
πππππππ π
ββββββ β¬β¬β¬ ββββββ
ββββββ β¬β¬β¬ ββββββ
πππππππ π
πππ πππ ππππππππππ
ββββββ β¬β¬β¬ ββββββ
It was the start of another year at Alfea and a young brunette found herself sitting outside her father's office, waiting for him to finish with whatever meeting he was having. Her legs bounced faster than she thought possible as she thought about the conversation she wanted to have with him. It wasn't that she was nervous to talk to him. In fact, they had a great relationship and got along very well. But what made her on edge was what she wanted to talk to him about. She knew it would be hard to get him to agree to her request, but she also knew she had to make it. She owed it to herself to at least try. She just had to push away her second thoughts and gather the courage to talk to her father.
It wasn't long before she heard the voices in his office become softer, as if they were trying to make sure no one heard them. Confusion flowed through her veins as she leaned closer to the door. But to her dismay, she couldn't hear a word. Only a second after she sat back up passed when the door opened. The brunette girl instantly jumped to her feet and smiled up at the woman standing in front of her.
"Hello, Savannah."
"Miss Dowling. It's great to see you."
"You as well," the blonde woman responded with a small smile on her face, "I would like to speak to you. Will you meet me in my office at ten?"
"Of course," Savannah told her while trying her best to hide the curiosity in her voice.
After sending the Silva girl another smile, the headmistress made her way down the hall. Savannah watched her until she was out of sight before walking into her father's office. She found him looking over some papers and writing down some notes. The brunette girl assumed it had something to do with the Specialists joining them this year. And that was enough alone to make her more eager to start this conversation.
"Hi, Dad," Savannah greeted after sitting down in the chair across from him.
Saul instantly looked up to meet his daughter's gaze before a large grin appeared on his lips. He put his pen down while leaning back in his chair. "Savvy. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be off somewhere with Sky and Riven?"
The mention of her friends' names was enough to make Savannah's nerves return. But instead of letting them get the best of her, she let out a long sigh and began speaking. "That's kinda why I'm here. I was hoping I could get a new training partner for the year."
"And why do you want a new training partner?" the brunette man questioned while continuing to study his daughter.
Savannah hesitated, surprised that her father didn't turn her down right away. But she quickly regained her bearings and responded. "I just wanna start fresh this year. Maybe try something different."
The Silva man stared at her with an unconvinced look on his face, causing his daughter to let out a long sigh. "And I wanna separate myself from Sky and Riven just a bit...they can be a lot sometimes."
"I can't argue with you there," Saul responded, recalling the scenes the two boys caused. It wasn't long after that when he looked down at the papers in front of him. He dug through them for a moment before looking back up to meet his daughter's gaze. "There's a first year that I haven't assigned anyone to yet. His name is Dane Mallory. He can be your new training partner if you'd like."
A large smile appeared on Savannah's lips as she walked around the table and pulled her father in for a tight hug, Saul instantly returning the gesture. "Thank you, Dad."
"You're welcome, Savvy," the Silva man said before their moment ended. Large grins were still plastered on their lips as Saul began speaking again. "Now, I think you better get going. Classes start soon."
ββββββ β¬β¬β¬ ββββββ
After going back to her dorm to grab her backpack, Savannah met up with Sky in the front courtyard. The two of them were talking about their plans for the upcoming year while they waited for Riven. As they continued their conversation, the Silva girl was trying to build up the courage to tell Sky about having a new training partner for the year. She didn't know how he would take it considering the two of them and Riven had been training together since before they began at Alfea. Savannah had a feeling he wouldn't be happy, but she was happy with her choice. She was ready to make her own name for herself and Sky would just have to accept it.
Just as she was about to break the news to him, Sky walked away from her. Confusion coursed through her veins as she watched him go. But that feeling soon vanished when she saw him talking to a redheaded girl. Savannah couldn't help but roll her eyes at her friend's antics right as Riven appeared next to her.
"Who's Sky talking to?" the brunette boy asked while continuing to mess around with the dagger in his hands.
"I have no clue," Savannah responded before noticing the very lost expression on the girl's face, "by the looks of it, probably a first year."
A smug smirk soon appeared on Riven's face before holding his arm out to the Silva girl. "Shall we ruin his moment?"
"We shall," the brunette girl declared. She couldn't help but chuckle as she took his arm.
Their laughter mixed with the different conversations happening in the courtyard as they approached Sky. Savannah caught the mischievous look in Riven's eyes as they got closer and closer to the blonde boy. That was enough to make the Silva girl let out another loud laugh. They took a few more steps before the Culbert boy deemed they were close enough for him to call out to Sky.
"Quit bothering the first years," Riven said, causing their friend to look back at them.
"Riv, Sav, just give me one second. Yeah?" the Ekon boy told them while trying his best to mask the irritation in his voice, but his friends detected it with ease.
"Why? You gonna chase her?" the Culbert boy asked, causing Sky to spin around while Savannah chuckled.
