After a little while, I heard a knock-knock.
My gaze stayed fixed on the ceiling.
Opening the door, I saw Mom.
Her voice was soft and cautious, as if she were speaking to something very delicate or precious.
"Are you okay?" she asked, slowly approaching my bed and sitting on the edge.
"It's about the letter, isn't it?"
I kept staring at the ceiling.
"No, I'm not worried about it anymore.
Anyway, I don't have the grades to get in.
It was stupid to even try."
She spoke gently:
"But you have to try."
— Ha, trying something impossible —
I clicked my tongue.
"I'm useless at magic.
How could I ever make it?
I have no talent for this...
...just leave me alone."
A resigned voice with a certain sadness.
If she could see my face, it would undoubtedly be covered with helplessness.
She herself should understand that my magical talent was nothing special, especially knowing Camila.
"Anyway, I think you have to try,
so you don't throw away all these years of effort you've put in."
Her voice was still delicate, as if speaking to something about to break.
Camila:
"This can't be!
You've worked so hard for so long,
but even so, you want to give up just like that?"
She silently looked at the great full moon and stars.
"Well..."
I raised my torso, hugging my knees to my chest.
My face had a faint nihilistic smile.
"There's no point in continuing."
She was to my left.
I didn't turn to look at her, but if I had, I would have noticed a face full of indignation.
"You have to try.
And if you can't make it, I'll cast a baldness spell on the examiner for such injustice."
Her posture was firm, as if she were proud of what she had just said.
"Ha ha,"
It was a painful laugh.
"But"
I turned to her.
"You don't have to worry anymore.
We'll go our separate ways,"
my gaze lit by the cold touch of the moon.
"As it should be."
Camila was about to open her mouth but stopped.
Her face looked sad for a second.
I saw a flash of melancholy—the same girl playing alone with a sad look.
— I don't want to know —
I turned back to the moon.
"Today is the day the new students enter the Solaris Academy.
Don't you want to go see Camila?"
Hmph, I laughed at the stupidity of her question.
"And witness the birth of a legend?
No thanks, I'd rather stay home."
"Ha ha ha,"
my dad laughed as if it were the best joke in the world.
My mother, who was preparing breakfast, glanced at my father.
My father's face, which had been twisted into a big, toothy smile, turned serious as he reacted to the imminent danger, looking me straight in the eyes.
"But son, she's your friend.
She doesn't have to be a legend for you to go see her, right?"
He took a big bite of his jam sandwich.
"Yes, but we're only friends.
Besides, I don't think they'll let me in.
I heard from Camila that only parents could attend."
I said seriously, resigned in tone.
"Well, that's a shame,"
he said, looking at his wife with a resigned face.
When I saw my mother's mouth move to speak,
I heard a loud noise at the door.
"Excuse me!"
I saw someone move like an arrow with extreme quickness and speed.
Before I could even react, they grabbed my arm with their hand.
"We have to go!"
Choking on my food, I barely managed to respond.
"Camila, what are you doing here?! This is the opening ceremony!"
Her face contracted into a big smile as she spoke.
"It's complicated to explain, but we have to leave."
A look of apology appeared on her face.
"Sorry, uncles, for interrupting like this, but I need to take your son,"
she said urgently while still pulling my arm to get me up, managing to do so.
"Wait, at least let me put on my shoes,"
I said, about to pass through the exit door.
"Nooo, we have to go quickly,
otherwise, we won't make it on time,"
she said irritably.
"On time, for what?!"
"For the entrance ceremony."
"Ah!?"
I exclaimed, before I could continue complaining, my feet lifted off the ground.
I grabbed tightly onto the arm I had just wanted to let go of, as if it were the only thing that could save me from a fatal fall.
"Wait!"
I saw the ground get smaller and smaller as we rose into the air.
"Hold on tight!"
A big push backward hit my whole body.
I squeezed her arm tightly.
"Ahhhhh!"
I screamed, my cheeks pushed by the wind and my eyes half-closed.
My chest rose and fell as I tried to calm my breathing.
"You—are you crazy?"
My legs were still trembling from fear.
— I will never take Camila's hand again, even if it costs me my life —
My gaze, which had been fixed on the ground, lifted to see her reaction.
I could see the sun high above shining on her blonde hair.
I squinted against the sunlight.
"Are you dazzled by my brilliant appearance?" she asked with a teasing, playful smile.
"The only thing shining on you is your hair," I replied sarcastically.
"So, we've flown half the city, and here we are, this academy that really is dazzling, now what?"
I said while looking at the golden letters that gleamed in the sunlight on a giant building.
[Solaris] read the inscription.
"Hah, you don't have to be so mean.
In fact, I have some very good news for you."
Her smile widened with anticipation.
"This is your academy," she said, looking at me as if she didn't want to miss a single second of my reaction to the news.
My reaction became cold.
"Enough with the jokes."
Camila quickly moved her hands horizontally in front of her chest as if saying, no, no, no, no.
"No, no, here I have your admission letter."
