Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

28. Fulcudo

The sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting the room in a twilight gloom, when a series of urgent knocks reverberated against her door. The suddenness of the commotion startled Gulp, the veladora snaptrapper, causing the creature to emit a strange, gargling noise as it bounced its bulbous head up and down in its pot. 

Elaine assumed it was the plant's equivalent of a gasp, although its inability to form true words left it sounding more like a choking cat than anything else. In contrast, Fearne did manage a genuine gasp, letting out a startled yelp as she clumsily dropped the heavy textbook she had been carrying, the thud echoing through the dimly lit room.

Yawning into her hand, Elaine swung her legs over the side of her bed. The stress of the day pressed heavily on her eyelids, and she found herself struggling against the exhaustion that wrapped around her like a heavy blanket. Her head throbbed from the consequences of casting multiple advanced-level spells, each demanding a toll on her energy reserves. The same could be said for Fearne, as she'd caught her roommate sprawled out on the bed with her face buried in a pillow earlier on.

Elaine was nearly on the edge of surrendering to the comforting allure of sleep, ready to be swept away into a pleasant dreamscape. But the persistent banging from the other side of the door felt increasingly intrusive, pulling her back into the realm of reality. Whoever that sulmo was—evidently lacking in both respect and timing—it seemed they were unconcerned about her need for rest. The knocks grew louder and more obnoxious, vibrating through the door and rattling her resolve to ignore them.

With a sharpened frown etched on her face, Elaine planted her palm on the enchanted door. A pulse of magic surged through her fingers, and in an instant, the solid wood disintegrated into a puff of white smoke. Standing confidently in the hallway, sporting a wide grin, was none other than Custas. 

Unlike his usual student uniform, this evening he wore a long-sleeved, grayish shirt that seemed slightly oversized, the fabric hanging loosely around his frame. His trousers were simple but well-tailored, and a green sash was tied securely around his waist, hanging down past his knees and nearly grazing the floor. Elaine couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, imagining his missteps if he wasn't careful, picturing the way he might trip over the dangling ends as he moved.

"Why, a mighty good evening to you," Custas started, giving a jovial bow towards her, an arm bent behind his back. "You look...ah...I want to say lovely, but your appearance is that of someone who just got run over by a horse. A really, really angry horse."

"What do you want, Custas?" Elaine apathetically yawned. She was too tired to humor him and his antics.

"Well, I was just in the neighborhood and I thought, hey, why not come and see if two of my best buds would like to accompany me to the Fulcudo match that's going on."

Through her exhaustion, Elaine's eyes stretched upon an ignited investment. "Fulcudo?" Elaine asked, and from his mischievous sneer, it was plain that he most likely knew that mentioning the sport would swindle her intrigue.

"That's what I said." He snagged something from his pocket, and once he raised his fist at her, scrunched between his fingers were three silver-colored tickets. "Tada! Got one for me, you, and Fearne. You know, because I'm considerate like that."

"...You did...wait, how did you...when was the...?"

"Now, I know what you're thinking," Custas snickered. "Fulcudo tickets aren't easy to come by, right? Well, they certainly are if you're a student of Glyph. Ah, this academy does have its perks, I must profess."

Elaine never considered herself much of a sports fan, especially not when compared to her father and two brothers. Whenever a Fulcudo match started over the radio, the three of them would go ballistic, almost as if Aeris herself was descending from the Eternal Gardens. Even still, Elaine was aware of just how popular it was. In fact, it was the most popular sport in the entire country, or at least that's what she had heard from countless conversations around her.