Prefect Gelasius lowered his composite bow as he rose from the shadows of the far side battlements. Projectile weapons were disdained by most Imperial mages, but they also had no aura flare to allow for an early detection. This, combined with a Stonemeld spell that merged his body into the keep itself, had allowed him to completely conceal his presence until the …

The first winter cold front had arrived early this year. Flakes of snow already dotted the skies, leaving a sheen of moisture on the dormitory keep’s stony roof. It was Sunday morning, and Kaede was meditating through archery as usual. Except this time, shooting was as much a nerve-calming exercise as an excuse to stay up there. After she received …

“Marina! You have a visitor,” the burly chef called out. He then nodded towards Kaede before returning to the kitchen. “Thank you.” It was only a half-hour after breakfast at the dining hall. By now, the rest of the students had already started their daily courses, while the staff busied themselves with cleaning. It was the perfect time to accost …

By Monday afternoon, Kaede was starting to feel burned out. Not actually being a bookworm, there was only so much continuous reading she could stand before the task started draining her mental health. Over a week of almost nothing but research pushed even her focus. Pascal’s sour mood over the weekend hadn’t helped, but Marina’s visit did much to lighten …

After just one week, life in the new world was already starting to fit into a schedule. As usual on Sunday, Kaede went to the roof to meditate through archery. And just like every Sunday morning, Ariadne was taking a self-rewarding joyride on her pegasus. As Kaede spotted the latter, she hesitated for a moment. But she decided to wave …

Pascal affixed his shirt’s top button, before wrapping the medal around his neck and tightening it into place. He then flipped down his collars and adjusted it carefully. He made sure the gleaming black Knight’s Cross outlined in white gold was perfectly centered. Staring back at the dresser mirror, he examined the dashing grin that reflected back before giving it …

Even on a Sunday, Ariadne’s morning began at 6AM. In early winter, that was before daybreak. She always started with an hour of studying, to take advantage of her fresh mind. On a Sunday, this meant a quick read through next week’s teaching materials, so that she might fulfill her duty as a professor’s assistant. After that came a full …

Dusk had fallen by the time they left the library. Kaede followed behind Pascal as she balanced four massive tomes in her small hands. With her concentration focused on her heels to prevent any missteps, she couldn’t help but start to fall behind as her thin arms held up what felt like a boulder’s weight. Her body was also bothering …

True to his word, Pascal kept his hands to himself that night. Even with their close proximity, he never touched Kaede once. But despite the awkward situation, a far greater concern occupied her thoughts: his words kept replaying in her mind, forcing her to accept the grim new reality. On the first night of Kaede’s new life, she silently cried …

“Excellent, Dame Ariadne! It’s remarkable how consistent your summoning is.” Professor Albert von Marienfeld’s words mirrored his gleaming-onyx eyes as they examined the beautiful wings of Ariadne’s flawless white pegasus. It wasn’t her first pegasus either. Her previous steed had accompanied her since childhood, only to be killed under her during the Battle of Parchim. Her bravery in combat had …