I woke up at 6:25 a.m after a bad dream. It was the 1st of December, which meant it was the start of the third month of my time at the Academia. During the last three months, I had trained and learned quite a lot. Yet, the same nightmare was haunting me for the past three months.

In that dream, I was sitting in the classroom and suddenly everyone got up and laughed at me. They taunted me and said I was a useless bastard who would never be as good as a real nobleman. They insulted me and made fun of me. And I was just sitting there and crying. Then I woke up.

I had that dream multiple times during the last few months. And every night that it occurred I slept terribly, resulting in me being absolutely tired.

Still, I managed to get up and made myself ready for breakfast. I ate while still half asleep and after that, I headed for the classroom. The only people already there were Hershel and Catherine. I set down at my desk and dozed off. But I was quickly interrupted by someone touching my arm. This person was none other than Catherine Durandan. “Hi Jonathan,” she said, “I saw you in class for the past few months but never had the courage to speak to you. Well, now I have. You seem like a nice guy. I’m not a talkative person but I would like to know you better.”

I was stunned for a moment, as nothing like this has ever happened to me. But I quickly recollected myself and answered: “Thanks for the compliment. You also look like a really nice person. I’d love to get to know you.”

We got into a conversation and introduced each other. “My name’s Catherine Durandan and I’m the daughter of the Lord of Chanflor, Charles Durandan,” she said.

I answered: “My name’s Jonathan Dracailis, I'm the half-brother of the Lord of Drancast, Jack Dracailis.”

“So,” she continued, “What’s your favourite colour? Do you have a favourite animal?”

“My favourite colour is pink and my favourite animals are gibbon monkeys,” she added.

“That’s quite interesting,” I said, “My favourite colour is blue and my favourite animals are dogs.”

We talked a bit more about things we liked and found out that we have quite a lot in common. The more we talked, the more I found her absolutely amazing. She was the friendliest, nicest and most interesting person I’ve ever met.

We couldn’t talk long though, as the professor arrived on time as always and the lesson started at 8 a.m.

The whole lesson I couldn’t think about anything else other than that girl. I couldn’t wait to talk to her again. We went to eat supper together. During that break, we talked quite a lot. I was really enjoying our conversations and time flew by fast. The whole second part of the lesson I was thinking about her even more. I was wondering if that was the feeling called love. After the lesson I had dinner together with her. The meal tasted even better when she was around. And time flew by so fast. We talked some more about trivial things.

She told me about her homeland: “Chanflor is a land full of meadows and forests. It’s known for its lush flora and cultivated fields. Most of its earth is rich in nutrients, so crops grow magnificently there. The capital is Gardenis, a very wealthy city. The people of Chanflor are honorable people who value politeness and the arts.”

Hearing this description from her, I imagined the realm in my head. It seemed like an absolutely beautiful place. I couldn’t stop thinking about visiting it with her.

We also talked about our families. She told me about her father: “My father, Lord John Durandan, is a great man. He is incredibly kind and wise. To me, he always was a caring father. People describe him as honorable, humble, and well-mannered. He is very powerful Arcanist, too, displaying plant-based sorcery that exceeds everything of its type before.”

We could’ve talked forever there but we had to part ways for today, as we had to be in our chambers by 11 p.m. So we said goodbye and headed for our rooms. I couldn’t stop thinking about here and it took me some time to fall asleep as I was laying in bed with my thoughts circling around that girl.