I stared for too long at the painting.

"Bones?" Rounen had a hand on my shoulder. He was so much taller standing next me now. My head was below his shoulders.

Stupid growth spurts.

Just when I thought I was beginning to catch up.

Alas, I was still a child and there was room to grow. I just had to be patient. I was pretty sure since this body had started getting fed properly and all the training had resulted in it being slightly taller and definitely stronger than other girls the same age.

Nevertheless, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the image in front of me.

The picture was of a tree that had precariously large fruit. It was large and elegant, with an enchanted feel. Beside the tree, the figure of a woman reaching to the fruit, expectation in her eyes. Her features were otherworldly, with long ears and a long white flowing robe. An elf? But her features didn't seem to match. Her eyes appeared to glow as she reached for the fruit.

Around the branch where her hand was outstretched towards the fruit, was a string. It glowed, its light flowing towards the fruit. It was a tree unlike anything I had seen in any garden or forest. It was incredibly large and enveloped the sky with its large boughs and strong trunk.

Stranger still—despite the fruit it seemed to produce—it had no foliage. I couldn't see a single leaf.

Not one.

Was it dead? But how was it able to produce such fruit?

That comment doesn't change the fact that I still have no idea what it is.

Seriously. The only times when I wanted her to speak, she chose to be tight-lipped.

Another hand on my other shoulder.

Lucius tried turning me towards him. "Come on, it's not like we get to see you every day."

I turned my head back towards the painting which seemed to be calling to me. "But it's so beautiful."

Lucius and Rounen's expressions became stiff.

Had I misspoken?

"Let's go." Rounen put his arms around my waist and hoisted me into the air for a few seconds. "The painting is not important. It's just some stupid Ryoga."

I felt something stir within me. Where had I heard that name before?

"Hey!" I swatted his arms until he put me back down, by then, we were already well away from the painting.

Well, at least I had a name now.

I let it go.

After walking out of the academy with my two brothers in tow, I found it strange to finally be sitting in a cafe with them, just the three of us.

Although this was not technically a cafe, but was rather more of a fancy restaurant.

Together, we sat in a glass house that had a single table. Upon arriving and seeing everyone stare at them—which seemed to be a common theme wherever we went—I saw the manager immediately recognise them and take us to a more private area.

I could feel myself relax once we were away from everyone's stares.

It was suffocating. Especially when I knew that I was the odd one out.

"So," Rounen handed back the menu after ordering some deserts. "Why did you decide to visit? We would have come to meet you if you had sent a letter."

Rounen and Lucius waited for me to sit before we all sat down together. It seemed that this academy was teaching them some manners.

"Sorry." I took a piece of paper out of my pocket. "I had a favour to ask and I wanted to talk in person."

They perked up. "A favour?"

Although I had been very reluctant at first, I had become rather fond of these two over the past few years. Putting their crazy dark streaks aside, they were actually very caring. Although the care they had for me didn't seem to extend further, I appreciated that there were at least two people in this word who seemed to want my presence.

"I found a book at the festival and was hoping to get it translated by a history professor at the academy."

Lucius took the paper and book while Rounen smirked. "You can leave it to your capable older brother to take care of it."

Lucius looked up and stared at Rounen. "Brothers."

I felt relief. It was nice being able to depend on someone, and I knew now that they meant what they said.

I grinned. "Thanks!"

Rounen's face froze a bit, as if in shock.

It wasn't until Lucius reached across the table and took my hand, with a serious look on his face, that I felt as if I had made some grave mistake.

"Edythe, it's fine if you're like that around us. But be careful around others."

I frowned. "What? Why?"

They were silent for a moment before Rounen coughed. "It's dangerous, don't do it. Besides, you're a DeVillanova, we don't need to show appreciation, it's expected."

Ah. There was the self-righteous prideful brother I had been missing.

I sniffed. "Fine."

They seemed relieved.

By the time the deserts arrived on three layered cake stands, I could feel my stomach growling.

Surely the deserts were on an entirely new level here. I took full advantage of these two brothers tendency to indulge me with desserts. In my previous life, I practically gained weight just by smelling anything with sugar.

Here, all my training had paid off. There was no need to feel guilt when I knew that this body would burn it off quickly.

Seriously, this world was crazy.

It wasn't until I was in times like this, with my surroundings so completely perfect and other worldly, that I found it hard to accept that it was all fake.

But then again, it was my new reality.

After dessert, Lucius and Rounen took me back to the academy where we said our goodbyes.

