Prologue: What was dear to me.

Since I was a child, I was asked frequent questions about my future.

"Okay Ann, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I want to protect mama!"

Besides me was my mother as I sat on her lap. Hearing my answer made her smile.

Her smile was calm yet bright. Seeing it made me smile as well for it was something that I enjoyed seeing.

She grabbed unto my waist and held me tight before removing me off of her.

"Well then, let's end our talk for today."

"But I want to be with mama more!"

I tried to retort to her request, I wanted to spend more time with her.

As I tried to throw a tantrum, the door behind me opened and out of it was a man having golden threads on his head. My beloved papa.

"Papa, I want to spend more time with mama!"

I ran towards him as he approached, grabbing unto his shirt as it wrinkles in my hands.

He made a smile and extended his hands towards my head in order to pat me.

"Mama needs to rest. Look, she's sleeping already."

"Mama!"

I shouted as I saw his words were true.

On the chair was my mother having a silent sleep while I was shouting.

Since I shouted without any signs, she awoke and was surprised.

"Oh dear me, did I fall asleep by chance? I'm sorry."

She smiled as she held her face while apologizing.

But I did not mind. To see her smile just fine was something I long for and something I enjoyed seeing.

"Now now, don't cry Ann. I too want to play with you more but mama needs rest."

"…Huu…"

I don't know why but I can't say anything to answer her.

In front of her, I looked down as I sulked while my father patted my head with his hand.

"How about this, tomorrow we'll play the whole day!"

My mood brightened up and my eyes were wide with expectations.

"Really! We can play more tomorrow?"

I raised my voice in excitement and my father had no choice but to stop me from jumping.

Seeing this, my mother made a giggle and patted my head.

"Yes. Tomorrow, we'll play for sure."

"Yeah!"

I smiled towards her with the brightest one I can make.

I don't know whether she enjoyed it or loved it, but she too smiled.

It was at that moment that I felt satisfied, like nothing can make things worse.

But of course, I was just a child back then.

That evening, smoke enveloped my room and I coughed as I breathed it in. Luckily someone entered my room and carried me out.

"Milady we need to hurry!"

Due to the commotion, I did not know what had happened.

Everywhere I look, there was fire. The hallways were polluted with smoke and the walls were covered with fire.

"Mama! Where's mama!?"

I squatted the man's hand off of me and I ran towards her room.

This way, this way, my mind only had one thought and that was the safety of my mother.

But as I was about to turn to the corner, flaming planks of wood fell from the ceiling and blocked my way.

My hands were small and there was no way through.

"Milady there's no time!"

A shout from behind was heard and the man from before entered my sight.

"Mama! We need to save mama!"

"Milady the mistress will be fine. We need to first secure your safety!"

I tried to struggle as he approached his hands but I failed.

Comparing him to a child was a joke and I was easily swept off my feet as he carried me.

He carried me in a type of princess carry I mostly see in fairytales I've read but because I was confused at that time, I hadn't notice.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

Again I tried to fight him, but it looked like my attacks didn't have any effects at all.

More debris fell from the ceiling and more paths were blocked by the fire.

"It seems I have no choice. Milady cover yourself with this."

He extended his coat towards me and told me to use it. Though he was talking calmly, I could feel that he was scared.

I grabbed the coat and was confused on what I was going to use it for.

But such questions were answered when my sight was covered with darkness.

"Wha-!"

I wanted to ask a question but then I felt my body move.

The noise around me began to distance themselves away and I can feel a breeze brushing against my hands.

Then, there was a surprising sound.

The sound of wood breaking and what's more, the sound of glass breaking echoed around my ears. I couldn't help but be surprised and get scared, so I covered my hears with my hands as I closed my eyes.

We landed, and my body jumped within his hands.

Feeling a cold breeze rather than a hot surrounding, I slowly removed the coat covering me and saw the night sky.

Moreover, I saw the man looking behind us. Curious, I peeked my head and the memory I got from that time burned inside my head.

A house shining brightly as fire surrounded it. Like a torch that was lit in the darkness, it shone and exposed the forest that surrounded it.

"MAMA! PAPA!"

