burning in the sky

The autumn air felt crisp on the palms of Lena's hands as she swung them nonchalantly, in time with her steps. She was walking the corridors like she practically owned it, and considering her stature she didn't. She looked up at all of the older children and when they glared at her all she would do was flash a curt nod. She was not confident towards them, but she wasn't scared of them either.

Let them mock me, she thought, let them mock me. One day, I will be the one ruling these corridors.

The blonde, clad in her brand-new Uchitel robes, let the wind brush her back. It made her shoulders tremble left. Straightening her back, she continued to walk across the corridors, eyes unblinking, as if nothing ever happened.

"Vorstenbach!" Ksenia yelled. her voice echoing off the tall walls of the long hallway. The other students turned and stare as the usually quiet small second year girl who always kept to herself came rushing down the hall towards the younger Uchitel. "Just who do you think you are, you little bitch?" the Slushtel snarled as she came to stand a few feet away from Lena, barely able to control her surging anger. Her perfect reputation was ruined. Ruined by a stupid rumour that the girl in front of her had started.

"You haven't even been in this school one month! this is not the place where you make enemies so casually."

Lena calmly turned around to face the girl, and found it surprisingly difficult to suppress her urge to laugh. Her face remained emotionless, which was not much of a change. She had always rehearsed these faces as a child to stop her mother fretting about her health, though any imbecile knew that it was only until she was of a pretty age. The Vorstenbachs gave up on betrothal generations ago but Heini still loved matchmaking her daughter to people she barely knew.

Perhaps it was her childish rage that led her to start this stupid yet brilliant rumour.

"From what I've heard," the girl politely began, "with the amount of alcohol you're drinking, your kidneys are bound to fail anyway. It's better to have them taken away rather than to just watch them fail and kill you. That would be one, painful death." Her voice was a calm monotone, shrugging off the fact that she too was an alcoholic.