10. A New Friend
In September of the following year, Emma finally reached the day of her departure for Arcana Academy of Magic.
She prepared early in the morning to catch the train from London's Astral Terminal. She put on her favorite cardigan and wore the silver hair ornament that Louis had given her as a congratulatory gift for passing the exam. The delicate floral design shimmered softly in the light, making it feel like a protective charm.
After confirming that the train ticket sent by Arcana Academy of Magic was safely in her bag, her parents drove her to St. Pancras Station.
"Take care, Emma."
With her parents seeing her off, Emma steadied her nerves and headed toward the terminal. Since Louis was already staying in the school dormitory, this would be her first time traveling from the human world to the magical world alone.
Following the directions Louis had given her before, she arrived at the terminal and spotted the train marked "Arcana Academy of Magic".
"So this is the train to the magical world…!"
As Emma gazed at it in awe, a nearby guide checked her ticket.
"This way, please. Have a safe journey."
Emma expressed her thanks and stepped into the carriage. She settled into the luxuriously furnished seats, and before long, the train began to move. The view of London spread outside her window, slowly fading into a mysterious mist.
After a while, a girl around Emma’s age took a seat nearby. She had light blonde hair that reached just below her shoulders, loosely tied with a blue ribbon. Smiling, she spoke to Emma.
"Hey, are you a new student at Arcana Academy of Magic?"
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Emma blinked in surprise but soon smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, I am."
"Me too! I'm going to be in Luminous College. What about you?"
"Huh? Me too—Luminous College!"
At that moment, the tension between them disappeared, and their conversation quickly became lively. The girl's name was Sophia Lavin, a descendant of a family that had specialized in light magic for generations. She had been familiar with light magic since childhood.
"What kind of magic are you good at, Emma?"
"I'm still practicing… but lately, I've been getting better at fire magic."
"Wow! That means we'll get to learn a lot together!"
Sophia’s cheerful personality drew Emma in, making her forget the nervousness she had felt about the journey.
