《Etheria》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    My last day at home before leaving for Aquilo. The galaxy¡¯s most pristine university for Myths of all kinds, Etheria. I¡¯ve been on the waitlist for months and I finally got the acceptance letter that will make the rest of my life come together.


    Footsteps approach my door.


    ¡°Eloise, are you all packed?¡± Mum asks. I walk over, opening the door to let her in. Her golden brown hair is sparkling in the sunlight. A trait of the Fae myth.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost there, what time is dinner?¡± mum rolls her eyes knowing I will most certainly not be finished packing by morning.


    ¡°We''re going at seven. Dress for the weather, dinner is in Selutina,¡± Mum grumbles shutting the door behind her, leaving me to get dressed.


    Selutina was where I was born. The hottest place in the galaxy, and also the most breathtaking. We would still be living there if not for my dad who has fallen in love with the Dragon dimension, Akira. The not so lush, red canyon, rocky realm. Akira is home to the Dragon myth. This myth has the ability to transform from human to dragon in the span of a few seconds. The Dragon myth is most similar to my dad and I, the Phoenix. We have the same heritage and both come from fire.


    I rush over to my wardrobe and search for my silky orange dress I adore. I take it off its hanger and lay it flat on my floral bedspread to be worn.


    The late afternoon sun shines through my many windows that look out onto the city below as I comb through my blond hair stretching down past my shoulders. I look out seeing the sun making the red canyons become more vibrant. I take in the surrounding area as I prepare for my last dinner at home.


    ***


    The time it takes to drive to Selutina flies by; the drive was always magnificent, but today especially since it¡¯d be the last time I come before leaving for Aquilo. The sunset reflects off the crystal-clear water with an orange hue that makes the whole town look magical. This place is magical, though. So many myths have lived here for centuries that not just one type has been assigned here. Although, most Fae reside here considering they don¡¯t have their own realm.


    We drive along the coast, out looking the sunset. We¡¯ve been driving for an hour already, so we must be close to the restaurant by now. We turn onto a secluded road, only being able to fit one car at a time. The forest encompasses us and the water slowly disappears. The landscape changes to pine and cedar trees, the ground has become covered in moss.


    We approach the waterfront restaurant glowing in the late evening sunset. I roll down my window to hear sounds of people laughing, waves crashing against the shore, and the seagulls squawking at the people below.


    We pull into the restaurant and request a seat with a view. We are regulars here; I¡¯m surprised they even had to ask where we¡¯d like to sit. It is always the same. This was, and always will be, my parents¡¯ favourite place to come. The views of the ocean change daily. According to my mum when she lived here. I haven¡¯t been here long enough to experience anything like that. Selutina always changes. It¡¯s either the water changing colours or the seasons changing weekly. It¡¯s my favourite thing about this place. It¡¯s such a unique experience when you live here, or so I¡¯m told. No place else has this kind of feel to it¨Cthe feeling that nothing stays the same; it always changes. The feeling of new beginnings.


    The restaurant is jam packed with customers trying to get a seat on the dark wood deck hovering over the orange tinted water out looking at the sunset. We briskly walk past the crowd and straight to where I spot my grandma gazing out over the railings admiring the town she calls home.


    ¡°Dear, you made it at last!¡± Grandmother Meridith, my only grandparent left. She rises from her seat, greeting us all with a warm smile.


    I rush over wrapping my arms around her neck and give her a kiss on the cheek as a welcome. My smile reaches all the way to my eyes. I head over to the seat by the railing. The best seat at the table, the one with the best view.


    ¡°What a gorgeous sunset we have tonight.¡± Meridth says as she slowly sits back down waiting for the waiter to pull out the chair for her. I sit on the seat beside her taking in the last of the glowing sun.


    ¡°Elle, are you ready for your big journey tomorrow?¡±


    I¡¯ll have to leave in the morning if I want to make it there in time. Since Aquilo is the farthest away from Akira it¡¯ll take me twice as long as any other Myth. Especially since I¡¯m not allowed to use my wings. It¡¯s supposedly too far according to Meridith. She¡¯s the whole reason I¡¯m going to this school. Personally I¡¯d prefer to travel around or get a job already, but according to her, it¡¯s the only way to finish your education. Plus, she¡¯s paying. Mum went (forced by Nan) and dad never saw the need. He said he knew everything he needed to become a commander in the dragon legions.


