Chapter 10
840 Words
I lay there for about ten minutes, trying to sense even a hint of magic. Nothing. Tired of the pointless attempts, I began unpacking the suitcase that Ariel had so neatly packed.
The first thing I found was a school uniform — several skirts of different lengths, two blazers with the academy emblem like the one I’d seen at the gates, and several crisply ironed white shirts. A blue wave was embroidered on the stiff collar. The mark of the House of Water, I guessed. There were also a few sets of athletic clothes. And finally, three dresses: blue, red, and green. Shoes lay at the bottom — nothing fancy, all flat.
After putting everything away, I noticed a notebook bound in blue leather at the very bottom. If it was what I thought, I might learn a lot about the girl whose body I now inhabited.
I opened it and my hands trembled.
A diary. It was actually her diary.
I once kept a diary too. Back when I was sick, it soaked up all my pain, fear, and despair. After I recovered, I filled its pages with gratitude and joy.
Settling into the armchair, I began reading Ariel’s most private thoughts.
“Dear diary, today is my birthday. I turned eighteen. Margo gave me perfume. The floral scent is lovely. I wonder if Noah will like it? Oh, how I want him to come back. I miss his presence like a traveler misses water in the desert. My dreams confuse me. Sometimes I don’t want to wake up. All I want is to be near him!”
“What?” I tore my eyes off the page. “Is she insane? She was pining after that jerk?”
The following pages were more of the same: Noah, Noah, Noah. Almost nothing about Ariel’s own life. Just endless praise for the smart, talented, handsome, brave, oh-so-wonderful Noah.
If I hadn’t met that guy twice already today, I’d think he was the hero of a romance novel — one of those men every girl must tremble for by genre law. Stories of noble Noah rushing to help the weak were driving me up the wall.
Halfway through the notebook I learned that Ariel couldn’t use Water magic at all. Her uncle grew angrier every day, calling her a dim-witted disgrace.
She was apparently a half-blood. Her mother was Triton’s cousin; her father — an ordinary human with not even a trace of elemental power.
Ariel suffered deeply because of it.
“Uncle got me into the Academy of Elements despite everything, but I don’t know if I should go. I’ll only be a burden and a problem for Noah. He doesn’t deserve that. How can I be among his friends? They’ll mock someone as weak as me. I’ll fall lower than dirt in his eyes. No! I’ll talk to him tomorrow. If he says I should stay at the estate, I will.”
“Where is this girl’s self-respect? So what if she doesn’t have magic? Is that really the end of the world?” I muttered, turning the page.
The next entries were stained with dried tears. My heart squeezed — Ariel truly suffered. Silly girl. Over him.
“He told me I mean nothing to him. That everything would be better if I didn’t exist. What happened to him? Why has he become so cruel? My heart can’t take this! I don’t want to live anymore! My life has no meaning! Everyone will be better off without me. He will be better off. Yes.
Noah, forgive me…”
“Aria, are you here? What happened to Ariel? How did she die?” I asked the dragon, my voice trembling with anger and regret.
“She stopped breathing,” the dragon replied.
“What? They pushed her too far! Heartless people. And she… to leave this world by her own will — how foolish,” I whispered, crushed by what I’d read.
At first all I wanted was revenge for her wounded soul, but Aria gently steadied me.
“It had to happen, Ari. It is fate. And fate must be accepted. She was weak. She couldn’t endure — she gave up. Let her go. And don’t forget the promise you made to me,” the dragon reminded.
“You’re right. She’s gone, and nothing can bring her back. I shouldn’t jeopardize our plan. So… do you have a plan?” I asked.
“Ari, find out what has happened over the past hundred years. Otherwise we might be the ones in danger. Everything has clearly changed while I was gone.”
“All right. That can wait until tomorrow. One heartbreaking story in a day is enough. Today I want to say goodbye to Ariel. Even though I didn’t know her personally, I feel like she’s become a part of me.”
I put on the blue dress and headed upstairs to Lidia. Knocking gently on her door, I called:
“Lida? It’s Ari. Are you ready?”
- Writer
