Snow fell on a winter day, landing on the white ground. The wind whistled and bustled all the time as it pleased. The green pine trees were now covered in white as the snow rested on their needles.

In a white mansion deep inside the pine forest, there lived a businessman who made his money by selling illegal weapons on the black market. He selfishly cared nothing about the lives of the victims who were hit by the bullets from his guns and rifles.

He greedily snatched every cent to live the wealthy life he enjoyed. However, every life must come to an end. That includes the evil businessman.

     One peaceful afternoon, a shrieking sound of broken glasses shattered the serene moment. It caused worries to the butler,the maids, even the mansion staff who overheard the ear-piercing sound that one of them considered to sneak peek at their boss’s study. A maid did and she screamed in fear to witness blood stained the teal carpet and a dead body of the businessman lying.

      The butler, alarmed by the screaming maid, immediately sprung into the study room. He  became astonished by the sight of the businessman stumbling on the teal carpet lifelessly.

      He quickly grabbed the cell phone from his master's desk and called the police. He told them that his master had been killed and asked for help from the nearby town.

     Soon, police sirens could be heard as the cars arrived at the mansion. They followed the butler to the businessman's study where they began their investigation with forensic experts.

     An hour later, the police captain informed the butler that the businessman had been shot in the head by a sniper.

     The forensic expert in the study room cleaned up the scene of the incident and placed the deceased businessman inside a body bag. The body was then carefully transported to the forensic van.

Everything was resolved with the police advising the butler to dismiss the maids and other mansion staff since the owner of the mansion, the businessman, had passed away.

The businessman's death was initially treated as a case, but the police were able to solve it through their investigation. No further action was taken to seek justice for his death, as the police believed he died as a result of his own serious wrongdoing, which could be seen as a form of punishment in itself. The fatal gunshot wound to his head was inflicted by a government assassin from Wales.

     In the region of Wales, a harmonious country with the lowest record of crimes, this temperate climate country was one of the easiest places for criminals to base their crimes, endangering the country’s peace and causing havoc upon the innocent citizens. Therefore, the government established a secret military field called the Little Buds where the abandoned orphans in every region of Wales were trained, educated and served for their homeland.

     The assassin who shot the evil businessman in the head was named Serene. She is a 20-year-old female assassin with a total of 300 kills. Serene has been an orphan since she was a baby, and was taken to the Little Buds centre where the staff took care of her when she was very young. She grew up with the other orphans at the centre.

     At the age of seven, Serene began her training as an assassin candidate. She learned skills like throwing knives and shooting snipers and did well despite facing challenges. When she was nine, she had mastered all her training.

By the time she was ten, she was sent on her first mission to assassinate a member of a mafia. Since then, she has worked for Wales for thirteen years, completing all three hundred missions successfully.

Hidden among the pine trees, far away from the police, Serene lay in the snow, using her sniper to observe her surroundings. After watching the whole scene, Serene looked up with her bright blue eyes visible from behind her scope. The wind blew, gently moving her black short,sleek hair. A strand of blue in her hair danced with the wind. She breathed out a misty breath from her thin pink lips.

When she saw the police leave the white mansion, Serene pressed the earpiece in her slightly pointed left ear with a single click.

“Report" A voice in the earpiece demanded.

“Target eliminated," Serene reported in a monotone voice.

“Return to base immediately," The voice in the earpiece commanded.

With that, Serene ended communication. The young woman stood on the snowy ground, holding her sniper gun. She has an athletic build and a short height. Before she left, Serene looked at the broken window where she shot the businessman in the head with her almond-shaped eyes. She stared coldly at the broken window before turning around and walking away.

Passing through the pine trees, there was a helicopter parked at the end of the way. A pilot was seated at the main head as if waiting for Serene. She approached the helicopter and opened its sliding door, entering it. A shut sound of the door signalled the pilot to start the engine. Once the engine warmed up, he set the helicopter off to the sky. Throughout the fly, Serene was gazing through the window, lost in pensiveness. She put her hands on her lap. There was a silver ring worn around her ring finger on her left hand, indicating she had already married.

Two years ago, Serene was married to a man with the same age as hers at the age of eighteen. His name is Jaden. Like her, he grew up without his parents and was raised in the assassin facility to be a silent killer. Jaden was her first friend and her first love of her life. He has a breathtaking handsome freckled face and smooth ginger hair that are well paired with his gentleman characteristics. He stood in a muscular build with tall height.

