Chapter Text
“Good morning, dear students. It is now 7:00 in the morning. Rise and shine, and prepare yourselves for another day at Nightingale Peak. Today marks the day of the entrance ceremony for all first-year students. Please make sure to be in the entrance hall of the academy’s main building by 10:00 in the morning. We look forward to seeing you all there. I would like to remind you all that you can eat some breakfast in the academy’s cafeteria between 7:00 and 9:30 in the morning. It is located behind the door on the first floor of the building, just up the curved stairs in the entrance hall. That is all. We wish you a pleasant day.”
The morning announcement woke them up. Miss Carnell’s soft, clear voice filled the hallways. Loudspeakers were fixed to the walls of the academy’s dormitory section.
Lani woke up. Her eyes felt crusty, and she wasn’t very well rested at all. She was facing Reese’s bed. The crimson-haired girl was already sitting upright in her bed, arms stretching towards the ceiling. She yawned loudly.
“Good morning,” declared Reese enthusiastically.
“Yeah, mornin’.” Lani sleepily rolled over to the other side. Sunlight was shining through the gap between the curtains, illuminating the room. She looked at Dwyn, who was looking at her through tired eyes. She, too, was still under her blanket, refusing to sit up just yet.
“Sleep well?” asked Lani.
Dwyn smiled. “No, not really. I would’ve gladly accepted more time asleep.” Lani chuckled.
“Hey princess, you awake yet?” asked Reese across the room.
Like a reanimated corpse, Umeko lifted her torso off the bed until she sat upright. She turned her face towards Reese. Dark circles underlined her half-shut eyes. She looked dehydrated.
“Unfortunately,” she said.
Reese laughed. “You look like you just came back from the dead.”
“Silence, fiend.” Umeko hissed, and hid her face behind her blanket. “How rude.”
Reese was the only one of the four girls who looked even remotely rested.
“How’re you so lively, anyway?” asked Lani, still adjusting to the light in the room.
“Me? Oh, I’m used to not getting much sleep. Used to get up at 5:00 in the morning to get work done in the village and help people out, then stay up until late at night reading books to teach myself some useful stuff.” Reese grinned. “Guess that counts for something now.”
“You are ruining your body, I think.” Dwyn rubbed her eyes. She picked up her glasses from her bedside table and placed them on her nose. “You should probably get more sleep.”
“Eh, I’m fine for now,” said Reese. “It hasn’t killed me yet. Besides, not like we could’ve slept more tonight anyway.” She paused, and pouted at Lani. “Well, I could’ve. If someone hadn’t thrown an apple at me.”
The other three girls giggled. Reese stopped pretending to be mad and joined them.
They got out of their beds and tumbled into the bathroom together. They brushed their teeth, and then they took turns washing themselves in the bathtub. Umeko was tempted to take a long bath, but there wasn’t enough time. They all just ended up using the bathtub as a shower instead. Excess water that missed the tub flowed into a drain in the paneled floor right next to it. There was a small, blurred window on the wall above, to air out the humidity. When Lani finished her shower - she was the last of the four girls and had to fight particularly hard with herself to be able to get out of bed after lying back down after they had brushed their teeth - she turned the handle on the window, and opened it a little. Fresh, crisp air wafted in from outside. It smelled like pine trees and grass.
The girls dried their hair and got dressed. Umeko went through a full twenty five-minute make-up routine. Lani and Dwyn only applied some concealer underneath their eyes to hide how tired they looked. Reese didn’t put on any make-up at all.
“Never tried it. Never felt the need,” she said, and shrugged. “After all, my natural beauty shines brighter than any make-up I could possibly put on. Right?” She grinned. The other three looked at each other, and shrugged.
-
Around 9:00 they finally left their room. A few minutes later, they arrived in the cafeteria. Many students and teachers sat on chairs surrounding a large amount of tables. Four chairs stood around each of the regular-sized tables, but there were a few longer tables with more chairs next to them here and there. The large room was not exactly filled to the brim - the time for breakfast was almost over, after all. But it was still quite full. Dwyn wondered just how many students were currently attending this academy.
They made their way to the far end of the room. A long row of tables stood against the wall. Baskets full of different kinds of bread were placed on top of them, alongside many different breakfast foods. There were boiled eggs, jars of milk, various juices, sliced cheese and meats, several types of jam, vegetables, and so on and so forth. It all looked freshly restocked. The four girls each grabbed a plate and some food, then sat down at one of the empty tables together.
Reese excitedly looked at her plate. She was practically drooling already. “Whew, what a banquet! If this is what they call breakfast here, I wonder what lunch will be like?”
“Slow down, do not overeat. Else, there may not be room for lunch later,” said Umeko. Delicately, she pierced a section of her slice of strawberry jam bread with her fork, and cut it off with a knife.
“Pff! There’s always room for lunch.” Reese stuffed her face with two slices of bread at once. Through chewing teeth, she continued: “A girl’s gotta eat!”
Umeko grimaced in disgust. Lani and Dwyn laughed.
“Don’t sweat it, Umeko. No point trying to teach this one any table manners,” said Lani.
Umeko frowned and shook her head. “I suppose you are right.”
A little while later, a group of four students entered the room; a somewhat short girl with long, wavy blonde hair and green eyes wearing an elegant uniform dress, followed by a tall, sporty looking boy with short brown hair wearing a suit, a somewhat chubby girl with brown hair wearing a big, puffy jacket, and a slim girl with black hair and yellow eyes who sort of looked like she didn’t want to be here. The girl up front was talking to the other four, but it almost seemed like a one-sided conversation. The other three were kind of just listening and following behind her.
Umeko suddenly got off her chair and crouched behind Reese’s. “Princess? What’s wrong?” asked Reese, her mouth still full of food. Umeko shushed her. “Quiet! Do not let them see me. Just pretend I am not here.”
Reese was confused. “But why? Who’re they?”
“Shh,” said Lani. “You can ask questions later. Just trust her.”
Dwyn nodded. “Face forward, Reese.”
Reese pouted. “I don’t get it, but alright.”
The girl and her posse waltzed proudly towards the tables at the far end of the room - but the food had already been taken off of them. Annoyed, the blonde girl hurled some mean remarks towards the open door leading into the kitchen, but no-one responded to her yelling. She placed her hands on her hips, and with a loud “Hmph!” she turned around and stomped out of the room. Her followers came along. It looked like they were talking to her to calm her down. They left the room and slammed the door behind them.
“They’re gone, Umeko,” said Lani.
Umeko sighed, relieved. She got back up from where she was hiding, and sat back down on her chair. “Thank you. I cannot believe she is really here.. I hope she will get expelled, or conveniently disappear.” She absent-mindedly looked at her empty plate. Her expression conveyed hatred.
“Who was that, even?” Reese looked at her, still utterly confused.
Lani put the pieces together. “One of the people from the team that finished the exam first?”
“They certainly looked very arrogant and wealthy. I feel like I’ve seen some of their faces before,” remarked Dwyn.
Umeko nodded, still staring down at her plate. “Yes. You likely have. The blonde girl is Alicia McRae, youngest daughter of the McRae family.”
“I recognize that name,” said Dwyn. “That is the Chiba family’s most prominent rival family, correct?”
“You are correct,” sighed Umeko. “And young miss Alicia has been plaguing me since my childhood. She was always better than me at just about everything, and my parents constantly compared me to her. And each and every time I was worse than her at something, the blame was violently pushed on me.” She paused. “I will never forget the things she has put me through in the past. And all the while, she had the nerve to laugh, to mock me for my failures.”
Umeko looked at Dwyn. Her eyes were fierce; the flames of fury roared behind them. “I hate her. From the very bottom of my soul. I do not wish to be anywhere near this girl ever again.”
“That can be arranged,” said Reese. “I can just toss her somewhere else if she gets too close. She looks very puntable.” She looked very motivated.
“No, no violence, please.” Umeko shook her head. “Not on my behalf. I have to overcome her, learn to ignore her until she gives up on mocking me. I will simply have to pretend she is not here.”
Reese’s shoulders sank. “Ah, okay. Guess that works.”
“Any idea who the others were?” asked Lani.
