Forget me not

Neither magic nor sleep came last night. My body ached, and my mana hadn’t recovered. My muscles still ached from yesterday. How long have I been here? I slowed time, but morning still came…

It’s too late to sleep and too early for school. Trapped in my room, I told myself to start moving, but all I could do was glance around. The bed… I regretted wasting all that time without even sleeping. I stepped out of my room into the freezing morning. Can’t complain. Just need to get warm. Just need to stay sane. I rushed to the first floor, but someone was already there, a sound from the kitchen.

“Who’s that?” I instinctively stepped back. It was the voice of a girl around my age. Yet, I kept moving, my footsteps soft as I crept up the stairs. Quiet. I sighed, figuring it was safe to walk like normal. I heard footsteps rushing behind me, someone grabbed my shoulder. I turned. “S-Sorry… I thought you were—” Emil said. I froze in shock, then let out an awkward giggle toward Senpai. “H-How’s your morning, Senpai?”

“Coffee or tea?” she asked, dragging me to the dining table. “Tea, please.” She opened a jar, and the soft aroma drifted up. Her hand was on the jar, boiling it. I couldn’t help but smile. “What?” She asked. “I thought it funny because you can boil it with your hand.”

“Right? I heard you trained with Ruri. Half a year from now, I’ll have you boiling it for me.”

“Half a year? I need to master it before that.” She makes a smug face. “Don’t be greedy; the average is one year.” I chuckled. It’s been five hours for her… I’m not sure… For me, it felt like months stretched out in slowed time. I didn’t calculate it precisely. I think the time ratio is something like 377 to 1 now. The more I master it, the wider the gap gets. The downside? I can only imagine right now, but it’s not hard to predict. Spending that much time away, then coming back to reality... It’s going to change something. Something in me.

“Oi, are you zoning out?” She’s getting close to me, checking my sanity. “Did you sleep last night? You don’t look so well for the person who just woke up.” Emil continued. I leaned back and rubbed my face. “I-I’m excited about the school.”

“You don’t have to overtrain; some time can fix it.” That word ‘time’ hit harder than it should’ve. “You should be more concerned about fitting in. Even being absent for one day makes it hard enough.” Emil sounded more relieved. Sitting and drinking her tea. I took a huge sip. The beginning, huh? Maybe I’ve been putting too much weight and pressure on myself. I should slow down a little. Let’s just try being a high school mage for now. “More tea?” Emil asked. “Um, Thanks.” Yeah, slow down…

Emil-Senpai ended up cooking breakfast for me. After a small talk, we separated to prepare for today's school. The school uniform stitched by Mom… It made me feel protected. In the pocket, a note wishing me a great first day. Thanks, Mom. I gathered all my confidence and decided to go early. “I’m leaving,” I mumbled. Where are you going?” Aeter asked from the stairs. It’s been a night, and I realized I was the only guy living here. “I’m gonna go to school…”

“If you have that much free time, why don’t you go with me?”

So I walked to school, side by side with a disguised female elf. On my very first day. Who would’ve thought, especially not me, not yesterday or the day before? “You always go to school early?” I asked. “No, I usually stop by a district first.”

“Which district?”

I followed her, expecting to see magic shops and fancy restaurants, but there weren’t many. Therefore, Dawn is underrated—a quieter beauty compared to sunset. A girl in front of me made this morning outstanding. We walked to the river near, not far from the gate. She turned to check on me before we turned onto a road packed with vendors, travelers, and early workers. I glanced left and right. There it was—a magic shop, a restaurant, a meat shop? A food stall? Yeah, this had to be the city’s local shopping district.

“So what is this place exactly?” I asked. She poked at me, pointing to the sky. A sign. ‘Keryndale Town.’ I couldn’t speak. It had only been half a month since I left my hometown, but this felt like home. The standout innovation from other towns: turbine-powered electricity. This is… “Thanks.”

“I knew you’d like it. We, as citizens, all hate that they changed the name from Keryndale to Ashfall.”

“They’re all from Keryndale?” She nods. I nod in reply. “Can we stop by at the magic store?”

“We’re gonna go to the store eventually... Don’t get too excited, kid.” Kid? I chuckled. It felt nostalgic being called a kid in Keryndale. Does this town have a cozy concept? From our dorm through here, they likely used wood. “Oh, what brings you here, Aeter?” The shopkeeper said. “I want to bring the guy from our hometown. He’s new here.”

“Looks like someone who loves Ashfall—bwahaha!” the shopkeeper burst out laughing. Aeter, usually cold and composed, cracked a smile. Even I couldn’t help but smile. “Sorry, but that face, I already know you would have done with the word Ashfall.” “Yeah, it’s kind of awkward.” He tapped my shoulder. “Life here isn’t easy, but it wasn’t bad, either. Come here if you need anything.”

“It was heartwarming, but pause it for a little bit. Let’s get back to our business.” Aeter interrupted, “Yeah, yeah. As you wish, madam.” He showed the way to the back of the store. Before Aeter could step inside, a folded paper fluttered into the shop. The storekeeper quickly grabbed the paper and read it… His eyes widened and froze. “Aeter.” He handed the paper to Aeter. She examined it, then stepped close to me. “You remember me, don’t you?”

“Aeter-Senpai?” Her hand was touching my face; it was warm and soft. Up close, she was even more beautiful than I remembered. Her voice wasn’t just familiar. It was buried. Like something I have forgotten. The deepest part of my brain reacts to the recognition of her face. I stared into her eyes. My lungs forgot how to breathe. “It’s you, Aeter…”

It hit me—those eyes, that presence. She was the elf from my childhood. My hand moved, asking—no, hoping for a hug. But she stepped back. Did she remember all this time? Why did she pretend not to? “Sorry…” Everything started to blur. Then… nothing. “Did you have to do this, Aeter? Deleting his memory again?” The shopkeeper asked. “Want me to erase yours, too?” she said. Aeter didn’t flinch, didn’t hesitate.