The week before classes officially began at Zheno passed slowly, the sprawling academy offering countless nooks and corridors to explore. Wads found himself increasingly drawn to wandering alone, discovering corners of the vast campus that seemed untouched by the bustling students. Every courtyard, every shadowed corridor, and every sun-drenched stairway held details that fascinated him.
One morning, curiosity drew him deeper into the academy than he had gone before. Stone walls soared above him, adorned with intricate carvings of mythical beasts, and fountains sparkled with crystal-clear water, reflecting the pale morning sun. Vines crawled along the pillars like living lace, and the distant laughter of students echoed faintly through the courtyards. Wads felt a thrill of freedom—he was in a world both enormous and precise, and his mind raced with possibilities.
As he wandered, a narrow archway tucked behind a row of tall hedges caught his attention. Pushing through, he stumbled into a hidden garden—a sanctuary bathed in soft light. Delicate flowers bloomed in perfect arrangement, petals glimmering with dew. Birds perched on twisted branches, singing harmonies that seemed composed for him alone. A small pond mirrored the sky, its surface rippling gently with the breeze. Wads sank to the stone bench at the edge of the pond, producing his notebook and pencils.
For hours, he sketched. Each tree, each flower, each glimmer of sunlight dancing across the water was captured meticulously. The garden's tranquility wrapped around him like a warm cloak, and for the first time in days, he felt completely at ease.
A sudden sound of footsteps on the stone path made him glance up. A figure had appeared at the garden's entrance: a young woman, probably a year older than him, with long, wavy dark blue hair that shimmered like midnight waves in sunlight. Her eyes, an astonishing indicolite, seemed to hold storms and calm seas at once—impossible to look away from. There was an elegance to her posture, each movement deliberate yet effortless, as if the garden itself bent subtly to her presence. Authority radiated from her, not through words, but through the sheer weight of her being, the kind that made the air still and the surrounding light seem softer.
"You've found my favorite corner," she said, voice calm but amused, each word carrying the kind of authority that demanded attention without effort. "Though I suppose you didn't exactly ask for permission to enter."
Wads blinked, momentarily caught off guard by her beauty and commanding presence. "I… I didn't see anyone. I thought it was… private." He shrugged, returning his attention to the notebook as if it could shield him from scrutiny.
She tilted her head, a faint smile curving her lips. "You're very… thorough. Most people wouldn't take the time to notice the angles of the arch or the reflection in the pond."
Wads glanced at her briefly, heart pounding. "I draw what I see. Nothing more, nothing less."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, studying him, yet the smile didn't falter. "Nothing more, huh? And yet, somehow you notice more than most do."
A mischievous spark lit his eyes. "Perhaps I just enjoy paying attention. Or perhaps I simply have better taste than the average person."
She laughed softly, a sound that felt like wind weaving through the treetops. "Better taste than the average person… bold claim. I suppose we'll see if you live up to it." Her gaze lingered, not cold but measuring, observing him with the quiet authority of someone used to seeing much and revealing little.
For a few moments, they sat in companionable silence. Wads' pencils moved furiously across the paper, capturing the garden's details while sneaking glances at the girl who had silently appeared. Despite her ethereal beauty, she seemed approachable—her amusement tempered the weight of her presence, though her authority remained undeniable.
Finally, curiosity got the better of him. "Who… are you? I don't think I've seen you around before."
She tilted her head, eyes glinting with mischief. "I'm just a visitor who enjoys a quiet garden. That's all you need to know… for now."
Wads frowned slightly, feeling both intrigued and frustrated. "You're not giving much away."
"Life's more interesting with a little mystery," she replied smoothly. "Besides, it's more fun to see what someone like you is capable of before revealing anything more."
He raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming despite himself. "Someone like me?"
"Yes," she said, voice soft but authoritative. "Observant, clever, unafraid to notice details others miss. I think… you might be more capable than you realize."
Wads felt a flush of pride mixed with nervousness. Her words carried weight, not as praise, but as recognition of skill. And somehow, that made him want to impress her even more.
They spent the rest of the morning exchanging banter, testing each other's wit, and observing the garden's beauty together. Wads realized that, beneath her regal presence, she was just as interested in discovering and challenging him as he was in sketching and understanding the world.
By the time he reluctantly left the garden, the sun had climbed higher, casting gold across the academy. Wads' notebook was filled with sketches, some of the garden, some of the girl who had appeared like a vision from another world. And in his mind lingered the certainty that this encounter, brief and mysterious as it had been, would not be the last.