CHAPTER 146: TORN

The preparation for the school festival had begun, and the Senerra Academy, usually a place of serenity, was now a vibrant, bustling hub of activity. The hallway echoed with the sounds of sawing wood and the happy chatter of students. Banners of every color hung from the ceilings, and the air smelled of fresh paint and sweet pastries. It was a beautiful, chaotic energy that Eirin would have enjoyed, but her own training was still on hold due to Shade Cromwell’s absence. He had been sent to a mission alongside Naya and some members of the Black Star.

The quiet, empty void he left behind was the opposite of the loud, boisterous energy from the students preparing for the said event.

While being busy with all the preparation, a nagging thought, a quiet, persistent whisper, finally resurfaced in Eirin’s mind. She took a break to get to the bottom of her ominous dreams about that person named Nævi. She had finally found the time.

’Maybe because I haven’t been dreaming about her lately, that’s why I forgot about her," she thought, a cold shiver running down her spine. The dreams were a deep, dark abyss that she couldn’t ignore, a secret that kept bugging her.

Eirin tiptoed her way into the library, her feet a soft, silent rhythm against the polished stone floor. The silence was deafening, a heavy weight that was almost the exact opposite of the noise from their classroom. She would have asked Calixta for help, but she had witnessed how busy the students were with the preparation for the school festival. They were a frantic, disorganized blur of motion, a vibrant energy that was a brutal contradiction to her own quiet, internal search.

Even after arriving in the library, no one was there, not even the librarian, though the doors were still open for students to use. The silence was so complete that she could hear her own heart beating, a soft, nervous drum against her ribs.

Even when Eirin looked around, no one was there, leaving her no choice but to find the books herself. She roamed through the library, a vast, imposing maze of towering bookshelves. It was her first time exploring the whole library without getting scared that someone might tell her off.

The rich, earthy smell of new varnished wood and old paper filled the air as Eirin continued walking deeper into the history section. The bookshelves were a series of humongous, imposing towers, leaving Eirin to wonder how she would ever reach them without a ladder nearby. The books on the top shelves, a series of ancient, beautiful treasures, were completely out of her reach.

That’s when an idea, a small, brilliant light, flashed through her head. ’Why would I need a ladder when I can float in the air to reach the books myself?’

Eirin looked around, her eyes a wide, fearful light, afraid that someone would reprimand her for using her Flair inside the library.

The rules were strict, and the rules were clear. No magic in the library unless it was for a specific and important purpose. But she had to know. She had to find the answers to her questions. Even though Shade Cromwell didn’t teach her directly, after the incident with the Iphans, Eirin had learned how to float by herself, a new skill that felt so innate to her, so natural, so much a part of her soul.

"History, history... hmm," she whispered to herself, her voice a small, hesitant sound. With a soft, gentle push from her core, her body, a small, weightless thing, lifted from the ground. She floated as she searched through the top shelves first, a vantage point that gave her a new perspective on the library. She took all the books that had the word "history" in their titles and brought them to the nearest table, where she took her seat, a soft, weary thud, after carrying all the heavy books.

Eirin opened the first book, a large, heavy tome titled "History of Næra." The paper was old, a brittle, yellowed thing, but the smell was comforting to Eirin’s nose, an earthy scent that was filled with the memories of the past.

A small, genuine smile formed on her face as she continued flipping pages. The first few pages were about how the kingdom of Næra was established. It turns out, the first ruler of the kingdom was a Queen, a powerful, beautiful being named Aera Virelli.

"Queen Aera Virelli," Eirin whispered, her voice a small sound. Her forehead creased as she flipped to the next page.

It was the portrait of the first Queen, a work of ancient beauty. The image was as old as the book; there were no colors used, just a simple, beautiful sketch, but the appearance of the queen was clear. She looked exactly like Queen Regina. The same delicate, beautiful features, the same wavy hair.

Eirin grazed the image with her hand, a soft, gentle gesture that was filled with awe. She wondered if the two shared the same color for their hair and eyes, a new mystery that she wanted to know the answer to.

"But wouldn’t that seem so odd? I know they’re relatives, but is it possible to look exactly alike? It’s almost as if she’s a reincarnation of her," Eirin murmured to herself, her voice a low, thoughtful murmur.

Eirin continued flipping the pages until she reached the list of noble families. The first on the list was the Blouin; it was Pierre and Sapphire’s family. They were from the Blouin Dukedom at the Water City of Blaus. The images Eirin saw made her eyes go wide. They were all in black and white, but Eirin could imagine it already, the beautiful, towering buildings made of white stone, the clear, cool waters of the canals.

"I want to visit that place," she muttered as she touched the images with her hand.

There were tons of noble surnames listed there, and Laxford was there too, but there wasn’t much about them. When Eirin flipped the next page, she soon saw the McGuffin Marquisate. It was far in the north, surrounded by snow and the frost, a beautiful, cold, and lonely land that was a contrast to her sunny world.

Eirin smiled, a small, genuine thing, realizing that Coleen and Calixta indeed looked like they were Ice Princesses, their cold, elegant beauty a direct reflection of their home.

As Eirin continued flipping through the pages, her gaze, a sharp, searching light, finally reached the Luxfield family. Her forehead creased as she read the words, a confusing mix of information and mystery. She never knew her family could be considered noble, but the book didn’t say much about it either. It only stated that the Luxfield Clan was a home to great Light Sorcerers.

Eirin’s eyes widened, and a cold, brutal wave of fear washed over her as she saw the torn pages after that. It was as if someone deliberately tried to hide the information. Only two people were left under the name Luxfield family tree. A woman named Alina Luxfield and her only daughter, Eleanor Luxfield.

Reading that made Eirin see the young version of her grandmother, whom she could not see resemblance to herself. The face was stern yet beautiful, filled with a quiet strength that was the complete opposite of her grandmother’s gentle, kind face. There was nothing else recorded about their family after Eleanor’s addition back when she was ten years old.

"Oh, right, about the girl named Nævi," Eirin whispered, her mind a frantic, disorganized chaos as she remembered the true reason she came to the library.

Eirin continued skimming through the books, her eyes a fast, searching light, trying to find information about the said name. However, no matter how much she tried, there was nothing from the books that she took. It was as if the name never even existed. She sighed, a long, weary sound, the hopeful light in her eyes now a sad, defeated glow.

"Eirin."

A voice, a low, gentle sound, came from right behind her.

The teenage girl flinched, her body a startled thing, upon the sudden mention of her name behind her. She held onto her chest, her heart a wild, frantic drum against her ribs, as she sighed in relief after seeing that it was only Calixta.

"Cali, it’s you," Eirin said as she rested her back on the chair, a soft, weary sigh. "You surprised me. I thought you were a ghost."

Calixta, a small, amused smile on her face, patted Eirin’s shoulder, a gentle, comforting touch. "Sorry about that. I called your name a few times, but you were too focused on the books. Your class is searching for you."

Eirin stood from her seat in panic, her body a frantic, disorganized blur of motion. "Shoot! The festival preparation—ah, I need to bring these back. I brought them after all," she started panicking.

"Don’t worry. I’ll do it. You go back to your class," Calixta said.

Eirin blinked lots of times. "Why would you do that? I was the one who took them."

Calixta tilted her head, a soft, amused smile on her face. "Because I’m on library duty. It’s my job. I’m the librarian assistant."

Eirin’s face heated up, a red spreading from her neck to her cheeks as she let out an awkward chuckle. "O-Oh, is that so? Then, I’ll leave it to you. Thank you, Cali. I’ll see you later."