Umeko tilted her head. “Not precisely. Miss Carnell mentioned the names O’Mooney, Pfenning, and Argyris. I recognize those names, they are wealthy families as well. But I have not had the pleasure of meeting any of them personally, yet.” She frowned. “Either way, it seems as though they are glued to Alicia. This always happens; people always follow her because of how successful she is. But her friendships never last long. Eventually, everyone always gets tired of her arrogance and narcissism.”
“Yeah, sounds about right.” Lani folded her hands behind her head and leaned back in her chair. She looked at a clock hanging on one of the cafeteria’s walls. It read 9:54.
“We should probably head downstairs,” she said, pointing at the clock. The other three turned their heads to look at it.
“Heavens, you are right,” said Umeko. “We really should not be late to our own entrance ceremony. Let us go to the entrance hall.”
The other three nodded. They got off their chairs and left the cafeteria.
-
As they made their way down the stairs, hearts pounding in their chests, the reality of their situation finally hit them. Suddenly they understood that this moment would open up an entirely new chapter of their lives. They were overwhelmed by thoughts of what the future might have in store for them. And yet all of them held their heads high, and proudly walked downstairs.
Together, they arrived in the entrance hall. Everything was already set up. A lectern stood centered between the curved staircases. A thick, leatherbound book laid on top of it. Its pages were black. Miss Adagnitio stood behind the lectern, prepared to give a speech. Miss Carnell stood next to her. They were talking about something. In front of them stood five rows of students. Four students stood next to each other in each of them. Some of them looked like they got along with each other - others looked as though they were to jump at each others’ throats.
As they walked past the rows to go stand behind them, one of the students turned her head. It was Alicia McRae. An expression of shock flashed across her face for just a moment - she looked terrified. Not even a second later, the expression was replaced by a smug grin.
“Hey there, Chiba,” she said. “Didn’t expect to see you here. What’s with this gang of losers you got there?”
Reese furrowed her eyebrows. She was just about to speak up, but Umeko stopped her. She held an arm out in front of her, holding her back. Miss Adagnitio noticed this of course, but decided not to intervene.
“Silence, cur.” Umeko’s voice was suddenly ice cold and bitter. The other three girls were surprised; they had never heard her talk in that tone before. Her eyes shot a death glare at Alicia. Internally, however, she was shaking. She felt her heartbeat all the way up her throat.
“Oh?” Alicia snarled. “What gives you the right to talk to me like that, scum? Know your place. Or do you want me to embarrass you again?”
Umeko scoffed. “Well, these so-called ‘losers’ and I at least managed to get out of bed early enough to eat breakfast. You and your group of lazy slackers could not do that, it seems.”
“You..” Alicia wanted to say more, but her stomach growled loudly, interrupting her. Embarrassed, she held both of her hands over it. Her face reddened. “Hmph! There are more important things to worry about right now. Get in line, Chiba. Everyone’s waiting for you, and your group of freaks.” She turned away to face the lectern. It was clear she would ignore any further attempts at communication.
Shakily, Umeko walked to the back row. Dwyn, Lani and Reese followed along. Umeko stood all the way at the end of the row. Reese stood next to her. “The hell is her problem?” asked Reese. Even though she was whispering, the anger in her voice was palpable.
“I told you,” sighed Umeko. “She is irredeemable. She has always been like this. It is best to just avoid her in the future. Best to ignore her mockery altogether.”
Lani stood next to Reese. She leaned forward a little, to get a look at Umeko. “You okay, though?”
“Yes, yes. Do not worry. I am merely.. annoyed,” said Umeko. “I really wish she was not here at all.”
Dwyn leaned forward as well, all the way at the other end of the row. “If we can help in any way shape or form, do not hesitate to tell us, okay?”
Umeko looked at her three friends lined up to her left, peeking around each other, looking at her with concern in their eyes. It looked silly, in a very endearing sort of way. She couldn’t help but smile.
“Of course,” she said. “I will let you know.”
At the lectern up front, Miss Adagnitio cleared her throat. All twenty-four first year students went silent, and impatiently waited for her to begin speaking. Miss Carnell took a few steps back, to let Miss Adagnitio have the spotlight. A little smile of anticipation graced her lips. Just like the last time the four girls had seen her, she was holding a clipboard close to her chest. They wondered if she always carried one around.
“Ahem.” Miss Adagnitio began speaking. “Welcome, dear students. You are here today because you have successfully passed the entrance exam, and have therefore been granted permission to take classes at Nightingale Peak. Beyond that, you may now make use of all of the academy’s facilities, of course. You may use the laboratories, wander the gardens, visit the gymnasium any time you please, and so on and so forth. Well, as you all explore this enormous structure, I am sure you will all find a place you particularly enjoy. I happen to be quite fond of the academy’s library myself. If you would like to see it, please head to the second floor of the main building. You can’t miss it.” She looked at the students gathered before her. Only two or three of them seemed genuinely excited about the information regarding the library, Dwyn included. Ah, youths. No-one knows how to appreciate literature anymore these days, she thought. She took a breath before continuing:
“Well, either way, I am very proud of you all for making it to this point. I would once again like to apologize for the dangerous entrance exam. Though, none of your lives were actually at risk. We’ve made sure that would never happen. At Nightingale Peak, we much prefer our students alive rather than dead, so please make sure to stay alive in the coming years as well.”
The students suddenly seemed nervous. Quietly, they looked around.
Miss Adagnitio waved her hands and smiled awkwardly. “Just a joke. Just a little joke, I am sorry.” It really isn’t, she thought. I hope they’ll all live.
The students laughed awkwardly. They didn’t want to upset the rector. Miss Carnell stood by helplessly and watched the disaster unfold. Oh, we should have practiced this more. Much more. She’s completely off-script, she thought. Maybe I should take over speeches altogether.
Miss Adagnitio rubbed the back of her head and cleared her throat again. “Well, before you all scurry off to attend your classes and explore the building, there’s one more thing we must do. I am sure you have all been waiting for this.”
She took the book on top of the lectern with both hands, and lifted it in the air.
“This, dear students, is a magical relic capable of breaking the barriers stopping you from using your magical abilities. I will call each of you by your name, you will come to the lectern, and then you will place one hand on the book’s open pages. Then, your magic will become unsealed, and your native element will be revealed to you. And afterwards, you will go back in line, until everyone has opened their barrier.”
Umeko, Reese, Dwyn and Lani exchanged a few looks. Excitedly, they grinned at each other. They were very nervous, but excited nonetheless. Even Lani, who was already capable of using magic regardless, was excited to find out if she would be able to get stronger after touching the book.
Miss Adagnitio grinned. “Well, then. Are you all ready to become witches?”
The entire group of twenty-four responded in unison. “Yes, ma’am!”
Miss Adagnitio’s grin faded. Suddenly, it was replaced with an immensely serious expression. “Good. I hope you all will use these powers responsibly. There is no telling what might happen if you do not. Magic is nothing to scoff at. It is neither a toy, nor a weapon to point at other witches, or humans. It is to be taken very seriously, and only utilized as a weapon against the demonic forces, as well as in practice. Every member of the academy’s staff is highly trained and immensely capable in combat, and every single one of them knows how to detain a witch gone mad. So please..” She paused for a moment, then grinned again.
“Don’t go mad on us, okay?”
The crowd of students silently nodded. Dwyn gulped. She felt unwell. Miss Adagnitio’s presence gave off a strange pressure. The weight of her words just now was absolutely crushing. It sounded like a genuine threat. No, not a threat, she thought. A warning. This has happened before.
“Great!” Miss Adagnitio closed her eyes, and smiled innocently. The tension immediately dissolved. She just had that effect on people.
“So, let’s not waste any more time and start right away. Would Eve Adams be so kind as to be the first person to join me here at the lectern?”
A spiky-haired person nervously but enthusiastically made their way up to the lectern. A long, deep scar ran from just beneath their left eye all the way down to the nape of their shirt - and possibly even lower. Miss Adagnitio opened the book on the lectern, stepped aside, and told Eve to place their hand on its pages. They did as they were told.
As soon as Eve touched the black pages of the book, the paper went up in flames. The fiery blaze reflected in their eyes, and they grinned, satisfied. The other students observed this spectacle in silent awe.
“Fire element. It suits you,” said Miss Adagnitio. “That’s what I thought when we first met outside.” She smiled. “Be sure to use it wisely.”
“Will do,” said Eve. “Thank you.” They bowed, and went back to their spot in the crowd.
