One month later.
One month had passed since Kayla's mysterious return to the past, and during that time, she had gained a firmer grasp of her situation and made decisions that would profoundly shape her future. The specter of a loveless marriage, once a looming threat, had been dispelled, allowing her mind to ease and enabling her to formulate plans.
These were plans that revolved around one singular goal: revenge.
Revenge for the unbearable losses she had endured, for the excruciating pain that had left her heart bleeding, and for the shattering of her once-cherished hopes.
The desire for vengeance burned within her like a relentless fire, an unquenchable thirst for retribution.
She vowed that those who had wronged her would pay dearly for their transgressions. They would experience the same agony she had felt, their dreams reduced to mere fragments so minuscule that they would be unable to even see them.
"Kayla?" a voice called out, snapping her out of her internal murderous thoughts.
"Ah... Yes," she replied to Charles, her older brother, disoriented as if she had just returned from a distant and dark place.
"You zoned out," Charles observed, concern etched across his features. He was always quick to observe the change in her emotions. "You've been doing that quite a lot."
Kayla forced herself to shake off the remnants of her vengeful thoughts, realizing that her preoccupation with revenge had begun to affect her interactions with her brother. She couldn't let the vengeful thoughts consume her entirely, not when she still had much to learn and accomplish in this newfound chance at life.
"Charles, I need your help,"
Kayla sat across from her older brother, the familiarity of their family home enveloping them.
The room was bathed in a soft, amber glow, illuminated by the warm hues of the setting sun streaming through the curtains. It cast long shadows across the elegant furniture and family portraits that adorned the walls. The quiet rustling of leaves in the garden outside was the only sound that broke the stillness of the room.
Kayla and Charles, the siblings who had grown up together in this very house, now sat across from each other at the polished wooden table, where countless conversations and shared secrets had taken place over the years. But today was different.
Today, she has a plan. A plan to live her life to the fullest and in the most beautifully satisfactory way. And he will play a crucial part in guiding her.
As Kayla sipped her tea, the porcelain cup delicately cradled in her hands, her gaze remained locked onto Charles. It was strange watching Charles so young. There is an unmistakable youth to his appearance and the way he held himself. It was surreal. She had only just now gotten accustomed to her parents being young,
The amber hues of his eyes, a shared trait within the family, glistened as he fixed his gaze on her. There was a distinct air of suspicion surrounding her sudden request, and it wasn't solely due to her words—it was something in her tone, her demeanor.
She had changed since her return to the past, and her older brother had noticed it almost immediately when he returned from the academy. She had tried to convince him that it was merely the heartbreak, that she was struggling to come to terms with it, but deep down, she knew he saw through her facade. He knew she was hiding something, something far more significant.
There was no turning back to her carefree, youthful self; Kayla had been extinguished. No, she wasn't reborn; rather, she felt as though she had been resurrected. She was a thirteen-year-old in appearance, but her soul carried the weight of an adult who had weathered the storms of life.
"Anything for you, Kayla," Charles replied, his smile warm and reassuring as he continued to study her with his keen eyes.
Then, her request came, simple and straightforward but entirely unexpected. "I want your help to prepare for the entrance exam of the astral academy. And convince father to let me join the academy."
Her words hung in the air for a moment, and Charles blinked once, then twice, trying to comprehend what he had just heard. It wasn't that the words were difficult to understand; in fact, they were quite simple. What had taken him by surprise was the stark contrast to the Kayla he had known.
Kayla had never shown any interest in studying willingly, let alone practicing magic, which was a requisite for entrance into the prestigious academy she mentioned. It was as if a stranger had replaced his sister, and he struggled to reconcile the carefree girl he remembered with the determined young woman sitting before him.
The Astral Academy was renowned throughout the empire for its prestige and the quality of mages it produced. It had an open admission policy, welcoming anyone who could pass the entrance exams, regardless of their background, as long as they were at least 15 years old.
Charles was currently a first-year student at the Astral Academy, having passed the exams with flying colors. To gain admission, Kayla needed to begin preparing diligently.
His initial shock gave way to a sense of curiosity and concern. He leaned forward, his voice soft and filled with genuine curiosity. "Kayla, this is unexpected. What's brought about this change?"
Kayla met Charles's eyes with a nonchalant shrug, though her gaze held a hidden depth, a secret she would never share. There was a reason behind her sudden interest in pursuing magic, one that he would never know.
"I want to follow in your footsteps," she explained, her voice steady. "And now that I'm not going to marry Matthew, I need something to occupy my mind." At the mention of Matthew, Charles's eyes darkened, a clear display of his dislike for the young man
He had never been fond of Matthew, even during the time when Kayla had been infatuated with him. Now that he knew the heartbreak that Matthew had caused his sister, his disdain for the man was more apparent than ever.
Kayla gazed at her brother with a pleading expression, her eyes filled with a subtle sadness that tugged at Charles's heartstrings. It was a look she knew all too well, one that had a remarkable power to melt his suspicions and make him willing to do anything for her. No matter how strong-willed and determined Charles was, he had always found it challenging to decline Kayla's wishes when she appeared like this, vulnerable and in need.
Inwardly, Kayla couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for using his love for her in this way, but she knew that the path she had chosen required his assistance. She had to make him understand how important this was to her.
"Please, Charles, I want to do this," she implored, her voice soft and earnest.
He sighed, torn between his protective instincts and his desire to see his sister find her own path and happiness. Finally, he relented with a resigned smile. "Alright, Kayla. If this is what you truly want, I'll help you in every way I can."
A sense of relief washed over Kayla as she realized that her brother would be by her side on this new journey. He may not fully understand the challenges that lay ahead, but she knew he was there to face them with her, as a team.