Jaden and Serene have known each other since they were paired to go on an assassination mission when they were thirteen years old. They never were apart because they were a great duo in their bloody job. They both shared feelings for each other. One night, the pair finally confessed their feelings. Jaden took the first step that was proposing to Serene to marry him with a ring in his fingers.

Serene quickly nodded and said yes to his proposal, agreeing to marry him. They had a simple wedding at a church, dressed in their wedding clothes, with only the priest as a guest. For a year, they were happily married and dedicated to each other. Even though they were married, Serene and Jaden still worked as assassins. They remained as the deadliest duo in their assassin facility. Serene and Jaden are happily in love with each other while doing their missions together.

Until one day, something really bad happened that made a big change in the couple's life, especially for Serene. One night, Jaden was asked to go on a mission alone to take down a criminal in Scotland. This criminal was very dangerous and had killed many assassins from their facility. He was a mafia leader who controlled the black market. He would give his weapons to people to sell for a lot of money. At first, Serene didn't want Jaden to go on this mission after reading about how dangerous this criminal was.

Understanding Serene's worries, Jaden comforted his wife and promised her that he would come back safely. Despite her deep concern, Serene had no choice but to let her husband go on his dangerous mission. She helped him get ready by preparing his weapons and putting on a bulletproof vest. Although it was difficult for her, Jaden thanked his wife for supporting him.

Before leaving, Jaden gave Serene a kiss on her forehead, said goodbye, and vowed to come back to her. He then hugged her tightly before heading off to the helicopter base. Serene hoped for his safe return as she watched him leave, holding onto the memory of their last moments together.

The following day, Serene was waiting for her husband to come back safely, when the headman of the assassin facility gave her terrible news. He hesitated but finally told her that her husband had been killed by a wanted criminal. Serene, with short black hair, was shocked by the news. Her heart broke with sadness. She was so devastated that she could barely stand, she had to hold onto a chair and sit down, putting her head in her hands and crying.

Back in the present, Serene remembered the time she went to Jaden's funeral. She was wearing a black dress as she walked up to her husband's body in the coffin. Her eyes were watery when she saw his lifeless face. She leaned in close to his ear and said "I love you", then gave him one last kiss on his forehead. Serene stayed until the end of her husband's funeral, watching as he was laid to rest in the ground and his grave was built there.

After the death of her beloved Jaden, Serene changed a lot. She was always different. Before, Serene was a kind, friendly woman with a beautiful smile. But now, she became a ruthless, cold, distant killer. Her warm smile was gone, buried along with her old self. A year after her husband's death, Serene sought revenge on those who were involved in her husband's murder, tracking down each person on her list and eliminating them one by one.

The man she just killed was the one who murdered Jaden. Serene had disguised herself as a maid working in his mansion a week earlier. She learned all of his routines and appointments, especially his free time in the study. Serene waited until the day the man was alone. Finally, she was able to avenge her husband's death by killing his murderer.

Although she had avenge her Jaden's death, Serene felt empty. Her heart was vacant, needing a new love. However, she had set in her mind that she should not seek for another love as she may lose them once more like she lost her husband. Due to her risky job, there was no chance to ensure anyone's safety. Serene might live a loveless life from now on. That was her decision.

Serene's POV

I fell asleep during the ride but woke up when I didn't hear the spinning blades anymore. I grabbed my sniper gun from under my seat, opened the door, and got out of the vehicle. My combat boots stomped on the soft, snowy ground. The rider asked for permission to leave, and I allowed him to go without looking at him. Instead, I focused on the brown building in front of me.

The Little Buds centre is an orphanage where children without parents are raised to serve the government as silent killers. It's been two years since I left the orphanage after marrying … Jaden.

It's hard to say his name because memories of my late husband still remain in my mind and heart. It was painful and heart piercing for me to ever remember our final moment together before he went off to his mission and was murdered by the most wanted criminal in Wales, the one that I had shot in the head and had my revenge on after spending a year hunting him down and those who had connections to him. Although I have killed the man who murdered my beloved husband, my heart continued to feel the same pain as it was when I had to bid farewell to my late husband.

I stared at the orphanage until I saw Father and Mother approaching me. Father is not my real father but he is the head of the orphanage. Mother is the same. She is just the head of every caretaker in the orphanage. They headed my way. Father with his strict face and Mother with her gentle smile.

“You did a great job in killing our most wanted target, my daughter," Mother congratulated me in her soft,proud voice.

“I did what I must for this mission," I said to Mother.

" Daughter," Father finally called my name after a long silence. “ You didn't do what you must do for this mission but you did kill that criminal for vengeance for your late husband.”