Miss Adagnitio swiftly moved her hand over the burning book. The flames immediately went out. She snapped her fingers, and the pages returned to the way they were before.
The crowd made noises of amazement. “Yes, yes,” said Miss Adagnitio. Dismissively, she waved her hand. “Impressive, I know. Next, I would like for Mister Beau Allain to come forth.”
How’d she do that? wondered Dwyn. That restoration had nothing to do with any elements. Right?
She abandoned that thought for now. Maybe the book, being a magical relic, doesn’t necessarily adhere to the same rules as regular magic.
A tall, muscular boy with asymmetrically parted hair made his way to the lectern. He, too, placed his hand on the pages. One moment later the book was soaking wet. Water flowed down the lectern and dripped to the ground.
“Ah, water element,” proclaimed Miss Adagnitio. “Beautiful and elegant. I am sure you will make wonderful use of it.” Beau smiled, bowed, and returned to his spot.
Miss Adagnitio restored the book’s pages and called the next person forth:
“Mister Asterios Argyris, please.”
A buff, arrogant looking boy walked up to the lectern. When he touched the book, flowers and herbs suddenly grew out of it.
“Earth element.” Miss Adagnitio nodded. “As expected of a member of the Argyris family. May your harvests be fruitful.” Asterios nodded, and returned to his spot.
“Next up is Miss Umeko Chiba, please.”
Umeko’s heart dropped. She understood the importance of this moment. Whatever her native element would turn out to be, her parents would judge her for it. Unless it just happened to be air. But for some reason, Umeko had her doubts. She swallowed, and made her way to the lectern on unsteady legs. Her forehead felt sweaty under the bandages she had freshly put on that morning.
After what felt like a million steps, she finally stood before the lectern. The book laid open before her. To her it seemed like it was already silently judging her somehow. And all eyes in the crowd were on her. Dwyn, Lani and Reese were silently cheering in the back row. She took a deep breath, and laid her palm flat on the book. A strange feeling flowed through her entire body, as if being jolted by electricity. The seal within her broke apart, releasing her magical abilities.
And then, a yellow chrysanthemum sprouted from the pages of the book, between her fingers. That was all.
Umeko’s mind immediately abandoned her current reality.
This is not happening.
Silently, she stood there, staring at the flower’s many petals.
I knew it.
She tore the flower from the book, and crushed it in her fist.
I am a failure, after all.
She tossed the remains on the ground. Tears welled up in Umeko’s eyes, and her gaze tilted towards the ground. Umeko felt Miss Adagnitio’s firm hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry,” she whispered to her. “Just because your native element is earth does not mean you can never learn to master air.”
Umeko looked up at her with empty eyes. Miss Adagnitio smiled warmly, and closed her eyes. “Nobody is bound to just one element, you know. I’m sure you can do it. I believe in you.”
“Okay,” said Umeko. Her mood remained unaffected.
But I do not believe in myself, she thought.
Dejected, she walked away from the lectern. She felt the energy within her, but she didn’t care. All that mattered to her right now was the fact that she would have to once again endure crushing herself in order to keep up with what her parents expected of her.
It could have been so easy, she thought. But nothing ever is, it seems.
“Hey, Chiba!” A shrill voice tore her out of her thoughts. “Nice element you got there. Bet your parents will be really proud of you, huh?” Alicia McRae smugly grinned at her. The others in her group laughed.
“Loser,” said Alicia. “You are still the same old screw-up, after all.”
Umeko’s thin string of patience finally ripped in half. She instantaneously turned towards Alicia with a murderous expression on her face. Alicia flinched backwards, her face distorted by terror. Umeko began running towards her, but after just two steps she was promptly stopped by two strong hands on her shoulders, holding her from behind.
“Stop, Umeko. That’s enough,” said a familiar voice from behind her. It was Reese. A deep hatred shone within her fiery eyes, directed at Alicia. “Don’t let this vermin get to you. Don’t let her words sway you to do something you never normally would. This isn’t you.” Umeko’s eyes were still locked directly onto Alicia’s throat. Alicia looked absolutely horrified.
Reese gently turned Umeko around and looked her deep in the eyes, hands still on her shoulders. For a moment, they just stood there in perfect silence. All the other students were entranced. Nobody could take their eyes off this scene.
A few seconds later, Umeko let out a deep sigh. “You are right, Reese. She is not worth my time. Let us go.”
Reese smiled and nodded. Together, they went back to their spots.
Alicia exhaled. She had been holding her breath the entire time. She was absolutely convinced she was about to die. Umeko looked like she was about to rip her throat out in front of everyone, and Alicia was sure she would actually have done so if Reese hadn’t stopped her.
What’s gotten into her? thought Alicia. I won’t forget this.
Angrily, she turned around. The three other members of her group - Asterios Argyris, Orla O’Mooney and Louisa Pfenning - were looking at her, shocked.
“What are you all staring at? Ceremony’s over there, you know.” Flustered, she pointed at the lectern. The other three nodded and turned to face ahead.
In the meantime, Reese and Umeko had arrived back in their group’s row.
“You okay?” asked Lani. Dwyn also looked at Umeko, deeply concerned.
“I am rather disappointed,” said Umeko. “But I will manage. I must.”
Even if it kills me, she thought. She smiled a weak smile.
“Alright, if you say so,” said Lani.
“If there is anything we can do for you, please just tell us, okay?” said Dwyn.
“Of course. Thank you,” responded Umeko. But I do not think there is anything you can do. I will just have to do absolutely every little thing in my power to master the air element in spite of my conflicting native element, she thought. She averted her gaze, and sadly stared at the floor. If only I had not been born a Chiba.
Silently, Reese held out her right hand. Umeko grabbed it with her left. Gently, they squeezed each others’ hands. It made Umeko feel a little better, a little more anchored to this reality. She lifted her head, and looked towards the lectern.
Miss Adagnitio had already called the next person to the front: Mister Aoi Date, a very tall young man with long black hair. The upper section was formed into a bun.
He touched the book, and the pages scattered in every direction. Black paper flew all over the entrance hall.
“Air element.” Miss Adagnitio smiled. “Be proud! It is the rarest of the four, and immensely powerful and flexible at that.” Aoi smiled and nodded. He thanked her, and went back to his spot. Next to him stood Beau Allain. They high-fived, and hugged.
Aww, thought Dwyn. After the hostility between Alicia and Umeko, this little exchange warmed her heart. It’s nice to see others besides our own group getting along well with each other.
Miss Adagnitio snapped her fingers, and the pages returned to the book. She moved her hand over it, and it was suddenly like the pages had never flown away in the first place.
“Next, Mister Lupe de la Fuente, please.”
A somewhat short boy made his way to the lectern with swift steps. His hair was dark blue, and one side of his head was shaved. When he touched the book, a fountain of water shot out of it.
“Water! Something tells me you had a hunch..?” Miss Adagnitio smiled at Lupe, one eyebrow raised.
“Yeah, kinda.” He grinned, and rubbed the back of his head. “Runs in the family, I guess.”
Cheerily, he hopped back to the row he came from. He stood next to Aoi and Beau. Beau patted his shoulder with one hand. “Nice, man! Congrats.”
“Thank you,” said Lupe. He genuinely sounded happy.
Miss Adagnitio fixed the book again, and read the next name off the list of attendants.
“Catharine Harwood.”
A slender girl made her way to the lectern with a confident stride. Her hair was reddish, with dark streaks. Her eyes looked almost fox-like. She placed her hand on the book.
Hundreds of leaves shot out from between the pages, grains of sand and dirt rolled down the lectern.
“Earth element!” exclaimed Miss Adagnitio. Catharine bowed diligently, and returned to her spot.
Miss Adagnitio checked her list. “Dwynwen Howell, please.”
“Looks like you’re up.” Lani gave Dwyn a pat on the shoulder, and smiled. “Good luck!”
Umeko and Reese leaned forward to look at her as well, smiling. “You got this! Don’t let it get to your nerves,” said Reese. Umeko nodded.
“Thanks, you three.” Dwyn smiled, and walked up to the lectern. Her legs were shaky - she really hated being the center of attention. There were twenty students here besides her friends. Some of the older academy students were watching as well. They stood on the sidelines, and on the balcony up above them, she had noticed.
This place was going to be her home, her whole life for the next few years. Of course it mattered a great deal to her how others perceived her; she was terrified of being judged. So, she straightened her back, suppressed the urge to run away, and walked onward until she finally stood behind the lectern.
