THE SLEEK BLUE MIDTOWN bus was zipping across the black tarmac at such a breakneck pace that the passing buildings and bystanders became a hazy blur. Cady, who was nodding off in the middle of the bus, was among the thirty-four passengers on board. The early morning sun shone ardently through the window across from her. Her vibrant orange short-sleeved blouse, emblazoned with the emblem of a phoenix, glistened in the sunlight.

Cady had spent three weeks preparing for her big move from Fableton, Boone, to Marlia City, Empyrea. She and her Papi were able to load her belongings onto a moving van, which would arrive at the Phoenix girls' dorm later that day after school. Her limbs still ached and burned from the strenuous exercise. She liked the burn. It gave her a sense of purpose.

Most small-town folks would be terrified at the prospect of suddenly relocating to a big city to attend a world-renowned academy. It turned out to be anything but for Cady. She had been anticipating this day ever since she could walk. This was her opportunity to demonstrate that she had what it took to become a model patrol officer.

As the bus continued down the busy street, her round pink eyes popped open.

“Oh, no!” she exclaimed, sitting up frantically and checking her surroundings, fearful that she may have dozed off. “Did I miss my stop??” 

A tall human male in a black suit and blue necktie stood across from her. He reached over and pulled the signal cord with his free hand. The man tipped his black and blue fedora, giving the girl a small grin. She smiled as a wave of gratitude washed over her.

“Oh! Thank you kindly, mister!” she said with a smile, slightly bowing her head.  

“Don’t mention it, kid,” the man said with a nod. “Best of luck to you.” 

The bus intercom chimed. “Route 57, Hullington Road to Phoenix Military Academy.” 

Cady jumped up from her seat and stretched her arms as the bus came to a complete stop. She then inhaled sharply and let out a loud “WOO!!” at the top of her lungs before quickly covering her mouth, remembering the fact that she was in public. This elicited some nasty looks from other passengers, but the tall man simply chuckled. A couple of teenagers dressed in the same school colors quickly disembarked. Waving goodbye to the nice man, Cady exited the bus and followed the others down the sidewalk.                             

Cady inhaled through her pebbled nose. The strong aroma of oak and freshly mowed grass signaled to her that she had arrived at her destination. She dashed past the young mages she was riding with and rounded the corner before coming to a stop. She let out a soft sigh of amazement as a large brownstone building came into view. A large rectangular plaque was nailed to the stone pillar at the gate's entrance.

The Phoenix Military Academy—located in Southwestern Marlia City—was renowned for molding its students with magical and other supernatural abilities into future protectors of the realm. Phoenix was among Taqora's oldest secondary schools and considered one of the most prestigious in the world.

Cady marveled at the tall silver statue standing just a few yards away as she stepped past the gate's entryway. It was of Myron Kedvale, the Starlight Crusader, a famous and legendary adventurer who helped Phoenix win three consecutive Academy Showdown Championships during his tenure. Following his two-year expedition beyond The Yolk, he would join the Zorro Unit, where he and his comrades would defend Terra from a massive yōma outbreak known as the Eternal Craze. Myron's heroics during the incident cemented his reputation in the eyes of the Holy Kingdom. Four years ago, during the Kageryuu Massacre, Myron would meet his end on the battlefield, cut down by the claws of a frenzied vampire. This statue would be erected to honor the memory of Phoenix Academy's fallen alumni.

To say Cady was awestruck would be a massive understatement. Wow… There’s so much history here! 

She sauntered through the entrance and was greeted by a massive open field that surrounded the school building. Many students were already dueling one another, no doubt testing each other’s strengths and weaknesses as they aspired to rise through the ranks. Cady wasn’t surprised. After all, the Pegasus Freshmen Tag Festival was scheduled for the end of September, about a month from now. If there were any freshmen among those students, it was the upcoming event they were most likely prepping for. 

Ahead of her stood a tall Oak Tree, its long branches and large fan-like leaves blocking out the sun. The deep grooves and ridges that ran along its fissured bark revealed its age to all that laid eyes upon it. Under it was a large patio with tables and benches where several students sat to eat and converse. 

Man! This place’s a lot bigger than I thought. 

Given that the entrance exams were held at Phoenix’s exclusive training facility, this was Cady’s first time seeing the school campus in person. She stood stock-still, entranced by her surroundings. Many more students continued to pour through the gate behind her. As they passed Cady, a few of them turned to steal glances at her. Some with piqued interest, others with open disdain.

