Freya gasped and tried to catch her breath. She found herself inside her room, but she did not have any recollection on how she got there in the first place. But it was a familiar situation to her. She took a few breaths and scanned her room. A minute later, her breathing finally returned to normal. She imdiately ran to the full body mirror at a corner of her room and noticed that her clothes were sowhat dirty and unruly.
-That girl. Did she get into trouble again?
She ran to her wardrobe and pulled another set of uniform. If she could guess it right, it was still lunch break and she still had two classes in the afternoon. She washed herself in a hurry and afterwards put on the new uniform. She used her wind magic to dry her hair and sat on her bed combing it.
A bird suddenly landed on her balcony. Of course, it looked familiar to her; the pigeon was one of her familys ssenger birds. On its beak was a letter.
Thanks. she said to the bird and fed it a treat. Once she had her hands on the letter, she returned inside the room, and gave it a read. The letter was from her father, Marquise Berialis.
[I have already received the results of the quarterly exams. Freya von Berialis! Should I still call you as my daughter? How can you end up in second rank? How can you end up behind an unknown brat from the countryside? I am utterly disappointed! Your older brothers did much better in their years in the Imperial Academy! Even your younger siblings are doing better at their studies! You better focus on your studies and be stronger! Do not tarnish the Berialis House!]
After reading it Freya felt like crying. Her hand crumpled the letter and she could feel her heart race. She shook her head and took a deep breath, trying to regain control of her breathing and mind.
She opened her eyes and saw three sets of feet. Freya looked up and saw three faces identical to hers, only with subtle differences.
The one on her left had ssy hair and her face was filled with anxiety. anwhile, the one on her right looked unruly and rebellious. And lastly, the one in the center looked prim and proper with her hair in a high ponytail.
Is it a letter from the old man again? asked the one on her right. Let guess, hes disappointed at your performance during the first quarterly exams.
Stop it Fina. Youre not helping. retorted the one in the middle.
You stop it. Youre babying her too much. Thats why shes weak.
Im warning you.
Stop it guys! interrupted the one on the left. She kept biting her fingernails and one hand was on her hair, ssing it up even more. Fina, Fiona. Stop fighting. If you fight even more, she will co.
Tch.
We know Faye, so calm down. said the one in the middle.
Fina, did you get into trouble again? asked Freya, rembering the situation she was in when she found herself inside her room.
No. It was just a little scuffle. Little Faye here got into trouble with so seniors. I had to do sothing.
You didnt go overboard, did you?
Who do you think I am? but the three just stared at her skeptically. I didnt go overboard. I just taught them a lesson. Chill girls.
Dont worry Freya, I already handled it. said the one called Fiona.
Hey Freya, what are you going to with that Luna? asked Fina.
Ill do sothing about it. Freya eyed them. And by that I an only . Stop ddling into my business. Now get out.
Freya you-
Get. Out!
Freya found herself alone, in the real world. She took a deep breath and fixed her hair. A drawing on her study table caught her attention.
Right. Professor Tresde gave us such an assignnt. she mumbled. She grabbed the drawing and headed out.
***
Kayla Tresde stretched her limbs inside her office. Although it was quite a small space, she liked the place because she had privacy. Sothing she gave importance to even back when she was still working for the empire as a magus knight. She released a sigh afterwards.
-Im really not cut out to be a teacher. Should I return to the frontlines?
The door to her office suddenly opened and Freya entered.
Good afternoon professor. I hope I did not disturb you.
No Freya, you didnt. What can I do for you?
Im here to submit my assignnt.
Your assignnt? Kayla wondered, but then sothing clicked in her mind. Right, the essay I had you make yesterday?
No, I ant the drawing. Freya handed a piece of paper with a drawing of a tall tree in a luscious green landscape under a grey sky. I didnt miss the deadline, right?
Kayla only laughed nervously. The drawing! Right. I rember now. My apologies for that. I have a lot of things in my mind right now. Dont worry, you didnt miss the deadline! Youre quite early actually. The deadline was tonight at six.
Thats good then. Less assignnts for to work on.
Yes. By the way Freya, why did you draw a tree?