After watching the redheaded girl continue to walk away from them, the blonde boy let out a long sigh and returned his attention to his friends. "Nope."
The next thing Savannah knew, she was caught between Sky and Riven in a very tight hug. Their laughter was the only thing she heard as she tried to break free of them, but that seemed to make them tighten their embrace. As they continued to suffocate her, all the Silva girl could think about was how she was going to tell them they wouldn't be training partners for the upcoming school year.
As soon as she was free from their embrace, the three of them began walking toward Specialist Hall to start putting their things away. Because she was distracted by Riven teasing Sky, Savannah failed to see the boy in front of her until it was too late. She slammed straight into him and stumbled backward, almost falling onto the pavement. Luckily for her, someone managed to catch her before she fell. Shock coursed through her veins as she looked up at a pair of hazel eyes she had never seen before. The two of them just stared at each other for a moment before the boy helped Savannah back to her feet.
"Thank you. And sorry about that," the Silva girl said after clearing her throat and gathering her bearings.
"Don't even worry about it," the boy told her with a large smile on his face before holding his hand out to her, "I'm Royce."
"Savannah," she responded after shaking his hand.
Before their conversation had a chance to continue, Sky and Riven appeared at her sides before forcing her to continue walking. As soon as they were far enough away from the brunette boy Savannah just ran into, Sky said four words that sent confusion throughout her entire body. "Stay away from him."
"Don't fight us on this one, Sav," Riven added after seeing the defiant look appearing on his friend's features, "Royce is bad news, and that's coming from me. It's best if you just keep away."
ββββββ β¬β¬β¬ ββββββ
Ten o'clock rolled around faster than Savannah expected and she soon found herself standing outside Miss Dowling's office. She still had no idea why the Headmistress wanted to see her, especially before classes even began. She had tried to come up with different reasons as to why she was summoned there but failed every single time. A long sigh passed over the Silva girl's lips as she brought her hand up and knocked on the door. Not even a second after that passed when she heard Farah call out to her to come in.
Savannah pushed the door open and walked into the Headmistress' office. She barely made it ten steps in when she stopped in her tracks. The Silva girl wasn't expecting to see the girl Sky was flirting with earlier sitting in the chair across from Farah. But there she was, staring back at Savannah with an unreadable expression on her face.
"You must be Savannah. Miss Dowling has told me a lot about you," the girl in red said as she got to her feet and held her hand out to the Silva girl, "I'm Bloom."
"It's nice to meet you, Bloom," the brunette girl responded with a smile while shaking her hand.
Their quick greeting soon ended, causing the Peters girl to grab her bag. "I should probably go find my dorm. I'll see you around."
After sharing a smile, Savannah watched Bloom walk out the door. That was when she turned her attention toward the Dowling woman, who already had her eyes on the Specialist. Before the Silva girl had a chance to speak, Farah gestured for her to sit in the seat Bloom once occupied. Savannah hesitated for a moment before sitting in the chair. Silence surrounded them for what felt like an eternity before the Headmistress finally broke it.
"I have a favor to ask of you, Savannah. I would like you to get to know Bloom. Become friends with her. Make her feel as though she belongs here," the Dowling woman announced, earning a curious look from the girl sitting across from her, "she isn't from the Otherworld so this is a new world for her. She has no one. And we both know how lonely that could feel."
Farah wasn't wrong there. Savannah had a hard time adjusting when she first arrived at Alfea. No one would talk to her other than Sky and Riven. She soon found out it was because of who her father was and no one wanted to get on his bad side. It took a while for the Silva girl to make friends. And even though she still prefers the two boys and Sam Harvey's company over most, there are other people at Alfea that she can go to. Savannah wouldn't want to wish what she experienced on anyone.
"I'd be happy to get to know Bloom better," the brunette girl announced, earning a smile from the Headmistress.
"I appreciate it, Savannah. I know you won't have classes together, so we won't worry about that. But I will see about you moving into her dorm room."
A confused expression instantly appeared across the Silva girl's face after listening to Farah's words. "I thought Fairies and Specialists didn't share dorms."
The smile on the Dowling woman's face did nothing but grow as she opened her mouth to respond. "I am the Headmistress of Alfea, Savannah. I think we can find a way to make it work. I will see to it that your belongings are taken to your new room."
ββββββ β¬β¬β¬ ββββββ
Savannah went directly from the Headmistress' office to the Specialist training area. Lucky for her, she always carried an extra set of training clothes in her backpack, which was something she learned from her father. After changing into her black t-shirt with the Alfea logo in the corner and matching shorts, the Silva girl made her way outside. A smile appeared on her lips as she watched her fellow Specialists train. Some were practicing their martial arts skills while others had bo staffs and batons in hand. She couldn't help but let out a laugh after watching someone get kicked into the pond.