    ¡°I suppose so. I believe I''ll be able to fly there just fine.¡± I say looking towards her.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She chuckles to herself but then replies, ¡°You haven¡¯t made the trek before, so I¡¯ve arranged transport that will fit your fancy.¡±


    I sigh at Nan, then ask, ¡°what time is the train?¡± She looks over, clearly thinking I¡¯m joking.


    ¡°You really think I¡¯d put my only granddaughter on a train with strangers?¡± Mum looks at her, not surprised at all.


    ¡°A kind gentleman, who is travelling to Aquilo will accompany you and make sure you arrive at the school safely .¡± I sigh to myself looking at Dad, hoping he¡¯ll do something.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, but I don¡¯t want to be a bother to him, I¡¯ll just take the train.¡± She glances over to my mum handing her a piece of paper with a phone number on it clearly ignoring my response.


    ¡°No girl of mine will take public transport. It¡¯s a disgrace to the Solace name! I think you¡¯ll like the boy Eloise¡± I give her a small smile and turn towards Dad.


    He has no interest in the current conversation. He is looking out towards the disappearing sun over the horizon, tuning everyone out. I nudge him to get his attention. He whips his head around thinking he¡¯s missed something important. His eyebrows raise in confusion.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just take the train like normal?¡± I whisper quietly, just so he can hear.


    ¡°I can¡¯t argue with your Nan, you know that.¡± He whispers back in the same tune.


    I look away, turning my attention towards the crowd of people attempting to get into the magical eatery.


    I came to the conclusion that Nan won¡¯t budge on her decision about my transportation. So, I let the topic go and move onto a more serious one.


    ¡°Etheria is a pristine school Eloise, you¡¯ll be required to put in more hours than anywhere else in the galaxy. I have very high expectations for you, but you¡¯re a Solace and you will not disgrace the family name.¡± Nan tilts her head up, showing her confidence when she speaks.


    My grades haven¡¯t always been my top priority when attending school, but Nan will not let her reputation take a hit just because I can¡¯t sort my grades out. I¡¯ll have to step it up if I want to stay for more than a few weeks.


    Food arrives at the table two hours after we arrive. It is usual for food to take its time here since the drinks are their main concern. When the food arrives we all fall silent, enjoying the food that is in front of us.


    Throughout the whole meal we mostly eat in silence, but it is getting late, and we still need to drive all the way back to Akira. Our plates get cleared away by the staff and Nan stands up, heading in my direction.


    ¡°Eloise, enjoy yourself, and I¡¯ll see you next year.¡± Nan leans in and wraps her hands around me, giving me a kiss on the forehead. We say our goodbyes and head for the car that has been brought around front for us.


    It is a slow journey back to the flat. The sea is pitch black with only the bioluminescence to bring some light into the night. I lean my head back and close my eyes, slowly drifting into a sleep. I can hear the waves crashing down against the shore and my breathing gets slower, and I finally drift to sleep.


    ***


    I wake up in a panic, the boiling heat blazing through my open windows. I must¡¯ve forgotten to close them before I hit the pillow, overcome by tiredness. Like Mum said, I¡¯m not packed, not even close.


    I rush over to my wardrobe, only grabbing my most precious possessions and start chucking them into my suitcase that probably already weighs a ton. I then run into the bathroom finding my toiletries already packed, thanks to Mum. I throw them into the suitcase as I rush over to grab sort my hair out.


    I decide on a leaving it as it is, I run my brush through my golden locks a few times before hurrying towards the door, only sparring a second to look at the room one final time.


    Mum greets my eyes as I scurry down the stairs. She hurries over for one final hug. ¡°Elle, call me as soon as you arrive.¡± She sniffles as she releases me.


    Dad comes over with big arms and wraps them tightly around me, not wanting me to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t turn into one of those boarding school snobs.¡± He kisses my forehead lightly and chuckles to himself.