She took a deep breath, and placed her hand on the book’s pages. A burst of energy ran through every part of her body. Her fingertips tingled as the magic shot out of them into the paper.
Water flowed out from the center of the book, in waves. They appeared gentle, but she felt a great force within them. She stood there in awe, looking at the drenched pages.
I did that? She struggled to believe it, but it really was her doing. “Water element! Fitting, Miss Howell. I know you will use it well.” Miss Adagnitio smiled at her. Dwyn smiled back broadly.
“Thank you!” she said, and bowed. After that, she returned to her spot, making sure to avoid all eye contact with the crowd in front of her. She was happy it went by so quickly.
“Dwyn! Congrats!” The three girls looked at her with a smile on their faces.
“That was super cool,” said Lani. “Those waves looked super dense, and strong. Wonder how much bigger they can get?”
“I suppose we’ll find out soon enough,” said Dwyn. She was happy with her element. She glanced over at Umeko. She was smiling, too, but Dwyn knew she was still upset about her own element. Deep inside, however, Dwyn felt like earth suited her better than air anyway, somehow. Air is so.. lofty, she thought. She’s nothing like the rest of her family, from what we’ve heard. More grounded. I’m sure she’ll grow to like earth eventually.
Dwyn smiled. Either way, she would be there for her. Reese and Lani would be, too. She was sure of that.
“Could Mister Hae Iona please come forth?”
A slim boy of slightly less than average height walked towards the lectern. He had a pair of welding goggles on top of his head, wore thick gloves on his hands, and looked very excited to find out his native element.
He placed his hand on the book: a tall, concentrated blue flame shot up from the pages. “Oh, fire element!” Miss Adagnitio sounded somewhat surprised. “What a lovely flame. It would be quite useful for someone crafty and clever.”
Hae did a little fist pump. “Score!” he said, and cheerily walked back to his spot after thanking Miss Adagnitio. He shared a group with Catharine Harwood, and two other people. Hae was so excited he couldn’t stop fidgeting around. Catharine flicked her middle finger into the side of Hae’s head.
“Yeowch! What was that for?” he said.
Catharine smirked. “Oh, nothing.”
The pretty glasses-wearing girl standing next to her quietly giggled into her hand.
“Don’t tell me you’re with her, Jia?” Hae pouted and crossed his arms. “Bullies, the lot of you. No fun allowed.”
Catharine and Jia chuckled among themselves. The fourth person in their row silently ignored the entire exchange, their eyes fixed to the lectern in front of them.
“Fhani Mahto, please,” said Miss Adagnitio.
A tall, elegant looking boy approached the lectern. He touched the pages, and a solid rock pillar kicked the entire book into the air. It almost hit Miss Carnell, but she managed to dodge just in time. Fhani looked at her, concerned. “Ah, are you alright, ma’am?”
“Of course, I am fine. Do not worry.” Miss Carnell smiled and nodded.
“She’s used to that kind of thing,” whispered Miss Adagnitio. “It’s an occupational hazard.”
Fhani and Miss Adagnitio chuckled. Miss Carnell tilted her head. She hadn’t understood them.
“Earth element, Mister Mahto,” said Miss Adagnitio. “Take care not to kick too much debris around.” She grinned.
“I’ll do my best,” said Fhani. He bowed, and returned to his spot.
Miss Carnell picked up the book, and placed it back on top of the lectern.
“Thank you, Eleanor.” Miss Adagnitio smiled at her. Miss Carnell blushed.
“I’m just doing my job.” “But you do it so well,” remarked Miss Adagnitio.
“Thank you.” Miss Carnell held back the immense urge to start giggling like a schoolgirl and went back to where she was standing before. She really hadn’t done anything special. Anyone could have placed that book back on top of the lectern. But praise from Miss Adagnitio always felt special to her regardless: it was always genuine, even for the tiniest little things.
“Well then, could Miss Alicia McRae please come forth?” said Miss Adagnitio.
Umeko gulped and forced her anger back down her throat. No, she thought, I must not let this get to me. I already know what the result will be. I shall simply let it pass. She exhaled.
Reese looked at her. “You can really squeeze my hand hard if you gotta. If you need to release something or whatever.” They were still holding hands. They hadn’t let go for the past ten minutes or so.
“No, I will be alright,” smiled Umeko. “But thank you for the offer.”
“If you say so,” said Reese. “Just, uh. Informing you about your options. Just in case.”
“Thank you,” said Umeko. They nodded at each other, and faced the lectern again.
Alicia was already standing in front of it by then. She placed her hand on the pages. As expected, they flew away, scattering in the wind. The paper made whistling noises as it swirled through the air. It almost sounded melodious.
“Wind element,” said Miss Adagnitio. “As expected of you, Miss McRae.”
Alicia smiled, and curtsied. Her group applauded. “Thank you, thank you,” she said. She shot an arrogant glare at Umeko. Take that, you scum, she thought. Umeko pretended she didn’t see her looking at her - but she was fuming internally. She squeezed Reese’s hand.
Ow, thought Reese. Seems like she needed it after all.
“One more thing, Miss McRae,” said Miss Adagnitio. She took another step towards her, and crossed her arms. She leaned forward just a bit. “Being the heiress of a wealthy family does not grant you any special privileges. At least not in this academy. You are to treat the other students here as your equals, and behave accordingly. If you step out of line, you will be punished. I will not hesitate to expel you if you keep bullying others. So, watch your actions and words very closely from now on.” Miss Adagnitio smiled, and closed her eyes. “Just be nice, okay? It shouldn’t be that hard.”
Alicia gulped. “A-and what about Chiba? She almost killed me earlier,” she yelped.
Miss Adagnitio shook her head. “But she didn’t, did she? She decided against it. And besides, you are the one who aggravated her in the first place.”
Alicia’s expression distorted into anger. “Pfeh! We’ll see what my family has to say about all this.”
Miss Adagnitio smiled. “Oh, your parents are free to have you transfer to another academy at any time. This one, however, will stay exactly the way it is, until the day I die.”
Alicia angrily mumbled some nasty things to herself, then stomped off to return to her spot. Stupid cur, she thought. She took my spotlight from me. She ridiculed me! I will never forgive this. She spun her head around to glare at Umeko.
Umeko grinned the smuggest grin the world had ever seen. She didn’t even flinch when Alicia glared at her. She just looked immensely pleased. Just you wait, thought Alicia. She turned back around, embarrassed and angry. I’ll just make your life hell again. Asterios tried to place a hand on her shoulder to calm her down, but she just slapped it away. “Leave me alone, Asterios. I’ll live.”
Asterios frowned and withdrew his hand. He genuinely worried for her. The other two in their row were trying their best to ignore the fact that any of that had just happened.
Miss Carnell whispered into Miss Adagnitio’s ear. “That was a bit harsh, don’t you think? I fear we may get in trouble if we speak to our students like that.”
“Ah, she won’t do anything,” responded Miss Adagnitio. She dismissively waved her hand. “She just needs to learn that this sort of thing doesn’t work here, as early as possible. Or else she’ll just keep harassing people. If it’s to keep my students from bullying each other, I’m willing to be a little mean to them every now and then.” She smiled. “Feel free to correct me if I do something stupid, Eleanor.”
“No, no,” said Miss Carnell. “It’s not stupid. Perhaps you are right.”
Miss Adagnitio chuckled. “Either way, we’ll have to keep an eye on her. I may have poked a wasp nest, just now.”
She straightened her back and cleared her throat. “Where were we?” Miss Adagnitio checked her list of students. “Ah, Noonan. Adair Noonan, please.”
From the row where Hae, Catharine and Jia were standing emerged a serious-looking person with short, wavy silver hair. It looked dyed. They got behind the lectern and touched the book.
Water spiked up from the pages and immediately turned into icicles. They resonated with a quiet ringing noise. Without any reaction, Adair withdrew their hand.
“Interesting. Water element. But you may discover that there is a little more to it than that,” said Miss Adagnitio. She leaned towards Adair. “You should try out air, too.” Miss Adagnitio winked.
Adair nodded understandingly, bowed, and returned to their spot. Their group members congratulated them, and in silent gratefulness they accepted the congratulations.
