Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

Ring! Ring! Ring!

The calm rays of the sun coming from the sliding window to the left of me gradually fill my eyes with light, making me squint my eyes for a moment in order to adjust to it. The alarm clock placed on my right side table does not stop alarming endlessly.

Almost annoyingly, I reached out for the noisy alarm clock and turned it off in an instant. I immediately placed it back to where it belongs.

We wake up like this every morning, so it really feels natural- as natural as breathing, but these past three days, I could literally feel that 'void' in my chest. I find myself suddenly feeling nostalgic as though I had missed something... or someone... whom I haven't seen for a long time.

Yet the weird part is… I don't exactly know for the reason behind it. Odd, isn't it? I am already starting to believe that I am starting to lose my sanity now.

I sigh, stepped out of bed, and dashed to the bathroom, which is already in the bedroom I rented from this pretty good apartment that I may have discovered the first time I came in here to study magic. And it was cheaper than I expected.

***

In our classroom, my friends Ariella, Maggie, and Cailin were already gathered near my assigned seat. When I stepped near them, they greeted me immediately and looked at me with that look that said they were waiting for me forever to share something.

That reminds me. I think the last time they gathered like this was to talk about that certain captain of the magic army who was rumored to be dating this random commoner girl but citizens were not able to see her since she became invisible. Their words, not mine.

"About that circus show you have invited us to come the other day that is supposed to perform at the end of this month…" Ariella started, looking a bit sorry for me and a little relieved, which I don't understand. What is this circus she is now mentioning about? "They have to cancel at the last minute, saying most of their crews got into an accident or something like that."

Searching my face for some sadness in it, Ariella's eyebrows were knitted together by the time she saw a clueless reaction instead.

With a look of disbelief in her eyes, she says, "Wait, you do remember inviting us to a circus show, right? You were all energetic about it, saying you used to visit a circus show back in your home village a dozen of times."

Shooting her a pleading look that says 'Please believe me', I tried to explain my side here. 

"That's the thing. I don't remember inviting you to a circus show, at all. But I do remember my childhood days, which confuses me on how you end up knowing that part?"

Maggie stares at me, wide-eyed. "You shared almost your childhood experience with us!"

I did? Maybe I did, I just happen to forget about it. I always have this tendency to forget things most of the time, so I am really not surprised if this is happening to me right now.

Cailin, the ever-observant one in the group, eyes me with concern. "Are you alright? You seem to be odd these past few days." 

This made me worry. Cailin has this talent to observe even the tiniest details of you and enlists that on her memory.

"How odd could I be? I am totally fine." I insisted.

"I don't know," Cailin shrugs, "Sometimes when I glanced over at you during our classes, you would just stare at the window as if you expect someone to come after you any moment. Or that time when we decided to return to the Museum at Bartholomew Square 2 days ago to carry out some research, you just kept staring at Prince Arthur's golden statue, like you knew him by heart, or maybe that was just my imagination."

Woah. Talking about being keenly observant here!

That rendered me speechless. I mean, I don't have any idea what she was talking about. What would I have to say about that?

But in the end, I chose to shrug the topic away and casually responded, "Maybe it was just really your imagination."

Cailin seems to not buy it at first, but seeing the genuine confusion in my face, she eventually gave the whole idea and admittedly says so to herself, "Yeah. Maybe, you're right."

Just then, Jill Harrington, the meanest girl ever-existed in this class, now enters the classroom with a smirk on her face. Proudly, she says to the whole class, "Remember that dating rumor of the captain with a certain girl?"

That immediately piqued the interest of everyone, and surprisingly, I felt intrigued as well. Not in a million years have I cared about someone else's private life that doesn't have anything to do with mine! And now, here I am, also joining the whole class on waiting for Jill to spill the details.

"It was actually his ex-girlfriend, Lady Margaret. And ever since she returned here in Citadel, they also started getting back together. The rumors are so untrue about him dating a commoner. As if he would dare to do that!"

"Well, knowing the fact that they belong to the elite class of the society, why do they have to keep their relationship a secret though? Right?" One guy classmate of mine scoffs at the back.

"Have you ever heard the word 'privacy', you little piece of sh*t." Jill hisses at the poor guy. "They just wanted to have their own intimate private moments together before they could announce to the public their real status. It's an elite thing that a dummy like you won't understand."

"Blah… blah… blah, such nonsense news you got there." countered the guy. For this one, I am with you, brother!

Seeing that I am the only one who had forgotten the captain's full name, I tap Cailin's back-- who seems to be knowledgeable about the royal council members-- and whispers, "What's the name of the captain again? I honestly forgot."

She leans a tiny bit closer and whispers back, "His name is Captain Alexander Crimson. Don't you ever forget that!"

I leaned back in my chair after that. "Right. Like that would be necessary for me to pass the wizards' board exam."

"Oh. Believe me, it will be necessary…" says Cailin, nodding. "If ever you truly want to achieve your dream of becoming a master wizard in your home country someday."

I only chuckled as my response to her statement. But somewhere deep down in my subconscious mind, I had this feeling that I was pretty sure I had known the guy and had been with him already in the past, though I don't know why…

***

After classes, I went straight to work. A couple of days ago, I remembered myself walking into this certain antique store in Central Town to submit my application, to which I immediately got in. Though I am not one-hundred percent sure when I really started working here.

Once, I went home to my apartment room and saw some sort of a small vault resting under my bed. When I opened it using a magic code I must have set ages ago, hundreds of money bills greeted me, causing my eyes to widen and I think it was almost about to pop out of my sockets.

I mean… I must have started pretty early here than what I truly remember if I've got this huge amount of money stored in the small vault under my bed. The work itself doesn't really pay me that much, and I love saving my money up as always. Just a small percentage of it went to pay my rent, the rest is for safekeeping.

Why does my brain have to leave out some of the most important moments of my life? Or am I just really being that forgetful, like the oldies' way kind of being forgetful? Anyhow, I now tried to compose myself as I heard the bell chimes hanging on the door just now, meaning a potential buyer has just entered our humble abode.

I immediately approached that certain buyer with a smile across my face. The other guy I am working with , his name's Danny, just stood there in the cashier in case this person decides to buy something. The store's not that popular here and we seldom get customers, that is why only the two of us exist here.

"Welcome to Lincoln and White Antique Store. My name's Krisella, and I will assist you for today." I put on my best smile as I greeted the newcomer. But by the time I cast a look at him, there are actually the two of them. 

One of them is a girl with a really fancy blue dress and a fancy straw hat with matching pairs of white gloves in her hands. Her right hand was anchored on her partner's shoulder, who wears this very intimidating look on his jet-black eyes. His hair was made sleek today, making his presence outstanding wherever he may go along with his natural good looks. 

This feeling of nostalgia starts to overwhelm me once again, that I could now feel tears swelling up at the corner of my eyes.

With a creased forehead and a slightly concerned tone, he suddenly asks, "Why are you crying, miss?"