Y/n L/n's POV
Right after our classes ended, I went strolling through the corridors, trying to find my locker.
"165, 166, 167, 168– AHA! Here it is, 169!" Opening the blue locker, I placed a few of my books inside to get rid of excess weight and closed it after I finished.
It was only my first day, and yet so many things happened the whole time I was here. I was exhausted to the point I could barely keep my eyes open.
It honestly troubled me. I had spent so much my time inside the walls of Taeyeon's home, I practically forgot about how tiring it is to sit through several classes while fighting off the urge to fall asleep.
The magic training sessions only made it worse. We were told that particular period was the most draining and stressful of all.
Today's training wasn't so bad since all we did was practice our aim, but I knew better than to let my guard down. Who knows what kind of shit Sir Park will put us through next time.
I could hear my determination crumbling as I sighed deeply. If Ms. IU didn't threaten to punch my teeth in, then I would've dropped out before classes even started.
It was honestly better than the extra shitty school I went to in my previous world, but the new environment and the unfamiliar classes were very draining.
It will take a while for me to get used to this place, and maybe by then, I wouldn't be so reluctant on attending this academy.
With hurried steps, I made my way to the grand gates of the academy, desperately trying to leave as fast as I could.
"Dahyun, wait up!"
At the mention of the pale girl's name, my feet slowed down before coming to a complete stop. I turned my head to where I heard the familiar voice while squinting my eyes, scanning the area.
Walking to the bench near a large tree were 2 faces I knew well. "Momo's gonna eat all the snacks if we don't hurry" And standing not too far from them was Dahyun, waiting for Jihyo and Tzuyu to catch up to her.
Well, that's surprising. I knew Dahyun and Jihyo were friends, but I had no idea Tzuyu was also part of their group. In fact, I never thought she had friends to begin with.
When they finally made it to their destination, 6 other girls greeted them with bright smiles. 9 in total, they sure are a lot.
Unexpectedly, one of them turned to me and tilted her head when our eyes met. It startled me a bit since she did it so suddenly, but when a pair of bunny teeth showed themselves after she smiled, a few butterflies exploded inside my stomach.
Who knew it was possible for a human being to look that cute? Too cute, actually. For some odd reason, I suddenly had the urge to pamper her.
Maybe it was because of how much she resembled a bunny, or maybe it was her captivating aura that tried to lure me into falling head over heels for her. It really could've been either way, maybe even both.
She was about to call Dahyun, but I immediately ran away just before she could tell our pale friend I was nearby.
I really didn't plan on dying today, and 9 hot girls surrounding me was one way to put me in a grave, so I did what any coward would do–
Run home and cherish the life given to me.
-
A sigh of relief fell from my mouth when I arrived at the town near Taeyeon's field. The familiarity of it all soothed me, pushing away the stress I gathered from staying in an academy I wasn't yet accustomed to.
I walked through the lively streets, liking the vibrancy of the children and the enthusiasm of the adults. The town was always so loud and festive, as if there was nothing in the world that could ruin the merry mood.
From afar, an older woman I knew spotted me and excitedly waved her hand in the air, gesturing me to come over. "Y/n, perfect timing!"
"Good afternoon, Ms. Seo" I greeted when I was in front of her stall and instantly earned myself a disapproving look from her.
"I told you to just call me Seohyun" She smiled after huffing playfully. "Anyways, I want you to try this pie I baked and tell me if it's good enough to sell"
She handed me a fork and pointed at the cherry pie between us. My eyes sparkled when I found out she's letting me taste it for free and shamelessly took a piece without hesitation.
It was a bit cold, probably because it's been sitting here for a while, but it was still delicious. I showed her a thumbs up, expressing my approval.
"Amazing as always" I praised, giving her my most honest opinion of her pastry. Seohyun started her pie business not too long ago, and I happened to be her first customer.
Everything she made was always great, so I came to her stall pretty often. "That's good to hear" She looked satisfied with my answer and suddenly brought out a container. "Bring home the rest and share it with your family"
"Woah, are you sure?" The wide grin I had made her chuckle.
Nodding, she helped me pack the pie before handing it to me, not forgetting to caress the top of my head. "Don't skip your meals, alright?"
"Thank you, Seohyun!" Free food is the best kind of food.
I was about to say my goodbye and happily hop back home, but I was immediately silenced by the sudden lack of weight on my hands. "Eh?..."
