[Mission 2 complete: You have earned 4 tokens. You have also unlocked the special skill; search. ]

My hands paused mid-task as I packed for the journey. It had been silent for so long, that it's sudden reappearance was unsettling. 

"What do you mean by special skill? " Though I hesitated, I asked the system.

[You will occasionally be awarded special skills for completing missions. The search skill allows you to identity and locate any magic you wish to usurp.]

Instead of responding to the system, I continued packing my bags. Mira burst into the room, her face glowing with excitement.

"Hurry up Aria! The chariot is already here. "

I swiftly dragged my box down the stairs. The sleek and grand chariot, accompanied by two majestic white horses, waited outside. An officer stood nearby, ready to escort us.

The King waved, but his waves were clearly aimed at Mira rather than me. I did not mind because the two weeks I waited were hellish for me. I was ignored and despised; the King and Queen never forgave me. I felt it served me right for submitting to the system after the torments.

Rumors about what I had done spread quickly, and some of them were so diluted that they assumed I had conspired with the enemies. After the incident, I refused to leave the palace, afraid of the accusing stares of the villagers.

As I loaded my bags into the chariot, I took one final glance back at the palace. I would not miss it. Mira sat next to me, shutting the door. After that, the chariot continued on, the palace gradually disappearing from view.

***

I had fallen asleep and awoke to find Mira snoring beside me. We had arrived at the protection squad program. The building was enormous, surrounded by trees and flowers. It was twice as big as our castle back home.

I gently tapped Mira, rousing her. She rubbed her eyes and mumbled something I could not hear. She blinked groggily, then lit up like a child on her birthday.

" Yay! We've arrived. " 

The chariot was parked right in front of the building. We exited the vehicle, stretching our limbs. A few passersby stopped to admire our gowns, recognizing us as royalty.

" I can't wait to meet the others. What about you Aria? " Mira inquired, her enthusiasm contagious.

"Me too," I simply said, opening the silver gate.

An officer at the gate requested our letters of invitation. After verifying them, he handed us ID cards bearing our names and directed us to a classroom where we’d be introduced to the program. The building was even more stunning up close, with intricate designs and polished walls.

My nerves kicked in as we approached the classroom. I summoned the courage to open the door.

Inside, there were four children present. They stopped whatever they were doing to stare at us. For a moment, the silence was unbearable— until one girl broke it.

" Are you princesses? Your gowns are stunning. "She said. She had short black hair and striking crimson eyes.

" Y-yes. " I managed to reply.

" Ew, princesses are so full of themselves," another girl scoffed, flinging her brown hair. She crossed her legs on her chair and folded her arms in utter disgust. 

Mira remained silent, scanning the room.   I suddenly wished I had dressed simpler. My gown and tiara screamed royalty.

" Kaelina! Don't be so rude!" the crimson-eyed scolded. "By the way, my name is Alina. Don't mind my cousin. She can be... difficult." Alina apologized on Kaelina's behalf.

" Its fine," Mira said, her tone light.

I looked around the large classroom and noticed that the other two children present were both boys. One of them sat shyly, head buried beneath his table. Most likely, he was timid.

Meanwhile, the other was combing his blonde hair while admiring himself in the mirror. He ignored us, and we all just stared at him in silence for a while.

Before anyone could speak, the door opened behind us. A boy with silver hair and blue eyes—just like mine—stepped in. He quickly counted all of us.

" We are only seven now, but the others are on their way.  Let us get this place organized and make sure the classroom is in order. He said, immediately taking action.

Kaelina rolled her eyes, muttering, "Who does he think he is, giving orders?"

" Kaelina, he's right. Let's help," Alina urged, but Kaelina stayed seated, looking unimpressed.

Mira and I began arranging the chairs. The classroom contained three rows of four seats each. I chose a spot in the center, with Mira beside me. Kaelina sat in the back with the shy boy, who still had his head lowered. The blonde boy, Elias, took a seat in the front, brushing imaginary dust off his chair.

