It was late afternoon, and it would soon get dark. Winter was nearly over, but it was still somewhat cold. The weather was not as harsh as I’d imagined it to be in a fantasy world, and there was hardly ever any snow in the Zephyrine territory. That made me happy, because I was not used to temperatures below 0°C, but still enjoyed a little bit of cold.

I looked at Sophie, who was standing right next to me. Her long black hair shone beautifully against the light of the sun. Her eyes were also of a darker tone, and I could barely make out her pupils. Sophie was fidgeting, and definitely looked nervous, so I asked her:

“Is there something on your mind, Sophie?”

“No, my lady, there isn’t. If there’s nothing else…”

“You can take your leave”, I completed. 

It was an old habit of mine to complete people’s sentences. I was aware of how annoying it was, but couldn’t help myself. I just did it. Sophie bowed lightly, and left my office quietly.

Ari was floating around looking at the titles on my bookshelves. Most of them were about magic theory. Besides being handsome, Boreas Zephyrine had been an excellent wind mage. He was known throughout the empire as competent and skilled, although a bit eccentric. Boreas hardly ever left his territory or attended social gatherings. He spent most of his days either studying magic or with his family.

Despite the fact that they were naturally loners, the Zephyrines had a good family relationship. It was truly enviable. They loved each other very much, and spent their time together whenever possible. While Boreas was studying magic, his wife, Tuuli, was either reading or writing. She loved mystery novels and was writing one before her death. Yue, the youngest child, was still five years old, but was as quiet as a mouse. He usually sat in that same office I was using now, and drew while his parents were each focused on their work or hobbies. Tsisana was the only one who kept a bit of a distance, because swinging a sword inside the house would not be proper. But she too loved her family dearly. So much so that she was willing to sacrifice herself to unveil the secrets of Boreas and Tuuli’s death.

Well, that was a thing of the past now.

I glanced at Ari, who was still going through my father’s books. It was indeed an impressive collection, and I had done the same in the first few days after I arrived in this new dimension. The bookshelves occupied two whole walls in that office, and had books from the floor all the way to the ceiling. There were more books in other rooms around the house, but Boreas had made a point to keep his dearest magic theory manuals closer to him. He also had a collection of novels, in which the protagonist was usually someone who could handle wind magic. That was his secret hobby.

“Anything interesting in my father’s library?”

“Many things. Boreas really did have an amazing collection, didn’t he?”, Ari replied, without taking their eyes off the books.

“He did… but do tell me, why would I be stupid by not attending Carmella Academy?”.

“Hmmm…. Let’s just say I believe you will be safer there”.

“Care to elaborate?”

“You know when I said I was your guardian angel?”

“Yes, I’m still trying to digest that”.

“Well, that comes with some perks. I can sense any strong feelings directed towards you. That works with good feelings like love or gratefulness, but also with animosity and hate. Right now, there’s a maid in this house who is not very fond of you”.

“And why should I care? You can’t be liked by everyone, no matter how nice you are. And Tsisana was always a weir-”

“Not liking someone is one thing, but planning on killing them is a whole other level my dear’, Ari interrupted me”.

“...Who is it then?”

“The one you call Sophie”.

For a moment, I felt as if my heart was being stabbed. These were not my emotions of course, they were Tsisana’s. She and Sophie had a long relationship, and at least the owner of my body cared about her deeply. If what Ari said was indeed the truth, it would mean that Tsisana’s only friend had betrayed her for some reason.

“I know you can feel animosity and stuff… but how do you know she’s planning an assassination?”

“It’s hard to explain, and it will probably be hard to believe, but… when I feel any ill intent towards you, I can somewhat see what that person is thinking. It depends on the person though, some people have a strong mind and it’s difficult to know what they are thinking. In Sophie’s case…. Let’s just say she isn’t so good at hiding her thoughts”.

I was at a loss for words. Tsisana cared about Sophie as if she was a family member. I would dare say she was her only friend. Or at least the closest relationship she had to that of a friend. They sometimes read the same books and talked about it together. Tsisana held these memories dearly.

I suddenly felt extremely sad and sorry for Tsisana, who had no parents nor friends, and still had to look after her younger brother. I now realised that, not unlike Sena, she was completely alone. It was no wonder she became so obsessed with the death of her parents.

“What should I do?”, I said out loud, questioning both Ari and myself.

“Whatever you want. You don’t have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. You don’t even need to deal with Sophie. I just think that you’ll be safer at the Academy”.

“What about Yue? Is he safe? Can you feel any ill intent towards him?”

“That I cannot. I have no connection to him, only to you. So, I am not sure”.

I took a deep breath and thought about my situation. As I looked at the piece of lemon pie in front of me I dared not touch it. I realised that, at any moment, I could meet my death in the comfort of my own home. It was no use not attending the Academy, if fate was ever so close. I enjoyed my life as Tsisana, and wished to die old and happy.

It was not a difficult choice to make. I had to find out whether what Ari was saying was indeed the truth, so I decided to call Sophie in.