    Mum gives him a side glance and smiles ever so slightly. He releases me, letting me grab a hold of my suitcase and drag it outside into the blazing sunlight. It¡¯s the hottest time in Akira, thankfully not as hot as Selutina. I strip down, taking my jumper off and revealing a light pink tank underneath and tucking the sweater into my satchel.


    A bright red Chevy Impala rolls around the corner, slowing down at the house. The car pulls into the driveway coming to a halt right in front of me. The car stills and the door flies open with a dark haired male stepping out, he wears a smile on his face, greeting us all. He wears pitch black pants with a dark-coloured green waistcoat with a night like shirt underneath.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all, I¡¯m Jrue. I''ll be taking Eloise to Etheria.¡± He speaks properly, just as Nan would want, but that isn¡¯t the strangest thing about him, his looks deem him to be my age. His brown hair is slicked back, like he could be attending the school with me. I scrunch up my noise, confusion clouding my features.


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Jrue, I¡¯m Delilah.¡± Mum gives him a wary look, I can only imagine it¡¯s because of his age.


    He is dressed very well, his car is gorgeous, Nan must adore the boy.


    Dad gives him a subtle nod and reaches out to shake his hand.


    ¡°May I ask how old you are?¡± I glance over at mum, shocked at how forward she¡¯s being. Mum tends to be quiet at first, she prefers to listen rather than make the conversation, especially with new people.


    ¡°I¡¯m nineteen, I''ll be attending the school of Etheria as well.¡±


    Nineteen? That would make him a year older than me, nan had not given me enough details about the boy, let alone that he would be attending the school with me.


    He takes a quick look at me, then straightens just slightly, returning his gaze to my mother.


    ¡°Just to be clear, you¡¯re the boy my mother has been so fond of?¡± Mum says with a smile dancing on her lips. I look up at him, even though I¡¯m taller than average he towers over mum and I.


    Jrue chuckles, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve known her for a few years now, I¡¯ve told her many times about how I¡¯m often in Akira for business.¡±


    I must admit he¡¯s very well-spoken for a nineteen-year-old.


    Dad glances my way giving me a smirk as Jrue continues to talk to my mother. I smile ever so slightly then turn back to the conversation.


    He turns towards my bags, reaching down, ¡°May I?¡±.


    A smile reaches my eyes and I politely nod in agreement. My gaze follows him as he walks over to the Chevy and opens the back, lugging my massive case into the classic old car. I race over to mum and dad, giving them one final hug.


    I look up at them and just take in this final moment. ¡°I¡¯ll call you once I¡¯m there!¡±

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    I head on over to the car to reach for the door¨C


    He gently nudges my hand out of the way, briefly grazing his fingers over my own. He reaches for the handle himself, ¡°Your Nan would have a heart attack if she knew I didn¡¯t open your door.¡±


    I lug my bag off my shoulder and onto the floor of the car.


    ¡°I thought your Nan told you I¡¯d be attending the school along with you.¡± He grins, he clearly saw my face when I¡¯d first seen him.


    ¡°She told me you were a kind young fellow,¡± I smiled in return, ¡°So, no she didn¡¯t.¡±


    I glance towards him, noticing his hair is very neatly combed into place as if he were expecting my Nan to greet him.


    I take in his appearance from head to toe as he drives, his hands on the wheel and his head lays back, resting against the headrest.


    ¡°Where are you from?¡± His looks deem him to be somewhere from the north with his tan skin, but he could live in Akira himself.


    He opens his mouth, then shuts it just as quickly. He stutters before the words come out of his mouth, ¡°Eternal.¡±


    He keeps his eyes focused on the road as we merge into green, lush forests.


    ¡°Woah, you¡¯re a Vampire?¡± How is he even out in the daylight, and he¡¯s way too tanned to be one?


    ¡°No, no I¡¯m a Witch, or Wizard if you like.¡± He smirks.


    ¡°I was questioning everything I knew about vampires.¡± I laugh and he joins in. No wonder I suspected him from the north, his whole appearance is representative of the north¡¯s specialities.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just recently moved, I¡¯m originally from Veraxia.¡± That would explain why he was stuttering, but it still seemed strange considering how well he spoke to my parents.