Kayla watched as her student pause, obviously in deep thought. Hmm I guess because a tree is strong and can stand tall. Just like how I wanted to be the best.
And the background?
Thats just my mood, I guess.
I see. Thank you then. Do remind your classmates from the magic arts departnt to submit their assignnts if they dont want a zero for this activity.
Yes professor.
Freya bid her goodbye and exited the office. anwhile Kayla sighed, once again. She pulled out a drawer and brought out a brown folder. She opened it and stared at four other drawings of different kinds of trees with different backgrounds. Her gaze landed on the newest drawing on her hand.
Theres obviously sothing going on with her. she mumbled. But this is beyond my capabilities.
Kayla was a teacher, but she felt like she was lacking. She could teach her students how to fight and understand a piece of literature, but she knew being a teacher was more than just that.
I suppose I should pay her a visit.
Kayla could not believe it herself but she found herself in front of the gate of a manor she never thought she would ever visit again; The Celestine Manor. She presented a badge to the guard stationed outside and she was allowed to go inside. Even though she had not stepped inside the place for quite so ti, fifteen years give or take, she knew her way around. She made a beeline to the second floor and stopped in front of a door. A door to a certain soones office whom she knew would be there that ti of the day.
She took a deep breath and steeled herself. She knocked on the door.
Co in.
Kayla eyed the golden haired young woman sitting leisurely on a sofa with a docunt on her hand.
Greetings milady. she greeted and dropped to one knee.
Kayla? Arent you supposed to be at the academy? Dont tell my brats made so sort of trouble?
By brats you an Torii Chrishni and Luna Hysi, right? Kayla asked.
And by extension, Thomas Wolfsbane. Hes Steves son.
Archduchess Zaira sat properly and crossed her legs. She put down the docunt she was reading and offered Kayla to sit at the open chair at the end of the sofa she was sitting on just a while ago. Kayla accepted the offer. The person who offered it was not exactly soone anyone would want to piss off.
Your brats as you put it, are doing fine. They had a few scuffle, but its sothing they and the school can handle. Im here for another matter.
Oh? What is it?
I need your advice on sothing. the archduchess just eyed her and motioned for her to go on. I t with a problem out of the scope of my expertise but happened to fall into your specialty. I need your advice about it.
What kind of specialty? I have quite a lot.
Rember twenty years ago? When Chad got possessed by two spirits at the sa ti, and he and those spirits were always fighting over control of his body?
Hmm I do rember. It was quite ssy. But then again, Chad was a spirit vessel. His body is very compatible to be hijacked by wandering spirits. So, what of it?
It was possession because every ti one of the spirits takes over, the magic signature inside his body changes.
Yes. Its because the spirits had their own magic signature.
Kayla swallowed a non-existent lump on her throat. What if, I t a student whose mood and attitude can change in a heartbeat.
You an that student got possessed? asked the archduchess.
No. I an I dont know.
Excuse ? Elaborate then.
Kayla handed her the folder she carried for her visit. Inside it was the five drawings Freya submitted to her.
One student made those five drawings. And she submitted them without rembering she had submitted one already before that.
Okay. Go on. Im listening. the archduchess laid the five drawings on her table.
Ever since I t her, she has incredible mood swings but at first I thought it was because she was a teenager. But when I asked the class to draw sothing that represents themselves, I started noticing it. But even though Im pretty sure different people with the sa face gave the drawings, there was no change in her magic signature.
Interesting. By the way, what did Luna draw for hers?
A fox. But as good and powerful mage as she is she cant draw.
I know. Its one of her downsides. the archduchess comnted. Anyway, you visited the right person. From your description its really not possession.
So it really isnt?
Yes. I cant be a hundred percent sure since I can't make a right diagnoses without seeing her myself, but I think this student of yours has D.I.D.
D.I.D.? Whats that?
Dissociative Identity Disorder. Or so to say, Multiple Personality Disorder. Kaye just stared at the archduchess, who was once her ntor a long, long ti ago. Its not a curse or anything caused by magic or the supernatural. Theres just sothing wrong with her head.
Is she a loon then?
No. Not yet anyway.
Kayla sighed and slumped on her seat.
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