Breakfast in Sun tower

The sweet aroma of toasted bread and warm cinnamon filled the stairwell.

Nola followed Maika down the wide spiral staircase, her fingers skimming the yellow stone railing.

The steps felt warm against her skin, and with every floor they passed, the air grew warmer, sweeter—like it was pulling her toward something soft.

Her hair was still damp from her quick morning shower, and she hugged her scarf a little tighter around her neck. It still carried the faintest trace of her mother's warmth.

"Breakfast is the best part of this place," Maika whispered over her shoulder. "Like… if you were on the verge of a breakdown, a single Eldhollow croissant could save you."

Nola raised an eyebrow. "That's a bold statement."

"Yeah, well," Maika said with a proud grin, "so are the pastries."

They reached the ground floor, where sunlight poured in through enormous stained-glass windows.

The great golden doors to the hall stood open, and the smell hit Nola like a warm wave: vanilla, roasted apples, something savory and spiced with herbs she didn't know.

She stepped inside and paused.

The Great Hall was like something out of a dream, or an old fairytale too rich for real life. The ceilings arched above like the ribs of a cathedral, every beam engraved with sunbursts and winged creatures.

Floating glass orbs hovered in the air, casting sunlight down in soft rays, and potted ivy spilled from carved ledges overhead, swaying gently even though there was no wind.

But it wasn't grand in a cold way. It felt lived in. Laughing voices echoed, forks clinked on plates, someone at the far end sneezed and cast a charm to stop their toast from burning.

"It's always like this," Maika said, tugging her toward a long table near the center. "Sun Tower is like a family. Food, gossip, accidental fire spells—standard stuff."

"Spells?"

"Yeah. You got to learn standard magecraft. It is a rough world out there."

Maika did a fake fall in fear saying that. Nola laughed.

Nola followed her to the table.

A few students were already at the table, chatting and laughing. One spotted Maika and waved.

"Maika! Still not kicked out? Disappointing."

"Ha! Please. I'm a local treasure," Maika shot back, dropping onto a bench. "Guys, this is Nola—my new roommate and officially the most graceful sleeper I've met. Barely made a sound."

Nola slid onto the bench beside her, feeling a dozen eyes shift toward her.

A tall girl with braids leaned over the table with a kind smile. "Brielle." Next to her, a boy with sharp features and delicate glasses nodded.

"Taveer. Don't mind the volume—it's early and Maika's already on her third slice of toast."

"Rude," Maika mumbled through a bite.

"And I'm Yuna," said a petite girl with a notebook in her lap. "Welcome to the Sun Tower."

"Thanks," Nola said quietly. "Still figuring everything out."

"Aren't we all," Yuna replied with a smile.

The food arrived as if on cue—platters and bowls and floating trays gliding down the length of the table, landing with a gentle thrum.

Nola watched, wide-eyed.

There were golden croissants, so flaky they practically breathed when you tore them open.

Slices of roasted peach glistened beside little rounds of honeyed goat cheese and pomegranate seeds.

Jars of strawberry jam appeared between bowls of thick, spiced porridge that smelled of cinnamon and something earthy like cardamom.

A tray of soft, braided breads glowed faintly with warmth and filled the air with the scent of butter, sugar, and orange peel.

Nola reached for a croissant and bit into it. It was warm, soft, with a hint of citrus. It melted on her tongue.

"Oh gods," she whispered.

"Told you," Maika said smugly, sipping her tea like royalty.

As they ate, the conversation flowed like water. Maika teased Brielle about her "study-snore."

Yuna shared a dream where a Will turned out to be a talking falcon with a superiority complex. Taveer groaned over having to complete a magecraft spell.

"My family's wills are usually heavily reliant on mana so there is a high burden on me to do magecraft better.

"So," Brielle asked, mid-melon-bite, "you're here for Initiation today, right?"

Nola hesitated. Then nodded. "Sort of. I… already got my will."

That got their attention.

Maika leaned in dramatically. "She met her Will yesterday. In the Headmistress's office."

"What?" Yuna choked on her juice.

Taveer blinked. "That… never happens. Are you secretly some bigshot?"

"No. The only person I know here is my brother."

"Ehh, who is he?"

"His name is Auriel Makinoshi."

The room fell silent.

"You never told me that your brother is the commander of a legion." Maika said in a shocked voice.

"Why, is that really big?"

"Really BIG! Your brother is the strongest of the Sun Legion right now."

"Your brother is one of the nine most powerful people in our world."

Nola was shocked. Her brother did feel like he had an important position but this big she never knew.

"Whose will did you get?" Brielle asked gently, changing the topic.

Nola's voice was quiet. "Watanabe no Tsuna."

Maika, of course, broke the silence first. "She's basically got a ghost samurai protector who cuts demons like paper. It's intense."

They all fell quiet for a moment.

Then Maika elbowed her. "Alright, that's it. I need a Will that dramatic. Something with flair. Maybe an immortal witch with a flair for fashion or a berserker poet."

Nola laughed, warm and full. It spilled out of her without permission, catching her off-guard. But it didn't hurt. It felt like the sun coming through clouds.

As the meal wound down, she leaned back in her chair, her plate nearly empty.

She wasn't used to being part of something. Not like this. But here, with warm bread in her stomach, sunlight on her hands, and laughter echoing down a hall of golden stone, she felt like maybe… she could belong.

Not as a danger. Not as a misfit. Just as Nola.

And maybe that was enough.