Yes, this is a multi-chapter story. Yes, I will be working on the others as well.

I want to say thanks to Guest and anna the viking XD for reviewing! It means a lot and inspires an army of ideas!

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

"The pen is mightier than the sword? Then here's a fireball instead."

Chapter Two

After the tenth block was told to leave, I was sincerely within the thought that I was safe. However, moments later while I was on my way to my history course, I was called to the auditorium. A sense of foreboding came over me, so much so that I feared to even take a peak of the near future to perhaps avoid what was to come.

Perhaps I should. But then again, what would come of it? With the king and his strongest warriors here to look after him and his sons, there is no room for escape without completely revealing myself. It was one thing to reveal my mimicry abilities, but the other… I had hoped to save that until I was completely free of this horrid school.

I take a deep breath and enter the large hall, hoping for the best. "You called for me sir?" I say with a respectful bow.

Hmph. If only they knew what I really thought of them. Then perhaps he wouldn't smile so. Such a selfish joy could not bode well for the likes of me.

"This academy is very proud of your achievement today, my dear!" The headmaster chirped.

My gaze stays lowered as to maintain respect and a sense of humbleness. It would not do well for a halfling to show any form of defiance, no matter how absent it may truly be. "Pardon my rudeness, but I'm afraid I have no knowledge of what you speak so highly of."

There was a chuckle and I can't help but allow my gaze to flash toward the culprit and freeze in place.

There, in all his false glory stood the king.

"What this man means, is that I have decided to present you as a gift to one of my sons," the king explains, even as my blood runs cold. "He took an interest in you since the moment you first came before us with the rest of your peers. But he has a soft heart and chose not to disturb you."

As he should. Damn it all. But all is not lost. Perhaps I may convince the king otherwise. "Your words are most gracious my king, but I'm afraid a middle class healer has but only little to offer. Perchance, you have another more worthy student in mind? I must also add that I am a mere half elf, so my capabilities will not be able to match up that that of a pureblood."

"Hmmmm, I wonder," the king trailed off, stroking his chin in contemplation. "If you had told anyone else that lie, they would have believed you. But my dear, I should let you know that one of the spells woven within my family's bloodline is of that which detects any form of deceit."

What! No, I shan't reveal my shock. I still have a chance. I just have to play my cards right. He said he could detect lies, but what if I tell him pieces of the truth? "My humblest apologies your majesty, but the only magic I have trained and used in the academy is healing, weak fire spells, and a few other basic charms. If the instructors of this school knew of anything else, then they would have placed me in a class accordingly."

The king laughed. "What an interesting girl you are! You know how to riddle the mind and spin your words in your favor quite well. Had it not been for my intuition, I may not have been able to tell that something was off within your words."

The headmaster gazed between us, lost. It was quite apparent that he knew nothing of my trickery.

However, I have no time for fools like him. I must not be taken by the king. "Then I must ask that you help enlighten me of what you think I may be capable of, for I have not an inkling of what you may be seeing with my being."

If his next words spell nothing but imprisonment, then I shall have no choice but to attempt something rather drastic. I cannot reveal my full abilities, but I shall relent my first and foremost ability of imitation.

The king smiled. I have never thought that such an expression could be so gentle and cruel at the same time. Deceiving yes, but not what I see now. "I suppose we will have to wait until we reach the city of Il Cielo Eterno to find out for sure."

I sigh. It seems I have no choice. "I had hoped you would say otherwise."

In a flash, a shockwave spell was cast through a shout and the king was defending himself while headmaster was blown back. But that matters not, as at the same moment I rushed out of the building. The shout was just a cover, forcing the king into defense as to prevent him from following immediately.

I dive roll to avoid a blast of lighting when I exit the auditorium. The royal guard was as fast as rumored, but I will not let such knowledge intimidate me. In wizarding tongue I call the aid of wind, and increase my speed a hundredfold, nearly flying across the grounds to the very edge of the compounds. It is here that I must stop, for before me was the reason all escapes fail is because of the barrier unseen by most eyes.

"You are certainly light on your feet and more knowledgeable than the records of this establishment imply," one of the guards sneer. He smirks as his indigo ring flashes in the light. "It would be wise to return quietly so that your punishment may be lessened."

It is my turn to smirk. "And end the game so soon? I've worked much too hard for that."

