Fate…?

The calendar page had just turned to July when the Day began. A few hours after dawn, the weather in the grand city of Alicole was beautiful. The air was fresh, the sky clear, the sun's rays pleasant. They warmed everything they touched, and the wind was fresh and gentle.

As the first rays lit the sky, the female dormitory of The Academy of Magic and the Supernatural grew unusually quiet. Most halls and rooms were empty, the doors securely locked. And this had nothing to do with the fine weather outside.

It was the Day that most girls avoided the vast campus building. Young women with the most sense were said to be the first to take off. The ones staying were considered the bravest of the brave, mad to the level of insanity, forgetful to the point of near amnesia, or just plain old stupid.

It was almost noon when Alika received her diploma. Hooray! She was a certified mage! It was all official now! She somehow satisfied every one of Megaera's whims. All Alika had to do now was grab her things from the dorm room. She would be ready to leave the building like the rest of the more cautious girls, just in case.

Alika took a deep breath, a satisfied smile playing on her lips as she looked at her diploma. At that moment, nothing could make her doubt her decision. Alika estimated there was still enough time before "the monster" came. True to her beliefs, the mage stayed a little longer. She would prove that she was no coward to run away without this piece of paper. But maybe that decision was the one that sealed her fate... Or maybe, fate had its own plans for her all along…

A silver-haired young woman with striking red eyes made her way down the hall of the girls' dormitory. She held her chin high, her shoulders pulled back. The bright red lipstick matched her irises perfectly. It stood out against her light, almost see-through, short white dress.

With every loud step that Silvesta took, her high-heeled boots echoed against the stone floor. Sunlight streamed through the large glass windows, making her jewelry shine with luminous brilliance. The dark red gems glistened in the sun's rays.

The blonde stopped, pushed her hair back, and put her hand on her hip. She turned around. There was a pinched expression visible on her face.

"Well, Remien, did we get all the girls on that endless list?" Silvesta's voice rang loud and crisp throughout the hall.

"I sure hope so, Remien. I'm so hungry I can eat a cow. So, are we done yet?" Wolfred, a large man with a bulky build, asked. The man's voice sounded more like a growl, and his chestnut eyes seemed tired.

Wolfred was dragging his feet along the floor as he followed the woman in front of him. His stomach gave a loud rumble, confirming the extent of his hunger. In contrast to the woman's, Wolfred's dark trousers and a khaki-colored shirt were dusty, stained with dried blood. Heavy boots were leaving muddy prints on the tiled floor. And it was washed mere minutes ago!

"Just one more person left," a deep voice, somewhat rough around the edges, answered. It belonged to Remien, that same Remien that Belissma was so eager to meet, the "dark mage" and "monster" from the rumors. Everything about the guy screamed careful control.

Clean-shaven, he had a short, neat haircut. Remien was dressed in a black coat and trousers. Both had more pockets than one could count. A light blue shirt peeked from underneath the outerwear. Dark leather gloves covered his hands, leaving just the tips of his fingers exposed. He was busy flipping through pages of names with pictures and text next to each one. Most of them were crossed out with red ink.

"I told you we should have come a day early! That would have saved us the trouble of finding the ones trying to hide from you. We could have wasted less time escaping that crazy crowd of fans down there," Silvesta, the blonde, placed her fingers on her forehead. She shook her head as she looked through the window at the courtyard. Indeed, a large group of girls had gathered there. Loud, angry, and disappointed, they kept searching for their idol.

Each girl had spent days preparing for this special event, hoping to impress him with their looks, gifts, abilities, and much more. Unfortunately, it didn't go the way the girls had planned. Remien, the man of their dreams, spent less than a minute looking at his fans before breaking their hearts. The man announced that they could never become a successful pair and vanished out of their sight altogether.

"I promised to come today, Silvesta. I had no choice," Remien said without lifting his eyes from the papers.

"I suggest you choose someone beautiful. So what if your victim dies in the first dungeon the two of you visit? At least she'll please the eye while she's alive. Besides, I'll have some pleasant company for tonight's dinner for a change. Looking at this wild, ill-mannered beast is becoming such a bore." Silvesta flung the dusty man a scornful look, and the group continued their walk down the hall.

The events occurred while Alika was standing in front of her room. She needed only a few minutes to lock the door and leave. There was still a little time to do so before "the dark mage" had the chance to notice her...

The silver-haired woman's gaze fell upon Alika, and she continued, "As an option, you can choose someone who lacks in the beauty department. That way you'll not be too sad when your ways part, and her soul leaves this world. This one, for example. Well, maybe I could fix her up a bit with some makeup. Otherwise, we'll have to make do with one of the guys. But, damn it, the men's battle abilities seem to be even worse than the girls' this year! To keep splitting the loot among the three of us is something we are all tired of. That's no longer an option, so..."