She returned her smile to a few schoolmates who gave her welcoming nods before returning to marvel at the inviting sights and sounds of the schoolyard. Cady couldn't stop pinching herself as she strolled down the long promenade. She had to be certain that this wasn't a fever dream and she wouldn't wake to find herself in a hospital cot.

Oh, man...this is it… Four years of this and I’ll surely be a patrol officer! Ya hear that, Vic? This is just the first step in realizing our dream! I’ll work hard enough for the two of us! I won't let you down! 

With that, Cady started walking down a straight path that led to the school's courtyard, looking around. She was soon only a few feet away from a large canopy that was positioned horizontally from where she stood. Underneath was a walkway that led to one of the main building's numerous entrances. 

“Huh?” 

Her ears suddenly perked up, picking up a faint sound coming from ahead. Snoring. She then sniffed the air and shifted her gaze to the left. She gasped, taken aback by what she saw. A small kitten with light blonde fur lay fast asleep atop a tall red and white vending machine near the canopy's center. Cady observed its tiny scar-covered body rising and falling in a steady rhythm. 

It was by far the cutest thing she had ever laid eyes on.

“Heeeeeeeeeee!!” She let out a mirthful squeal, her tail wagging vigorously. Unable to contain her excitement any longer, she dashed for the machine.

✧ ✧ ✧

Emi continued her walk to the main building of Phoenix Academy, passing through the West Gate and under a canopy. The catgirl's words lingered in her mind. Knock it off, will you?! she scolded herself. You've done all you could, there's no point in moping about other people's shortcomings. Besides, you have your own problems to worry about! She was aware of this, but even she couldn't deny that it was easier said than done.

Emi heaved a sigh as a group of laughing schoolmates strode past her. She then raised her eyes from the ground to see a tall red and white vending machine in the middle of the promenade.

Hm… Maybe some coffee will help alleviate some of this stress.

She walked over to the massive machine and rummaged through her skirt pocket for a few notes. Just as she pulled out an aged fifty-gram bill—

BUMP!! 

“Ooof!!”

“Uwah!!”

—a sudden force knocked her backward to the ground, her books flying into the air before gravity eventually pulled them back down, scattering across the cobblestone pavement with a cacophony of thuds.

“Agh!” 

Emi’s body ached. She felt as if she’d been hit by a brick wall on wheels. As she sat up, she felt a sharp pain in her back. She quickly inspected her arms and legs for scrapes and bruises. Much to her relief, no serious harm was done.

Gods, that hurt… What on Terra was that?

She cast a glance at the figure across from her. It was yet another female beastkin, this time a canine with long curly brown hair. She sat with her rump on the ground and her lower legs bent off to their respective sides. It didn't take Emi long to realize, based on the canine girl's pained expression, that she was the one who had collided with her.  

“Ow!” the dog girl grimaced. Her floppy ears twitched as she rubbed her tailbone before raising her head to look back at Emi.

“Hm?”

“Ah...”

“......”

“......”

“......”

A brief hush fell over them. The dog girl held a fixed gaze on Emi, her round pink eyes boring into hers. Not long after, she eventually pushed herself to her feet and dusted off her uniform.

“Hey, uh, sorry about that. I shoulda’ been lookin’ where I was goin’.” The dog girl grinned sheepishly while rubbing the back of her head. “Are you okay?”

She spoke with a thick Boonean drawl. Racial integration and foreign exchanges were extremely common in the Contemporary Age, so it came as no surprise to Emi that children would travel from all over the continent to attend one of Empyrea's four major secondary schools.

“Y-Yeah, I'm fine,” Emi replied, her voice slightly strained. Before meeting the dog girl's gaze, she quickly dusted off her blouse and skirt. “How about you? That was a nasty fall, are you hurt anywhere?”

“S'alright. Mother Terra bestowed a sturdy bod on this fair lady!” The dog girl beamed as she flexed her arms in her best strongman pose, eliciting a few giggles from onlookers. She appeared to be in good spirits despite having been knocked to the ground only moments before.

"I see," Emi said with a slight chuckle. 

With it being so early in the morning, she has quite a lot of energy...  How does she do it? 

“Here, lemme help ya with yer books,” the dog girl said with a wag of her tail. She then rose to a knee and began scouring the ground around them. “It’s the least I can do for bumpin' into ya like that.”

“O-Oh, you don’t have to. I—”

“Aw, please?” The dog girl drooped her bottom lip. “I would feel just plain awful if I left you to pick all these up on your own.”

Emi felt like she was backed into a corner. She studied the girl for a bit. The glimmer in her eyes told her that she was being sincere. How could she possibly say no?