The data I have been gathering for years has all led up to this. With a hand facing the guards and the other just a hair's breath away from the invisible wall, I call upon the energy behind me and conduct it through my very body toward the guards. What was once a form of defense and the inescapable wall of this prison, was now my counterattack for freedom.

A part of the barrier becomes visible, like a layer of fog. It starts clearing away around my hand, slowly receding as its power is thrown elsewhere. I bite my lip, not from the duress of conducting the power, but from my need to hasten. The moment I tapped into the barriers power, I know that the spellcasters maintaining it were alerted and were sending the school wardens. I must be outside the wall before then. If I can make it completely outside, then I might have a chance.

The royal guardians shout as they try both attacking and defending. They are becoming desperate to stop me, as ordered by the king. They have never failed a mission and it is clear that they do not wish to start now.

But there is just a little more left. Just a little bigger and I shall be able to slip through. Just a little more…

Lighting and other forces that made the magical shield so strong, lash out from my palm, attacking all in sight. It was truly a sight to behold, for a mortal to be releasing such power. But how I wish it would run through my being more rapidly for I know that the end is near, whether it be good or bad. The wardens come into sight, but they are too late. They only have time to see me pass through before I cut off contact to the barrier and the hole snaps shut.

I laugh a little in delight and take a moment to look around, my breaths coming out in small visible puffs.

This was the outside world.

I tear up a little and raise my hands to watch the falling snow land and melt on my skin.

It has been so long. I had nearly given up. To be a part of the real world once more, to taste freedom, it was so sweet. I hope to never have it taken away again.

But fate is such a bitter affair.

A shot rings out and it is only by pure instinct that I dodge.

"The king was correct once again I see."

I glare at the approaching figure, even as my heart trembles in fear. An unbeatable enemy has come before me. As I am, there is no chance of victory in sight.

I have lost.

The man smirked, the curls of his sideburns bouncing the slightest amount. "Nono predicted that you might be able to make it this far and sent me here to wait."

"H-How did he know I would appear at this location?" I stutter, trying to stall for time to think of an escape.

"His intuition is uncanny," the man replied. "Congratulations. You are officially the first student to make it completely out of the academy. As such, you have earned a permanent stay within the very palace."

No…No, no, no, no, NO!

I back away slowly, looking around for any hole, any chance of escape. Another magic bullet flies past my head, cracking the barrier and proving that this opponent was too strong.

Maybe I can appeal to his nature as a mage. He doesn't look the type to allow another to own him. "Why is someone like you aiding the kingdom? Do you not wish to be your own person, free from the control of others? Are you not disgusted with how mages like us are treated like mere animals to do another's bidding?"

"I am the strongest hitman based mage in the world. I work for whomever I please," the man replied evenly.

"Then why would you send me to such a fate!" I demand.

"Such trivial lives like yours does not bother the likes of me. If you are to be owned by another, then you are obviously too weak to choose your own fate."

I bristle angrily at this. "Then what would you have me do!"

Faster than I could follow, the man appeared behind me and pulled my arms back by my wrists. "Become stronger."

There is a brush of metal and a click before I cry out in pain. Enchanted bindings that stole your magic energy. To a mage, this is the most painful and effective way to halt their abilities, as magic energy was our very life. If we were to be completely drained, then we would die. But even through such agony, I do not allow myself to fall. I seethe and glare at the man holding onto my elbow.

His infuriating smirk widens. "My name is Reborn. I am your better, and until a new king is declared, your superior."

I grind my teeth angrily and continue to glower hatefully. I refuse to be the one to tell him my name, be it my first or the one assigned to me by the school.

I loathe that my defiance has no effect, as this Reborn character continues to smirk. "It doesn't matter whether you tell me any of your names. The king shall decide a new one when we reach Cielo Eterno, where the royal family resides."

I merely turn away pointedly. I would not submit to this person or any other.

The man chortled shortly. "You would do well to heed my advice, rank is earned through power. If you wish to attain a position of authority and freedom, then you should prove to everyone that you are of great strength with potential to grow."

I narrowed my eyes. This man was more than he seemed. Was it possible that he knew about the spell I was weaving within the safety of my mind? The one that I never wanted the occupants of the royal palace to ever see or know of, but also the one that would give me the greatest chance of escape?

Had that meant that my freedom was forever lost?...

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