We both looked down and were left dumbfounded when the pie was gone from my hold. I blinked twice, maybe even thrice, just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.
"What the..." Turning our heads to the side, a man speedily running away from Seohyun's stall laughed at us while carrying my pie.
"This is why thieves who know how to use magic are so annoying. That bastard just used a spell to take your pie" Seohyun rolled her eyes, clearly frustrated by the fact that her masterpiece was stolen right in front of her.
I sighed, not even surprised at this point. "I'll go after him..." This wasn't my first time dealing with thieves, so I couldn't really bring myself to panic.
"Be careful, okay?" She reminded before sending me off with a wave as I ran full speed ahead, trying to catch up with the scumbag that stole my food.
I was told that thieves have been rampant in town these days, and multiple guards were being hired to get rid of them. And those guards must've been doing a really shitty job if they still haven't freed this town from its problem.
The mayor should've hired Ms. IU instead. If they pay her a large sum of money, then she wouldn't dare to refuse. She'd flip this place upside down just to finish the task given to her.
Speaking of Ms. IU, maybe I should feed her the pie I got to persuade her into letting me have a day off from training. My muscles were sore, and I was too drained to do anything that involved extreme physical activity.
That's why I really need to get that pie back and save my ass from getting thrown to the other side of the field again. "Stop, you bastard!"
He looked back at me with a mocking smirk before running faster. Thank god my endurance and speed got better, I would've been a panting mess by now if I hadn't trained my heart out.
Turning to every corner he saw, he did his best to outrun me while I followed after him like a mad dog chasing after the motherfucker that stepped on my tail.
I almost tripped along the way because a stupid barrel, but I was fortunate enough to dodge it in time with a jump. It wasn't long until we reached a dead end. A brick wall stopped him in his tracks as he frantically looked around for an escape route.
"Give up already, I don't have the time to continue this stupid race" Extending my hand, I gestured him to return what he stole from me.
"Do you honestly think I'll give up that easily?! Go to hell, bitch!" He yelled before pointing his finger at me, shooting out a ball of fire.
I ducked, easily avoiding his attack. He may have learned magic, but that doesn't mean he was good at it. Fire was among the basic elemental magics one could learn, and yet he sucked at it so badly that it made me feel a little better about myself.
I was no expert to my own magic, but he's definitely worse than me. Tzuyu's fire was obviously stronger. Her aim was also a lot more precise than his.
His nostrils flared with rage as he continued firing out more of his magic, each shot being bigger than the previous one.
But the larger they were, the slower they got. It didn't take much effort for me to perfectly evade everything he was throwing around.
My eyes were glued to the container in his hands as I moved from one place to another, trying to get closer while also dodging.
"JUST DIE ALREADY!" He screamed like a bitch before forming the biggest ball of flames he's made yet. It was about the same size as my torso.
Sighing, I tilted my body to the side and avoided it without much difficulty. However, when my head turned around to follow the raging flames, a small boy standing behind us made eye contact with me.
Panic shot through me a like a bullet to the head the moment I saw him there. The ball of magic was flying straight for him, ready to burn him alive and turn him into a pile of ashes.
For a split second, the world suddenly slowed down, almost as if it was on its way to freezing completely. Time had grown lethargic as I watched the scene unfold.
The way fear gradually twisted the little guy's face, the way he dropped his ice cream when he saw what was coming for him, how he tried to jump away from the danger–
And how his eyes begged me to save him...
A familiar buzz whispered in my ears, like a puppeteer urging its marionette to move. I could feel my consciousness slowly slipping as something else tried to take over.
I had no idea what it was, but intuition was yelling at me to fight it off. I couldn't sense any evil intentions from what was trying to gain control of me, but I knew it was bad news.
Something deep inside me was saying that if I lose myself now, something bad will happen. Something I'll definitely forget later on.
So before I could fully succumb to it, I forced my legs to move and sprint in between the little boy and the fiery attack.
A burning sensation burned through my uniform, searing my backside and eliciting a pained scream from me. My skin tingled at the intense heat it was receiving while the kid in my arms looked up at me with horror.
A few of my tears slipped as they gushed down my cheeks. Pants and wheezes raced out of my mouth, scaring the small child I was towering over. It hurt so much, I could barely maintain my defensive stance.
When the flames vanished, an infuriating cackle sounded from behind me. "Did you really just sacrifice yourself for a kid you don't even know?" The thief mocked.
"Oh, I get it! You're one of those wannabe heroes, aren't you? Useless idiots who think they can contribute to society by putting others before themselves!"