She said this while quickly putting her hands in her pockets.
"See?" she said, showing me the letter.
My face filled with surprise.
— What is this? —
I looked over the letter carefully, searching from top to bottom as if wanting to find some flaw.
"This is it!"
"Is this really it?!" I said excitedly.
A smile appeared on my face involuntarily.
Camila's smile grew bigger and bigger.
"See?"
She repeated, as if proudly showing she was right.
I wrapped my arms tightly around Camila, hugging her strongly.
"Thank you very much, really!"
I felt the weight of my whole body lift all at once.
I had achieved something, even if it was just the beginning.
Maybe, just maybe, I could become a slightly competent magician.
"But why didn't anything arrive at my house and they gave it to you?"
I asked, as if something didn't make sense.
"Oh, I explicitly asked the teachers to deliver your letter to me.
I wanted to surprise you,"
she said with a big smile, proud of what she had done.
"Ha ha ha,"
I said, bending my back halfway forward.
Even though it was a bad joke, everything felt so happy, so different now.
"So what are you waiting for to go in?"
she said with a wide smile, her face still lit by the sunlight that reached my eyes.
"Alright, I'm coming, Miss Magician of the Millennium."
Camila's face filled with anger, which only made her look adorable.
"I already told you not to call me that,"
she said, puffing her cheeks.
—I want to tease her more—
that thought flashed through my mind like lightning.
"Then, Miss of the Tenth Millennium?"
She took my hand and dragged me along.
"Get in quickly before I kick you,"
she said with a wide smile that seemed to light up even the deepest darkness.
—She is the sun—
For the second time in my life, I admitted that Camila was without a doubt a sun, a person who illuminates the darkness and fights with it.
I looked amazed at the decorations on the ceiling, filled with complex magical inscriptions.
The chandeliers placed in the hallways were as golden as the Solaris inscription.
They had tiny letters that looked like magical formulas which I was incapable of understanding.
Books flew through the air; no one carried their things.
I exchanged glances with people watching me with puzzled faces because I wasn't wearing Solaris's characteristic uniform.
"Incredible, isn't it?"
I only nodded in amazement.
I could see wooden chairs placed in front of a giant podium.
"We have to sit down, right?"
I said while turning to look at the people seated throughout the open-air hall.
The academy was huge.
Although I had been walking for a while, it didn't seem to end.
Even now, I could see paths leading to more hallways full of mysteries.
"I suppose,"
she said, shrugging and sitting down.
"I still can't believe I'm at Solaris."
The corner of her lips curled up.
"I'm glad my friend achieved what he wanted so much."
The corners of my lips also rose.
"I'm glad to have a friend like you."
We smiled at each other with unmatched camaraderie.
"Ha—"
a tired sigh.
"Here you are, I thought I had lost you,"
she said, breathing heavily.
"Ohhhh! Lucia, you found me!"
she said with a playful tone.
"Lucia, what were you thinking?
You suddenly dashed out, and the ceremony was about to start!"
A silly smile came from Lucia.
"Hehe, I had something to do."
Lucia had a face of disbelief.
"What's more important than the opening ceremony of the most important academy in the world?"
Camila turned to look at me and instinctively responded,
" Him?"
She looked me up and down, and under her gaze, I felt like a mere insect.
"Hello, I am the insect,"
I said with the seriousness of a wise man.
I immediately understood my place.
"Pfts,"
I heard Camila's suppressed laugh as she lowered her head, avoiding Lucia's gaze.
"Sorry, I wasn't calling you an insect, just..."
"No, no, don't apologize, I'm just joking,"
she said with a wide smile.
"Come on, Mateo, don't bother her,"
Lucia said with a reproachful look.
"Ha ha ha, it's just a joke. I'm Mateo,"
I said, extending my hand with a broad smile.
Lucia took it, puzzled.
"Tell me, did you just sneak into Solaris?"
"No! Of course not,"
I replied indignantly.
Who would be so stupid to illegally get into the most militarily protected and secure academy in the world?
Lucia said,
"Yes, you're right, there's no way you could sneak into Solaris,"
she said thoughtfully.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!
I know I'm dumb, but not that dumb,"
I said, putting my hands up.
"Hey, what's going on, friend? Control yourself,"
Camila immediately tried to hold back her laughter, but failed.
We glared at her.
— Looks like we agree on something —
"I see it's caused you problems, too,"
I said understandingly.
"What did it do to you?"
she said with a knowing look.
"Ha, if you only knew,"
Camila had a pout on her face.
"I'm an excellent friend."
"I doubt it,"
we said in unison.
Before we could continue the conversation, I heard a loud, shrill voice.
"Young ones!"
An old man with a long white beard spoke.
Immediately, I sat down—not because I wanted to, but because I simply was unable to stand up; even moving my head was impossible.
— What's this? Is it because I sneaked in? —
Silence filled the hall.
"I hope you are all as comfortable as possible,
although I regret having to take such invasive measures, time is pressing."
The world changed from being an open space with trees and some buildings around to a black world like a movie theater.