" Let's introduce ourselves. " Everett suggested, standing up to the front of the class. " I'll start. My name is Everett Chronis, and I look forward to working with you all. "

Alina stood next, her smile warm and genuine. "I’m Alina Silvaire. I love helping people, so feel free to come to me if you need anything!"

" Kaelina, your turn. " Alina prompted.

" You already know my name, don't you? " Kaelina said flatly.

" But we have to introduce ourselves formally at least. " Everett said but got no response from Kaelina.

" She's Kaelina Zepyhrin, my cousin." Alina filled in. "She may seem harsh at first but she's kind when you get to know her. "

" I'll go next. I am Mira Seraphine, the princess of Sylverna. This is my sister, Aria. " Mira introduced both of us.

" We didn't need that much information. " Kaelina rolled her eyes at her. Her attitude was getting annoying. It seemed she disliked everyone.

" You there. You're up. " Everett pointed at the blonde boy.

With his hand over his mouth, he let out a loud, delibrate yorn. He then stood up elegantly.

" I am Elias luxford. The prince of Ardentis. I am going to have such a terrible time with you peasants. Do not get in my way or bother me." He stated.

Although he had a troubling attitude, he was superior to Kaelina because, unlike her, he did not affect anyone with his negative outlook. So far, Alina had the most acceptable attitude.

We turned to face Riven, who already had his head raised. He stood up, visibly shaking. His mouth quivered as he attempted to speak.

" I- I... My name is..." he paused, struggling to speak.

" Don't worry, take your time. " Alina offered him encouragement.

" Riven," he whispered before quickly sitting down, hiding his face again.

"This is a safe place, and everyone here is nice." Everett commented.

I wouldn't say Kaelina is nice at all

The silence was thick until the door was slammed open. It was a boy dressed in rough tattered clothing. His mud-streaked boots leaving faint smudges on the clean floor. Elias turned away in disgust, irritated by his appearance.

"Is this a graveyard or what?" He said loudly, earning glares from several of us.

" We were just introducing ourselves. "You should too," Everett said.

"Introductions? How lame. We literally have ID cards. " I instinctively looked at his identification card and discovered his name was Ronan. He was honestly right about that.

"We just needed to give a formal introduction."

Everett's forehead creased slightly, a small wrinkle forming between his brows. He hid his clenched fists behind his back, trying his best to remain composed.

" Wow, so we already have a boss around here. " the boy scoffed.

" Just shut up already. " Ronan turned to find a girl standing behind him. She glided in with an air of grace. Her gown was spotless, and her hair was neatly combed—the complete opposite of Ronan.

"My apologies for being late. I live a long distance from here. If not, I would have been right on time." She apologized, bowing her head.

" No problem. " Everett replied to her.

She sat next to me, not looking at anyone else in the classroom. Ronan also took a seat, but unfortunately for him, he was sitting next to Elias, who was disgusted with him.

A tall woman entered moments later, commanding our attention.

" Welcome to the protection squad program.  I am Veyra Voss, your instructor, and I will teach you some of the fundamentals as well as the rules." She informed as she stood in front of the classroom.

"This program was designed to prepare you to be protectors, shielding innocent people from harm." According to your abilities, you have been divided into three classes. The Celestials are the most capable; the Astrals are moderately capable; and the Novus, to which you belong, are the least capable." She explained.

Everett tensed up at the mention of being labeled as one of the least capable, but tried to hide it.

I looked around and saw that not only Everett, but also the others, particularly Elysia, were visibly upset about their placements.

"We will now begin a test to assess your abilities. " She elaborated further.

" I hate tests! " Ronan said, dramatically slamming his head against the table.

" Let's all do our best on this test and show them how capable we are. " Everett motivated us, emphasizing the word 'capable'.

I was slightly nervous. I had never used my ursurpation magic and was still terrified of the system. This was an opportunity to put it to the test. Mira was thrilled, and she and Alina were quickly becoming friends.

" I can't wait for the test!" Alina squealed, clutching Mira's hand.

" Let's head to the training ground. " The instructor said, and we trailed behind.