I - Greetings & Beginnings

"Aurora, It's time to wake up, and breakfast is ready!" her mother called her name with a soft knock, her voice soft-spoken, calm and elegant towards her two children.

Aurora murmured beneath the pillow, groaned squirming against the sheets of her bed.

"Mom… just give me five more minutes…"

—BANG!

Aria, her younger sibling burst into the room and shared the same heterochromia but on opposite sides unlike her older sister, piercing crimson on the left and soft brown on the right, glinting mischievously and immediately lunging towards her sister.

"Sister! It's time to wake up!" Aria giggled despite her tomboyish demeanor, her long black hair with dark blue streak spilled across the bed, teasing her sister to wake her up, they both look like normal twins, but their personalities and spirits were different.

"Sister?"

"Zzz…zzz…"

"Eh?! Sis, get up before we're both getting late!" she whined, hands on her hips, her bare feet tapping as she waited to respond.

"…"

"…You've gonna be kidding me?! Fine, I'll wake you out by myself, with this!" she huffed, rushing towards the bed, grabbing her sister's ankle and dragging her out of bed with surprising strength, huffing.

"Here—I come…!"

Aurora's gaze snapped wide in disbelief, her face planted against the wooden floor.

"Wha—! A-Aria, what on earth are you doing?! You're dragging me in the hallway with my face on the floor!"

"Hmph! I'm officially your own bell from now on." Aria squealed, continuously dragging Aurora's body, which made her sister bump into the desk.

"OW—!"

"Girls, what are you doing? I heard that sound." a calm voice erupt them their mother was still busy ironing their uniforms, both girls freeze, their ears flattened in shame, Aria dropped her sister's ankle, whistling while Aurora rising herself, dark blue hair disheveled with strands curled after her mischievous sister forced to wake her up.

"Nothing, mom." they said simply in unison, Aurora shot her sister with a drowsy glare crossing her arms around her chest mismatched eyes narrowed suspiciously against another.

"Did you just drag my body out from my cozy bed?"

"It doesn't matter, sis. At least I wake you up." 

"Really? With those small muscles of yours?" Aurora gestured her slender fingers at Aria's arm.

"Eh?! Hey, don't shame my arm! It's still strong enough just like our other mother."

"Hmph, pathetic."

"Wha—?! Hey! Stop teasing me!"

"Girls, breakfast ready before it becomes cold!"

"Alright, mom. Coming." they said in unison, heading downstairs despite while they're still shoving each other along the way between older and younger.

Their mother finished cooking and arranging breakfast plates— plates check, chopsticks check, miso soup, grilled pork, salads with bitter gourd leaves, grilled fish and rice, already checked, all completed, some was prepared for the bento box for two children.

She let soft cheerful hum, wiping her hands on the dishtowel, shift her attention towards the staircase where her chaotic of her grown daughters bickering echoed down the hall, a fond smile playing on her lips at the moment they tumble into view, she sighed.

"Ah, you came… late, my children."

"Mom…I was tidying my bed, but Aria kept dragging me." Aurora groaned, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Wait, my favorite food is Nectar Pancakes!" Aria squealed in excitement, mismatched eyes sparkling, sat on the table, hands stretching reaching towards the plate of stacked nectar pancakes, without warning a cyan hair coiled around Aria's wrist like a whip.

"?!"

"Mom?!"

"Ehem?" Their mother cleared her throat with arms crossed around her chest, dark blue hair floating behind her, soft brown eyes narrowed playfully at Aria.

"Aria, did you honestly wash your hands before picking your favorite food?"

Aria froze, jaw dropped in disbelief she'd realized her mother has hidden magical properties that can possibly heal injuries, and wrapping themselves automatically on its wounds, but the fibers were stronger as wires that couldn't tear apart easily with blades.

Aurora's gaze wide in both awe and curiosity, staring at her mother while scolding her younger sister due to forgetting to wash hands.

"Good."

"Sorry, mom. I forgot to…"

"That's okay, go ahead, eat your breakfast, sweetie. You have to attend in Asahi soon with your sister."

"Okay mom."

Their mother giggled, patting Aria's head both ears flickering and flattening while feasting her breakfast with surprising agility, cheeks swelling while munching sweet nectar dripping on her chin as she savored the sweet and satisfying breakfast.