    Veraxia is known for the witches, it''s filled with dark green trees and houses that are only built out of wood. It¡¯s one of the smaller realms, but it¡¯s rather breathtaking, so I¡¯ve heard. I¡¯ve never been, but I¡¯d love to travel through all the realms one day.


    *


    Our car slowly comes to a slow and my eyes flutter open. ¡°We''re not there yet,¡± Jrue says with a grumble.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± I look around frantically, the area looks bare, very wet and rainy. Everything around us looks grey and drab.


    ¡°We¡¯re just entering Aquilo.¡± He says quietly. I must have been asleep for a few hours because his voice had grown croaky from not talking.


    ¡°It¡¯s so ¨C¡±


    ¡°Depressing?¡± He stifles a small laugh.


    ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s just a lot darker than I''d imagined.¡± I look around to the grey trees with just hints of green scattered across them.


    ¡°That would be because it¡¯s the Ashen season, notoriously known for its rain. You¡¯ll be lucky if you get one day of sun.¡± He yawns, while his eyes remain steady on the road, clearly I¡¯d been asleep a while.


    ¡°The season only lasts for one month. Thankfully.¡± He takes a quick sip of his water and the car starts to slow down. We head towards an opening in the forest. The road is big enough for only one car at a time.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there. I¡¯m guessing another hour, as long as we don¡¯t get stopped.¡± I look out the window expecting to see something.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so confused. Sometimes the magic holding out the rest of the myths can interfere with us. Especially for first years like yourself.¡± He slows the car, and we bump around avoiding the potholes in the worn road.


    The trees surround the car, swirling around, almost grabbing us. They look alive, everything here looks alive.


    ¡°Everything looks alive, why is that?¡± I look towards him.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it is alive, everything here, like you know was made, everything has a mind. These roads change daily to keep intruders out.¡± He keeps his eyes focused on the road as if it¡¯s about to change. He turns up the music, not wanting to continue our conversation. Jrue focuses on the drive, while I sit back and watch the landscape come alive.


    *


    We arrive at Etheria an hour later. Jrue hands me my enormous suitcase which makes me stumble once I grab hold of it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you around Elle.¡± He gestures towards the magnificent castle-like building. I¡¯d seen pictures, but this, wow. I would have never imagined it would be this spectacular in person. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I lug my suitcase up the trillions of stairs that are currently in front of me. I look up between each set of stairs and I sigh. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m finally here. In Aquilo. At Etheria. This school is breathtaking, it''s hard to take in everything as I look around.


    The castle is built by limestone bricks, there are at least four turrets that I can count and there are flowers and vines scattered all across the walls of Etheria. Ahead of the staircase are four arches, all leading to what I assume are the dormitories.


    I turn around noticing Jrue still at the bottom, signing his car off, letting it drive away on its own with no one in it. I¡¯d always seen the newer cars being able to have minds of their own, but this was such an old car it¡¯s hard to believe it. This is the only place where this kind of magic can roam free, in most realms it''s contained for our safety, but here we have to endure it, and learn about it.


    The landscape is rather drab, but as Jrue says, it¡¯s Ashen season. I¡¯m told everything comes to life during the season of Luminescence. The plants go through the stage of rebirth and come out even more lively than before.


    Just then a more up-to-date car rolls into the entryway. I¡¯m already quite a way up the stairs which makes it tricky to tell what car it is, but all I can see is that there is no one driving that car.


    The magic of this world is slowly revealing itself to me as I look in every direction, from the mesmerizing energy that is flowing off the old limestone castle, to the pinkish aura surrounding the turrets of the castle. The energy here is nothing I¡¯ve ever experienced before. How is it that this place seems to look like a fairytale at every glance?


    I look around noticing that more than a few people have started to surround the car. Trying to sneak a look at whoever might be inside. Just then, the door flashes open and a girl steps out. She appears to be wearing an old-fashioned uniform. Ones that would be worn for royalty, not for everyday use. Only one myth comes to mind when I see that uniform, Angels.


    The girl steps out of the cream-coloured car, her auburn hair flowing around in the wind, covering part of her face. Her wings appear to be tucked into her personally tailored uniform, but the tips stick out through the top, giving me the idea that they are brown. Only the royals have colour-tipped wings, to every other Myths eye they appear brown, but to them, their wings are the colour of gold. She isn¡¯t just any ordinary myth, she¡¯s a royal.