She caved. “R-Right. Thanks.” 

The girls began to pick up the few books that were in front of them. One book, in particular, piqued the beastkin's interest. An orange book titled Magecraft in the Industrial Age. The Bibliosmia emanating from the tome betrayed its caducity.  

“Hmm, the Industrial Age, huh?” She pondered, glancing over at Emi. “So you’re a bit of a history buff, I see! Sweet, Don’t see a whole lot of folks our age reading books from this era. Or any books at all for that matter.”

“Oh…” Emi had no idea. “Is that weird?” 

The beastkin shook her head. “Nah, you’re fine. Just unusual is all. Figured you’d be more of a magical-combat kinda gal. Yer eyes give off a sort of ferocity to ‘em that commands respect and order if that makes any sense.”  

Emi chuckled at this. “Yeah well, I get that quite a lot. Although these eyes have gotten me into trouble more often than not.” She reached back with her free hand and gently tapped her bag. “My specialty is mystic weaponry and magitech. I don’t really have the biggest mana pool in the world, so I mostly use what little I can produce to amplify my inventions.”  

The dog girl shot up. “Ooh!! Mystic weaponry??  Magitech?? Wow, I’ve never met a technomancer in person before! This is so cool!” 

Emi blushed. “H-Hey now, don’t get too excited. I’m afraid my inventions have quite a ways to go before they can be of any use to anyone... Sorry to disappoint.”

“Eh, no biggie!” The dog girl shrugged as she handed Emi the last book. “We're all at this school for one reason or another, aren't we?"

“Yeah, you’re not wrong there.”

The dog girl looked Emi over once more. This was beginning to make the latter feel incredibly anxious and she couldn’t ignore it any longer.

“W-Why do you keep staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?”

“Oh! Heh, my bad. It’s just that… I’ve never seen human hair with that shade of red before.”

“Huh??”

Emi gripped her books tightly, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. 

The dog girl brought a hand to her chin and hmm’d for a spell. “Oh, I get it!” She hit her palm with her fist when a thought finally came to her. “Izzat a result of that whole miasma exposure deal?”  

“Mm-hm!!” Emi affirmed without hesitation. “You see, I was born in Danford, and the miasmic density there is extremely high. Empyrea is supposed to be around 55 kilometers from The Yolk after all! Heheh…” 

Since its inception, The Yolk has been known to emit a constant stream of miasma, a substance with extremely powerful magical properties. This miasma exposure managed to reach about 85% of Terra over the last millennium, with some regions and continents having a higher density rate than others. As a result, it was not uncommon for human children to be born with vibrant hair colors or other unique traits.

“Hey, that’s pretty neat!” the dog girl grinned. “Say, what year are ya?” 

“I’m a freshman.”

“Oh, really? So am I!”

“Yeah, if you look at your tie, there’s a little ‘I’ numeral insignia at the center.” Emi lifted her midnight blue necktie and showed the dog girl what she meant. “Sophomores have the double ‘II’ numeral, and so on. It helps the faculty better identify us.” 

“Ah, hey! Yer right!” The dog girl exclaimed as she looked down at her necktie. “Heh, I wondered what that was for.” 

Emi beamed. She couldn’t explain it, but there was something to this girl’s affable behavior and child-like innocence that made her feel at ease. 

“Ah, the name’s Arcadia Reynoso by the way, but you can call me Cady.” She reached with her right hand. A warm smile spread across her face. “What’s yer name?” 

A sudden gust of wind passed through the canopy, dancing through their hair, Emi’s ponytail bobbing to and fro. The two girls stood there for a moment until finally, the red-haired girl grinned and grasped Cady’s hand, shaking it. 

“My name is Emi,” she said. “Emi Suzuki. Nice to meet you, Cady.”

“Emi, huh... I like the sound of that! What’s it mean?” 

“It means ‘smile’ in Eastern Hōjinese,” Emi explained. “Though it can mean different things depending on how you write it.” She shook her head. “That said, I'll never understand why my mom gave it to me. It doesn't suit me at all.”

Cady chuckled. “Hmm, I dunno. I think it fits you perfectly.”

“How do you mean?” 

“Yer smile just now,” Cady pointed out. “An awfully purdy smile if I ever saw one. I think yer ma might’ve struck gold with that name.”

“...?!” Emi averted her gaze as a wellspring of heat washed over her face. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Cady leaned in close, wearing a look of concern. “You got some kinda skin condition?” 

So close… 

“I-I’m fine.” Emi doubled back, shifting her square-shaped spectacles nervously. “You just caught me off guard is all.”