The Academy (1)
The sky started to get hazier, and the evening got dimmer. Hael feverishly slept; his hands clutched to the warm towel. Luiza sheepishly skimmed through a few recipes for the night. She furrowed her brows as every recipe required various ingredients and complex procedures.
On one of the pages, the introduction read: To our dear ones, when they get sick, and for the days when the warmth of wheat soothes the soul. Farina porridge, a staple in Evermore, is comforting and easy to make.
She glanced over the procedure and gazed at Hael. His brows twitched, and he breathed with his mouth. With the severity of the situation, she swiftly grabbed her pelisse and rushed outside. The snowstorm was on its way, and the fierce wind blocked her path.
Her hair tangled up with the wind, and her arms covered her face, leaving a small space for her eyes to look further. Her foot stubbed down with heaps of snow, yet she somehow managed to get to the bakery. She threw her body weight on the door and barged inside the warm place.
The older woman was cleaning below the table when she suddenly heard the door open. As she carefully got up, she saw the freezing little girl from the morning. Her anxious eyes searched left to right.
The older woman bowed her legs and walked towards Luiza.
"Uh- um. Do you have Farina, miss?"
"Oh dear, sure I do! But first, how did you even get past that snowstorm?!! And also, call me Aunt Martha." Martha took Luiza by her arm and made her sit on one of the chairs. She brought her a warm mug of tea, got a warm towel, and placed it around her back.
Aunt Martha was quick with her hands and placed around a kilogram of Farina and added a few sticks of cinnamon and necessary herbs in a small satchel. As Luiza sipped on the tea, Matha brought the satchel and placed it on the table behind Luiza.
Luiza stood up from her chair, thanking the woman and offering a few coins of silver.
"Oh, dear, no need for it! Now go! The storm will only get stronger at night." Martha brushed off the attempts to pay, which made Luiza feel the urge to give the woman tenfold the help she received from her.
Bowing her head, she left in a hurry.
By the time she arrived at her new home, the night had risen. "If only I had teleportation magic," she murmured. Amidst the cold, her nose was as rosy as the shiny nose of a reindeer. Her eyelashes were covered in snow, and her head felt frozen.
She took off her boots and went straight to check on Hael. His forehead burned with fever and sweat formed around his forehead.
Concerned, she went upstairs, brought out the blanket from her room, and covered him. With her frosty hands, she replaced the cold towel on his forehead, lit the candles, went to the kitchen, and started to cook. It was a warm porridge with a fragrant aroma.
Despite a few spills and flame issues, she had made an edible porridge.
"Hael!" "Hael!" she said, shaking his head slightly. Awoken from his sleep, he leaned on the sofa and tried sitting upright. He seemed very hazy and lacked energy.
"Here, I made this," she said, handing him a bowl of porridge. Sheepishly, he nodded and ate.
~
"Achww!" she sneezed. Her eyes were swollen and red. She wore her uniform, which was a white shirt with big, embroidered sleeves and an ankle-length green skirt. Over it, she wore a warm woolen shawl and carried her squarish leather bag in black and chocolate brown.
She reheated the porridge from the previous night and checked on Hael, who seemed better. She served the breakfast for herself and Hael.
"You do not need to go if you aren't feeling well," he suggested.
"It's fine," she said, brushing it off. "Besides, you should take better care of your health," she replied.
Then I placed the bowl in the sink and left the house.
The storm had cleared, but a huge pile of snow piled before her front door. Using the warmth of her fire magic, she managed to clear out the path and headed to the academy.
The Academy of the Ever Hill was supposedly the very first academy outside the capital. From the books she read, it was stated that the academy building was donated by a Duke. Furthermore, the academy possessed many secret paths, but those routes were strictly forbidden to be used.
When she arrived at the gate, many of the pupil's eyes were upon her. The little children would stop in their tracks and gaze at her. Uncomfortable with the environment, she walked towards the library while bringing her bag before her. Her hands searched for her room number, which Hael gave her before heading to the school.
At the very end of the bag, she found the paper. It said, "Room number 500." She stopped her steps, took a turn, and headed to the academy building in search of room 500. As she walked inside the building, everyone continued to stare.
Cramped by the stares, she brisked and continued to look around. On the fifth floor, the very first room had a copper plate "500" on its door.
Phew, she sighted. Inhaling a deep breath, she pushed the door open. The chirpy, loud classroom became a pin-drop silence when she entered. All the unfamiliar faces continued to stare, and her footsteps echoed throughout.
It was a dark classroom with many benches. The eerie atmosphere continued to linger as they curiously watched, fiddling in anxiousness.
'Thud' The door opened, clearing out the silence. "WHY ARE YOU ALL GLARING AT HER?" A girl with neck-length ginger hair demanded her fellow classmates. Their eyes shamefully looked away.
"She is our classmate, so do not be disrespectful." She said that and took her seat at the third desk. Luiza, who was still standing, had her head down, walked to the very end of the room, and sat near the window.
The students, although they looked away, were still wary of her presence and continued to secretly gaze.
A loud bell rang, and the homeroom teacher walked inside.