Spai-n's face was buried in his desk while Friyon gazed out the window beside him, watching the trees sway in the breeze. It had been months since the upheaval, and the academy had returned to its usual routine. They were also prohibited from taking on outside missions for a year as punishment for their rebellion.
"Good morning, everyone!" Both of them turned towards the front of the classroom, recognizing that familiar voice.
A woman with pink hair stood before them, her wide smile lighting up the room as she waved at the class.
"Tharia!" Spai-n and Friyon shouted in unison.
"Oh? Friyon! Spai-n! How have you both been?"
The two smiled, not having expected Tharia to return after all these months.
"We're glad you're back."
"Help us escape from here. I'm getting bored."
"I am Tharia Rosvill of the Kingdom of Mirasol. I was allowed to come here due to a petition sent by Prince Ghilarre. It's a pleasure to meet you all!"
---
**Tharia's Past...**
"Feryo!" Tharia called out, running towards a man with jet-black hair with a warm smile on her face.
"Princess, what brings you to the village?" asked Feryo Fiteria, the son of Erilya's brother, Rilyon.
As Tharia approached him, her smile turned into a mischievous grin. "I escaped from the guards again."
"You escaped again?!"
Tharia nodded and pouted. "I heard you were going to be sent outside the kingdom soon, following your father's sister."
Feryo laughed softly, ruffling Tharia's hair. "Be a kind queen, Tharia, and remove the iron hand from our kingdom."
"I'll try, Feryo."
A few days later, before Feryo could leave the kingdom, the Kingdom of Mirasol was attacked by soldiers from a neighboring empire.
Tharia struggled to catch her breath, her gaze fixed on her lifeless parents sprawled at the foot of the throne. She was surrounded by soldiers with a blade held to her throat. Her face was wet with sweat and tears, and her body trembled.
"Where is your vaunted iron hand now, Rosvill?" asked the man in the cape blocking her view.
Tharia lifted her gaze and caught sight of Feryo, drenched in his own blood, held up by two soldiers. "F-Feryo."
"He tried to save you, but we outnumbered him. He was a noble soldier of the kingdom," the man continued, making Tharia clench her fists.
Her heart felt like it was being squeezed, and her voice was trapped in her throat.
"We learned that the eldest of each generation of the Fiteria family is sent outside the kingdom. Unfortunately, Feryo is now dead. Only young children remain. What will you do, Tharia?"
Not a single tear fell from Tharia's eyes. She took a deep breath, her cold gaze dropping to the floor. "Crown me as queen, and I will give you this kingdom. Send me outside, and I will find the Bakunawa."
The man's laughter echoed through the chamber, making Tharia grit her teeth in anger.
"You are clever. Very well, we will keep you alive. However, to ensure you are not affected by the power that erases the ability to manipulate the Bakunawa, my people will experiment on you."
Tharia had no choice but to agree. Before the kingdom's residents, the Sesya Empire declared her ascension to the throne, only for her to immediately hand it over to the empire.
The Emperor of Sesya gave the general the right to rule the kingdom, and from then on, Tharia remained in the laboratory. Then, one and a half years passed.
Tharia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She raised her right hand towards the ceiling, manipulating small metals to form a sword. In front of her, vines wrapped around her left arm.
"She can now manipulate two types of elements. The experiment was a success, Your Majesty," said one of the doctors. "The thorns of her vines are sharp. She can enlarge plants, heal with their flowers, and much more."
The new king of Mirasol entered the room, clapping his hands. "Excellent, Rosvill. Now, it's time to send you outside the kingdom."
"I have one request in exchange for all of this," Tharia said coldly, slowly making the vines disappear.
"What is it, Rosvill?"
"Do not harm the citizens of this kingdom. I am strong now, and you cannot defeat me no matter how many of you there are. It would be wise to agree—"
The new king chuckled lightly. "You think too highly of yourself, Rosvill. But don't worry. The iron hand has long vanished from this kingdom."
They allowed Tharia to leave the laboratory and stroll around the kingdom with five guards. The once grassy roadsides now bloomed with flowers. The houses, once always closed, were now open.
Everything had changed in a short time, making the kingdom almost unrecognizable. There were no more beggars crying on the streets, causing Tharia to fall to her knees.
Her throat felt dry, and she couldn't utter a single word. She just covered her mouth with her gaze roaming her surroundings.
'If you are here now, Feryo, you will be happy.'
---
**June 3, 1873**
In the future, battles will continue. Many will perish, and many will fight. In that future, even amidst the chaos, I want us, three, to still be laughing. We will fight together until my time in this world ends.
My dreams will be carried on by their children, to protect the weak and ensure everyone's smiles.
I love you, Hydron. But Herica loves you more. My life is devoted to battles and wars, so even if I am no longer by your side, keep living.
But I wish for peace because we all live in the same garden. The garden of manipulators. The Manipulator's Garden.
~With love, Astrala
(Thank you for sparing your time to read this book. I am not really confident with my writing skills but with your feedbacks, I'll continue to write. But this is where it ends. AlternareSphaira loves you all. Thank you, once again.)