Chapter 59 - A Little Thing Called "Narcissism" (1/2)

Lydis shut the door behind her as Bianca continued to fluff Valfafer.

Breathing out loudly, she noticed a white uniform next to her. Looking down at the small child Lydis couldn't recall her name. Although based on the uniform it was a member of the Horoscopes, she didn't strike Lydis as very important. Big brown eyes were cupped by soft amber hair, the only striking feature being the slight golden hue in their eyes.

”U-umm… I-is miss, Breavux inside…?”

The small child fumbled with the edges of their cloak. Unlike Lydis's jacket, the child wore a short cloak that covered the upper half of her body. White coat and trousers sticking out from it.

Lydis stared at the child and shrugged.

”I don't really know a 'Miss Breavux'.”

”Ah…” The child caught her words and stopped trying to talk to Lydis. ”T-then could you tell her t-that Minerva was looking for her?”

Lydis scoffed at the boldness of the child in front of her.

”Me? A messenger for someone I don't know, about someone I don't know or care about? Sorry but I'm not looking to become like you.”

”A-and what does t-that mean!?” The child looked flustered. Lydis shrugged her shoulders again.

”Exactly what I said. If you don't even understand that then how did you even become one of the Horoscopes?”

Flinching back, the child's eyes looked like they were about to burst into tears but, miraculously, the tears stayed in, lining the bottom of their eyes with thick lines of water.

”Y-you're being mean!”

Lydis was amused by how childish the girl was. She had been surrounded by too many abnormal people that her depiction of what 'normal' was, became distorted.

”Go on now. Wouldn't want your tears staining the area near my room. It would make me feel disgusting.”

”Meanie!”

Shouting her last word, the girl turned around and ran away from Lydis. Surprisingly, the child stopped four doors down from Lydis before entering the room, not even checking to see if she was being watched or followed.

Lydis pulled out her class schedule and found that the first day of school was only for students to get familiar with the academy, their classes and to their new life. Basically, a whole day for pointless wandering around.

”U-umm, miss Lydis?”

Lydis shifted her eyes from the pamphlet to a somewhat familiar face. Although she did find it troublesome that so many people were bothering her, Lydis put on her social face and met the girl's eyes.

”Hello, do I know you? You look, familiar…” Upon hearing this the girl blushed and hid her face behind her hair.

”I-it's Theda…” Lydis's face twitched a bit in surprise as she began to see the similarities yet, the differences were too big!

After Theda had cleaned herself and dressed in the normal grey colors of the school uniform, she almost looked unrecognizable. Her messy hair had been trimmed and tied into two small braids that stuck out from her head. Now that there wasn't any dirt on her face, Theda's tanned skin revealed spots of reddish freckles. Her grubby hands had been softened by lotion and she smelled heavily of peaches.

”Theda? Is that really you? It looks like you've become someone else!”

Blushing once again, Theda hid her face further into her hair, nodding her head slightly.

”Crill wanted to meet you again…” Theda's voice trailed off as she averted her eyes from Lydis's.

”What does he want from me already? I've barely gotten here and now he wants to talk again?”

Theda shirked away from Lydis slightly, her closely fitting clothes revealing how small and malnourished she was. Without the baggy rags as a cloak, Theda turned out to be mostly skin and bones.

”He said it couldn't wait until tomorrow, and that 'Lydis would miss a really fun and entertaining event either way'. I don't know what he's talking about but Crill must have his reasons. I'm sure.”

Lydis pondered Theda's message for a moment when the door to her room began to open.

In a happy voice, Bianca called out to Lydis.

”Ly~dis! Are you still out here?”

Without thinking, Lydis picked up Theda's hand and sprinted around the corner. Her heart almost bursting from her chest as Bianca's head popped into the hallway.

”Ly~dis? Hmm, guess she already left. Oh well, I just wanted to know this creature's name but I'll have to ask another time!” Bianca's happy voice quickly disappeared back into the room as Bianca resumed her tor-… petting, of Valfafer.

Pressed up against Lydis, Theda used all her willpower to stop herself from taking in big whiffs of Lydis's smell. One that was both sweet and faint, it reminded her of the fields ripe with harvests.

Lydis noticed the rapid heartbeats of Theda and quickly let go when she was sure Bianca had retreated back into the room.

”My apologies for startling you like that.”

Theda's mind was too full to even register Lydis's words. All she could muster was a nod.