡¯d stumbled across hidden riches in a dungeon.


    I picked up the box and rushed to the counter. The shopkeeper looked at me quizzically, before glancing over to my mother.


    ¡°Mister, what can you tell me about these coins?¡±


    ¡°Interested in them, are you? Well, to be honest I don¡¯t know a lot. The whole collection was brought in a few months ago by a younger gentleman who¡¯d said they belonged to an eccentric family member who¡¯d recently passed them on through an inheritance.¡±


    My face must have exposed my feelings of disappointment because the elderly man took the box and started to fish out a few coins.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look too glum! I said I didn¡¯t know a lot, but I do know something about a few of the coins here¡ªAh! There it is. This one here is the most special of the bunch. Here, take a look.¡±


    He pushed one of the golden coins towards me, on its face was a dark red engraving of a feathered bird. I took the coin in my hand, turning it over, and was surprised to see the engraving on the other side.


    ¡°That crest there belongs to the old imperial family. Only currency issued directly by the Emperor could have the Vanixian coat-of-arms on it. If you look right here,¡± he pointed to a small inscription above the crest, ¡°You can see that this was issued under the reign of Emperor Alexandros, the last emperor. Very few coins like this one were ever minted, and back in the day this one coin probably could¡¯ve bought an entire palace. Hah-hah! Though nowadays it¡¯s worth isn¡¯t based in buying power, but in it¡¯s rarity as a collector¡¯s item.¡±


    ¡°How much for just this one!?¡± I practically shouted up at the poor shopkeeper once he¡¯d stopped talking.


    ¡°Oh¡­ It might be too high of a price range, I¡¯ve had all the coins appraised. Give me a moment to check the ledger.¡±


    He rifled through a drawer behind the counter and pulled out a black-leather bound journal. After flipping through a few pages, he set it down in front of me and pointed to an entry towards the middle of journal, ¡®1x Imperial CoA: 5200g¡¯. The man¡¯s face wore a complex expression, a mix of gentle sympathy and shrewd capitalism.


    My mother had walked over and was looking at the line in the ledger, and with an impassive glance to me she asked, ¡°Are you interested in it for yourself, or for your father?¡±


    I quickly responded, ¡°Myself.¡±


    She turned her attention back to the shopkeeper. With her right hand she swiped over a small runic symbol tattooed on her left wrist, a small cloud a mist appeared above her hand and the rune light up, illuminating a display which was turned towards the man.


    His eyes lit up in surprise and he exclaimed, ¡°My Lady, I apologize for not recognizing you!¡±


    ¡°Please, there¡¯s no need for any of that. I trust you wouldn¡¯t have any issues with providing me with a sale¡¯s invoice and receiving payment from our family¡¯s retainer at a later time?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely no problem! Allow me to get that ready for you. I¡¯ll prepare a gift box for the young lady as well.¡±


    The man disappeared into the back of the store, assuredly intending to fetch something with a little more flair than the usual packaging he has available at the front.


    ¡°Are you sure, that¡¯s a lot of money? I was hoping to maybe haggle it down a bit.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re Vanixians, Airis. Imagine what it would look like for your father if the city was full of rumors of his wife and daughter trying to barter the price of something like this down. You knew the moment you saw that crest, this is basically a family heirloom¡­ Your father will understand the cost.¡±


    I shrank down a little, but underneath by down-turned head was a great big smile.


    Thank you mother.

 2. Ruby in the Rough

    -2. The Frivolous Princess-


    This morning would be the first day of classes at VxA for first years. I¡¯d woken up much earlier than I typically did and was peering out one of the big windows in my room, which reached almost the full height of the wall.


    The latch on my door clicked, followed by the creaking of old wood grated against my ears. I turned to find my attendant, Alaric, peeking into the room.


    ¡°Oh, Young Miss. You¡¯re awake.¡±


    I wiped the sleep from my eyes. ¡°Mhmm, ¡®morning, Alaric.¡± My voice was tired and groggy.


