Chapter 1: Reliving the School Entrance Ceremony
SNOW peppered the grounds of Lagen Magic Academy, as if heralding the new season.
“Vince!”
Waves of students in brand new uniforms crowded the sidewalks, and thirteen-year-old Oriana, a new student herself, had to cut through the oncoming tide as she rushed in the opposite direction. She bounded along like a young fawn. Her fluffy, milk-tea-colored hair fluttered behind her, dancing through the air with the falling snow. The heels of her loafers clapped against the pavement, but she couldn’t hear them over the sound of her own hammering heart.
“I’ve missed you!”
His toned arms readily caught her as she flew into him, and his familiar cedarwood scent flooded her nose.
Yes, this is it! Just how I remember…
No matter how much she’d searched and searched, she’d never found anything that smelled quite the same. She inhaled deeply as she squeezed her arms around him. His scent, his warmth—all of it overwhelmed her, making her heart tremble.
Although she was on the verge of tears, Oriana steeled her legs to keep herself upright and peered up at him, a great smile stretched across her face.
“How have you been? Were you all right? Were you lonely? Oh, how I’ve longed to see you again! See, when I woke up and realized I was seven again—”
“I’m sorry, but…” His cold voice cut through the air like a blade.
That was when Oriana finally noticed. Something about him was…different. He’d normally pull her close and gently call her name. It was decidedly unusual for him to tense up like this.
“You must have the wrong person,” he said.
“…What?”
His purple eyes, as beautiful as gems, stared coldly down at her. He easily broke her embrace.
“Wait, Vince. What’s wrong? I…I’ve waited so long for this day—for the chance to see you again…!”
“Should I call someone to come help you? That’s the most I can do for you.”
“Wait. Don’t you…don’t you remember me? Us?”
“I’m sorry; I can’t afford to humor you anymore,” he said. “Please excuse me.”
Though his warmth still lingered in her hands, the boy himself slid past her and disappeared into the crowd of people.
The other students, who’d been watching this scene with bated breath, broke into noisy murmurs all around her. Their curious, probing gazes bore into her as she stood there frozen, arms still hanging in the air. Nervous sweat beaded down her forehead.
Don’t tell me…
Oriana pursed her lips tight. Even these strangers could recognize the panic on her face. Since she’d retained her memories, it never occurred to her to consider that he wouldn’t have, but…
Does Vince not remember what we were in our past life?
Given how cold his eyes and voice were, that was the only possibility.
Oriana Elsha and Vincent Tanzine had first begun dating in the winter at the beginning of their fifth year. That was also the first year they were allowed to participate in the school ball, and that was where Vincent picked Oriana as his partner.
It was possible to pick someone as a partner even if you weren’t dating them, but seeing how red Vincent’s ears had been as he’d stood there, a bouquet in his hands, Oriana had easily deduced his feelings.
She’d taken his hand and the two had begun a slow dance.
Or at least, that was how the now-first-year Oriana remembered things playing out as she stepped over some large tree roots protruding out of the ground.
“As…as you all know, the dragons have graced our world with their divine protection. Hah, phew… We have them to thank for our bountiful harvests and peaceful daily lives.”
Having already been through this class once, Oriana now found this lesson incredibly dull. The only reason she hadn’t fallen asleep was because she had to keep moving. Currently, she found herself in a densely green forest.
The first years, who’d barely begun their new school lives and were clad in freshly bought robes, chatted amongst themselves as they navigated through the trees. They’d all only turned thirteen recently, but the promise of adventure in the form of magic lessons had their hearts thrumming with anticipation.
“As mages, the most important blessing of all to us is the numerous Dragon Ley Lines, filled with magic, that run underground.”
In charge of leading these young lambs was Lady Wilton, a Magic Academy professor, who rattled off this explanation even as she paused periodically to catch her breath. She kept her skirt hiked up as she walked, but its hem was already covered in dirt and fallen leaves.
“These ley lines, which can be found all over the world, are filled with our beloved dragons’ magic. Thanks to them, we can use our wands and incantations to conjure magic. Thus, you will be using branches from the Dragon’s Tree to fashion a wand for yourselves.”
In the center of these woods was a conspicuously large tree—the Dragon’s Tree—and Professor Wilton crouched down upon its roots.
“You’re all here, aren’t you? In that case, start picking up fallen branches. Don’t worry! You were all chosen as mages; you’ll be able to tell at a glance whether a branch is from the Dragon’s Tree or not.” As the professor doled out instructions, she produced a handkerchief from her pocket and started mopping up the sweat on her face.