My eye twitched at what he said. With the last of my strength, I quickly pushed the little guy off me and told him to run away as fast as he could.
My consciousness was sinking into the dark abyss inside my mind. If he doesn't flee now, then he'll get involved in whatever was trying to take over my body.
He was clearly hesitating to leave, but after I shooed him away once more, he finally ran for his life far, far away from us.
"Shit..." I cursed under my breath as a sparkle of yellow devoured my eyes for the second time today.
-
3rd person POV
The thief flinched when Y/n suddenly stood back up with ease, acting as if she hadn't blocked a blazing attack that left her body aching a few seconds ago.
A prickling sensation went up his spine when a pair of glowing eyes stared right at him. The menacing aura around the young girl had him shaking in his place.
All the cockiness he had earlier disappeared and was replaced by fear upon seeing the eerie stare she was giving him.
He had no clue as to what was going on, but he knew if he didn't escape now, he'd be welcoming death with open arms.
He looked left and right, trying to find a possible route for his escape. Even a cramped hole in the wall would do, as long as it takes him somewhere safe.
But much to his dismay, the only path he could take was where Y/n was currently standing. And there was no way he was going to go near her, not when she suddenly raised her hand.
Sparks of lightning began dancing around her fingers as zaps and buzzes played a dangerous tune in the air. He could feel it, the tremendous amount of magic gathering around her hand.
Only the gods knew how much the thieving bastard wanted to run away and prolong his life, but it was clear as day that it was all too late.
When Y/n's palm made contact with the ground, her magic spread all over the narrow area before a large pillar of lightning came to swallow his body whole.
"GAAAHHH!" His screams reached the ears of everyone nearby as the townspeople turned their heads to the glowing pillar of yellow light that appeared out of nowhere in one of the alleyways.
Jieun, who happened to be in town, instantly recognized the tiny particles of magic flowing through the air the moment she sensed it.
With furrowed brows, she dropped the croissant she was eating and disappeared into the shadows. Her body flowed through the darkness while trying to locate which alleyway her target was in.
When her senses told her she was getting closer, she quickly jumped out of the shadows and landed on her feet. She looked around, scanning the area before following the faint zaps she heard.
"Good grief..." She winced when a red, swollen backside came into view after she turned to a corner. Standing in front of her was the next Pillar of Peace looking down at the dead body sprawled across her on the ground.
Jieun's guard was put up when Y/n turned around. "As unfortunate as it is, my guess turned out to be right after all..." She exhaled through her nose while staring back at the glowing eyes that were pinned onto her.
The older woman moved her legs over to where the younger girl was and extended her arms, catching Y/n's figure before she could fall.
The latter's eyelids closed, ending her short rampage as she rested peacefully against Jieun who shook her head. "What a reckless child..."
-
Taeyeon's peaceful tea time was destroyed when the front door busted open with a loud bang. She flinched in her seat, yelping as the teacup fell out of her hand.
With a glare, she was about to yell at whoever barged in so rudely, but her words were shoved back down her throat when she saw the body slumped over Jieun's shoulder.
"Y/n!" She gasped, rushing over to her unmoving successor. "What in the world happened?!"
While placing Y/n on the couch, Jieun spoke with a serious tone and creased brows. "From the looks of it, she got herself into a fight, and her magic took control of her again"
A deep frown stitched itself on Taeyeon's lips. "So, you were right..." She crouched down next to Y/n and held her hand, worry painting her face. "What should we do?"
With crossed arms, Jieun pulled her head back and stared at the ceiling in deep thought. Taeyeon's question was difficult to answer, especially when Jieun knew there was nothing they could do about Y/n's current problem.
They don't know what's triggering it, nor do they know how they're going to prevent it from happening again. And Y/n seems to forget about losing control of herself when she wakes up.
So, they obviously couldn't ask her about it. Telling her something so concerning would only trouble her and get in the way of her development. She'd freak out if she finds out she killed someone. So Jieun decided to keep her lips sealed until she figures out a way to help the younger girl.
Uncrossing her arms, Jieun brought her head back to its original position and met Taeyeon's worried gaze. A small smile decorated her features as she reached out to run her fingers along the latter's blonde hair.
"For now, let's just observe her and wait until a clue arises. We won't be able to help her if we don't have any leads"
Although unsure, Taeyeon nodded her head and chose to trust Jieun's words. She wanted to solve this problem as soon as possible, but she knew rushing things would only make the situation worse.