    Alaric crossed the room and grabbed a covered pitcher and a glass from a table near my bedside. He poured water into the glass and handed it to me.


    I took it, sipping at the room temp liquid. My dry lips moistened a little, and the scratchiness of my throat abated.


    ¡°Will you be having breakfast this morning, Young Miss?¡±


    ¡°Maybe just something light.¡±


    ¡°How does an apple and a muffin sound?¡±


    ¡°That sounds fine¡ªbut if all we have are hallonut muffins then forget about it.¡±


    ¡°As you wish. I¡¯ll return shortly.¡±


    Alaric stepped backwards with a bow, and turned to leave.


    ¡°Thanks, Alaric. Oh, wait just a second!¡±


    I called out to him just before the door closed. He gracefully stopped the door with his left foot, turning to face me again.


    ¡°Yes, Young Miss?¡±


    ¡°Would you send one of the maids up to help me into my uniform? I don¡¯t want to end up putting it on wrong on my first day¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± He bowed again from the doorway, and disappeared into the hall.


    Moments later a knock came at the door and Miss Sofia stepped into my room. She flashed me a bright smile.


    ¡°Nervous for the big day, Lady Airis?¡±


    ¡°Maybe just a little. Today could be just another noisy day in Axio, but I find myself worrying how it¡¯ll affect my next six years.¡±


    Miss Sofia¡¯s smile faded, ¡°You worry about things too much for such a young woman.¡±


    ¡°You sound like my mother.¡±


    ¡°Lady Koharu only wishes for you to be happy and to live a normal life!¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, Sofi. But the life mother wants for me and the one father pushes me toward aren¡¯t the same thing.¡±


    I flopped down on the end of my bed and glanced up. Miss Sofia scowled at me from across the room, before turning to dig through the wardrobe.


    The uniform for VxA was a white collared top which was covered by a red silk girdle, though it fit so snug that it almost seemed like a corset, and a pleated skirt, the same daisy colored white as the top. A black, gold-trimmed, capelet completed the outfit, covering the shoulders and upper back.


    Miss Sofia brought up the uniform top first. I pulled my sleep wear over my head, tossing it next to me on the bed and stood so that she could help me into the shirt.


    It had a series of clasps instead of buttons that were hidden behind frilly ribbon ends sewn into the shirt. Miss Sofia gently pushed them closed and straightened out the collar.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably not my place to say such things, but these uniforms for the school really look to favor form over function. They look pretty, but they are such a hassle to wear and maintain.¡±


    She lifted up pair of black leggings along with the skirt next and raised her eyebrows.


    I took them from her. I traded my soft pajama pants with the tights and slipped the skirt up over top them. Sofia then laced the girdle up around my waist, and buttoned the front covering.


    A knock at the door pulled her attention away, and she opened the door for Alaric, who had returned with a serving tray.


    He set it down on a table near the corner of the room and took a position next to it, waiting for me to finish getting dressed.


    Sofia fidgeted with the shoulder covering and tied the drawstrings under the shirt collar.


    ¡°All set,¡± she patted her hips and took a step back, ¡°It looks good on you. I can help you style your hair after you finish eating, if you¡¯d like?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sofi. I¡¯ll manage on my own though.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She looked at me with a face full of doubt.


    ¡°If you mean to put your hair up with a clawed-clip, then I insist that you allow me to help you. It¡¯s your first day, and impressions matter. What will your instructor think if you attend class with such a lazy style?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they will think I am a refined woman who does not get bogged down with the noble society¡¯s fixation on trendy fashion.¡±


    Alaric cleared his throat and made it obvious that he was rolling his eyes at me.


    ¡°Fine, fine. I won¡¯t just put my hair up. But I can manage it myself, thank you though.¡±


    ¡°Of course. If there¡¯s nothing else, Lady Airis, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    I nibbled at the food Alaric had brought up. In addition to the simple muffin and apple combo he¡¯d suggested, there was also a small bowl of cut fruit and a plate with two cuts of sausage.


