The place was guarded with extreme precision, as if every corner was being constantly monitored. Warriors from all over were scattered around the school, each fulfilling their role without showing any weakness. They were everywhere, vigilant, ready to react to any threat.
I passed a refreshing garden, where wooden and iron benches were arranged in an orderly fashion. A few young people were there, a little shorter than me, all watching a wooden panel intently. Curiosity led me to approach slowly, and as I got closer, I noticed something curious. I was taller than the boys my age, which wasn't surprising, but the feeling of being surrounded by people smaller than me somehow made me realize how imposing my own size was.
But then something caught my eye. A look. There was a girl there, with long curly blonde hair that contrasted with the green environment around her. She was tall, an impressive sight. Her blue eyes were large, like windows into a world I longed to enter. She was looking at one of the other boys, but somehow her eyes met mine, and I stopped for a moment, feeling the heat rise to my face.
My heart raced in a way I'd never experienced before, and a feeling of nervousness washed over me. "She's beautiful..." I thought to myself, unable to get the image of her face out of my mind. Something awoke in me, something I hadn't felt before. I was drawn to her, without understanding exactly why, but it was something palpable, like an invisible force pulling me towards her.
That's when a red-haired boy stood up from the group in front of the panel and spoke out loud, breaking the momentary silence.
"Hey, are you...?" he began, looking at me curiously.
I stopped, coming back to myself. All the students standing in front of the panel turned and started watching me, their gazes assessing every detail, as if they were trying to understand who I was. They split into groups, analyzing me like an unknown piece on a board. For a moment, I felt all eyes on me, and the feeling was uncomfortable, but I knew I had to act politely.
"I'm Zaatar Udrick, nice to meet you." I replied, trying to control the lightness in my voice while maintaining the posture that etiquette demanded.
The red-haired boy looked at my clothes and the badge I was wearing before smiling, as if he had finally recognized me.
"Theodore, are you in the same class as us in the morning?" he asked, still with a friendly smile on his face.
"I guess so." I replied, keeping my gaze fixed on the blonde girl, who was still there, but now seemed to be more distant, as if what was between us was something only, I could perceive. I was a little red, feeling my chest quicken and a strange sensation of ice forming in my stomach. I'd never experienced this before, and the feeling was... disconcerting.
"Come here." said Theodore, gesturing for me to come closer. "I'm going to introduce you to our group. You're from one of the big families in town, right?"
Those words fell on me as if it were something natural, but at the same time, I knew that the question was full of a different meaning.
"Yes, you're from the Tenehir house." he said, surprise taking over his face as he realized where I was coming from.
I couldn't help but smile a little, my pride in my lineage unable to be hidden.
"How did you know?" he asked, genuinely surprised.
"I memorized the coats of arms of all the families in the Empire of the Dawn." I replied, confidence shining through my voice. It was something I had done out of curiosity and, at the same time, a certain respect for the great houses of the empire.
"Wow, that's incredible!" Theodore exclaimed. He then pointed to another boy in the group, a little further away. "Who do you think he is?"
I looked at the boy indicated, trying not to divert my attention from where I really wanted to be, but something inside me forced me to look at that young man's face. He looked as ordinary as any other, but even so, there was something about his posture that made me doubt his appearance.
"He belongs to the Rosvilce Family." said Theodore, with a tone of surprise. The boy, who was on the other side, immediately turned around, his blond hair swaying slightly with the movement.
"And that one?" Theodore continued, looking genuinely interested now.
"The Grenvene family." I replied naturally, the familiarity of the names flowing easily from my mouth.
I knew very well who these families were. They were the ones my father wanted to swallow up, one by one, until he could become a viscount and expand his power and influence in the empire. I knew the details, as if the relationships between the houses were pieces in a great game of chess, and my father was more than ready to make the right move.
"Boy, this guy is smart." Theodore exclaimed, seeming impressed by my precision. His words caught the attention of a few people around, and I could see glances turning to me.
Now for the question that made me follow my train of thought:
"What about her, do you know?" Theodore asked, pointing to the blonde girl who was still watching the panel.
I felt something different, a sensation I almost didn't recognize in myself. When my eyes fell on her, all I could think about was how... perfect she was. My heart leapt in my chest, and I was momentarily speechless.
Heat rose to my face. Damn it, why am I feeling like this? I forced myself to look at Theodore, who seemed confused by my silence. The look on his face was as if he was trying to understand what was going on. After a few seconds of discomfort, he looked at the girl for a while longer, and then spoke.
"Genesis" he said, as if he had finally found the answer.
I felt a mixture of relief and something else, something I couldn't name. Genesis... I knew what that meant. A daughter of House Rosvilce, the closest of the great families that my father wanted to bring down. My heart raced again, but now I knew exactly what I needed to do. Something told me it would be now or never.
Without any more hesitation, I took a step forward, advancing towards the girl with a confidence I didn't know I possessed. As I walked, the words from the books I'd read about how to approach a lady, about proper gestures and posture, came to mind.