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All things considered, today had the perfect start.
There was a great and lovely buzz of excitement in the air among the first students of the Throne Magix Academia.
Buoyant chatter and fidgeting fingers and feet as a crowd of faces with varied expressions from eagerness to impatience all waited for the arrival of the school's terrain outfitted bus.
Next to them, their friend giggled as she clutched their sleeve. "Ama! I can't believe we're here! This is the start of something huge for us!" Elisa cheered as her skirt swayed happily with her erratic movements.
"Never knew that a first year annual field trip was the locked door to providence," Rick snarked.
Elisa pouted, her ruddy cheeks puffing out in annoyance. Like that, their childhood friend resembled a freshly plucked bright red apple. It reminded them of Elisa's affinity to nature.
Affinity. This field trip was the chance for first years to prove their compatibility with their affinities and break into the ranks of Providence.
While getting into the Academia was no walk in the park, staying in was even harder.
Proving yourself worthy of serving the Emperor by making it to Providence was near impossible and yet…
Like they had been summoned by their thoughts, a sudden hush descended on their class as the two of them arrived.
The ones who broke impossibility and passed the threshold for servitude on their first day.
Jyu Viole Grace.
Khun Aguero Agnis.
As if someone had casted a hypnosis spell on the once rowdy first years, the noise receded to a minimum as everyone turned to watch the couple.
Ama's eyes were drawn, in particular, to Viole. He was dressed in the school's formal uniform just like everyone but he still managed to stand out radiantly among them.
The dark and gold embroidered jacket with matching dark pants and a white dress shirt fitted him like a well-designed glove.
He was so beautiful that they could have looked at him forever. Gold eyes swept over the crowd thoughtfully before a warm and amiable smile appeared. It made their heart skip a beat.
"Ama, be discreet," Elisa whispered, shoving her elbow into her friend's side. Ama roughly shoved her away in reflex to which she gave out an indignant huff and Rick burst out in mocking laughter.
Elisa was revving up her mouth to start an argument when the resonating beeps of the arriving vehicle cut her off.
"Alright." The word cut across the air, demanding and captivating. Much like the person himself. "Single file. I couldn't care less where anyone sits, just don't stay on the roof or that addict will get on my ass." Crass words accompanied by his signature lazy smirk. With a look like that, anyone would be forgiven for thinking Khun was used to getting what he wanted.
Reality often aligned with that thought after all.
"How can he speak so crudely if he comes from one of the Head families of the Empire?" Rick muttered, sounding more than a little disgruntled as he fell into step in front of Ama.
"Who cares about the way he talks if he gets the job?" Elisa tossed back nonchalantly as she stepped behind Ama.
"I would have liked that our class president would abide by decorum. He's the face of our year group."
"If only I was that good-looking," Elisa sighed wistfully. "Seeing us after encountering that face must be like comparing make-up to the ads."
"How did you manage to miss the entire point?" Rick queried with blatant disdain.
"Yeah yeah Mr 'Stick-up-my-ass'. Get on the bus. Poor Ama here must be tired of you moving like a grouchy old man. Aren't you Ama?"
"Huh?"
"Oh poor thing. Your head is still stuck in Viole-land." Elisa patted their head, good naturedly while also pushing them forward. "You do know that the class prez and prodigy do have something going on right?"
"Those are just rumors," Ama defended vehemently as they moved down the aisle before they settled down in a seat.
"Denial is the first stage of grief," Elisa stared at Ama with a look of pity.
In the background, they could pick up Khun ordering some people to place.
"Ah whatever," Elisa sighed. "Ama I can't believe that we're finally visiting the land of the Native Ones."
"I'm more surprised that the land hasn't become desolate," Rick interjected as he knelt on his seat to face Ama and Elisa. "Native Ones have been extinct for so long yet the land is still flourishing. It's quite amazing."
"I know! That's why getting to go there is so cool! I can't wait to see what kind of flora grows there," Elisa cheered.
As their friends continued talking, Ama looked over to Viole's direction.
He was talking with Khun, with a smile in his eyes. Ama felt a pang in their chest at the scene.
They were about to look away when a sharp glance from Khun at his watch caught their attention.
It wasn't abnormal but for some reason, it sent a shiver down their spine.
Elisa caught their shiver immediately. "Ah Ama. Are you cold?"
"No. No. I am fine," Ama tried to reassure Elisa but their voice came out shaky.
"Are you sure?" Rick pushed, concern clear in his voice. "It's weird that someone with a fire affinity would shiver out of the blue."
Ama glanced behind them in Khun's direction but there was no reaction this time.
"I'm fine, don't worry about it," Ama said as they turned to face their front. "What were we talking about?" They asked, trying to redirect the conversation.
The others laughed awkwardly before going along with the attempt.
None of them noticed the two pairs of eyes looking in their direction.
--------
If people were ready for disasters, would incidents be called by that name?
They had just crossed the border into the Archipelago, Native Ones territory. Elisa had been in the middle of one of her stories and Rick had nodded off in his seat.
It had been peaceful.
Then Ama's world flipped.
Screams. Desperate releases of affinities. The crash. The heat. The darkness.
-----
When they came to, it was the immediate wish that they hadn't.
Pain like nothing they had even experienced whipped through their body as they struggled to sit up.
Their sight came back first. It was horrific, the blood-stained corpses that littered the ground. The soot painted trees and random circles of fires.
It looked like a war-zone.
Smelled like one too.
They gagged as they desperately clutched at their face while fighting the urge to collapse. A sharp sting let them know that they were in no condition to run anywhere.
I have to get out of here. I need to get help. Elisa! Rick! Where are they? They couldn't be-
The snap of brittle twigs jolted them out of their thoughts and sent a wave of panic through them.
I am in no condition to fight. That must be one of the people who attacked the bus.
Heart in their throat, Ama reached deep within themselves to raise any drop of power they could reach.
Just a little bit. If I aim for their eyes I can blind them before crawling for cover somewhere.
Please. Just a little bit.
Please!
A flare.
As soon as the steps were within arm's reach, Ama spread their hand out in a wide blazing arc.
However, if they even had a moment to look away, their flame fizzled out like it had never existed in the first place.
A chill went down their spine. There's only one person who could have done that. Only one…
Heart thumping for release, Ama looked up to icy gold pupils staring down at her like she was the scum of the earth.
"No," they gasped out in horror. They were just overthinking this, it was fear. Viole wouldn't do something like this.
But why wasn't the brunet saying anything? Why was he just staring impassively while the carnage around them burned?
"Viole.."Ama whimpered. "Please help me."
As if shaken out of a trance, Viole slowly lowered himself down on one knee.
Yeah, I'm going to be fine. I'm gonna find my friends and Viole is going to help me.
"Ama."
Hands coiled around their throat so tight that any thought of resistance was squeezed out.
"Go to sleep, Ama. The pain can't reach you on the other side."
People said that in your last moments, your whole life flashed before your eyes.
In Ama's last moments, there was only the crushing pressure of their mangled windpipe and the heavy weight of betrayal, disappointment and hate.
Why? Why would you do this to us...Viole?