And so, she picked up her successor and carried Y/n to her room.
-
Y/n L/n's POV
I woke up the next day with a massive headache that had me falling out of bed and groaning onto the floor.
"Fwaaack..." I grumbled, trying to stand up but failed miserably when I fell back on the cold surface, face first.
Sighing in defeat, I accepted my fate and let my body become one with the floor. There's no way I'd be able to get up on my own anyway, not when I had to deal with the unbearable pain my head was feeling.
My memories were all jumbled up and I have no recollections of ever getting home yesterday, so how the fuck did I get here and why am I in so much pain?
All I remember is leaving the academy and receiving a free pie from Seohyun. I don't remember anything else after that.
"So, the princess finally awakens" Ms. IU's voice sounded from the door as a pair of feet approached my unmoving figure.
"Up we go" Taeyeon said while carrying me, placing me back on my bed. As always, she was the only one nice enough to help me.
"What happened?" I asked, forcing my eyes open to look at the duo towering over me.
The look on Taeyeon's face when she eyed Ms. IU told me that she wasn't allowed to say anything without the latter's consent, which confused me even more.
"You..." Ms. IU trailed off, visibly hesitating. But after a deep inhale, she moved her lips once more to speak. "You don't need to know"
"Eh?" What's that supposed to mean?
Before I could interrogate her further, Taeyeon suddenly took my uniform and placed it on top of me. "You still have classes today, child. Get up when you feel better and come downstairs to eat breakfast"
She then took Ms. IU's hand and dragged her out of the room, leaving me here with my unanswered questions.
"What's up with them?..."
-
Dragging my feet to class, I let out a yawn while stretching my limbs. I arrived at the academy a couple of minutes ago, and I was currently strolling through the empty corridors.
Taeyeon and Ms. IU were in a hurry to get me out of the house today, which explains my early arrival. It was honestly suspicious, but I'd rather not think about that anymore.
Worrying about things that don't need my immediate attention will only flood my brain with unnecessary thoughts and confuse me even more.
Instead, I focused on massaging my temples in an attempt to get rid of the ache in my head. "Ouch..."
"You okay over there?" An unfamiliar voice broke the silence within the hallway.
Humming curiously, I stopped in my tracks before turning to the side where a slim figure was leaning against the lockers.
My jaw automatically dropped at the breathtaking visage that instantly drove away my headache.
Presented in front of me was a pair of double lidded eyes resting under perfectly shaped brows. Going further up were long, silky strands of hair that cascaded down her shoulders.
Her lips were plump and had the perfect shade of pink, and the way her skin glowed under the light of the morning sun had me blinking in disbelief.
She broke into a smile upon seeing my reaction, her pearly white bunny teeth lighting up the room. "I'm pretty, aren't I?" She lifted her finger and placed it on my chin to close my open mouth.
Oh dear, there goes my heart...
The mere sound of her playful giggles blessed my ears as I nodded rapidly, completely agreeing with her.
Satisfied with my answer, she extended her hand and held mine for a brief shake. "I'm Nayeon!"
If I remember correctly, she was the girl I saw yesterday. The one that had a strong resemblance to a bunny due to her charming front teeth.
And god, she looked better up close.
"Y/n L/n" Surprisingly, I was able to reply without stuttering.
"You're Dahyun's friend, right?" She asked while going around me in circles, not even bothering to hide the fact she was checking me out.
"Yeah... uhm, do you need something from me?" I couldn't help but gulp under the pressure of her gaze. She was looking at me so intently that it made me a little nervous.
Upon hearing the slight discomfort in my tone, she immediately stopped her inspection and settled herself in front of me. "Sorry, sorry" She chuckled and winked. "Wanna be friends? You seem really cool and interesting, totally my type"
"Yo- Your type!?" I jumped, visibly flustered by her unforeseen confession.
She roared with laughter, absolutely loving the tiny shriek I made. "My type of friend" She grinned cheekily, a teasing look on her pretty face.
I wasn't exactly sure if I should be disappointed or relieved, but I smiled tiredly either way. Nodding, I held her extended hand and shook it for the second time. "Sure, let's be friends"
"Great choice!" She beamed with a smile brighter than the sun. "Let's hang out soon, yeah? Just the two of us!"
I couldn't decide between seeing her as a massive tease or just a naturally social person. The only thing I was sure of was my choice to her invitation–
"I'd love to!"
-