Father had a harsh tone and a brusquely talking way but his words never laced with lies. He was right. I killed the businessman as it is what I must do to avenge my Jaden's death, not because it is a mission I must accomplish no matter the circumstances.

“I am cold right now. I must get to my house to warm myself up." I informed Father and Mother, wanting their permission to allow me to go home.

Father allowed me to return home. I gave Father and Mother a bow and walked away to the orphanage building. Even from afar, I could hear Mother complaining to Father about being too harsh on me and talking to me in a brusque way. Father said to Mother that I was taking my mission too far and my health was worsening.

Father may be correct once again. Throughout the entire year, there were very few days when I ate three meals in one day. Nowadays, I only have one meal a day, drink a lot of water, and sleep for about four hours because I was completely focused on tracking down the businessman and those associated with him. I dedicated twelve months to searching, following, and eliminating them all, solely to seek justice for Jaden's death. But it wasn't just about that.

After Jaden passed away, I found it hard to eat by myself because I was used to sharing meals with him. Jaden really enjoyed the dishes I made at home, even if it was just a simple pot of chicken soup with vegetables. I used to tell him that I wasn't a fancy cook, but he would always say, "Delicious meals often come from simple recipes." Ironically, he was a better cook than me!

Jaden had a knack for making my absolute favorite dish - vegetable pie. The crispy crust and hot vegetable filling made it the best vegetable pie I've ever had. Jaden would bake this pie for me whenever we accomplished something special. And in return, I would cook his favourite dish - chicken soup with vegetables.

We had a nice routine of cooking for each other, and it's something I miss dearly now.

But now that he is gone, I have to eat alone in our cottage.

I walked to my red car in the parking lot, started the engine, and drove my car.

…..

I arrived at my cottage and saw it was also Jaden's cottage. We discovered it while on duty a few months before our wedding. It was an abandoned cottage. Jaden proposed that we renovate it and live there for our whole married life. We repaired broken things around the cottage, bought furniture, and a double bed to make it cozy and comfortable.

But now, even with furniture and a double bed for one person, the cottage felt lonely and empty. Maybe because it too missed Jaden, its previous owner who found it after it had been abandoned for years. Despite my presence, the cottage seemed to be telling me that it was time to move on, to find new love. It seemed like someone had been speaking to the cottage, sharing too much, even conveying his wishes for me after he was gone.

Even though the cottage encouraged me to move forward, I couldn't bring myself to do it. It felt like I would be leaving Jaden behind, betraying him after all the love and sacrifices he made for me. I love my husband dearly and faithfully. The thought of seeking a new love while Jaden lay in the ground because of my mistake was unimaginable.

I got out of my car, closed the door, and locked it with my keys. As I walked towards my cabin, I noticed the pleasant smell of the wooden walls. It was really cold inside, so I lit a fire in the fireplace in the living room. Then, I went to the kitchen and made myself a cup of hot cocoa. I returned to the living room and relaxed on the comfy blue sofa. In front of the sofa, there was a piece of paper with a list and a pencil on a solid wooden coffee table.

I reached for the paper and used the pencil to mark off the businessman's name. I double-checked the list. I had completed all seventeen targets, including my main one. I had accomplished my mission... at last.

Jaden, I avenged you by taking down the businessman who hurt you and his associates. I'm taking a break now.

A year ago, after Jaden's funeral, I made a promise at his grave that I wouldn't stop until the businessman and everyone connected to him would be defeated by me. Now, I have kept my promise. I can finally relax my body and mind.

That night, I was getting ready for bed. I changed into my white shirt and soft trousers. Next to my wardrobe was Jaden's wardrobe. I looked at his wardrobe, my hand brushed off the dust. I opened his wardrobe willingly. I saw the neatly folded clothes that haven't been worn for a year. Seeing his old clothes made me miss him even more. But, he won't come back to me even if I begged him to. To ease my sadness, I took Jaden's favorite blue jacket from the hanger. Blue was his favorite color, so most of his clothes were blue.

His distinct musky scent lingered in the jacket. Feeling nostalgic, I took in the familiar smell of my late husband once more after a long time. I put on the jacket and headed over to the double bed in my room. I laid down on the mattress, attempting to close my eyes but found it difficult to fall asleep. Instead, I sat on the bed and gazed at the desk lamp. I opened a drawer and retrieved an album that contained all the photos of my life with Jaden, from before we got married to after. I carefully looked through each picture, reminiscing about our time together.