“What’s with them?” wondered Reese. She put her free hand on her chin. “Looked completely indifferent up there. Like it’s just an ordinary day today for them.”
“Everyone expresses themselves differently, Reese,” said Lani. “Not everyone’s gonna get all excited, I guess. Maybe it’s more internal for them.”
Reese shrugged. “I guess, yeah.”
“Next up is Orla O’Mooney, please,” spoke Miss Adagnitio.
A black-haired girl with brown eyes wearing a big, puffy uniform jacket walked up to the lectern. She was part of Alicia’s group. When she touched the book, water flowed out. It wasn’t anything particularly interesting or impressive - just water.
“Water element as well, I see. Much like your parents before you,” nodded Miss Adagnitio. She was a little surprised at how unspectacular her magic looked. After all, the O’Mooneys were known for their brilliant water magic.
Orla looked up at Miss Adagnitio with beady eyes. “Reckon I’ll be able to pull off the things my folks can?”
Miss Adagnitio looked her in the eyes and smiled. “With enough training I’m sure anything is possible, Miss O’Mooney.”
Orla smiled back at her, excited. She thanked her, and strutted back to her spot next to Alicia and the others. She didn’t notice they were silently mocking her for her pathetic display of magic.
Poor girl, thought Dwyn. She doesn’t really fit in with those other three.
“Joko Permana, please,” said Miss Adagnitio.
A boy with long, braided hair walked towards Miss Adagnitio. He wore white cotton gloves, and black shades. He whipped out a deck of cards, and shuffled them gracefully. “Say, dear rector Adagnitio,” he started. “Would you be so kind as to pick one card and show it to the audience?” He fanned out the cards in his hands, their faces pointed at the ground.
Miss Adagnitio was caught completely off-guard. And yet, she was intrigued, so she decided to play along.
“Absolutely,” she said, and grabbed a card. Joko turned away from her, and she showed the card to the audience. Jack of Diamonds. The audience watched on in silent awe. Only Alicia seemed annoyed by Joko’s flashy performance.
“Good,” said Joko. “Now, if you will, please put the card back into the stack.” Still turned away from her, Joko held out the hand in which he held the stack of cards. Miss Adagnitio put the card back in.
“Thank you, thank you.” Joko turned to face the audience, and began shuffling the cards again. Up and down they went, and left and right. He was extremely talented with his hands - not a single card dropped to the ground, and he never interrupted the flow of motion even once.
Suddenly, he stopped. He held the stack in the open palm of one hand, then placed his other hand on top. He whispered something into his hands, and nodded. He pointed at Alicia.
“Miss McRae,” he said. “You have something that belongs to Rector Adagnitio. Please, check the chest pocket of your jacket.”
Alicia scoffed. “Sure, whatever.” She reached into her chest pocket - and retrieved the Jack of Diamonds. “What?” she exclaimed, flabbergasted. The other students around her gasped in awe.
“So, Miss McRae? What’s that card, then?” asked Joko. He was still looking at Alicia.
“Uh. It’s the Jack of Diamonds.” Alicia blushed. Joko turned toward Miss Adagnitio.
He grinned. “Is that your card, rector?” Miss Adagnitio nodded, and grinned as well. “It sure is. How did you do that?”
“Bap, bap, bap!” Joko held out his hand, index finger raised up as a sort of warning. “I won’t tell.”
He walked up to Miss Adagnitio, and showed the stack of cards to her once more. He fanned the stack open again. “Pick one more card, please,” he said.
Miss Adagnitio picked a card. He turned away again, and she showed it to the audience. Ace of Hearts.
“Now, please place that card in your own chest pocket, dearest rector,” said Joko. Miss Adagnitio did as she was told. What’s his next move, she wondered. She was excited like a child at a magic show - even though she was a real-life witch, and an immensely powerful one at that.
Joko walked behind the lectern, broadened his stance, cracked his knuckles, and slowly lowered his hand onto the pages. When he touched them, black paper burst out of the book, and flew absolutely everywhere. Among all those pages of black paper, one speck of white shot out into the air. It slowly came back towards the ground, heading towards Miss Carnell. She looked up, and managed to catch the card with one hand.
The storm of paper had stopped. All the pages of the book had flown away. “Miss Carnell,” said Joko, still facing the audience. “What card is it that you have there?”
“The, uhm. The Ace of Hearts.” Miss Carnell blushed. Love and affection, huh? she wondered. She had read a book about cardology once. The meaning of this particular card had stuck with her for a long time. Wouldn’t that be nice?
“So, dear rector, is that your card?” Miss Adagnitio reached into her chest pocket, but there was nothing there anymore. She had absolutely no idea how Joko had done this trick, but she was very much impressed.
“Yes, Mister Permana. It is.” She smiled, and bowed to him. “Thank you for this beautiful performance. A round of applause, please?”
The students were shaken out of their baffled silence, and unleashed a roaring applause for Joko Permana. Miss Carnell and Miss Adagnitio applauded, too.
He bowed to the other students three times. “Thank you, as well.”
“That’s the element of air, by the way! I almost forgot to announce that,” said Miss Adagnitio. “That’s how blown away I was!”
Joko returned to his spot in the row with Fhani and two others.
Lani grinned. She was seriously impressed. “Wow, what a performance, huh Dwyn?” Lani turned to face Dwyn, who was just standing there with her mouth wide open.
“Dwyn?” said Lani, and snapped her fingers in front of Dwyn’s face.
“H-huh? Oh. Yeah, it was quite the performance indeed.” Dwyn came back to reality, and nodded enthusiastically.
Lani chuckled. “You seemed super into it. I looked over at you a couple of times, and it was like you were in another world entirely.”
Dwyn smiled. “Yes, I really enjoyed it. I have never been to a magic show before.” A realization suddenly hit her, and she blushed. “Y-you looked at me a couple of times?”
“Sure did,” grinned Lani.
“And I had that stupid expression the entire time..” Dwyn hid her face in her hands.
“Stupid? Oh, that’s one word for it I guess.” Lani turned her head away a little. “I just thought it was cute, honestly.”
Dwyn’s heart jumped. Cute? Did she say cute? But before she could ask her to repeat herself, Miss Adagnitio called the next person to the lectern.
“Whew. I don’t believe anyone is going to top Mister Permana’s performance today, but could Miss Louisa Pfenning please come to the front next?”
A girl dressed entirely in black with black hair and yellow eyes approached the lectern. She really looked like she didn’t want to be here at all. And yet, she stopped behind the lectern, and placed her hand on the pages of the book.
The entire book and the top of the lectern burst into flames. They shot high up into the air.
“Fire element,” said Miss Adagnitio. “Just as–”
“Just as expected from a Pfenning,” groaned Louisa. “I know, I know.”
She waltzed off and went back to her spot in the row with Alicia, Asterios and Orla.
Miss Adagnitio raised an eyebrow. Rude, she thought. But I suppose it’s understandable. I have repeated that phrase three times before already with her group members.
Miss Adagnitio restored the book’s burnt pages and called the next person.
“Olivia Qualls, please.”
An enthusiastic girl with a bob cut with bangs and rectangular glasses rubbed her hands together. She stood next to Eve Adams, the first person that was called to the front. “Alright, here we go,” she said.
She firmly held on to a black, old instant film camera. When she arrived at the lectern, she firmly positioned herself behind it, and held up the camera.
“Everyone! Smile for the camera!” exclaimed Olivia. The crowd did their best to smile, but most of them were not really ready for that sort of commitment. Dwyn was even hiding her face.
Olivia put one hand against her hip. “C’mon. This only works if everyone smiles.”
The crowd looked more enthusiastic this time around. Lani helped Dwyn lower her guard, and convinced her that she really looked okay.
The camera clicked, and a bright flash illuminated the entrance hall. The photo slowly emerged from the bottom of the camera. Olivia pulled a small square piece of fabric out of her jacket’s pocket, then placed the photo on top of it, facing the fabric.
“Great! Thank you all! I will cherish this memory forever!” exclaimed Olivia. With a broad smile, she bowed to the other students as thanks.
Miss Adagnitio cleared her throat. “You may now place your hand on the book,” she said.
“Oh!” Olivia looked surprised. “I completely forgot. I’m so sorry.”
She hurriedly placed her palm on the pages.
Fwoosh! An even brighter flash than the one from her camera lit the entire entrance hall for just a moment. The students all groaned and rubbed their eyes. The flash was so bright that they lost their vision entirely for a few seconds.
