Twilight Aether: New Era

Academy Trip

It has been a month since we got trapped in the past timeline, tasked with fixing the missing history that had been forgotten. After stepping out of the portal, we immediately checked on Terra to ensure she was okay. The place was a mess when we arrived, but thankfully, she was safe. A lot has happened since then, including a strange encounter—I saw my old house, the one I lived in with my parents. And surprisingly, they were alive. I figured this must be a side effect of the changes we made to the past.

At the academy, I sat in my chair talking with Nyla about our upcoming school trip to the Magia Academy of Arcanic Arts. She told me all about the activities the other academy usually organizes and what their school grounds look like. I was thrilled to learn that there were other schools like ours, but what excited me more was that they were the most popular and the strongest of all the academies—while we were ranked second. As Nyla and I continued our conversation, I noticed Lise entering the room, casting a hard, envious glare at us. Without a word, she approached and interrupted.

"Hey, Ray... What are you and Nyla talking about?" Lise asked with an intimidating smile.

"Oh... nothing, just the upcoming school trip," I replied with an uneasy grin.

"Oh really now, Ray?" Lise smirked, her grin growing more intense.

"It's true! We were just discussing what we plan to do on the trip," Nyla chimed in, trying to diffuse the situation.

Without another word, Lise grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the room, with Rea following closely behind, concern written all over her face. Lise pulled me all the way to the cafeteria, making me sit down with a pout on her face.

"Ray!" she demanded.

"Wha—what is it, Lise?" I stammered, confused by her sudden intensity.

"It seems like Ray has plans to hang out with other girls instead of us," Lise teased, crossing her arms. "Tell me, Ray, are we not enough for you?"

"What are you even talking about?" I asked, completely clueless.

"I guess you don't want to hang out with us on the trip then," Lise huffed, turning away with a pout.

A lightbulb went off in my head. "No! I do want to hang out with you guys. Nyla and I were just wondering what we'd do on the trip."

"That's enough, Lise. I understand," Rea intervened gently. "Lise, Ray won't make any other friends if we keep bothering him like this."

Lise blushed, embarrassed. "F-Fine. I get it."

"Now that that's settled," Rea continued, "we have more than a week to prepare for the trip. How about we go shopping?"

"That sounds great!" Lise responded, her mood shifting.

As they excitedly chatted, I slowly tried to sneak out of the cafeteria—

"And where do you think you're going, Ray?" Lise asked, catching me in the act. "You're coming with us! Let's go!"

"Yeah!" Rea chimed in, her excitement matching Lise's.

And so, we headed to the shopping center in the capital. The market was full of all kinds of items, from food to weapons and energy potions. After gathering everything we needed, we stopped by a dessert shop for a quick break before heading home.

Once back at the house, I started preparing dinner while Rea stayed in her room. After finishing the meal, I called for Lise, who quickly came downstairs and took a seat across from me as I set the table.

"So, Ray, are you excited about the trip in a few weeks?" Lise asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I am," I answered confidently.