Dimensional Descent

Thanks to the live-in dorms of Royal Blue Academy, Aina was finally able to live a life close to normalcy after her 13th birthday.

She remembered meeting Savahn in her dorm rooms. Back then, Savahn had been a really shy and reserved person. She was a lot like Aina, having entered the Academy thanks to her talent rather than her family background.

For the first time, it was impossible for Yuri to become a wall against Aina meeting other people for the sake of her 'protection'. In addition, because of the environment, she had to tone down a lot of her usual personality, becoming a lot more quiet and reserved.

Thanks to this, Aina was able to meet and open up to Savahn. Learning that Aina was an orphan, Savahn instantly felt more relaxed. Without having to tiptoe around the heiress of some tycoon family or some arrogant princess noble, she was able to slowly open up and become more and more of herself.

Not long after Aina met Savahn, she met Leonel at their orientation. She honestly didn't remember much about that day at all, all she could remember was his bright smile.

He had his brothers around him and everyone seemed to gravitate toward him. She lost count of how many uppity noble girls cast him one or two extra glances, only to grow frustrated when he didn't seem to notice them back or practically faint when he smiled in return.

Aina had thought that he was the son of some famous noble, but she was shocked when she found out that his background was even poorer than Savahn's, actually coming from a Paradise Island.

From all the social conditioning she had been through, she had always thought that nobles were too high strung to ever care for a commoner like Leonel. But, he had already been proving them wrong for a very long time.

It wasn't until several weeks later their gazes finally met. As much as the first day was a blur, that day was something Aina remembered every moment of. It was as though her entire body had been shocked awake, her hairs standing on end and her heart beating wildly. Her blood rushed through her veins and the air flew from her lungs, retreating with no intention of coming back.

Leonel must have felt the same thing to, because despite all the girls he had ignored up to that point, despite all the popularity he had gathered, he dashed away from his brothers, appearing before her like a gust of wind.

"Will you please be my girlfriend?!"

The words came out like a clap of thunder. He probably hadn't tried to be so loud, but Aina became like a startled deer in headlights, his booming and confident voice becoming like an avalanche to her ears.

Before she realized what was happening, she, Aina Brazinger, someone who had never been embarrassed or shy a day in her life, rushed off as fast as her legs could carry her.

day, due to Leonel's popularity, Aina, who had been practically invisible to the young noble girls, had practically become public enemy number

the bullying. She had always tempered her mind and remained calm and calculating. It only seemed to be around Leonel that she completely lost control of her emotions, not knowing what to do with herself or

became Aina's shield, protecting her from the hail of criticism and mean girl tactics of those dorm rooms for an entire

a friend willing to become a she-devil to protect her if need be… She had a crush that was willing to wade through hell and high water just for a chance

knew that she didn't need Savahn's protection, she could have shut those girls up with a single punch. She knew that she couldn't say yes to Leonel, the weight on her shoulders was far too much and she had to give her

yet, she didn't stop

as though they had become the center of the world. Despite her blank stare forward,

the aisle, the blooming of the flower steadily reaching

been intoxicated by the feeling. For the first time in her life, she had received the attention, the support… the love she had always wanted. From then on, no matter what she did or how unreasonable she was, they were always by her side, even when she was uncommunicative, even when she blamed them for their

had always been

never had as a child, that feeling that

way down under the eyes of all. Rychard had his chest proudly out, a confident smile on his features as though

go off to the Void Palace and come back with the tools

Ten feet… Eight… Five…

peak, prepared to allow the world to see its glory. Motes of Force gathered around it, filling the air

gaze became somewhat misty, but she didn't seem to notice at all, still blindly moving forward with her mind in other places. But, by now, the two had walked so far forward that the last line of spectators had been crossed. All anyone could see was

crumbled. Or, more accurately, she had finally told

Aina's shield, silently waiting to be picked up when

was about to get married, she

man who should have been there for her since the very beginning, loving and supporting her. But, he too had failed, captured and

remember her face. And yet now, she could only recall blurry pieces of her visage. She cobbled together pieces that seemed to make sense, but she had no way of even guaranteeing that the woman she remembered was

then there was Leonel… The

one that made Aina's heart move. It wasn't because it hurt the most… Or maybe it was… But even if it did, this was most definitely not the

because of them all, whether it was her father, mother or Savahn… All of them weren't here because they