...…

...…

"How are you milady?"

"I'm fine. Well then, this is goodbye."

Grabbing the two bags besides me, I opened the door. At my back was another bag that had my stuff in it so in total I had three bags with me.

"Yes. The years we've spend have been rough but I do wish for your well being in the future milady."

"Yeah it was… You don't have to call me milady even now you know. You're not my servant anymore."

The old man in front of me laugh in a "Ho ho ho!" way.

I don't know whether it was intentional or not, but it looked funny enough to make me snort a bit as I tried not laughing.

"Even though I'm not legally a servant, I am still in debt to your father. I hope now I had repaid him even just for a little."

"Yeah…"

Though the old man in front of me had white hair and frail looking, no one would expect him to be stronger than he looks.

Ten years ago he saved me from my burning house. The next day it was concluded that no other residence of the house had survived the fire. After knowing that, I cried. I cried to know that both my parents had died and I cried to know that the house which had my happiest memories had turned to ashes.

After that, Sebas took care of me. At that time, his hair was still black and his face wasn't as wrinkled as it was now. Doing his best on gathering what could still be salvaged from my family, he adopted me as his daughter. Using what remaining funds my family had left and what he had, he took care of me. Though we had so little at that time, he took jobs and even had time to teach me the basics of things in life. Of course, since I spent all of my time in the house, I had no experience with the outside world and so my knowledge was small.

"Well then you should get going now. We don't want you to be late at your first day, do we?"

"Ah! Right!"

I adjusted my shoes and exited the house. But before I started moving out, I faced Sebas once more and smiled.

"Thank you for everything, father."

It looked like his shoulders jump for a bit, but it must've been my imagination.

Though he wasn't my real father, he had taken care of me these past years, and within those years I only mentioned him by his name.

Thinking of a joke before I leave, I thought of teasing him even just a little.

"The pleasure was all mine, Ai."

Tears fell from the old man's smiling face.

Though my name was Ann, Sebas had decided to change it since the real cause for the incident was still unknown. Fearing that people might've targeted my family, he made my name from 'Ann Antoinne' to 'Ai Winston'.

"Hahaha, why are you crying! It doesn't suit you."

I giggled but he smiled.

"I could say the same for you. A crying face doesn't suit you."

I could feel something dripping off of my chin and before I knew it, I too was crying tears.

I quickly tried to wipe it with my hands but it didn't stop.

Was this longing that I wanted and had forgotten in the past, I don't know.

As I wiped the tears off of my face, something soft touched my cheek.

"There there. You don't have to worry about me, I'm just an old man."

He patted my head and with that, my heart had calmed down.

"Heh, what kind of old man made me have to suffer that kind of training."

I grabbed hold of his hand and strengthened my grip.

Ah, I forgot to mention, we didn't spend those years just doing normal things like finding jobs, spending time in the house, those kinds of things. Well, we did but there was something else done that no household near us did.

Every morning, specifically three hours before sunrise, I was strictly woken up with cold water. The reason was, for training. "Though I'm here now, I won't be here forever. You too need to know how to defend yourself!", he said as he held a wooden sword. Since it was all for my wellbeing, I did not mind. But since I was new to the regime, I was angry at first.

Whether it was dedication or strict teachings, we trained together every morning and slept early every night. I had difficulties adapting at first but as time passed by, I was able to get used to it.

"Ah, I see your training paid off. Good job milady!"

"Good job my ass! You know what, give me back my tears!"

I threw his hand away and he rubbed the area where I had grabbed.

Looking at it, it looked like he wasn't the same as before. It was a hint that time was taking its toll.

"Hohoho~ Well then, goodbye milady. I hope you'll do well."

"You too."

Without anymore touchy feeling, I left the scene and ran.

Where I was heading was the train station. Thought it had distance far from our house, it wasn't a problem since I can arrive there within a few minutes just by running.

The time at the moment was two hours before sunrise and of course it was still dark. But since we had no money to spare, I had decided to go on foot.

Where I'm planning to go was a school. A school for those who had ambitions on growing further.

Mageia Tis Akademia, a school for the talented and magic.