Old Age

Nolan pulled some silver coins from the pocket of his jacket, which he always carried out of habit. It was something he had learned from being a good negotiator over the years, and although he didn't need it at the moment, having money on hand was proving useful now.

The elderly woman's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the shiny coins.

"Please, keep the change," Nolan said calmly as he handed her the money.

The price of the bread was insignificant in comparison, barely costing a few copper coins.

"Oh, thank you very much, my lord!" the woman exclaimed, bowing repeatedly in gratitude. "May the gods bless you, truly, thank you."

Nolan took the basket with an impassive expression, barely nodding in response to the woman's thanks.

It wasn't the first time he had seen this type of reaction when he showed his generosity, and he didn't place much importance on it.

Nolan turned to leave, but just as he took a few steps, he heard a soft voice behind him.

"Wait!"

The voice was timid, barely a whisper, but enough to stop him.

Nolan turned around and saw Emily hurriedly approaching. He stood still, watching her with curiosity.

"What's wrong?" Nolan asked serenely as he saw her stop in front of him.

Emily lowered her gaze, clearly nervous.

Her hands intertwined as she played with her fingers, and the blush on her cheeks deepened.

"I wanted… I wanted to thank you…" Emily said, briefly raising her gaze, her green eyes shining with a hint of shyness and gratitude. "Thank you so much for before… for saving me from falling."

Nolan remained silent, astonished.

The flush on her cheeks, her trembling lips forming a shy smile, and the way her eyes sparkled made her expression simply… beautiful.

For a few seconds, he was entranced, unable to respond while his mind processed what he was seeing.

Finally, he shook his head slightly to regain his composure.

'She's too young for you,' Nolan repeated internally, trying not to get carried away by the charm of the situation.

"There's no need to thank me so much," Nolan replied with a slight smile. "I'm glad you're okay, but I have to go."

Nolan turned to leave, but then he heard Emily's voice again, this time with a slight hesitation.

"Are you… a mage?" she asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Nolan furrowed his brow, puzzled.

He wore no symbol identifying him as such, nor did he dress in the traditional robes of a mage.

How had she deduced it?

After a few seconds of reflection, Nolan nodded.

"Yes," he replied, feeling a pang of pain in his chest as he remembered he could no longer use magic as before.

Emily gasped, excited, but then became even more nervous.

"And… did you go to the academy?" she asked, hesitantly, as if she didn't dare to ask.

Nolan watched her with curiosity and nodded again.

"Yes, many years ago," Nolan responded, and he saw Emily's eyes widen in astonishment.

"Really?!" Emily exclaimed, visibly surprised, before her words began to spill out quickly. "I've always dreamed of going to the academy, but… well, I've never had the money to do it. If it's not too much trouble… could you tell me what it's like? I'd love to know, even though I've never been able to go."

Nolan couldn't help but chuckle softly at the enthusiasm on her face.

Emily had a youthful energy that contrasted with his usual seriousness.

She reminded him of the days when he too yearned to learn about magic, when he still believed that everything was possible.

"Would you like to enroll in the academy?" Nolan asked, curious.

For a moment, a shadow of sadness crossed Emily's face, and she quickly looked away.

Emily nodded with a melancholic gesture.

"I would… but it's impossible."

Nolan frowned, intrigued.

"Why?" he asked, sensing there was something more behind her response.

Emily, embarrassed, bit her lip and lowered her head.

"I'm… I'm too old," she murmured, almost in a whisper.

Nolan's eyes widened in disbelief.

How could she say something like that?

'Too old?' Nolan thought, confused.

Emily was beautiful, vibrant, and clearly young.

In fact, he couldn't understand why she thought age was an obstacle.

"Too old?" Nolan repeated, unable to hide his surprise. "You don't look it at all."

Emily let out a small, bitter laugh, wrapping her arms around herself.

"No, I'm serious," she said. "At the academy, they don't allow anyone over 22 years old, and I… have long surpassed that barrier. So I'm… screwed."

Nolan remembered the days when he himself entered the academy as barely a teenager, and how most students came in young, with their entire future ahead of them.

"How old are you?" Nolan asked, even more intrigued.

Emily lifted her gaze to him, still embarrassed, before whispering as if it were hard for her to admit.

"I'm… 28 years old."

Nolan blinked, surprised.

There was only a two-year difference between them.

"Twenty-eight?" Nolan repeated, in a whisper.