The Letter

School. The place where teenagers are supposed to grow, study, and live out their youth. Mine? It sits somewhere on that massive spiral of white infrastructure. From Kerydale town, we decided to head to the dorm. I wonder what the magic school will be like. I haven’t seen the place up close—just that spiral tower from a distance. “Stop zoning out. Let’s get inside,” Aeter said, giving me a light chop on the neck. I followed her inside. The dorm is empty; everybody is at school now.

“So… what now? It’s just us here.” Aeter asked. “I was thinking, can you teach me how to cast a spell with my hand?” She made a pouting face and mumbled, “What a waste.” I froze, noticing her face but unsure what it meant. “Err, or do you want to rest…” I asked. “Hmm, why don’t you wait for Ruri to teach?”

“Because you’re here, Aeter.”

“Um…” Aeter replied in a flat tone. My ears burned. Did I go too far? Maybe I should’ve just let her rest. Hopefully, she doesn’t hate it. I stepped up the stairs and waved my hand to invite her to the rooftop.

The sound of the front door knocked. Aeter raised her brow, then quickly ducked into hiding, gesturing for me to do the same. Are we too cautious? I know people are keeping an eye on Keryndale residents, but in a dorm? “Is there anyone inside?” The voice of a mature woman from the doorway. I didn’t recognize the sound, but Aeter’s expression said it all; she knew that voice. She moved quickly, her footsteps soft as she rushed toward me, grabbed my arm, and pulled me to the second floor.

We rushed into one of the rooms on the second floor. Thanks to a magic spell, every move was perfectly silent. The second floor was the male dorm floor, but this room was already occupied… By who? I was about to ask Aeter, but she brought a finger to her lips, her eyes sharp and intense.

Footsteps creaked on the stairs. She was already inside. How did she get in so fast? The sound grew louder and louder with each passing second, then stopped. That could only mean one thing: she was right in front of our room. Aeter stared at the window, hesitating. I signaled to her—don’t. There was no time for that. Leaving us only one option: prepare to confront. “I can see the magic trail leading straight to this room. Come out now, or I’ll make you.” She was pressuring us. Aeter raised her hand, ready to cast a spell, her finger pointed straight at the door. I grabbed a small wand from the room and got ready, too.

“What are you doing in front of my room?” An unfamiliar male sound. “Why’re you here? Did you skip school, Ilan?” She replied. “No… year 3 is on internship, you don’t remember?”

“It’s on working time. So why are you in your dorm?”

“I forgot my stuff… Can you move?” The door creaks open, and we squeeze into the closet, an old-school spot to cram two people into, but it works.

“Hey! Don’t close the door in your teacher’s face!”

“It’s my room, Thalia.”

The door closed. Ilan started searching from corner to corner. We’re so close to each other, Aeter and I. I barely looked at her; it’s embarrassing. “Where’s my wand? Yo, small dude—come out, or I’ll have to work overtime!” What a coincidence. I chuckled as silently as possible. Of all things, why did it have to be his wand? In my left hand was his wand. I showed it to Aeter. She rested one hand on her forehead and used the other to grab the wand. Staring out of the closet, she waited. Hesitated. Then tossed it out.

Footsteps stopped right in front of the closet. “Finally, thank the spirits, that was convenient.” I let out a big sigh. “Oh… but don’t spirits have their rooms? I get that changing places can shift the vibe, but there are boundaries, right?” He continued. “Ahem.” Aeter cleared her throat in reply. “Fine… fine, I’m gonna get back to work.” The door opened.

“Why are you taking so long?” Thalia asked. “You’re gonna head back to school, Thalia? I’ll walk you.”

“Hey, don’t ignore my questions. Come back.”

The silence told us it was finally safe. Aeter slipped out of the closet. I stayed a moment longer—I could barely breathe. My lungs were on empty. Leaning against the closet wall, I exhaled. Fwoom. A soft crack split the air. Then, the wall shimmered and bloomed into an oval-shaped portal. I haven’t seen one before. Fascinating. “What is this Aeter?” “It’s Ilan’s. Better we don’t ask.” She replied.

We were safe for now. But I had so many questions. Who was he? Who was she? I couldn’t stop wondering. What’s the portal even for? Is the air still thin, or am I just breathing too fast? Then, a folded piece of paper darted through the air, crisp and deliberate. A letter... who? I reached for it, but the paper’s design made me freeze. It was from my mother.

‘Are you all right, love? Did you reach the capital city safely? I heard you haven’t attended school for two days. Did something bad happen? Please write back to us. Love, Mom’

I opened it in panic… and finished it in guilt. Did I let her down? But I had a good reason. Didn’t I? Looking at Aeter's face, she slightly nodded, waiting to support me. “My mom… She asked why I hadn’t gone to school.” I said. “Just tell her not to worry.” She grabbed my arm. “I know you’re worried; don’t overthink it. Your face says it all.” She continued.

“I was the one who insisted on coming here, so I’ve been trying my best not to worry her. But… how did she know?”

“Thalia, who knocked at the door, is a teacher responsible for this dorm. She doesn’t come here often. Maybe once a week, I think.”

“What about Ilan?” “He’s in his third year, currently interning as a law enforcement officer. Leglan.” She whispered. “Ah, that’s annoying.”

“Right. Why did he choose to be Regs? It’s such an annoying job, at least from people's perspective.”

“So our teacher reported to my mom and law enforcement Regs, right? That’s what you called them? And he has a portal in his room... Are we going to school tomorrow?” I asked, turning to Aeter. At the same time, I grabbed a sheet of paper and started writing back to my mother. “Sure… Why don’t you tell her that you met Elf from Keryndale? It will comfort her, I can assure you.”

“Nice idea,” I replied and smiled. I finished the letter, folded it, and tossed it outside. “So… we’ll walk to school together, right?” Aeter asked while covering her mouth, trying to sound casual, which only made my face burn. Cute. Tomorrow, we’d finally go to school. Together.