"Mmmphh!~"

Aurora let out a soft chuckle, sat on the table as she took a bite of rice with bitter gourd leaves, chewing before swallowing, asking her mother about her dreams with the Dawn Wing.

"Mom, I dream something…like I was trapped in prison dorm due I failed in exam, but someone is trying to save me, a woman in those dirty armor but feminine yet stronger paladin I've ever seen…" she described, her mother gave her a small nod with a faint smile tugged on her lips. 

Aria paused mid-bite, shifting her attention towards her sister.

"Oh, the duty paladin in your dreams? How gorgeous, I thought you had a real prince charming. It was just a girl."

"Shut up!" Aurora hissed, face flushed, glaring at her sister.

"And someone scooped me up in bridal style, she was a hero! My servant and protector for my entire life! I have wings! The real wings that I made out of my hair fibers, I called it 'The Dawn Wing'!"

Her mother's eyes wide in awe, a slender hand flew over her mouth at the mention of the 'Dawn Wing' asking eagerly.

"R-Really, Aurora?"

"Yes, mother! I saw my hair turning into wings!"

"You mean, the real wing on your hair?" Aria asked, brow raising in curiosity, a couple of nectar pancakes barely touched.

"Exactly! That's what I talk about!"

"Wow, Aurora you've dreaming about the Dawn Wing? That's the rarest thing that people never gossip about." Her mother clapped both hands. 

"I'll support you, whether you have a hidden talent or not, your mother and I will be here for both of you."

"Definitely, I am." Aurora said proudly with a smirk curling on her lips, glanced at the time that made her mismatched eyes wide, panic piqued on her.

"Oh no! W-w-w-we don't have much time for nonsense conversation, sorry mom we have both to go now!" 

Aurora panicked, rising herself from the chair, packing her bento on her bag, gathering her belongings while Aria, just reaching for more nectar pancakes, their mother snapped her gaze towards her, raising her brow in suspicion.

Aria gave her a sheepish grin before leaving in the house with Aurora, while their mother stayed behind in their house, while the mother wasn't around due to duty as a knight. She waved her hand, called out.

"Stay safe, my kittens!"

"We will, mom!" Both shouted in unison, as they stepped inside the carriage, behind them, their mother watching the carriage move forward.

꒰ა ✦ ໒꒱

Aurora chatted animatedly with her friends Quincy and Sarah, laughing about magical stuff and their love interest, her ears twitching at the sound while having conversations, while strolling in the hallway.

One of her friends Sarah giggled, nudging Aurora's shoulder.

"You know Aurora, I like that title, do you have any ideas about the Dawn Wing?" she asked, eyes gleaming in mischief. 

"And the feminine knight in shining armor?"

Aurora stammered, face blushed furiously as ripe strawberry while moving on the entire hallway with books on their chest.

"E-Eh?! H-H-How did you—! Hey, she appeared in my imagination, not in this reality!"

"Relax, Aura. We're not here to find your love at first sight…?" Quincy teased with a grin.

Aurora hissed like a cat, ears puffing with her face became furiously red from embarrassment. 

"Shut it, guys! We have a class today!"

"Fine." both in unison, as they step inside the library for the first orientation.

Professor Grimm paused lesson, students stared at them silently, the other girl with long brown hair tied in high ponytail with pale blue ribbon sat on the top of her head, she looked exhausted after night-shift as tavern from the dining hall nearby but, forcing herself to attend in class to meet the transferred student.

Her exhausted gaze glued at Aurora made her eyes wide in sudden realization and awe. 

She's so…beautiful. That girl appeared in my dream with the Dawn Wing. she wondered to herself, hand moved on her chest beneath the heart, hearing the sound of her own heartbeat while ignoring the sound of her classmates gossiping about the transferee in their room.

She watched Aurora move, her gaze following her movements as she sat calmly beside…in front row alongside with her friends, still gossiping about the lecture, the teacher called out.

"Miss Chu?"

"Yes, Sensei?" Aurora responded, rising from her desk.

"Would you like to introduce yourself to your fellow classmates?" he asked, watching her approach, standing in the center, clear her throat, long dark blue hair with crimson streaks flowing behind, tied in loose ponytail.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm Aurora Chu, a transfer student and it's a nice pleasure to meet you." she introduced herself, bowing to anyone who gave a applause, her mismatched eyes shining, gaze focused on the last row.

Charlotte froze, her own heartbeat skipped into its beat.

Wait… those eyes…? No way…