Yuzuki walked for a while longer after her encounter with the rather kind stranger.
The distance between her home and the academy was considerable, but after a long walk, she finally reached her destination: the academy.
In the game, it was known as the Academy of the Witches and Knight's, its current headmaster was legendary Good Witch herself.
"aira au sylvia"
In the game, the headmaster was an elf a character with an extraordinarily long life who acted as a helper, guiding the main character whenever he faced trouble or false accusations from the nobles.
Her presence was a steady force of wisdom and protection.
The current headmaster's strength was renowned, even among the nobility. It was said she possessed powers that could rival entire battalions all by herself, a testament to her centuries of experience and mastery over essences and element power.
But there was a reason why the headmaster didn't appear much in the first part of the story.
The reason being,
This wasn't her real body, but an avatar, with all the little strengths then her original body.
"Elements are just one form of power in this world," Yuzuki reminded herself, recalling what she knew from the game. "But there's another way to wield essence: through "Acts".
Acts were techniques that drew upon the power of essence, and different from elements it was something other could learn by understanding essence control basic "act formulas "and chants.
The act the headmaster was using was now as the act of mirror self
it was a act where one could create avatars of themselves
Acts, like elements, came in many types but mastery over them required understanding their underlying fundamentals.
While elemental powers often depended on natural affinity and could take years to learn, Acts demanded comprehension, creativity, and precise control of your mind
Sighing, Yuzuki reminded herself there was no use thinking about things beyond her reach. "Anyway… I need to focus on what I'm going to say to him," she thought, taking a deep breath as she approached the academy gate.
The gate towered above her, its sheer size and magical aura enough to make anyone dizzy. Its bars shimmered with gold, and upon closer inspection, intricate runes were etched into the metal itself, glowing faintly in the morning light.
"Hey, child."
A sudden voice broke through her daze.
Yuzuki jumped slightly, stepping back from the gate, her heart skipping a beat as she tried to spot the source.
Yuzuki's onyx-like eyes met a man standing near the gate. He wore simple, but needly clothes of a guard , a sword hanging at his side. A faint aura of authority radiated from him, and his face showed clear annoyance as he stepped closer.
"Buzz off," he said sharply, his voice cutting through the air. "If you have nothing to do here, I don't want some lowlife, dirtying the bars of the gate."
Yuzuki froze, her small frame stiffening under his gaze, unsure how to respond.
Hearing someone call her a "lowlife" tugged at Yuzuki's heart, but there was nothing she could do except endure it.
"I… I'm here to talk to someone," she said softly, her voice trembling but determined.
The man's brows rose as he studied the girl before him with a suspicious gaze. From her simple clothing to her appearance, it was obvious she came from a humble region but there was still protocol he had to follow.
With a slow, deliberate sigh, he placed a hand on his wrist. "Give me the name of the person you wish to see, and their badge number," he said firmly. "Only then will I let you enter the academy grounds."
"Uhh… uhh, his name is Hiro," Yuzuki stammered, her voice shaky. "And… his badge what was the badge number?"
The man's eyes narrowed slightly, waiting.
"Yeah… his badge number is 5," she added quickly, hoping it was correct.
Hearing her words, the guard paused for a moment. "Wait here for a sec," he muttered before disappearing briefly, only to reappear with a small smile on his face.
As the gate slowly began to open, he spoke again. "Go to the east side. The person you want to talk to will be there," he said, pointing with a single finger.
Yuzuki nodded respectfully, bowing slightly, before stepping through the academy gates and entering the grounds.
Yuzuki walked slowly through the outer grounds of the academy, taking in the beautifully maintained gardens and the sparkling fountains that reflected the early morning light. The air was still, and it seemed almost as if the entire place were asleep no students, no staff just her.
As she made her way toward the location the guard had indicated, her onyx-black eyes widened. There, leaning casually against a pillar, was the person she had been hoping to see none other than Hiro, her childhood best friend.
He stood alone, arms crossed, with his blue eyes bright like the clear sky fixed in her direction. His brown hair swayed gently in the breeze, and his expression carried a subtle, almost distant look, as though he were lost in thought.
Yuzuki walked slowly in front of him, the silence between them heavy and almost suffocating. She couldn't bring herself to speak; memories of the harsh, uncaring words this body's previous owner had said to Hiro weighed on her. They had been cruel, thoughtless… and there was nothing she could do to undo them.
She understood why those words had been said they were born of necessity, of pride and stubbornness but she didn't like asking for help.
It hurt.
Her pride resisted. Yet now, with no other choice, she knew she had to ask him.
Hiro opened his mouth first. His voice carried an edge, sharp and cautious.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, the warmth that once characterized his tone entirely gone.
"Last time I remember, you told me to get lost, right?"
"Yes."
"You said I should never come find you again, didn't you? So why now? Why are you standing in front of me?"
"I… I'm sorry. I was wrong."
"Wrong? Wrong about what? You threw things at me, said those awful words… how could that possibly be wrong?"
Ah… why did she say all of this? Were all those curses and harsh words really necessary? I know she didn't want to be burdened, but still…
"I… I'm sorry. Truly sorry. I didn't mean to say all those awful, god-forsaken words to you. It's just… I got caught up in the emotions of my body. I'm sorry," Yuzuki said, bowing her head.
He looked at her for a few seconds before saying, "Hah… fine. Let's leave it at that. Stop bowing your head like that."
