Chapter 2

"THE Capital city of Vestia, Galenus, was named after the son of Demetrius' first King. Galenus died at a very young age," her mother once told her when she was still a child.

"But why did he die?" she remembered asking.

Her mother smiled. Faline Liu was always glowing in radiance like the sun in the morning. "He was compassionate about his fellow children. He was the very first of the Royal Children to bring them to safety each time war broke out."

Chloe's memories about the story their mother would always tell them came like a flood. She loved those stories. Stories about heroes of every generation, and warriors from different lands of Demetrius, with the land of Markus as the greatest.

But she hasn't been informed that the city of Galenus was this actively engaged in all sorts of business. As she looked around while Lucian and Barbie are looking for things needed, Chloe saw children and adults scattered in the streets, either buying or selling different kinds of merchandise.

There are a lot of magic exhibitions on the streets, too. A wind Kryst made a small tornado on his palms making it bigger. A fire Kryst played with the burning coal, letting it burst into a ball of fire. Chloe smiled when they walk past a water Kryst that was making the small pool of rainwater rise into a dragon statue.

Among the exhibitions, the water Kryst was mostly ignored. An idea suddenly entered her mind. She crossed her arms against her chest and flicked her fingers. The dragon moved and made a roaring noise, startling even the water Kryst.

All of the spectators gasped and more civilians and passers-by went to check out the moving dragon. The young brunette smiled and moved her two fingers away from each other. The dragon split into two and made a fighting show.

The show was causing a noise which caught the attention of Lucian. He saw her smile and he shook his head in a fond manner. "Chloe, stop that. We have to go."

Chloe shrugged before putting down her arms to her side. The dragons then fell back into a pool of water. The people dispersed but they left a good sum of money for the water Kryst.

They continued to stop over at several stores to buy the things left on their list. Chloe found that many of the stores were owned by the Lewelyn Tribe, Barbie's family.

The ride to the dorm was all fun and chaotic at the same time, and it made Chloe's head hurt. Barbie was driving the carriage like a madwoman and Lucian seemed not bothered because he was knocked out all the time.

Chloe ran her fingers across her brother's blond locks as he laid his head on her shoulder. She knew that he was sensitive to motion. He needs to sleep during their travel or else he will vomit from time to time. When the carriage stopped, Lucian woke up immediately as if he didn't sleep at all. It made Chloe shake her head.

The dorm was a beautiful building, standing with three-story and bricks that could last longer than their house in Deirdre. There are two double doors that led to different wings of the dorm, the east and west wing.

"Here we are," Barbie declared as they stopped at the center. She faced Chloe and Lucian who nodded at her.

Lucian smiled at his younger sister. Chloe was obviously fascinated by the huge building that she couldn't wait to enter one of the wings. "This is our temporary home, we're still looking for a house that fits for us." He jabs his thumb towards the east door. "I will take the east wing. You and Barbie will take the west wing. She'll take care of you."

Chloe silently nodded her head. They watched as Lucian entered the double doors of the east wing before Barbie dragged her luggage towards the west. "Let's go, Chloe. You need to rest because tomorrow will be our first day of school."

Chloe's eyes nearly bugged out. "Already?" she exclaimed as she helped Barbie bring the luggage and things she had bought for herself. As they entered the west wing, Chloe couldn't help but cringe at the color of the walls. Pink, red, orange, and violet flowers were painted all over the walls. Not her type at all.

Barbie must have seen her reaction because the smaller woman laughed. "Don't bother looking at the mural paintings these girls made to the dorm. They're too girly and giddy. Don't worry, empty rooms are literally empty. You can personalize your room as your own."

Chloe just smiled. She already had some ideas for her new room.

The dorm's hallways are wider than she expected. There are girls in a group who were occasionally strolling down the hallways and would greet Barbie. Some would blatantly stare at her.

"Don't mind them. Not all the time there would be a newbie in Krystalline who would choose this dorm," Barbie silently said as they passed the second floor.

"Why?" Chloe couldn't be helped but ask in curiosity.

"Newbies chose the one nearest to the Krystalline Palace which is a little bit more... chaotic, I might say." Chloe nodded slowly. They stopped in front of a mahogany door which was much more blank than the other doors. Barbie put down the luggage and brought out a key. "Lucian told me before the school year ended that he will bring someone with him when he comes back. I didn't know that it was actually you." She turned the doorknob and pushed the door. "So, I wasn't able to choose a much nicer room. But don't worry, it's just a temporary stay."

True enough, the room was empty save for a few furniture covered in white cloth scattered inside. The room was actually bigger than she had expected. There was a small living room, a door towards her bedroom, a wardrobe, and a bathroom.

"I will live here alone?" she asked expectantly as she finished looking around.

Barbie shook her head. "Your roommate will arrive a little bit later. Your bedroom will be at the right and she will take the left."

Chloe was dismayed but she smiled nonetheless and acknowledged it. "Thank you, Barbie."

Barbie smiled and winked. "Don't mention it. I'll have to leave you now. If you need anything, I will be two rooms from your left. We'll be eating dinner together along with your roommate if she's willing." Chloe nodded again and in a minute, she was alone in the room. The brunette wondered what power Barbie has. She seemed carefree and unpredictable. Maybe she's like her who wielded one of the main elements.

