Chapter Text
Calanthe walked into the campus, the area lively with people, some hanging out by the fountain, few of them were rushing to buildings, and it looked like one of them was a professor that was late; the area was huge. Her parents really did choose a big university didn't they?
A butterfly landed on her nose unexpectedly before flying away. Her eyes followed the direction of its wings and noticed a field inside the campus.
So that was the football field huh?
Speaking of football, she didn't want to remember anything related to . . .
Never mind.
It was her first day in uni after all. Let’s not remember things we don't need to.
Anyway, as nervous as she was, there was a deep excitement in her heart to finally be away from her parents. She didn't have to fit into a stupid mold or act like the perfect daughter of some well known family, or do anything she didn't want to. She could just be Calanthe, Calanthe At-Sylvir, as she wanted to be.
Her orange cardigan blended with the leaves of autumn as her inky hair swayed in the breeze, caressing the scar on her cheek. Her legs moved across the ground relaxed, not a worry in her mind—well not yet.
She looked at her watch and realized . . . She was late. Oh goodness no!
Calanthe rushed across and asked the students around her where the information desk was, how could she forget? How could she forget when her lectures started?
She should've expected this.
Her luck was never the best after all.
After her lungs almost collapsed from the lack of oxygen, she was standing in front of the information desk. Now the task at hand was to know where the different buildings are and where her class was supposed to be—if there was anyone at the desk.
After catching her breath, Calanthe was about to move and ask another student instead, when she saw someone approach the desk and sit down.
“Finally.” She mumbled, a sigh leaving her throat.
“Uhm, excuse me, do you know where the department for literature is? I'm a new student; I'm supposed to be at Professor Lucius's lecture right now.”
“Ah! Of course, but do you mind telling me your name real quick?”
“It's Calanthe.” She paused, gulping down the lump in her throat, that name always felt like a heavy weight on her after all.
The staff swiftly slid her hands across the keyboard, typing in the name as the mouse pointer drifted from one place to another on the screen. A soft smile set onto the woman's lips as she looked back at the student.
“There you are! Alright. The literature department is about 20 meters to the left of the cafeteria building, and if you didn't notice it—it’s the one with the curved roof. When you go into the building you should find Prof.Lucius’s room, room number 152.”
“Alright, thank you!” Calanthe rushed out to get to her lecture.
She would be so dead if she missed this.
Huff, huff . . .
Calanthe panted, opening the door as she walked into the room.
“Sorry I was late, I—I couldn't find the building..”
“Ah, you must be a new student,” Professor Lucius glanced at her politely, “Could you tell me your name again?”
“A-ah, yes I'm a new student. I'm Calanthe.”
“Alright, take a seat.”
Calanthe nodded, walking up the stairs to a desk in the corner as she tried to get some oxygen back. She opened her notebook and wrote down most of the things she could get from the lecture before it ended.
As she tried to focus on the material, her eyes caught a glimpse of a fleeing shadow outside the window, was it just sunlight? She swore it was something glowing.
“Whatever,” Calanthe shook her head, “I should try to get this over with first . . .”
After she got most of the current lesson, the lecture was over by the blink of an eye; good for her, more time to rest and calm her mind—oh right. Now it was time to find her dorm room; what a hassle! Wait, what about the next lecture?
Oh God!
Now that it was lunch time, there was some time to clear her mind before rushing all over again!
Calanthe sat down, relief clear throughout her face. She picked up her chicken sandwich and prepared to take a bite after a few hours of being absolutely starved. “Never thought a chicken sandwich could look so scrumptious before . . .” She thought, unsure why something felt off. Maybe it's the sudden change from being in a university and the rushing that came with it.
As she bit down and started to chew, a shadow glanced upon her table before she looked beside her; what she saw couldn't be described with words. She almost forgot to swallow her food like she was put in a trance.
She felt like she was in a dream. As if her eyes refused to believe themselves, as if she was purely mesmerized—and mesmerized she was before a voice so sweet, so unbelievably beautiful, almost like it wasn't even real, had called out to her.
“Hello! I hope I wasn't disturbing you! I uh, I'm actually new here so I..thought maybe I could sit with you? I can't find another seat empty except here; the university sure is crowded right?” The voice had requested, soft as a cloud, one that Calanthe would sink into.
“Oh—I uhm, of course! Sure, sit here, I don't mind!” Calanthe glanced at her sandwich. She must've had a fever, her face was burning like hell. Not to mention the stuttering.
“I'm Alea, nice to meet you! Mind telling me your name?” She introduced herself, her smile friendly, almost too friendly, but at the same time there was nothing suspicious about her, at least so it looked to Calanthe. But it was hard to trust people after all—and yet . . .
“Right uh I'm Calanthe. Nice to meet you too, Alea.” Calanthe stared at her hair, so white it was almost blinding.
Alea looked at the other's face, concern furrowing her brows. Calanthe's face looked red, and she seemed really fidgety and nervous. Oh poor thing, was she sick?
“Are you doing alright? You seem like you're burning up—please take care of yourself!"
“I'm doing alright! No worries, no worries.” Calanthe nervously replied.
Alea seemed a bit suspicious of this reply, but didn't budge anymore. Yet there was still a hint of worry in her eyes.
Goodness that girl was kind.
“So, what's your major?” Alea tried to turn the mood around, her excitement to make new friends leaking into her words. Her joy felt almost contagious to Calanthe, as if her troubled mind was as calm as a settled pond after talking to this absolute goddess. “Ah, I'm a literature major! What about you?”
“Ooh! I'm a biology major! I really love learning about animals and the human body, and also plants! I'm actually a minor in botany!”
“That's, actually really nice!” Calanthe smiled, her dimples introducing themselves. It felt so long since the last time she hadn't worried about anything.
Alea's eyes shined at the sight of Calanthe's dimples.
"She was really cute." Alea thought, snapping out of her mind when she heard the raven apologize.
Calanthe's stomach grumbled, scolding her for food.
“Ah I uhm-I forgot to eat breakfast today," Calanthe apologized,
"No worries! Oh right, are you free sometime? If we could be friends, I'd really like that!"
"I'd uh, love to be friends with you. I'm unfortunately a bit busy so, let's just eat lunch together for now, yeah?” Calanthe blushed sheepishly, biting almost half her sandwich off at once.
Alea seemed to remember that she forgot to eat, and giggled before bringing out her lunchbox.
“My dad actually made a sandwich for me too—though this one is chocolate and peanut butter; we have similar lunches!” Alea smiled, “He said I needed a more nutritious lunch but, I said I'd eat something else beforehand. The truth is he's not the best cook . . . I still love him anyway!”
Calanthe's face froze for a moment, unsure how to reply. She awkwardly smiled and nodded.
She was head over heels for this silly girl.