『Rachel’s Perspective』
It’s been a year now...
It seems like a dream, the way ti flies. Sotis I feel like it was all a lie, an illusion my mind fabricated to escape the horror. But no... it was all real. The fear, the fire, the screams... and him.
I rember going to the auction to visit a friend. I didn’t have high expectations for the items, but I can’t deny my curiosity. I wanted to see, at least once, the rare and exotic objects offered there: ancient relics, grimoires, artifact fragnts. It sounded like sothing interesting to soone like , who barely managed to leave the four walls of the castle. I thought it would be a peaceful afternoon, a stroll through the kingdom.
I never imagined that afternoon would change my life.
It all started with a strange sensation in the air. Sothing dense that I couldn’t see, but that made my skin crawl. Like an invisible murmur, like soone trying to hold their breath. At that mont, I was in a private room looking through so of the items Aliana had brought for . And then I felt it... a presence beside . Soone stood nearby, and although he didn’t look at directly, I could sense his energy: serene, strong... and sowhat mysterious.
It was him.
His hair was dark and slightly disheveled, as if he didn’t care much about his appearance, but his eyes... those eyes. A blue so deep they seed to reflect the night sky. As if every star had been trapped there. It stole my breath. Aliana introduced him as Cyan, Cyan Vesper, a NOVA student. After that, sothing urgent ca up, and he left. Looking at the light reflected in his eyes, I almost lost my soul because of how pure it was. But I barely had ti to think about that, because that was when everything broke loose.
A thunderous roar shook the building. Screams were heard everywhere. Through the half-open door, I could see a black shadow slithering across the ceiling like a gigantic serpent, and suddenly the sound of guests filled the room. They weren’t simple thieves or bandits. No. They were cultists. They wore crimson robes with demonic symbols that burned with an unnatural fire. Their eyes were empty, possessed by sothing beyond human understanding.
I wanted to flee imdiately, but my legs wouldn’t respond. I felt trapped, suffocated, as if cast under a paralysis spell, even though I knew it was fear that held in its grip. Then, a warm hand wrapped around mine. Firm. Determined. As if saying, "Trust , you’ll be okay." I turned my head, and there he was. He didn’t say anything, but his gaze was enough.
It was all so confusing, yet so vivid. While the cultists summoned creatures of darkness, opening dinsional rifts from which monsters erged, he stood in front of like a shield. He drew a sword I don’t know where the hell he got it from, a blade of blued steel that glead with a luminous beauty engraved near the hilt. Every ti he moved, his cape billowed like a raven’s wings, and his silhouette beca the only stable thing in the chaos.
My heart pounded; at first, I thought it was fear. Every explosion, every roar of those creatures made tremble. But soon I realized there was another reason. Every ti I saw him spin, trying his hardest to defend , every ti I heard him firmly declare that everything would be all right, sothing warm spread through my chest. Sothing that kept standing, sothing that made breathe.
Admiration. Gratitude. And sothing else... sothing deeper. Although at the ti I couldn’t describe it.
I realized as we ran through the collapsed hallways, dodging the monsters’ claws and the cultists’ stalking, that I couldn’t stop staring at his back. That strong, determined back, always one step ahead of , guiding , protecting . I felt like if I let go of his hand, I’d be lost forever. He was my only ally in this crumbling world.
There was a mont when one of the monsters leaped at from above. I thought it was all over. But he... he stepped in, taking the impact instead of . The monster knocked him to the ground, but in an agile, almost feline movent, he recovered and took her down with a single slash, not even giving a chance.
There was blood on his face, dust on his clothes, and yet... I’d never seen anyone so beautiful.
He spoke to again as we hid among the rubble. His voice was hoarse, deep, with a hint of tiredness, but also tenderness.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
I nodded, unable to say a single word. He simply smiled, if only a little, and told sothing I’ll never forget.
—Don’t worry. I won’t let them hurt you. (She’s embellishing her mories)
He didn’t. He carried with him until the very end, until the imperial reinforcents arrived and the cultists were finally repelled. I don’t know how many tis I almost fell, or how many tis he caught before I hit the ground. But he never let go of my hand. Never. He only fainted after seeing that I was safe.
After that incident... I never saw him again.
His figure was seared into my retinas, like a mory that was impossible to erase, a vivid image amidst the flas, dust, and darkness. He had to return to Nova, the most prestigious warrior academy in the kingdom, and I... there was still so ti before I entered.
But ti passed quickly. This year, finally, I was accepted as a first-year cadet at Nova. It had been my dream since I was little, to train within the walls of this academy.
Although, deep down, what I longed for most... was to see him again.
Cyan.
That na still sends a tingle deep in my chest. For months I searched for his face in the crowd, but the school was huge, and our classes were completely different. My schedules were packed with training, magical practices, artifact studies... And he, so they said, was one of Nova’s most outstanding students. It was only natural that I wouldn’t coincide with soone so busy.
But today had to be different. Today, tomorrow, and the day after. The school spring festival was being held, a tradition as old as the school itself, where each class organized so magical attraction or activity. From early on, the students decorated the halls. The air slled of sweet spices, caralized fruit, and fresh petals. Little fairies fluttered around the stalls, throwing golden sparkles as festival blessings.
I heard from a friend that Class 2-A, her class, was hosting a host café, an idea brought from the other side of the continent. Supposedly, the boys would act as butlers and serve als, desserts, or so kind of tea to the visitors, serving them with charming manners and elegant attire. When I heard the rumor, I almost spilled my tea all over my notes.
"Cyan... dressed as a butler?"
Just thinking about it made sigh foolishly. My imagination quickly painted the scene with far too vivid strokes: him bowing with that gentlemanly bearing, saying "Welco, miss" in that soft but firm voice, as he offered a cup of tea amidst floating candles and lute music in the background.
My taste buds were instantly ignited. What was I thinking?! I covered my mouth, trying to hide the soft smile that escaped my lips along with a slight blush. I had to move! I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.
I rembered hearing that her classroom was on the second level of the East Wing. Room 2-A. Without wasting any more ti, I adjusted the ribbon on my uniform, clutched my books to my chest as if that would calm my heart, and began walking quickly through the Nova hallways. All around , students were coming and going.
As I climbed the white marble stairs leading to the second floor, I overheard a conversation that made stop and strain my ears, almost unintentionally.
"Did you see the 2-A class stewards? They’re gorgeous," said a girl in a third-year uniform, her voice trembling as if she still hadn’t gotten over what she’d just seen.
"Are you talking about Cyan?" another replied, with a sigh so long it seed to lt into the air.
"Yes, Cyan! Phew... that boy is simply unreal. How does soone like that exist? He has those blue eyes that take your breath away." And with that outfit... she looks like sothing out of a fairy tale.
I quickened my pace.
When I got to classroom 2-A, I almost tripped over myself. There was a line so long, so long it looked like a colorful snake, stretching down the entire hallway. Most of them were, of course, girls.
So were even hanging onto a large bouquet of flowers, others were clearly from other classes, but they were all waiting with the sa mix of excitent and nervousness I felt in my chest.
I stopped at the end of the line, trying to catch my breath. My heart was pounding like a war drum. Around , the others were whispering, so holding fans, others reading small pamphlets with the nas of the hosts. Every now and then, I heard excited giggles or exaggerated expressions like "She winked at !" or "She told my smile was like the full moon!"
And there I was. Last in line. My face slightly flushed, my palms sweating a little with anticipation.
I was going to see him.
After a year.
After waiting for him for so long.
I was going to see Cyan again.
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