When they could see again, the book’s pages were on fire.
“Huh, interesting,” said Miss Adagnitio. “Quite unique. Fire element.”
Olivia was absolutely amazed. “Wow, so bright! This will be super helpful for my photography, I’m sure!” She giggled cheerfully, waved to the other students, bowed to Miss Adagnitio, and wandered back to her group, whistling a little tune.
“Alright, next will be Gunhild Qvist, please,” said Miss Adagnitio.
A tall, strong-looking girl wearing a big, almost threatening coat and a thick scarf that was pulled up over her mouth approached the lectern. She wore huge boots and had ashen blonde hair. Burn marks and ash covered her coat.
Gunhild confidently slammed her hand onto the book. Several small explosions went off on its pages, like gunshots. “Wonderful,” she said. “Just what I had hoped for.” She immediately turned on her heels, and walked back to her spot in the row with Joko and Fhani. Miss Adagnitio didn’t even get a chance to congratulate her, or to announce her element.
She shrugged. “Fire element.” Miss Adagnitio restored the book’s pages. They had been torn to shreds by the explosions. How frightful, she thought. I have a feeling I know how she will make use of her abilities. Impressively resourceful, these students.
Miss Carnell also made her own deductions about Gunhild’s ability. Small explosive bursts like these would be very useful for someone using firearms as a Devilbane, she thought. And judging by her appearance and the burn marks on her clothes, it seems like we have a dedicated gunner on our hands. Very rare, these days..
Miss Adagnitio cleared her throat. “Qar Sharawi is up next.”
An absolute tower of a man strode towards the lectern. His face and thick eyebrows conveyed a firm seriousness. His arms were nearly as thick and muscular as his thighs. Qar gently placed his hand against the pages of the book. Immediately, his hand was encased in what appeared to be a glove made of stone.
“Wah!” he exclaimed, and lifted his hand off the book. The rock glove slowly crumbled apart as he held out his hand in front of himself. “That startled me,” he said. Suddenly, he didn’t seem so unapproachable and serious anymore.
“The act of revealing one’s native element can often be surprising. After all, it happens in a different manner for every single individual,” said Miss Adagnitio. She smiled warmly. “Yours seems to be quite special indeed. I am sure you will make good use of it. Earth element!”
“Thank you!” Qar grinned, rubbed the back of his head, and walked back to his spot next to Eve Adams and Olivia Qualls.
“Hey, that was awesome!” exclaimed Olivia.
“You think so? Not sure what it means just yet..” said Qar.
Eve grinned. “Looks to me like you’re gonna be fighting with your fists, Qar.”
“Yeah! Like, with rock gauntlets and stuff!” Olivia playfully punched the air. Eve and Qar chuckled.
Qar smiled confidently. “Sounds good to me, I’m a boxer by heart.”
“You? A boxer? But you’re such a softie,” said Eve. “Can hardly imagine that!”
“Just you wait!” Qar smacked his fists together. A little too hard. “Ouch,” he whispered. The other two giggled again.
The fourth person in the row stood there in silence, trying her hardest to ignore them. Ignore their foolish playfulness, she thought. Once they are exposed to the dark powers of the Great and Enigmatic Erys Xanthou they will know true strength.
Miss Adagnitio checked her list of attendants again. Her forehead wrinkled just a little as she searched for the next name.
“Ah. Raelynn Sixsmith, please.”
A beautiful girl stepped forth. She came from the row where Lupe, Beau and Aoi were standing. With delicate, graceful steps, she carried herself like she weighed nothing at all. She wore a petticoat underneath her black dress with white accents. Her hair was long, straight and black, but faded to pure white near the tips. A silver sun-shaped pendant dangled from a black choker around her neck. A gentle smile decorated her soft lips. And she had hazel-brown eyes.
Beau and Aoi noticed that Lupe could not take his eyes off her. “Hey, man,” said Beau. “Now’s really not the time to stare like that, you know.” He nudged him in the shoulder and grinned.
“I know, I know.” Lupe continued staring anyway. He noticed that sometimes, when the light hit her from just the right angle, something shimmered in her eyes. Like a tiny universe, or the color of the sky. He wasn’t quite sure what it was exactly, but something about her just drew him right in.
“You are going to start drooling soon,” said Aoi. “Pull yourself together.”
Lupe shook himself out of it. “Alright, alright. I’m okay. Don’t worry.”
Raelynn placed one of her soft, tender hands on the book’s black pages. Gentle, warm flames emerged from within. They blanketed the entire surface of the book. It felt like one could stick their hand into the fire, and pull it back out entirely unharmed.
“Fire element.” Miss Adagnitio smiled and closed her eyes. “Your flames are very beautiful, Miss Sixsmith. They may even have something comforting, something healing about them.”
“Thank you, Miss Adagnitio,” responded Raelynn. She smiled back at her. “I am looking forward to my time at the academy.”
“So am I,” said Miss Adagnitio.
Raelynn bowed, and made her way back to her spot with careful, floaty steps.
She tilted her head, and looked at the members of her group with a smile. “How was I?”
“You did well,” said Aoi. “Pretty good, yeah,” said Beau.
“You are absolutely perfect.” Lupe realized what had just slipped out of his mouth and quickly shushed himself by placing both hands over it. He blushed, and averted his gaze. Aoi and Beau glared at him.
Raelynn chuckled lightly. “Why, thank you.”
A few rows behind them, Umeko felt somewhat envious. Who is she? she wondered.
She looks like a celebrity, but I have never heard the name Sixsmith before.
For a moment, she was struck by a thought she had never had before in her life: I wish I looked like that.
She shuddered, and shook it off. Umeko looked at Reese. I wonder what she makes of her?
She’s a pretty girl, thought Reese. Hope she won’t get herself hurt or anything. She felt entirely neutral about her, besides the fact that she was just slightly worried about her safety because of how she carries herself. She looks sorta frail.
Dwyn meanwhile experienced a strong sense of envy: I wish I looked like that. For her, it was an all-too-familiar sensation, haunting her nearly every day, every time she saw someone she deemed prettier than herself.
Besides that, however, she also experienced a strange and subtle adoration for Raelynn. I wonder what she is like as a person, she thought. Perhaps we’ll meet again sometime.
Lani turned to her left and right and saw the other three girls looking at Raelynn. She crossed her arms and frowned. “I don’t trust her at all”, she said.
Dwyn, Reese and Umeko turned towards her. “Why is that?” asked Dwyn.
“Those gentle, pretty doe-looking types always have something to hide,” said Lani. “Maybe it’s just me, though. The way she walks freaks me out.” She shuddered.
“Don’t think you’re overreacting a little?” asked Reese with a raised eyebrow.
Lani looked at the ground, avoiding further eye contact. “Yeah, probably. I dunno. We’ll see.”
Something about Raelynn just rubbed Lani the wrong way. But she couldn’t place a finger on what or why.
Miss Adagnitio spoke up. “Could Jia Song please come forth?”
A timid-looking girl with glasses emerged from the row where Hae, Adair and Catharine were standing. With tiny steps, she made her way to the lectern. It was immensely evident that she suffered from stage fright. She awkwardly adjusted her glasses, and touched the book.
Air escaped from between its pages. Gently, harmoniously. It almost sounded like the songs of a forest full of birds. And yet, it wasn’t even all that loud. It was quite soothing to listen to.
“Air element! How nice.” Miss Adagnitio looked quite proud. “So many beautiful displays of magic this morning. I am really quite curious to see how you will use it!”
Jia silently bowed and took her leave. Though she really wanted to thank her verbally, the words just didn’t want to come out. Shakily, she made her way back to her group.
“You alright?” asked Catharine.
“Yes, yes, don’t worry,” stumbled Jia, “it’s just a bit of stage fright.” An awkward little smile snuck onto her face.
“What a wonderful melody, though,” smiled Catharine. “Do you play any instruments?”
Jia blushed. “Yes. Concert flute. I took classes for many years.”
“Certainly seems like it’s affected you deeply enough to influence your magic,” grinned Hae. “Would love to hear it someday!”
“Of course,” smiled Jia. “Someday.”
“Next up is Reiko Takii, please,” exclaimed Miss Adagnitio.