A smile spread across Yuzuki's face. She couldn't believe how quickly he had forgiven her. Why couldn't everyone be like him? His heart was pure gold—he could forgive his childhood friend so easily.
"You're forgiving me? Thank you," she said, managing to relax her expression again.
"So… what happened to your hands, that they're bandaged like that?"
"Nothing… I just cut myself," Yuzuki gave a hollow laugh.
"How?"
"I… just scraped them by mistake. It's no big deal. Don't worry about it."
"Okay… so did you come to the academy just to apologize, or is there something else?"
Yuzuki looked at him for a moment before quickly lowering her gaze to the ground, her head bobbing nervously from side to side.
Haha… well… this is harder than I thought. Asking for money right after everything I said to him… A few minutes ago, we weren't even on good terms. And now did we even really make up? Her lips pressed into a thin line, her hands clenching against her skirt. I'm banking on Hiro being kind and think about our past to understand, but… normally, you'd never ask for money after an apology. That would only make it seem like the only reason I apologized was to borrow something from him and he could think of me rude and selfish.
Her throat tightened.
"So… you know about my condition, right?" Yuzuki asked, her voice wavering as she nervously rubbed her hands together.
Hiro's brow furrowed, his blue eyes narrowing on her uneasy expression. "…Yeah. I know."
She swallowed hard, forcing the words out before her courage slipped away. "The problem is… I'm out of money. I don't have enough to buy my medicine anymore."
Hiro's jaw tightened. His teeth ground together as his hands curled into fists at his sides. He stared at her, his voice low but sharp."So that's it? The only reason you apologized… was to ask me for money?"
Yuzuki's eyes widened, her chest tightening as if the air had been ripped away from her. She shook her head frantically, words tumbling out in a rush.
"N-No! That's not it—I mean, yes, I… I need money, but that's not why I came to you!" Her voice cracked, trembling as panic gripped her throat.
She clenched her fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms. "I wanted to apologize I meant it! I was wrong before, I was cruel, and I hated myself for it every single day… I-I just…" Her lips quivered, her gaze darting to the ground as shame burned through her chest.
Her words trailed off, leaving only the sound of her shallow, ragged breaths between them.
"Enough. I don't need your excuses," Hiro's voice cut through her trembling words like a blade, full of anger and bitter disappointment. His fists tightened at his sides, knuckles whitening as he glared down at her.
"I don't care about your words or your regrets. You want money? Fine. I'll give it to you. But after that " his voice hardened, cold enough to pierce bone, " I don't want anything to do with you."
Hearing his words, Yuzuki just stood frozen, her body stiff as if the ground itself had swallowed her whole. Her lips trembled, but no sound came out at first. Finally, with her head bowed so low her bangs hid her eyes, she gave the smallest nod.
"...O-Ok," she whispered, her voice thin and fragile, barely carrying past her own lips. She didn't dare meet his gaze.
This was worse than I expected… so much worse.
Her chest tightened as though her ribs were caving in. Even the thought of breathing properly felt impossible.
Hiro exhaled sharply through his nose, the sound heavy with frustration. "Stay here. I'll bring the money. Don't move around."
He turned without waiting for her reply, his back straight and unyielding as he walked away.
Left behind, Yuzuki's hands twisted into the fabric of her dress. The sting in her chest was unbearable, like someone had reached inside her and torn out what little warmth she had left.
After what felt like hours, Hiro finally returned, a small leather pouch in his hand. His steps were brisk, his expression unreadable, though his eyes carried a storm Yuzuki couldn't meet.
"Here," he said curtly, thrusting the pouch toward her. "This is all the money I can give you."
The bag landed in her trembling hands, the weight of the silver coins. It should have brought relief—enough medicine to last, enough to survive for now.
"Than—" Yuzuki began, her voice small, but Hiro's sharp tone cut through her words.
"This should be enough. And I don't want to see your face near me ever again. Got it?"
Her breath caught in her throat. The faint, fragile smile that had managed to cling to her lips shattered instantly, replaced by a hollow, gloomy expression.
"…Ok." The word slipped out, barely audible, but final.
Her fingers clenched tight around the pouch.
"Well… it was not nice meeting you," Hiro said flatly before turning away, without even glancing back.
Yuzuki opened her mouth, wanting to call out wanting to say something, anything but no words came. Her lips closed, trembling as she stood there in silence, staring at the empty space he'd left behind.
Only then did she turn in the opposite direction, clutching the pouch of coins tightly against her chest
"…Well, that was bad. Really bad," she whispered to herself, letting out a shaky breath that felt more like a sigh of defeat than relief.
Pulling her scarf tighter around her neck, Yuzuki slipped into the shadowed alleyways, clutching the pouch of silver against her chest.
Her destination was clear the pharmacy.
She needed the medicine.
Nothing else mattered.
She walked and walked, the sound of her faint footsteps echoing against the damp cobblestones. Her small hands tightened around the pouch of coins, heart pounding with every step. Finally, after weaving through several narrow alleyways, she arrived at her destination.
The pharmacy was nothing impressive a run-down wooden building with peeling paint and a crooked sign hanging above the door. But she knew this place. It was safe, and most importantly, it was cheap.
Taking a deep breath, Yuzuki steadied herself and pushed the door open.
The faint chime of a bell announced her arrival, and the smell of herbs and medicine washed over her. But before she could take another step, her eyes went wide in shock.
Standing near the counter, speaking casually with the shopkeeper, was the very same man she had met not long ago the doctor who had bandaged her hands.
Her breath hitched.
Him… again?