    After eating I slipped on a pair of black dress loafers and messed with the crazy mess that was my hair. Once I got it looking semi-presentable we headed out into the palace proper.


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    The sun hadn¡¯t yet risen past the horizon, but the faint glow of morning had taken residence. Mother wouldn¡¯t be awake just yet. And father, if he even made it home last night, would either be sleeping or locked in his study. So Alaric and I slipped through the entry hall to the rear entrance near the stables.


    One of our smaller carriages had already been readied and loaded. The stable-hands finished bridling the horses soon after we¡¯d gotten comfortable inside.


    Alaric asked me if I was sure I wanted to leave already. His insistence that I¡¯d end up at the academy hours before anyone else, was simply a mask over the real question; ¡®Are you sure you want to leave without saying goodbye to your mother and sister?¡¯


    Starting this evening after classes, I would be assigned a dormitory room at the Academy and I¡¯d be expected to live there, at least until completing my third year.


    It wasn¡¯t like there was anything else for me to occupy my time at home, and I was certain mother would visit frequently with Rias, so we set off.


    Sunlight continued to peer higher along the rooftops as we made our way through the city. The academy grounds were half and hours ride from the gate of the palace manor to the gated driveway up to the schoolhouse.


    We arrived a little earlier than a full thirty minutes, thanks in part to the lack of pedestrians or other carriages. After a brief exchange with the attendants at the entrance we were allowed in.


    The coachman pulled up to the main annex, and Alaric stepped out to flag down a staff member and left them know I¡¯d arrived.


    Though today was indeed the first day of classes¡­ I had no idea which class I would be assigned to yet.


    I had gotten the results of the aptitude testing from the school. Mother received a letter, and she¡¯d given it to me to see for myself. Apparently I scored well in all the schools of magick that were taught at VxA, but my best-fit affinity was for Holy Magick.


    The letter stated I would be placed in a class with others whose aptitude results were the same, and that my dormitory would be a shared room with another classmate.


    The letter failed to state which classroom number that would be, or which dorm room I¡¯d been given.


    When Alaric had inquired directly to the school on our behalf he was told that both the class and dorm assignments were always made the first day classes began.


    Quite some time passed before Alaric returned, and when he finally emerged from the administration build he was joined by another man. Although the man had an academy insignia displayed prominently on his chest, his entire demeanor screamed anything but teacher.


    Next to the average built Alaric, he looked huge. Well over six foot tall, with broad shoulders and wide muscular arms. He was wearing plated greaves, gauntlets, and a breastplate in the iconic red of the Vanixian Republic¡¯s divisionals, along with a long gray cloak. He had a mess of golden hair, that was grown out in the back in a long rat-tail.


    This guy looks more like he¡¯s ready to go into battle. Why is he geared up like this at the school?


    Alaric jarred the carriage door open and poked his head in.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found your instructor.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? That guy is my teacher? He looks equipped to take care of demons, not students.¡±


    ¡°Apparently most the faculty here are¡­ unconventional. Believe me, Young Miss, when I tell you that of all the people who were in that building, this man seemed the tamest of the bunch.¡±


    I glanced out the window at the crimson-clad soldier and he waved at me.


    Alaric got the number for my dorm room and was going to take care of getting my things unpacked and set up there, and I got to follow my warrior instructor to the classroom.


    He introduced himself as Magister Timmons, and this was his first year teaching at VxA. I tried asking him about his odd choice of outfit, but he simply brushed my question aside and told me to follow him.


    We entered a large complex on the east side of the academy and made our way to the central stairway.


    The first floor had a number of commons areas like a cafeteria, a library, and some study rooms. The second floor was where all the classrooms and training halls were located. And the third floor housed the student dormitories.