“Whatever branch you pick will become the wand you use for the rest of your lives. Take your time and think carefully. You can pick based on length, feel, weight, or whatever you desire. Be careful not to wander too far, though!”
Once she finished saying all that needed to be said, Professor Wilton hung her head in exhaustion. She probably intended to recover as much stamina as she could while she waited for them. After all, if anyone wanted to eat dinner tonight, they’d have to trek back the way they’d come.
Like the others milling about, Oriana glanced around at the ground as she walked, strands of plain, brown hair tickling her cheeks.
Beside the Academy was a vast forest that swept over the land. So vast, some recesses were still yet unexplored. It served as a source for rare plants and less dangerous animals, but most importantly, it was home to the Dragon’s Tree. As its name implied, it was a tree beloved by dragons. It, and others all over the world, grew where numerous underground ley lines overlapped, leaving these trees teeming with magical power.
The branches were fashioned into wands, the bark was used for creating magic ink, and the leaves were crafted into magic paper. The latter two were also used for drawing magic circles.
As common sense would dictate, one could not simply break off a branch from such a holy tree. No harm was permitted to come to it. Instead, mages were to receive their blessing by retrieving whatever fell from the tree.
As she looked around, Oriana spotted the perfect branch. She scooped it up, squeezing her fingers around it. It fit perfectly in her hand. She smiled bitterly. What were the chances that she’d pick up the same branch as she had in her past life, in a forest as huge as this, with hundreds of other options? She could think of no other answer for it than fate.
Although she’d only just turned thirteen, she carried not only her memories from this life but her past one as well. No, “past life” wasn’t right. It was her exact same life but a different timeline. She’d been born to the same parents, grown up in the same household, and enrolled in the same magic academy. However, in the previous timeline, her beloved Vincent had died at just seventeen.
“Oh, Mister Tanzine!”
Oriana spotted her darling in the distance and her face immediately lit up. By contrast, the moment she called his name, Vincent’s expression soured. His reaction did little to dampen her spirits as she sped over to him. The other students glared at her and stalked away, having lost their chance to approach Vincent, thanks to her disruption.
As the Amethyst Dragon Duke’s heir apparent, Vincent enjoyed great popularity among the other students, even though he’d only just begun attending. The Amethyst Dragon was the name of the region Vincent was set to eventually inherit.
The country of Amanecer was once protected by eight dragons, and its regions had been split respectively and named after each one of them. Eight hereditary dukedoms ruled these lands, their titles similarly named after those dragons.
Having said that, Vincent’s popularity wasn’t merely due to his future title. His gorgeous face was like a masterfully crafted sculpture, yet so soft and welcoming that he didn’t come across as intimidating. His golden hair fell to his ears like silk, and his eyes were a vivid violet, sparkling as if they’d swallowed up the spring sunlight. There was something dignified about the way he conducted himself, and though just barely thirteen, he had an air of elegance that bespoke his cultured upbringing.
“Have you found a good branch?” Oriana asked.
“Unfortunately, no; I’ve only just begun looking.”
Ever since Oriana had realized he didn’t remember her, she’d endeavored to treat him as a classmate and nothing more. Alas, she couldn’t hide her affection. Love was all the motivation she needed to sidle up to him.
“Then let’s look together!”
She tried to loop her arm around his, but he slipped out of her grasp.
“That’s quite all right. I’m sure I could search better in silence.”
Oriana frantically tried several more times to latch onto either his back or his arm, but Vincent never gave her an opening. Finally, she gave up and heaved a sigh, resigning herself to walking beside him instead.
“Come now, don’t be so cold… Oh, hey, what about that one there?” Oriana noticed a branch at her feet and casually plucked it up.
Vincent eyed it suspiciously but accepted it out of good manners. His brow furrowed with confusion. Oriana was sure the branch felt perfect in his hand.
“Is it a good fit? Judging by your face, I’d say it is.”
“I…” Vincent hesitated. “I will consider it as a possible candidate.”
“I’m pretty sure the one you used before was about that length.”
“Again with that tall tale of yours?” His beautiful features soured again. “I believe you said something about us eventually becoming a couple and swearing our love for one another a few years from now?”
Apparently, he thought of her story as nothing more than an excuse she’d cobbled together to try to get close to him. It was, admittedly, a bit absurd to claim they’d once been lovers in a different timeline. She couldn’t really blame him for not buying it.
“Regrettably, I’ve no intention of taking your nonsense seriously, nor do I plan to haggle with my father so that you can be considered a possible marriage candidate in my future.”
“That’s fine with me!” Oriana said, beaming. “It’s not like I want to be a duke’s wife anyway!”