Pages to pages, I have come to the end of the album when I suddenly stumbled upon a note between the pictures of my last mission with my late husband. I took the note and scanned the cursive writing on the paper. It was Jaden's signature cursive writing, I said to myself as I recognized the familiar curve of each writing. Curious, I took the note and read what Jaden wrote on it.

“To my dearest wife,

If you found this note, there might be a chance that I am alive or dead at that time. If I am alive, I'll be there by your side to tell you my secret. However,if I am dead by the time you discover this note,I have made sure that I wrote this note and hid it safely inside our album.

“Serene, my love, the day before our wedding, I suddenly received a card invitation. Sender was unknown, the card was placed on the desk inside my room, and a short candle came along with it. I reached out to grab the card out of curiosity, reading the content. It said that I've been chosen to enrol in a high school named Verre Academy though it didn't mention my name on it.

“Once I read the card, I pondered, considering whether to accept this invitation or not, and at last,I chose to ignore it for a short time because our wedding is my priority. I decided to tell you about this later once we have our honeymoon because I thought it would be best if we go to a real school together. I know we both have enrolled in a private school for young assassins and studied until we graduated after thirteen years of learning, but wouldn't it be more fun to just go back to study but learn something other than assassination?

“ Serene, if you read this note, I must have forgotten to tell you about my invitation to study at a normal school. Hahaha!

" Poor you to be married to a husband with the memory of a golden fish. Please don't sulk at me. I don't want to sleep outside,”

Pfft… You know me, Jaden. I hate it when you are involved in something without informing me. I scoffed and smiled.

“ Oh, Serene. I wish we could go to school together, experiencing a normal school life. If you want to search for the card invitation and the candle, you go find them in a black box on top of my wardrobe”

And that was the end of his note. Right away, I put my album on the table lamp and went to Jaden's closet. I grabbed a chair, positioned it next to the closet, and climbed up to check the top edge. There, I came across a black box. This must be the box Jaden was talking about. Without hesitation, I grabbed the black box, got down from the chair, and sat on my bed. I opened the lid and discovered a black invitation card and a small candle inside. I picked up the invitation card and read its message.

“ You are welcome to enrol Verre Academy, one of the prestigious high schools in Enchantine. You are selected due to your best talent in academics. This card is sent to you by our fantastic mailman. If you wish to see our school,please read the instructions behind this card”

With that, I looked at the back of the card and found some instructions. I read them and did what it said. First, I used a lighter to light the candle. Then, I took the burning candle to a big mirror hanging on the wall. Finally, I poured melted wax on the mirror. Soon after, the mirror suddenly started to glow. I was amazed. I looked at the mirror and reached out to touch the glass. All of a sudden, my hand went through the glass. I quickly pulled my hand back, shocked by what I saw. I was about to walk away when I remembered what Jaden had once told me.

"Go to the interesting place and you could have the best adventure of your life"

So, I bravely put my hand through the mirror, followed by the rest of my body. Shortly after, I passed out.

"Serene"

"Serene"

All of a sudden, a calm voice called Serene's name.

"Jaden," Serene whispered. Standing in front of her was a tall man with ginger hair and a freckled white face. Serene couldn't believe her eyes. It was Jaden, her late husband, right in front of her. Jaden reached out to his wife.

"Come on, Serene. It's time for school!" He said, offering his hand.

Without thinking twice, Serene took her husband's hand. But as soon as her hand touched his, she suddenly woke up, gasping. It was just a dream of seeing her husband again. She breathed heavily, realising her hand was still frozen in the air. Serene looked at her hand and then placed it on her chest. As she looked around, she noticed a different ceiling than the one in her wooden cottage.

Feeling confused, she sat on a bed that wasn't hers. She saw other single beds and curtains dividing them. The walls were made of bricks. This strange place she noticed was not her bedroom. She could tell it was an infirmary room by how it looked.

How did she end up in an infirmary room all of a sudden? She was by herself in her bedroom before she went through the mirror magically. That's right! The mirror! She had gone through a mirror while following the instructions on the invitation card sent by her husband. This must be some kind of magic, she thought, explaining how she ended up in a mysterious infirmary room. But wait, magic? Magic isn't real in the world, right? What she experienced must have just been her mind playing tricks on her feelings.

However, the real question is, where is she?

Serene was wondering in her mind when suddenly, she felt someone approaching her. Serene didn't panic. Instead, she stayed in her bed until a woman in a nurse uniform came before her with a clipboard in her hands. The woman gave off a calm and kind vibe, which Serene could sense based on her keen instincts as a professional assassin.

"Oh, you're awake. Thank goodness." The nurse said with relief.

