POV: Altair Oberon Lyrius

I felt sickened, sickened by everything. Almost on instinct I jumped out of my bed and bolted towards the bathroom door, nearly throwing over the large plant in the corner of my room. I didn't have a chance to look at the bath yesterday so I just ran to what looked like a relatively modern toilet. I opened up the lid and threw up everything I had for dinner the day before. It hurt, it genuinely hurt to throw up. All my muscles contracted at once and it felt like I was trying to spit out my organs.

I had widened eyes with tears in them, my breath was heavy and I barely got any air into my system in between throwing up, my head hurt and I genuinely regretted all my decisions over the past few days. I was disgusted with myself, with the fact that I had joined the people that had taken everything I ever knew from me. The only thing I could take comfort in was the fact that the one I wanted to kill the most in this world was close by, just waiting for me to get powerful enough to kill him.

I now began chuckling in between throwing up. That hurt as well since every single muscle in my body hurt.

'You alright honey?' Ira asked as if she had just remembered that she once decided to call me honey.

"Do I fuc-" I threw up... "Do I fucking look alright?" I asked.

She stayed silent as I continued to throw up more and more food and drink. I hated everything right now. I hated that I was among the enemy now, it made me sick to the very core of my entire being. By the time I had finished my stomach felt overly empty and everything hurt, the twitching had returned and I couldn't stop chuckling every so often.

"This is ridiculous," I whispered, looking into the mirror above the sink which was next to the still open toilet.

I noticed a chain hanging from a box that was connected to the grey toilet with a collection of copper pipes. I pulled on the copper chain and heard a flushing sound. All the vomit was flushed down like I was used to from my old world. I closed the lid, washed my face and went to the shower. While I let warmed water trickle down on me I leaned against the wall, holding back the urge to throw up again.

'Better now?' Ira asked, sounding actually genuine.

"Yeah... I guess," I answered out loud.

Ira mostly just joked around like some kid but she could get serious and caring when she needed to be.

When I was done showering I went back to my room, got dressed and looked on my desk. I had noticed the letter yesterday as well but felt too tired to read it. I picked it up and took a look. It was basically just a schedule for me, which apparently was for my first day and separated from that was my schedule for the next few months. The note said that I would first be expected in the basement for Introductions To The Advanced Mana Classes which was apparently led by Elsa herself.

"Perfect..." I said.

There was also written on the bottom of the note that I would be woken by the ring that the maid gave me. In my hurry, I hadn't taken it off for my shower but it still seemed fine. I hadn't heard this thing go off, the reason for that was probably the fact that it was still dark out.

"Now what to do?" I asked myself.

...

...

...

"Guess I'll just prepare for Elsa's lesson," I said as I sat down on my bed, crossed my legs, put both hands on my lap, closed my eyes, began breathing in and out deeply and slowly and focused only on the ambient mana around me which had a nice feel to it, unlike the mana that human's passively emitted even if they couldn't use it. It felt warm and welcoming... it reminded me of my mother, my mother that had been killed because of Lestul, the leader of this fort.

My neck tensed up as I got a little angry, more at myself for now working with, or rather for, him than anyone else.

I wonder how many innocent people I will have to kill for him.

I slapped myself and finally began meditating, drawing in the ambient mana around me, letting it cycle through my body and leading it all the way from my pores to the part where my channelling veins were connected to my magic marks. By the time I felt the ring around my arm vibrate and heard it beeping I must have been at it for at least two hours.

After I stretched I got up and left my room, going to the dining hall or whatever it was and walked up to the counter in the middle of it. I looked up at the board hanging from the wooden beams and ordered some bread, butter, cheese, meat, scrambled egg and a few slices of ham as well as a mug filled with tea.

I was a little surprised that all these things existed in this world.

When I got the tray with my food I went to one of the empty tables. This time there were a lot more to choose from since most people just got up but I could see a few people already there, among them were a few teachers that sat at the overly long table. Elsa was among those teachers. When our eyes met she smiled and I smiled back. She didn't have her cages with her this morning.

I ate quickly, in the hopes of not having to meet Ivory but as I had noticed too late she had ordered just a few seconds after I had sat down.

"Good morning Altair," she said.

I rolled my eyes with my head down so she wouldn't see.

"Morning, Ivory," I said.

"What's your first point on the schedule today?" she asked as she put down her tray.

"Introduction to the advanced mana classes," I answered.

"Oh, so you're getting the advanced mana classes. I just have a workout scheduled first, since I can't use mana," Ivory said, sounding a little down.

I nodded in the most sympathetic way I could think off at the top of my head as I took a bite from my, still warm, bread with butter and scrambled eggs.

"Do you also have any sorcery classes?" she asked.

I nodded, remembering reading something along the lines of Introduction to basic sorcery.

"So we might have some classes besides combat and general workout together," Ivory said with a smile.

I nodded again, rolling my eyes yet again.

How can she have any energy right now?

We spent the rest of the time it took us to eat in silence, the only noises being the ones we made while eating. I finished before her, said goodbye and left. I put my tray to the other dirty ones and left the hall. On my way out I saw one of the two giant women entering on the other side. I also saw a maid walk by and decided to ask her where the basement was. She directed me towards the grand stairwell and told me to go right, and then take the metal-reinforced wooden door on the left to get to Elsa's lessons after I told her my reason for going there. Since I assumed there wasn't a lot of time left I went down the stairwell, ignoring everything until I reached the bottom. I was in a small hall with a large gate, large enough for the giants, and a small flight of stairs that went down to two doors, one being made up out of iron bars and the other being a wooden door reinforced with some shiny metal that reflected the light from the lamps.

I walked down that flight of stairs and pushed open the reinforced wooden door which led to yet another staircase. It was well lit and looked quite well taken care of. I quickly descended the staircase until I reached a short corridor that led to a room from which a strange light came. With only two steps I reached the room and looked around.

It's beautiful.