A girl wearing a frilly black dress elegantly wandered to the front. She wore a black bonnet on her head that matched the style of her dress. Reiko came out from between Fhani, Gunhild and Joko.
She reached the lectern, and touched the book on top of it. Suddenly, a cloud appeared right above her. Rain began to fall from it just moments later. It started out fairly calm, eventually turned into extremely heavy rain, and then promptly stopped. The cloud disappeared as suddenly as it had come.
Soaking wet, she raised both arms into the air. “O rain, nature’s gift of life,” she mused. A heartfelt smile decorated her lips. Her makeup had become smeared, and her wet bonnet laid flat against her equally wet hair.
“We seek shelter within our walls, yet are never truly sheltered from the elements’ might. Mankind and its kin may never outrun nature. Such is the way of things.” Reiko bowed deeply, and elegantly crossed her legs. In spite of being completely soaked, she managed to retain an intense air of dignity.
“Water element,” said Miss Adagnitio. She smiled. “You are absolutely correct. Perhaps it is time for me to start carrying an umbrella around indoors.”
Reiko nodded, acknowledging her statement. And then, she went back to her spot. Water dripped down the hem of her dress, leaving a trail of small puddles behind her.
Miss Adagnitio dried the book and fixed its pages, and called the next attendant forth.
“Reese Terrell, please.”
Reese tried to hype herself up, but even she had to admit to herself that she was nervous. Umeko gave her hand a little squeeze and looked her right in the eyes. “You can do it, Reese. We believe in you.” She smiled.
“Yeah!” Lani grinned. “My bet’s on fire. What d’you think, Dwyn?”
“I think so, too,” said Dwyn. She smiled. “I’m feeling very confident about this one!”
“There you have it,” exclaimed Lani. “Now go up there, and burn bright!”
Reese smiled. “Thanks, you three. I’ll be right back!”
Her nervosity was lifted. If those three could believe in her, then so could she. Confidently, she walked up to the lectern, and placed her big, strong hand on the pages. A surge of energy jolted through her, and an enormous pillar of flames burst out of the book. The fire burned in a vast spectrum of colors. Yellow, orange, red, but also blue, green and purple. It was beautiful. A spark ignited in her crimson eyes. She watched in awe as the flames slowly died down. With a poof, all that was left was white smoke.
“Fire element,” said Miss Adagnitio. “Congratulations, Miss Terrell.” She leaned towards her. “Your father’s fire magic was absolutely brilliant. I am sure he would have been very proud of you today.”
Reese looked into Miss Adagnitio’s eyes. Behind her smile was a layer of melancholic remembrance. She had known her father. “I can tell you lots of stories about his time here sometime, if you would like to hear them,” she said.
Reese stopped for a moment, then smiled, and nodded. “Thank you. It would mean the world to me.”
Deeply impacted by this information, she walked back to her spot. Her mother had never told her he had attended classes at Nightingale Peak. She had never talked about his life as a witch, in general. It must’ve been too painful for her to recount tales of the things that eventually lead to his death. A lonesome tear rolled down Reese’s cheek. She swiftly wiped it away.
“You did it! Turns out Dwyn and I were spot-on, huh?” Lani held her hand out to Dwyn. They high-fived.
“Congrats, Reese,” grinned Lani. The other two congratulated her as well.
“Thanks,” said Reese. Her thoughts were still somewhere else. Sure, she was happy about her magic, but her stomach ached as her mind drowned in questions upon questions. Entirely without thinking, she grabbed Umeko’s hand, and held onto it almost desperately.
“Hey, are you alright?” asked Umeko. Her voice was hushed, nearly a whisper. “What did she say to you, up there?”
“Oh, nothing,” said Reese. “Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine. I’ll tell you another time.” She shook herself out of her unpleasant mood. “Besides, Lani still hasn’t touched that book yet. I wanna see what happens.” She forced a grin onto her face.
“Yeah, I think I’m up next,” said Lani. “Either that, or I’m dead last. I’d hate to be dead last.”
In the same second, Miss Adagnitio confirmed her thoughts:
“Okay, next up is Lani Valo, please!”
“Told you.” Lani unclenched her shoulders, took a deep breath, and went to the front after receiving her fair share of well-wishes from her group. Soon, she arrived at the lectern. Wondering what would happen, she took one more deep breath before putting her hand on the pages of the book. Unlike the other girls, she didn’t feel much of a surge at all - more like a tickle.
A whirlwind burst forth from the book. It forcefully removed any and all pages from within, and even took the book’s binding with it. It grew taller and taller, and eventually reached all the way to the ceiling. Shreds of paper and leather shot out of the vortex like darts, until nothing was left within it. Lani couldn’t stop it. The tornado kept growing in size, and began expanding horizontally. She jumped back, panicked.
The other students began getting uneasy, too. Frightened, they slowly backed away towards the academy’s front gate. Miss Carnell and Miss Adagnitio exchanged a quick, meaningful glance. And then, Miss Adagnitio raised her hand, fingers outstretched. As she slowly closed her hand into a fist, the storm shrunk and grew quieter, until it disappeared altogether.
Lani stood there in silent shock. She was terrified of her own abilities. So that’s what was hiding in me, she thought. Suddenly, she felt a hand’s warm touch on her shoulder.
She turned her head. Miss Adagnitio was looking at her. “There’s no need to be afraid, Miss Valo. You have great, even tremendous potential. All you need to do is harness it, learn to control it. Then, all will be well.”
“Are you sure this can be controlled?” wondered Lani.
“Of course.” Miss Adagnitio smiled. “You underestimate yourself, Miss Valo. I know you have the strength to do it. All you must do is believe in yourself.” She held out her hand. Lani grabbed it, and they shook hands. “I am looking forward to working with you, Miss Valo. I hope you will enjoy your time here.”
Lani smiled. “I will. Cause those three all the way back there will be by my side.” She looked at Dwyn, Reese and Umeko. They smiled back at her.
“That’s what I like to hear,” laughed Miss Adagnitio. “Now, go on, get back to them. We still have one more attendant on our list today.”
Lani saluted and grinned. “Yes, ma’am.” She made her way back to her spot.
Miss Adagnitio’s words had helped her regain her confidence. Anyone could’ve said them, of course; but she felt that they held a special sort of meaning coming from her in particular. She didn’t know why exactly, but deep down Lani knew she could rest easy in this academy, knowing someone like Miss Adagnitio was in charge. Before anyone could congratulate her, she quickly hugged all three girls in her group once she got back to them.
“Whoa!” said Reese. “What’s the occasion?”
A smile came upon Lani’s lips. She tried really hard not to cry, but failed to stop it in the end. “Thank you for being here. All three of you. I’m glad we met like this.”
“Of course,” exclaimed Reese, grinning. “You’re not getting rid of us.”
“Precisely,” nodded Umeko.
“Yep, you’re stuck with us for good, Lani,” said Dwyn.
“Thank heavens for that,” said Lani. “Wouldn’t want it any other way.”
The four of them stood closely together, and excitedly anticipated the final attendant’s ceremony.
“Last but not least,” exclaimed Miss Adagnitio, “I would like to ask Erys Xanthou to come forth to the lectern.”
Eve, Qar and Olivia made way for a girl shrouded in shadows. The back of her long, black and white hooded cloak resembled enormous moth wings. The hood covered her head, and two appendages resembling moth antennae stood upright on top of it. An oil lamp hung from a belt tied around her waist. With big, expressive steps, she walked up to the lectern.
She took off her hood. Fuzzy hair with sideswept bangs and a face covered in dark, gloomy-looking makeup were revealed underneath. “The Great and Enigmatic Erys Xanthou will now reveal her Great and Immense powers to you all. Watch and learn,” she exclaimed. She spoke very, very loudly. Not even the faintest note of nervosity showed in her voice.
She touched the book. A flame sprung out. It wasn’t particularly large or intense, but a lot of black smoke emanated from it. Suddenly, a horde of black shadows shot out from underneath her cloak, and swirled around the flame - moths! Hundreds of moths circled the fire, seemingly well aware of the fact that they would burn if they got too close.
Are they trained? wondered Dwyn. I have never heard of anyone training moths before. How remarkable. She was genuinely amazed.
Just about everyone else in the crowd was completely bewildered for reasons other than amazement. Some were even visibly afraid of the moths.
Smugly, Erys smiled. “Fear not, mortals. These servants of darkness would never hurt any of you unless I, the Great and Enigmatic Erys Xanthou, ordered them to.”
