Camille Siffney

My name is Camille Siffney, and I am twenty-two years old. I live in the Bramley District of Fog City. I am unmarried.

I attend the University of Westminster in Fog City, where I am a second-year student majoring in psychology. Every day, I study in the university library until eight in the evening before going home, because I need to avoid my jealous cousin and my exceptionally cruel aunt.

I do not wear makeup, gossip, or date.

I go to bed at eleven and get a full eight hours of sleep every day. Before bed, I always do eye exercises, because I keep feeling that something is wrong with my eyes. I am always seeing inexplicable things.

Once I am in bed, I fall asleep right away. I sleep straight through until morning, never carrying fatigue or stress over into the next day.

Friends... I have no friends. I think I am perfectly normal.

Like hell I am!!!

Camille had discovered her unusual gift when she was fourteen. She could always read other people's emotions or thoughts, and her eyes could always see all sorts of strange things.

She had never told anyone about any of this. It was her secret.

Camille's parents had died in a man-made tragedy when she was ten, leaving her no choice but to live with her uncle. He was a rather cold man who paid only part of her living expenses and tuition, never showing much concern for his niece.

Camille's aunt, meanwhile, was a venomous woman who had always believed Camille was freeloading in her home. She never mentioned having taken the inheritance left by Camille's parents, and treated Camille like a maid around the house. Her cousin certainly lived up to being her aunt's daughter, having perfectly inherited her mother's spiteful, cutting nature.

Still, despite being stacked with every possible debuff, she had worked hard enough to get into the University of Westminster and earn a full scholarship.

Life had been peaceful since Camille started university, and even her aunt and cousin had eased off on their harassment.

Only one thing during her university years had caught Camille's attention. It was not a confession of love, but something a female professor named Phoenix had said to her.

"What a shame. You're just a Muggle with no bloodline."

Professor Phoenix was the first person whose mind she had failed to observe. Back then, she had worked up the courage to ask Professor Phoenix whether she knew anything about what was happening to her. The professor had sighed and replied:

"You have a gift called 'Synesthesia.' Unfortunately, you're a Muggle."

"A Muggle?"

"It's nothing. Go to class."

Even without Synesthesia, Camille could sense Professor Phoenix's rejection, so she had not dared ask any more questions. After that incident, Professor Phoenix had barely interacted with her again, as though the two of them had never belonged to the same world.

And today, on the red-moon night of February 9, 1589 of the Terra Calendar, a second unforgettable event happened to Camille-one that would change her entire life.

It happened just as Camille finished washing up as usual and was preparing to read for a while before going to sleep.

She discovered that her window was open, and an owl stood proudly on the sill. Perhaps she was imagining it, but she felt that the owl was looking at her with utter arrogance.

The owl also held a letter in its beak. For a moment, Camille could not make sense of the situation.

Woman and owl stared blankly at each other for a full minute.

Finally, the owl gave her a look that said she was beyond help, then flung the envelope straight into her face. A bewildered Camille peeled the letter off her face.

She opened the envelope curiously. A single sentence was written on the letter in Terran:

[Do you crave knowledge?]

While Camille was still utterly confused, the words on the envelope actually began changing on their own.

[Yes, you do!]

What the hell!?

The envelope suddenly burst into flames, frightening Camille into pulling her hands back. The scattering sparks formed a circular magic array on the floor, and an illusory doorway rose from it. Inscribed on the doorway was an Inverted Tree composed of ten "circles" and twenty-two "paths."

Camille stared, dumbstruck, at the impossible scene.

As she stood there at a loss, the door opened. At some point, the owl had flown behind her.

Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

Her premonition was correct. While she was still dazed, the wretched owl behind her headbutted her in the lower back. She stumbled and fell straight through the doorway.

Only after Camille had gone through did the owl cheerfully flap its wings and follow her inside.

When Camille opened her eyes, she saw a dreamlike sight.

An unusual drizzle fell from the sky, while strange light pollution and clamorous noise filled the streets.

Where am I?

Am I dreaming?

Camille was stunned by the bizarre scene. While she stood in a daze, she saw a doorway appear out of thin air in the square ahead. It was identical to the one she had seen earlier.

Camille saw someone walk out of it and was so frightened that she immediately hid in some nearby bushes. At the same time, she reached up and pulled down the owl perched on her head, clamping its beak tightly shut.

The owl, its beak held shut, stared at Camille for a long time as though she were mentally impaired. Meanwhile, Camille furtively watched the person who had emerged from the doorway, quietly activating her gift to probe him. She wanted to learn more about him.

Camille slipped into his mind with ease. Just as she was about to read his thoughts, a piercing roar suddenly erupted, and it felt as though a sledgehammer had struck her mind.

She could not help crying out in pain.

I'm done for. He... noticed me. My... voice drew him over. I'm finished.

"Miss, using mind-probing Thaumaturgy on another thaumaturge without permission is a serious taboo, you know."

Unlike what she had imagined, the voice that reached Camille's ears was gentle. He seemed to have noticed her embarrassment, so he deliberately added a teasing lilt to his words.

Still a little dazed, Camille raised her head. Her loose glasses slid down to rest against the sides of her nose, and she stared, her lips slightly parted, at the hand reaching toward her.

Just then, the rain stopped, and a brilliant aurora appeared across the sky.

Standing before her was a boy of fifteen or sixteen. He had dazzling yet gentle golden eyes and was strikingly handsome, the sort of person whose face stayed with you after a single glance.

Camille blankly took his outstretched hand, and he helped her to her feet. She was 1.68 meters tall, and the boy was a little taller than her.

A boy his age would probably still grow taller, Camille thought.

"Miss? Miss, are you all right?" The concerned voice sounded beside her ear again, and for some reason, Camille began to panic.

"I, I, I'm fine. Haha, I'm fine."

"Really? Your face looks a little too flushed."

"It's nothing, really."

"Is that so? Then could you let go of my hand, miss?"

"Ah! S-sorry."

"Relax, miss."

"Ah... okay."

Camille felt rather embarrassed.

(End of chapter)

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