"Do you have any symptoms of illness? Like feeling dizzy or nauseous?"

"I'm okay," Serene replied shortly.

"That's great to hear. If you start feeling unwell, we should treat it before your orientation ceremony," the nurse explained.

Serene raised her hand to ask a question. "Orientation ceremony? What's that?"

"Oh, sorry! You're from another world. You probably don't know about Verre Academy's traditional orientation ceremony," the nurse realized, slapping her forehead.

"Verre Academy?" Serene wondered. She checked her pocket and found an ebony invitation card. "So, I'm at Verre Academy?" she asked for confirmation.

"Yes, you are," the nurse confirmed.

Serene looked at the invitation card before turning back to the nurse.

"You mentioned I'm from another world. So, am I in a different world right now?" she clarified.

The nurse nodded. "Yes, you are. You're in the Enchantine world.”

"Enchantine?” It was a new world that would be explored later. For now, Serene was focused on figuring out why she was at Verre Academy.

“Why am I here at Verre Academy?"

Before the nurse could reply to the young woman's question, another voice beat her to it.

“You are here because one of our candles has chosen you based on the essence of your soul," A woman suddenly appeared. She had striking ember eyes, smooth white skin, purple lipstick, pointed ears, and long wavy black hair. She was dressed in a formal suit - a black pencil skirt, a dark purple blazer with raven feather lapels, and black heels. Her hands were gloved in black with golden claw rings.

“Hello, my young student from another world. I am Crowne Deyina, but you shall call me Headmistress Crowne. As the headmistress of Verre Academy, it is an honour to meet you as our first student from another world,” Crowne introduced herself warmly and welcomed Serene with delight.

“I know you're perplexed to think about the reason why you are here when you're supposed to be from another world. Do not fret. I am here to answer all the questions you want to ask. “ Crowne reassured the young woman.

Serene felt that the woman in front of her had a kind and modest energy. She decided to ask Crowne some questions to learn more about her situation. Serene inquired why Crowne was at Verre Academy and what the candle she mentioned was for.

"It's a special object used to help lost souls find their way to our school. You might wonder why lost souls are brought to a prestigious high school like Verre Academy. Our school's name translates to glass or mirror. Just like a mirror reflects things in a different way, we believe that students who have lost their spirituality need to look at themselves from a different perspective." Crowne explained.

"When you mention students who have lost spiritually, you mean troubled students, right?" Serene asked.

"That's correct. When people see students misbehaving in public, they may always see them that way. The crowds might start treating them badly without trying to understand them, which can make these students feel really bad. Depending on how they feel, the students might react in a good or bad way. If they take the crowd's negativity badly, it can make things even worse because emotions are fragile. Once their feelings start to break, it can spread and eventually shatter. I didn't want that to happen to my students, so I created Verre Academy, a school where troubled students can show that they are worth more than what people think of them."

Serene was impressed when she carefully listened to the headmistress's explanation about Verre Academy. The headmistress spoke confidently and honestly, showing she is a skilled headmistress. Serene trusted her because she can tell when someone is lying or telling the truth. To be sure, Serene asked if the candle chose her to attend Verre Academy because she was spiritually lost. Crowne confirmed that she was spiritually lost, but also said she was not the worst student she had ever encountered in her career.

"You are a kind and confident girl, not a dangerous threat but a respected guest. I believe you are here because the candle sensed you were hurt and needed to heal. Instead of seeking help, you isolated yourself, keeping your pain hidden from others," explained Crowne.

Serene was speechless when Crowne mentioned her emotional state. It felt like Crowne could read her mind without even speaking to her. She didn't have to tell the headmistress - she already knew everything.

"How did you figure it out?" Serene asked.

"Your candle tells me everything," Crowne said, pointing to a candle inside a glass jar on a desk next to Serene's bed. The flame was burning low, and the candle had cracks.

"If your candle looks like that, it reflects your emotional state," Crowne explained.

Serene was surprised to see cracks in the candle. "It wasn't like that before."

"The candle lit a gentle fire inside you, showing that you're a caring person. The cracks in the wax suggest that your emotions are starting to break down, waiting to be healed. But they can disappear once you feel better," explained Crowne.

Serene looked at her candle, amazed. Her doubts about magic faded as she watched the tiny blue flame burn without melting the candle. Magic truly exists in this world. She somehow felt a strong connection with the cracking candle in the glass jar, believing it to be a magical item linked to her. Turning to Crowne, she asked how to return her candle to normal.

With a kind smile, Crowne reached out her hand.

"Let me guide you and answer your questions along the way.”