After stuffing my last remaining dress into my wardrobe, I took a look at my new bedroom. I shared this bedroom with three other apprentices. Apprentices did not have a lot of personal space. My bed, the small table next to my bed and my wardrobe were all I had. I really did not understand what Lilian needed to help Georgia for after experiencing moving into a new court myself. Everything took less than an hour and 20 minutes were used to walk from my past court to this new court.

I decided to take a look at the Court's surrounding after that. There was a backyard and a forest surrounding it. A path leaded into the forest. Since there was no fence surrounding the forest, I concluded that the forest was opened to apprentices too. I followed the path into the forest, after awhile I came to a small lake. The lake was as clear as the blue sky. When I took a closer look, it was reflective like a mirror. So that's why the court situated next to it was named Mirror Court. There were benches around the lake.

I chose a bench in a secluded corner. Bushes were growing on both sides and a huge tree shadowed the bench beneath it. Tiny breeze swept through my hair as I sat there gazing at the lake, catching a moment of silence. This seemed to be a nice and silent spot. I was quite satisfied with my finding.

That's why I returned the next day with my schoolwork. And as I had expected, it's a good silent spot for studying before night approached. It's hard to find a spot to myself once I had entered the academy. You're always surrounded by people no matter if you want them to or not. All apprentices shared rooms with each other. We dined together, we studied together, we practiced together. It's very seldom you got some alone time to yourself.

After two weeks, I was certain that this was indeed a secluded spot. I never saw anyone walking past this bench. Sometimes, there were other apprentices coming to the lake as well, but they stayed in the area closer to the lake. No one ever came this far away to the edge of the forest.

So does that mean I am safe to do whatever I want? I thought. I wanted to shift into a bird once in awhile. My bird form was like second nature to me. Sometimes, when I was bored with my routine, I would shift into a bird for a while. Not that I could maintain in that form for an extended period of time. There had been many cases in my family in which some went insane because they stayed in their animal form over the allowed time.Everyone had a power or two, but there was also a limit for each power for the balance of the world. If you used more than your limit allowed, repercussions would consume you.

I knew that a lot of apprentices were staying in the practice ground today. Some graduates would return today, the younger apprentices thirsted for their tales of missions while my peers dreamed of their future through these new graduates. As for me? Dreams, I was still searching for them. So I was quite certain no one would be around today. A perfect day for shifting into a bird for awhile.

I closed my eyes and cleared my mind of other things. Slowly I became lighter and lighter, I tried to flap my wings. Once, twice then I soared into the sky. It's good to fly under such a clear blue sky. I looked down. I knew the lake was beautiful, but it looked absolutely stunning from the top. The water enticed you to fly closer and closer, to take a closer look of your reflection in this clear blue water. After flying around freely for awhile, I returned to the bench and rested on it. I closed my eyes and felt the gentleness of the warm breeze. I continued to gaze at the clear blue lake. The water looked so dazzling and mesmerizing. It's almost soothing.

That's when someone picked me up gently. Frightened, I tried to flutter my wings to fly away, but this person was certainly someone who had experience with birds. He knew where to hold to prevent birds from flying away and at the same time not hurting them.

"Your reflex is such a failure as a bird." The stranger chuckled.

I must be too obsessed with admiring the lake, I did not realize someone had sat on the bench next to me. What a failure.My training with my family immediately kicked in. I tilted my tiny head in the most bird like manner I could muster and chirped softly.

I took in the stranger in front of me. One thing for certain, he was not an apprentice, nor was he a graduate. I had been in the academy since I was six. I watched many batches of apprentices came and go. He was not one of them. But his robe and sword were the things that gave him away. The robe was made of good and expensive material, lined with silver thread at the hem. The sword was definitely not a dime of dozen product. He must be one of the young masters of the head family. But who?

He dangled some seeds in front of me. "I have never seen you before. A finch. A blue one at that."

He was not enticing me to eat that, was he? But he just grabbed those seeds from the bench! I didn't want to eat it! But if I refused would that be too strange? Look at all the birds on the floor and on the bench pecking at the seeds!

"What a strange bird. Poor reflex. Refuse to eat food that is dangled at its mouth. You're not afraid of me poisoning you, are you?" He smiled gently and then his smile turned sarcastic, "Don't worry, you're not my brother."

I really did not want to hear any more noble secrets. He must be really lonely, resorting to talking to birds. I tilted my head to the other side, pretended to stare intently at the seeds in his palm and pecked at those seeds bit by bit like I was not sure of the nature of the thing in front of me.

It's just some seeds, I would not die. Don't throw up. Don't throw up.

"Such a strange yet beautiful bird." He chuckled again and then released me. I pretended to hop around for awhile and then I flew away, flapping my wings as quickly as I could. I did not dare to turn around and take a look at the mysterious handsome man. I escaped.

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