Filled with dread

Finally, after the long journey, the three arrived at the capital. Jacob and Harper looked outside the windows, marveling at every second thing. But Aria sat like stone in her seat. This layout was too familiar for her. She failed to understand why would the capital cities of the fire and water kingdoms have the same layout.

Jacob pushed his head back inside the carriage and said, "What's wrong Aria? Come look, it's a festival." He pulled Aria out of the window he was looking out to see at the preparations going on for a festival.

Jacob: "It all is so beautiful!!!"

Aria: "Yeah. This scene really is... beautiful."

Jacob: "I wonder what's the occasion."

Aria: "Oh, they organise a festival each year to celebrate a new session and welcome the new..." Her voice trailed off as Aria realised that she had blurted out something she was not supposed to know.

As expected, Jacob looked surprised. He asked, "How do you know about this?"

"Oh I read it in a book about the capital." Aria came up with a random excuse.

"Oh....." Jacob did not really seem to buy it but did not pursue the matter further.

Aria went back in and peeked her head out of the window on her side. She saw the people busying about their work. Some of them even stopped to say hello to the three of them and Aria smiled and nodded to them. At this point, Aria somehow felt again like Aria Welson. She knew she was not supposed to, but she did. Riding in a carriage upto the academy, looking out the window feeling the wind, were all precious memories that she held dear. Aria closed her eyes and enjoyed the wind, her golden plaid flowing out behind her. A small smile formed on her lips as Aria remembered the first time she had gone to the academy. It was nine years ago and she was only five. But there was no fear in that little girl, like there was no fear in this beautiful young woman.

As her eyes were closed, Aria did not notice three rather royally dressed young men stopping in their tracks and staring at her smiling face. Unaware of how many heads she had turned with her beauty, Aria continued to live memories of the time everyone thought she had forgotten.

Aria opened her eyes when Jacob yelled, "Look. Look, the top. That must be the academy."

Aria looked in the direction Jacob was pointing and was shocked for a moment. She slowly recovered and waited for more of the academy to come into view. As the whole academy came into view, Aria thought, "I was right. It's the same structure. The same building at the end of the city, with a forest behind it. Though the forest looks a bit different. Well, after all it is another kingdom."

At first Aria was filled with dread upon thinking that she was going to spend no one knew how much time in a place which looked exactly like her academy back home. But slowly, she relaxed.

Aria realised that the academy was a place she did not really have any bad memories of. And it would be kind of nice to stay at the place that looked exactly the same as where she had learnt how to control her powers.