This did not make anyone less afraid. The moths were still swirling around the fire.
Miss Adagnitio cleared her throat. “Fire element, Miss Xanthou.”
Erys pointed her index finger directly at Miss Adagnitio. “Your offering is accepted, mortal. Though it goes without saying that the Great and Enigmatic Erys Xanthou could have chosen any element of her liking, fire certainly seems to suit her quite well.”
“Certainly, certainly.” Miss Adagnitio smiled awkwardly. “Would you be so kind as to withdraw your dark servants for now?”
“Naturally.” Erys grabbed a pitch-black matchbox from her cloak’s pocket, lit a match, and ignited the oil lamp on her belt. She snapped her fingers, and the moths came to her. Immediately, they rushed back under her cloak.
“The Great and Enigmatic Erys Xanthou is grateful for your attention.” She bowed, and went back to her row.
Everyone was speechless after this performance. Some were mildly disgusted as they imagined thousands of tiny moth feet crawling under their clothes.
Reese broke the silence. “Hey,” she said. “What the hell was up with that?”
“No idea. Not at all,” said Lani.
“Me neither.” Umeko shook her head.
“Trained moths, I suppose,” shrugged Dwyn.
“Trained moths,” echoed the other three, nodding.
Dwyn was actually very much amazed and intensely curious to find out how Erys trained her moths, but the other three didn’t need to know that, she thought. The other three, however, secretly felt the same as well.
“Well,” exclaimed Miss Adagnitio. “That was all. Quite the way to start one’s morning!” She laughed.
The students silently agreed. Quite a way indeed.
“Now that we have seen all of your wonderful talents and abilities, it is time to really get started with your lives here at the academy. You will study, you will practice, you will laugh and perhaps cry, you will forge bonds and discover yourselves, and you will all grow into strong and confident witches. Me, Miss Carnell and the rest of the academy’s staff will do our very best to provide you with six years of magical memories. We all hope you will enjoy your stay at Nightingale Peak.” She smiled. “And remember: if there’s anything you wish to ask, just come up to my office and ask away. I will do my utmost to be available to you all as much as I can. And if I’m not there, Miss Carnell will be.” She turned to face Miss Carnell.
Miss Carnell nodded. “Even though I may not be much of a conversationalist, I can certainly answer a question or two.”
“Well, there you have it,” said Miss Adagnitio. “Now, before you all scurry off and get lost in the academy’s halls, please make sure to grab a timetable.” She pointed at a desk standing behind Miss Carnell. A small stack of paper laid on top of it. “It will inform you about when your classes begin and end, and in which classroom they will be taught. You will be taught in several different subjects, both magical and non-magical, to make sure you all learn to use your powers without losing any of your intelligence in the process due to a stark shift of focus. You may even learn something entirely new to you! You’ll find out what subjects there are by simply taking a glance at your timetable.” She put her hands on her hips.
“And now, you are all dismissed. I hope you will all get through your first day here without too much pain. It has been a pleasure to meet you all. I look forward to seeing you all develop, to eventually seeing you all shine as alumni of Nightingale Peak. Farewell, for now.”
Miss Adagnitio bowed, and withdrew. The students applauded. Then, they made their way to the timetables.
A little while later, each of the 24 students held a sheet of paper in their hands. They appeared blank at first, but text swiftly appeared on them out of thin air as soon as they touched them.
These must be relics as well, understood Dwyn. What appears on them probably depends on the person touching the paper. She looked at her group. Reese, Lani and Umeko were all staring at the paper in their hands.
“Ours are all identical, right?” asked Dwyn.
They briefly looked at each others’ timetables.
“So it would seem,” confirmed Umeko.
“Awesome. Guess even our timetables don’t wanna split us up,” chuckled Lani.
“Yeah, I’m glad. Couldn’t imagine sitting in a room full of strangers with no-one to talk to,” said Reese.
“Oh?” Umeko sounded surprised. “I took you for a social butterfly. Are you not one?”
Reese scoffed. “Social caterpillar at best, really. Unless there’s immediate chemistry, I usually just stay quiet,” she said. She grinned and rubbed the back of her head. “Guess there was in fact immediate chemistry with you all.”
Umeko thought back to her first interaction with Reese. Back then, she thought of her as an abrasive, rude person. Their first ever conversation was mostly comprised of mockery. And immediately afterwards, Umeko had suddenly found herself in Reese’s arms. Strange how quickly the tables turn when the right people come around, she thought.
Umeko smiled. “I see, I see. How lucky for us, then.”
“Indeed!” exclaimed Reese. “You three’d be totally lost without me.”
The four girls chuckled. “So, what’s our first lesson today, then?” asked Lani.
Dwyn took a closer look. “Today is Thursday, and it’s 11:30 right now. So, according to the plan we’ll have a lesson in about twenty minutes! And only one more ninety-minute lesson after that, so I suppose it’s a short day today.”
“Phew, thank goodness. Don’t think I have more capacity than that today, anyway. Way too much to take in all at once,” said Reese.
Dwyn smiled, and tilted her head. “You’re right. It is probably better that way.”
“Says here a Miss Alister is our Demonology teacher,” said Lani. “Feel like I’ve heard that name before.”
Hae Iona happened to overhear them talking. He adjusted the welding goggles on top of his head, and waltzed over to them.
“You may have! She’s a famous witch,” he exclaimed. He leaned in, and whispered dramatically. “Well, used to be, she had to retire. But rumor has it she’s also kinda crazy. Pretty strict and harsh, apparently. Apparently she lost an arm while fighting a demon. She has a prosthetic there, now, made of metal. They say she built it herself.”
Hae extended his hand to the four girls. “Pleased to meet you, I’m Hae Iona. Seems like we’ll be going to Demonology class together!”
Lani shook his hand. “Hey, Hae. I’m Lani, and this is Reese, Dwyn and Umeko. Is your group coming along, too?”
“Of course,” grinned Hae. “They’re right behind me.”
Catharine, Adair and Jia were in fact right behind him.
“Don’t run off like that, Hae,” said Catharine. “You’ll get lost.” She pinched his ear.
“Yeowch!” exclaimed Hae. “Could you stop assaulting me every five minutes?”
“No,” purred Catharine. “Anyway, you guys are going to Miss Alister’s class too, huh?”
“That is correct,” responded Umeko.
“That’s good news. I’m happy to hear that,” said Catharine. “The bad news however is that they are also coming along.” She pointed towards the staircase in the entrance hall.
Alicia, Asterios, Orla and Louisa were walking up said stairs as they made their way to class.
“Urgh,” groaned Hae. “Not them. Anyone but them.”
Catharine furrowed her eyebrows. “We had a little run-in with them yesterday, after the entrance exam. And boy were they condescending.”
“Seriously,” said Hae. “You’d think they were sent by the gods themselves, the way they look down on others.”
“We saw the way Alicia harassed you earlier,” said Catharine. She was looking directly at Umeko.
“So, after being on the receiving end of her nonsense as well, we decided it might be good to stick with you guys. Losers are supposed to help each other out, right?” Catharine grinned.
“Speak for yourself,” murmured Adair.
“Silence, Adair. Or I’ll pinch your ear, too.” Catharine crossed her arms. “You’re just like the rest of us, you know. We’re in this together.”
Adair went silent again, and averted their gaze.
Catharine looked at Umeko and the other three. “But yeah, that’s the gist of it. Let’s stick together, alright? Feels like it might help all eight of us.”
Umeko smiled, and nodded. “If no-one has any objections, I do not see why not.”
“Yeah, I feel the same,” said Dwyn.
“Mhm,” added Lani.
“Nothing to add,” said Reese.
“Cool! We’re friends, then.” Catharine seemed very happy about this. Hae and Jia did, too. Adair seemed like they didn’t really care, but they complied either way.
Jia quietly and carefully raised her hand. “It’s lovely that we are all getting along so well! But shouldn’t we be on our way to class..? We only have fifteen minutes left, and I have no idea how to find the classroom at all..” She hid her face behind her timetable.
Hae’s eyes widened. “Oh, you’re right. Come on, everyone, let’s follow the rich kids! They seem to know where they’re going!”
Everyone agreed. And thus, they sneakily chased after Alicia’s group, avoiding their line of sight the entire way up to the Demonology classroom.
