Among Stars - 3

[??? pov]

A breath froze in the cold wind, a hand trailing over the curtains, over the window. It pulled a trigger, closing the frigid air that had found its way into my dorm.

Space, mine and solely mine, given and rented by the academy. A predatory practice that gave even the poorest of teachers a life of nobility. Solely by the price of their dorms. Paid for with salaries and gold that they had yet to come into.

Yet even then, fully paid off, sitting in the loneliness of the cold. It felt not like home but like a mere rest. A stop in the endless tide of work. In the endless tide of gathering and giving.

Where every moment of time was spent studying, preparing for stressful test after stressful test. Yet it was not the brain nor the power that was tested. But both, a place where you could not succeed without the ability and talent.

And for those that had the talent, who had been so praised by famed tutors. Even they had to bow their head and study, work through the late hours of the night. Only to barely pass. To barely succeed in the expectations thrust upon them.

More than once I had heard a breakdown, tears that rarely flew from a girl's eyes, flooded like a dam broken. They had come with expectations.

That they were the most talented, that they would break the expectations of such difficulty. That it would be easy.

I scoffed, warming my hands against the small flame that crackled in my fireplace.

If it wasn't the difficulty or the mental and physical abuse. Then it would be the facilities that would break them.

A necessity that supposedly built character. Or that was what was told to us by our seniors, who looked on in glee as they saw us rent and buy necessities at prices that would have been called scams and hanged in the streets.

Yet not only was it legal, it was encouraged. Sucking dry the wallets of bright eyed students. So was the nature of the Renai Academy. 

The most prestigious academy in the whole continent. 

But as I warmed myself against the fire, holding tightly to the blanket that I had dragged with me. The sun almost nonexistent despite the coming of dawn.

There was a knock to my door, echoing with it the telltale sign of another day.

"Come in" I yelled. Just enough for her to hear me.

"Is- Nevermind." I assume that she was just asking if it was unlocked and the simple answer to that was yes, it was unlocked.

As it always would be. After all it was horridly expensive to get permission to get any modifications to your dorm.

And even though I had obtained permission I didn't like to advertise that I had. It would cause all kinds of trouble. People begging for me to help them with their applications when I could easily be doing something so much better.

I couldn't even sucker out some money from the poor fools, as like I had said, they were extremely poor.

None of them could afford to bribe the house instructors, and neither of them had the persuasion in them as I did.

"I was looking at the new students." Andrea spoke, her voice rough against the flames.

"And?"

"The usual, arrogant girls trying and failing to enter. And the rare few boys protected by their knights."

I nodded, it was typical.

"Oh but there was something. A blind boy. He was really pretty, god I could just gobble him up, but he was protected really well. Honestly it's a shame."

"Blind?!" I turned and grabbed her wrist. An instinctive action that I barely noticed.

"Ah, uh, yeah."

"Did he have a lady with him?"

A giggle echoed from her mouth, her eyes closing as she smiled. Placing her hand over her mouth.

"Oh- so that's what our little ice sculpture likes. Wants them totally dependent~" 

I growled and tackled her to the ground.

"What was his name?!" 

There was no joking in my voice. I held true and utter fury.

"Woah. Woah." Andrea spoke again, her voice holding a tinge of fear, "I have absolutely no idea. Only that he was blonde with this cute green tinge and was blind. I mean he was stumbling even with help from that lady of his."

I sighed, letting her go.

It was only then that she looked me up and down. A light going through her head.

"Oh."

"Oh."

"OH!"

"Yep." I responded.

"Oh my god. I… I'm so sorry."

She was one of the only ones to actually know about my full story. It wasn't that I hid it, and anyone that wanted to could just go and sneak around a bit to find the information.

But I wasn't someone of that much interest.

"But I thought he was wed off. What's he doing here?"

"I don't know." I grit out, possibility after possibility wading through my mind. Yet it still felt like there was some sludge stopping my thoughts.

"First I'll have to confirm that he's actually Gab. But after that… well I don't know."

"Ok, I'll help, after all I know how much you love him."

She muttered something else under her breath. But I couldn't hear anything, too occupied by the hollowed hope reigniting in my chest.

That maybe… maybe I would be able to see him again. Hold him to my chest as I always had.

"I… I know that it is of no consolation. But he seems to be very well treated. So, if he turns out to be Gabriel, then at least we can rest assured that he'll live a good life?"

Even her own voice, trying to reassure me so, it still felt shaky. Like she wasn't sure how to deal with me. 

But to be honest, I wasn't one to be irritated so easily. Not after I had started to purposely isolate myself. Not since… I still couldn't think of that day easily.

Of the day that I was so powerless. Letting my treasured Gabriel leave so easily. Without even a fight.

Still, I swore then and there, that no matter the cost I would restore the name of our family. The Belle's would no longer be some country bumpkin, to be pushed around and abused by greater families.