Technically the trip back to the West was meant to take days, which was true for most people. Fortunately, Kael didn't seem to mind our party using magic stones to teleport to the gate just outside of our estate. It turned our thirteen day trip into only four hours.

Once we arrived outside our estate, there was no mistaking the howl I heard drifting through the wind from the mountains.

I glanced up at one of the knights. "Are they getting closer?"

He gave a shrug. "No closer than before. They're persistent, that's for sure. Apparently the problem isn't so bad in the centre of the empire."

I pursed my lips, surely that meant we had to do another 'culling' spree.

I would have to ask Tirack.

When I arrived inside, I made a detour and was surprised to see Kael in the library. He must've known that would be the first place I would go.

Without saying a word, I started walking down the isles to see if there was anything I could find regarding language.

"Two rows down, third shelf."

I bit my tongue to prevent myself from saying thank you. Without a word, I moved to where he said and found a section based on ancient history and linguistics.

As I browsed the books, I came across a book that seemed to pull in the light around it. It was a deep red and appeared to made with the skin of an animal. I couldn't read the writing on the front, but it felt as ancient as the book I had in my room.

"Interesting choice."

I jumped as Kael reached forward to take the book off the shelf. "I don't even know why I chose to keep a book on such useless creatures."

I was curious. "Creatures?"

He stared at the book as if contemplating the idea of turning it to dust. "Draconum."

The word felt as ancient as him, and he said it flawlessly.

He opened the book, revealing a vast array of characters and symbols I had never seen before, I could even fathom trying to say. The paper was so thin, I felt as if I would tear it by merely sneezing on it.

Kael's eyes perused the text in boredom. "There's a reason why languages die out. I only kept this because it happens to be what little of remains of the First World."

He spoke as if I knew what he was talking about.

"What's so important about this book?"

"Nothing." He snapped the book shut. "They were uselessly greedy. Their penchant for good luck and life was the only reason they stuck around for so long."

He paused. "That, and their language happens to be the foundation of mana manipulation today. How foolish, teaching humans the very thing that would lead to their downfall. "

This conversation felt so normal that I found it hard to believe we were talking about books together.

"Do people still speak it?"

His eyes moved from the book to me and I held my breath.

"It was a useless language, really. Humans being what they are, restricted it's teaching to try and maintain power. After all, how is one meant to speak up and rebel if they have not the words to speak?"

That made sense. Something in me wondered if he was old enough to have witnessed this himself. The thought made me feel weird.

"After time, it was lost." He placed the book in my hands. "Now only remnants remain."

I stared at the book, my curiosity aflame.

"What is the language?"

For a moment, he stared. I thought he wasn't going to tell me until he spoke again, using the words that seemed to roll off his tongue in a language that felt otherworldly.

"Lingua Draconum."

The words felt ancient. But I had no idea what they meant. Upon my inquisitive gaze, he smirked.

"The language of dragons."

My body went cold.

Dragons?!

Although I knew they existed here, especially after the ash rain incident, my brain still had never properly accepted the fact that they had lived, spoken and existed in this world.

Nyx always loved to correct my grammar.

Then I understood what she was trying to stay and I did a double take at the book. "Wait—they still exist?!"

Kael walked down the isle and I trailed behind, desperate for an answer.

"Perhaps. Though they haven't been sighted for at least a century. It is common knowledge that they live in seclusion. As creatures like that should."

No wonder the ash rain incident had thrown everything into turmoil.

His disdain for them made me ever more curious.

"But you can speak it." I stammered, trying to form the words in my head. "I thought it was a lost language."

He stopped and looked back at me. The afternoon light in the library gave everything a majestic feel. Kael's frame towered over mine. "For the humans, yes."

I could feel myself fidgeting. Holding onto this book, I wanted to be able to read it. There was so much hidden knowledge in this world outside the plot of the novel. It was amazing how much history this place had.

I wanted to know more. My future was so bleak. I knew the future.

But I knew nothing of the past.

The past was uncharted territory. Another world. A way to distract me.

I wanted to explore it. "Can you teach me?"

I knew it was a useless request.

In fact, the idea of being alone in a room with Kael was something that always made me feel nauseous. But I was desperate.

This was a whole new world and language that no one else knew about. How could I pass an opportunity like this up?

Better yet—Kael could not only read it, but speak it as well.

My expectations were shattered when he smiled, as if proud of my curiosity.

"Although learning the language of these useless creatures does seem quite redundant, if it means elevating the house name, I don't see why not."

It was silent.

Wait.

Did he just agree to teach me?