LIRA: Book I

CHAPTER THREE: The Imperial Academy

Lira felt a cramp in her shoulder, causing her to slightly wince. Something heavy was atop her shoulder, so she tried to shift to a comfortable position but a vice-like grip stopped her from moving. She blinked her eyes opened her as stray of sunlight glared at her face. She saw Mari's head propped on her shoulder. Mari was still sound asleep, tightly embracing Lira's left arm. "How could your head weigh like a ton?" she mused to herself.

Slowly, as to not wake Mari, Lira turned slightly forward to see where they were. The bus was approaching what Lira thought from a far a hill. They moved further, and towering trees lined the winding road. Several branches and leaves above intertwined with the rest of the trees, almost obscuring her view of the sun.

Compared to the Great Metro that looked almost like a complete industrial wasteland with its gloomy shades of gray and black, the city of Baguio was flourishing with all the bursting colors nature could offer. Lira feasted her eyes with flowers growing along the road. Leaves of tall trees rustled in greetings. The air smelled sweet and citrusy only pine trees could offer.

A cold, chilly air swept inside, causing goose bumps on Lira's arms.

Mari stirred beside her. "Ma, who turned on the AC?"

"Mari, wake up. We're almost there," Lira whispered, slightly taping her companion's arm.

Mari untangled herself from Lira and straightened up, eyes squinting. She made a big yawn but stopped midway. "OHMYGEE, I slept on your shoulders. Did I drool while asleep?"

Lira chuckled and inspected her shoulders. "Nope."

"I guess we're almost there," Mari mused as she fumbled with her purse. "I should, you know, freshen up a bit. Might bump later with a cute boy, or two."

Lira smiled and turned her attention in front of her. The bus stopped in front a colossal golden gate bearing the seal of the academy. Shortly, it opened to let the bus pass through. The bus moved further forward, up towards the hill. From a distance, Lira could see an enormous castle-like structure fronting a wide expanse of field. As they drove nearer, she noticed a cemented lane beside the field leading towards the building. After a five-minute drive, they stopped in front of another gargantuan modern-like building. As the students made their way out of the vehicle, a tall and willowy looking lady called for their attention. She was beautiful, who looked to be on her late twenties, but seemed rather stern with her penetrating gaze behind those horrible glasses.

"Good morning. My name is Amara. I am the head of the faculty teachers and part of the welcoming committee. You may address me as Head Mistress but that would sound so archaic so please, do call me Miss Amara instead," the lady said. Miss Amara surveyed the students as she tucked a stray of brown hair behind her ear, her fingers moving further behind her tight chignon. She looked past Lira, but returned her gaze back at her, as if she somehow resembled someone she knew. Miss Amara decided she was probably mistaken as she moved forward. "The students from the Northernland are all settled in inside their dorms. Now all boys please follow Mr. Rojas, and the girls follow Miss Layla and Miss Tara for the room allocations. Your list of schedule for today's activity and your class schedules are already inside your rooms, as well as your uniforms ("Uniforms?" most students groaned). You will be given ample time to rest. School assembly will be at seven in the evening."

It took Lira four flights of stairs, and one narrow steps leading to the attic-like floor, before she was directed where her room was. She thought it was the attic; she could almost touch the ceiling if she extended her arm upward. This was already the last floor and as she stood in the middle of a small square space, she noticed the four doors on each side. The three doors lead to the rooms and the remaining door to her left was the common bathroom as explained to her by Miss Layla. Earlier when Ms. Layla was directing the other girls for their rooms, Lira felt excited thinking what her room was going to be like. She saw the rooms of the other girls; it was highly decorated with rich colors and fully furnished with necessary furniture. And now that Lira was escorted to hers, she had a very strange feeling that somehow the room assignment was also based on a student's status.