Her attention soon landed on her friends, who were training with batons on one of the platforms. Savannah laughed after watching the brunette boy hit Sky in the stomach with his baton, causing the latter to double over in pain. They had a conversation as the Silva girl approached their platform, one that she missed entirely. Right as she reached her destination, the Ekon boy managed to hit one of Riven's batons out of his hand and sent him to the ground.
"You got slow this summer," Sky declared while staring down at his friend.
"Correction. I got high this summer," Riven responded with a smirk before making himself comfortable on the platform. Savannah couldn't help but roll her eyes at the Culbert boy while Sky helped him to his feet. After seeing the disapproving look on his blonde friend's face, Riven let out a long sigh. "Look, whatever big brother speech you're about to give me, I don't wanna hear it. A more productive use of your time would be to distract Savannah's aggro father so I don't get expelled."
The Silva girl shook her head at her brunette friend as she watched him walk off. It wasn't long after that when Sky's attention fell on her before he gestured to Riven's abandoned batons. "Wanna have a go?"
Savannah hesitated while staring at the batons before looking up to meet the blonde boy's gaze. It was now or never. "Actually...I need to go meet with my new training partner."
Sky's eyebrows instantly scrunched together in confusion as he stared at the girl he'd considered a sister his entire life. But before he had a chance to question her, the Silva girl spun around and headed toward where her father was addressing the first years. Sky quickly gathered his belongings before following her. He barely caught up to Savannah when he heard Saul's final words to the group standing in front of him.
"And eventually even you can fight like him."
The next thing Sky knew, the Silva man was tossing him a sword. A blank expression appeared on Savannah's face as she watched the two of them sword fight as if their lives depended on it. It didn't take long for her father to disarm him, causing the Ekon boy to grab his dagger. But Sky only made it a step before Saul made an X with the swords in his hands, stopping the former from continuing their fight.
A large smile appeared on Sky's face as he put his dagger away and turned toward the first years. "He fights even better with a bit of advance warning."
"He did alright. Favored his left, but what else is new?" Saul retaliated with a matching grin. After the two of them shared a laugh, the Silva man turned his attention back to the group in front of him. "Sky's father was Andreas of Eraklyon. That made him a legacy admission, but he still showed up on the first day and did the work. I expect nothing less from the rest of you."
Despite the blank expression Savannah kept on her face, she couldn't help but feel jealous as she watched her father interact with Sky. That had always been the way they were, leaving the Silva girl on the sidelines to watch their bonding moment. She didn't blame her father though. After all, they had their fair share of moments as well. But he never put her on such a high pedestal as he did Sky when they were in public. Savannah knew his excuse would be that he didn't want to show favoritism, which she understood. But it still hurt to see him interacting with Sky the way he did.
The Silva girl's attention was soon drawn back to the real world when she noticed her father glaring at one of the first years. She had no idea what had happened before to make Saul look at him the way he was, but Savannah knew it couldn't have been good. Silence surrounded them for another moment before the Silva man began speaking. "Is what I said funny to you?"
The raven-haired boy stared at the man in front of him for a moment before gathering enough courage to respond. "It's just you're talking about preparing for the future in a castle with kids using swords."
"Must be nice to live in a world where you can be so soft, where you fear so little, disrespect seems an option," Saul said as he approached the first year before stopping two feet away from him. Savannah continued to watch from her spot nearby, unsure of what to make of the scene happening in front of her. "Do you know why the barrier exists?"
"To protect the school from Burned Ones," the boy responded without missing a beat.
"Have you ever seen a Burned One?" the Silva man questioned without bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.
"Nobody my age has. But that's kinda my point. Isn't that all over now?"
"What if it's not? Do you think you would know what to do?" Saul retaliated in a tone that sent chills throughout his daughter's body, "I was ten when I saw one for the first time. I was gathering firewood with my father, and we heard it. It was like a rasp. A clicking. My father shot it twice. Once in its chest, once in its head. It didn't matter. Burned Ones have inhuman speed and strength, and if they cut you, the infection that follows is swift and severe. I watched it happen. I watched the light dim from my father's eyes, and when he dropped his shotgun, I knew what I had to do. Be thankful you've never seen a Burned One. But if you ever do, pray that it kills you so the ones you love will not have to."
After staring at the boy in front of him for a moment longer, the Silva man's attention landed on his daughter. He sent her a small smile before gesturing for her to join them. Once she was standing by his side, Saul wrapped his arm around Savannah's shoulders and pulled her closer to his side.
"Another legacy you have the honor of working with this year is my daughter, Savannah. She is one of the top students in her class and our best archer. One of you lucky first years will be her new training partner," the Silva man told the group in front of him before his attention fell on the boy he was addressing mere moments before, "Savannah, meet Dane Mallory. I hope you'll be able to teach him a thing or two about respect before he gets himself killed."
As the Silva girl stared at the boy who her father had just reprimanded, she could only think one thing. This was going to be a long school year.
ββββββ β¬β¬β¬ ββββββ
ββββββ β¬β¬β¬ ββββββ
BαΊ‘n Δang Δα»c truyα»n trΓͺn: Truyen247.Pro