    215¡­ 217¡­ 219¡­ All of the classrooms seemed to be assigned odd numbers. When I asked why, Magister Timmons explained that the building was broken into two wings, odd for the girls and even for the boys. The first and second floors shared a stairwell, but to get to the third floor dormitories you¡¯d have to enter through a separate restricted stairway for each side that was enforced by a series of magi-tool scanners.


    He also noted that this building in particular was for students who belonged to third-class noble houses or above. Apparently the academy segregated commoners and bottom-tier nobles from the Republic¡¯s ¡®elite¡¯.


    ¡°Here we are, room two-three-five. Find a seat anywhere you¡¯d like. Class will start in¡­¡±


    Magister Timmons held out his right arm, swiping his left hand over a rune mark on his skin. A light mist condensed around his hand and the rune light up, illuminating a small display on the mist.


    ¡°Oh, huh... you sure got here super early. Well, hang tight I guess. You have two hours before classes start.¡±


    He chuckled and left the room.


    Judging by the available seating, our class was going to be fairly small. There were eight ¡®seats¡¯ total, two columns of wooden benches ran towards the back of the room, built into a rising floor, like a miniature theater.


    The front of the room had a colossal desk, that was clearly too large for any one person to use just as a workspace, flanked by two podiums. On the wall behind them were a triad of slate chalkboards. The center board was ran the length of the massive desk, a single unbroken piece. The other two were square in shape and were centered on the podiums. Great single-pane windows ran the length of the far wall, exposing a full view of the building courtyard.


    I walked over to the windows and spotted a carriage pulling away from the paved drive. It was smaller and painted a brighter color than the one I¡¯d arrived in.


    A girl was walking up to the schoolhouse, right towards another figure heading the opposite way. Judging by the large frame, it was probably Magister Timmons.


    He stopped her and, after a quick conversation, they started towards the building. Minutes later I heard the Magister¡¯s voice echoing down the hall.


    The classroom door opened.


    ¡°Good news, early bird. I found another lark who decided to show up hours before class.¡± Magister Timmons turned towards the girl standing behind him in the doorway and motioned for her to step through, ¡°Alright young lady, find a seat wherever you¡¯d like. The two of you can keep each other company for the next few hours.¡±


    The Magister took his leave again, and the girl stepped into the room. She was a little shorter than I was and had reddish hair¡ªa lighter shade than mine, more of a ruby color than crimson. Her eyes were bright pink and sparkled like jewels in the classroom¡¯s soft light.


    ¡°Hiya! My name¡¯s Hailey.¡± She waved her hand eagerly, beaming a bright smile at me.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Hailey. My name is Airis.¡±


    ¡°Airis, huh? That¡¯s a pretty name! Have ya¡¯ decided where you¡¯re gonna sit?¡±


    ¡°Nope, not yet. Wanna take a chance?¡± I pulled the golden coin with my family crest out of my pocket, ¡°We each call a side of the coin, and whoever comes up gets to choose where we¡¯ll sit.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    The glint of golden light tumbled through the air as I flicked my coin up with my thumb. It spun violently as it fell, landing on the back of my hand.


    I quickly covered it with my other hand. Glancing up at Hailey, who was standing in front of me, I smirked, ¡°Tails!¡±


    ¡°Awh, no fair! I was gonna call tails¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you can have tails then.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too nice, Airis. Thanks!¡±


    I lifted my palm up to reveal the outcome of the coin toss. Crimson red Phoenix wings shined bright under the sun coming in from the windows. Tails.


    ¡°That means I win, right?¡± Hailey looked at me with a puzzled look on her face.


    ¡°Yeah, that means you win. Looks like you get to choose where we¡¯re gonna sit.¡±


    She bounced over to the front of the massive desk and looked over the room while fidgeting with her hands behind her back.


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡± After a minute she threw her arm out, pointing at a bench, ¡°Those ones!¡±


    I followed the extended finger to the first row of seats.


    ¡°The front row!?¡±


    She grinned at me from ear to ear, ¡°Yep!¡±