She looked around the room and sighed. The show that she did in the market was the most basic training her mother taught her. But her power was still in progress. She needed to manually clean the room.

"Need help?" a silent voice asked behind her. Chloe nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned to the source of the voice and saw a tall but frail girl with long silver hair tied in a high ponytail.

She's wearing thick round eyeglasses, freckles surrounded her nose and cheekbones, and she looked pale. She was standing at the open door, holding a huge cart of luggage and her things, while she held a handful of books.

Chloe has never seen such... weird girl in her whole life as this one.

"I guess, you were the one who needed help...."

"Jucel," the girl quietly introduced herself. "B-But you can call me Jus." She smiled once again but Chloe knew it was awkward.

Chloe smiled assuredly as she made her way towards the girl and the cart. "Jus, then. Are you new here, too?" She asked as she helped Jus drag her cart inside and closed the door.

"Well, i-in the academy, no. I-I transferred in-in this dorm..." Jus stopped herself when she nearly dropped all her books and Chloe could only lift her lips up in an awkward smile. This Jucel was surely something.

Chloe decided to ask about her things. "That's one big luggage you got there. Are they your books?"

Jus nodded and hugged her handful of books. "I brought them with me. But they're not just books..." Chloe blinked at her when Jus suddenly looked down and fiddled with her thumb. "Things to decorate, too."

Chloe didn't know whether to be awed or laugh at the girl's antics. This one's too shy, alright.

"Welp! What are we waiting for? We still have a few hours before dinner." Chloe started to move some furniture but the dust was too much and she coughed and sneezed. Dang...

"I-I might help..." Jus said and put down her books on the floor before she raised her hands in the air and waved it swiftly like the wind.

Chloe nearly bugged her eyes out when clouds of dust around the area started to move with the wind and became a ball of dust. Chloe ducked when the ball started to go berserk, bouncing from wall to wall until it dropped to the unknown outside the window.

Chloe ran towards the balcony and saw the clouds of dust down the alley with some people coughing out. The brown-haired girl stepped back as the angry victims looked up and started to shout. She looked at Jus with wide eyes and jaw dropped.

"S-sorry..." She stuttered, her eyes panicking.

"How did you do that?" Chloe squealed.

Jucel seemed frightened by her reaction and stepped back. "I-I-I..."

Chloe realized that she might have scared the girl and so she smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I am a friend. Ease up with me."

Jucel bit her lower lip and started to fiddle with her fingers. "I-I am a wind element user. B-But I can't use it well yet..."

Chloe grinned and went back inside. "Awesome! I used the water element. We will be partners from this day on." Jucel opened her mouth to say something but Chloe was already too hyped up to care. "Come on, let's start this job."

Jucel smiled in defeat and followed the hyperactive girl. In just a few hours, part of the living room was already cleaned up. Both Chloe and Jus dropped on the floor, exhausted and drained.

"I guess," Chloe said as she sprawled on the clean ground with her arms spread wide. She was already catching her breath. "I can't continue this anymore."

Jus mimicked her action and sprawled in the opposite direction. "M-Me too..."

Chloe glanced at the few books on the ground and the empty shelves. "We have to leave these for tomorrow, I guess."

"Mmm..." Jucel answered.

A knock on the door made them jolt upward, sitting up as it opened and revealed Barbie Lewelyn.

The first thing that Barbie saw was the cool, blue waves and bamboo designs on the walls. The bamboo design was not painted but it seemed like it was. Probably some wall decorations brought from the Palace Dorm? She couldn't recall which store it came from but only in the expensive Palace Store.

The next thing was the shelves lined along the walls and several books still on the floor. The couches were in place, the floor scrubbed and the whole room cleaned up.

She saw two girls sitting on the floor, clearly surprised by her entry. Barbie chuckled. "I think you're half done with your room," she said as she went inside. The two stood up, and Chloe, in her disheveled hair, gestured to the girl she was with.

"She's Jucel. Or Jus, you may call her. She's my roommate that you're talking about." Chloe turned to Jus. "Jus, she's Barbie Lewelyn. A friend of my older brother."

"Pleasure to meet you, Jus," Barbie greeted with an all-out smile.

Jucel, with her shy smile, responded with a "p-pleasure is mi-mine, too."

Barbie dropped her jaw and then looked at Chloe who just shrugged and smiled at her. "You came here to invite us for dinner?" She asked just to keep the air alive between them.

"Yep! Want to join us, Jucel?"

Jucel opened her mouth then closed it, not knowing what to say. Chloe, already having fed up with her shy demeanor, grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the room. "Let us change first then we can go. Can you wait for us, Barbie?"

Barbie chuckled and picked up a book from the floor. "Sure thing! Take your time~!" She answered before looking at the title. Hmm? "Identifying Witchcraft"? Barbie scrunched her eyebrows and opened the book. Why does a book that an Illinora only had to be here in this room?

Not unless...

Barbie looked at the door where Jus and Chloe had gone into.