    The Angel myth is the hardest to kill among all, that was originally the reason the Angels became royalty to begin with, but since then that has been lost since almost everyone has access to dragon fire and a blade, which would kill them just as easily as any other Myth, but they still reign over the world.


    The girl moves out of the way, her tanned skin standing out against her drab background. She grasps her luggage and heads towards the millions of steps before her.


    I turn back around looking up at the never-ending staircase that stands before me. I groan, picking my suitcase back up and beginning my ascent. The castle seems to be getting bigger with each step I take, the turrets on top of the castle are becoming more pointy with a pink aura surrounding each of them. I stare up for a second longer, looking at the pinky tone, wondering what could cause it¨C


    ¡°That¡¯s just a protection spell. Pretty simple if you know the formula.¡± I jump back, whipping my head around to see the auburn-haired girl standing directly behind me. She wears a floor-length white skirt, with a orange-hued corset.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lucinda, but call me Indy.¡± She stares at me, awaiting my answer.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that, I¡¯ve always loved reading about spells, but I¡¯ve never found a protection spell of any kind,¡± I say back, still shocked to find a royal has spoken to me. Protection spells are strictly forbidden, considering not everyone can possess this power. Only the most important locations can be protected, there isn¡¯t enough power to protect everywhere at once.


    I look up towards the turrets again, the colour has changed to a dark purple.


    ¡°It¡¯s the most secure spell there is, no one but the elite is allowed to know about it.¡± She laughs, ¡°But that¡¯s because that spell is the only way to undo the protection,¡± she smiles.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯d never heard about it,¡± I pause a moment, ¡°I¡¯m Eloise, are you a first year too?¡± I must admit she looks far older than me.


    ¡°Yup, my brother is a second year though, he adores this place, every time he comes he gets wrapped up in its energy, he¡¯s wanted me to join him for years now.¡± She turns to face me.


    ¡°So, where are you headed?¡± She tilts her head just slightly, giving me a glimpse of her glowing gold necklace.


    Jewellery is sacred here in Etheria, each student will be blessed with a piece. Each stone will give unique powers to the person who wears it. They also supply us with common power, every student who has ever attended this school will have a power of some sort. Although these are inanimate objects, they choose who they wish to bind to. It¡¯s never the myth¡¯s choice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, just trying to make it up the stairs¡± We both laugh, but I keep looking towards her necklace.


    Not just anyone can own these necklaces, it could potentially be an heirloom of some sort passed down through her family.


    ¡°It¡¯s my late grandmother''s necklace.¡± She smiles, bringing the necklace out from underneath her shirt. The stone is amber with gold accents surrounding the gem. ¡°It¡¯s an heirloom, and it¡¯s no longer in use. My grandmother wanted me to have it for my piece.¡±


    Pieces aren¡¯t usually passed down, but when they are, it¡¯s a special occurrence, and it¡¯s not taken lightly around here.


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± It looks to almost be the same colour as the one and only-


    ¡°Is that the Duchess of Amara¡¯s necklace?¡± It looks almost identical to the one she wore for centuries, it was and still is the only amber piece. Only the royals would be able to wear an amber piece, especially a necklace.


    She passed about a year ago, that would make Lucinda- ¡°Was your grandmother Duchess Priscilla¡± It can¡¯t be, she had no heirs.


    Only one, but she died within weeks of being born. ¡°Shhh, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d piece all that together from a necklace.¡± She looks around making sure no one has heard me.


    ¡°No one just owns a necklace like that!¡± I continue to stare at the amber gem looped around her neck.


    ¡°Do you mind not telling anyone? I¡¯ll owe you big time. There are at least three amber pieces throughout the realms, it¡¯s not unlikely that I have one considering my title.¡± She tucks away her necklace hiding it from the people around us. I should hold my tongue around a royal, but something about Indy makes me want to blurt everything out.


    ¡°Well it doesn¡¯t help that I admired the Duchess, so I know everything about her¡± I laugh, ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± I smile at her as she heads towards the northern entrance, leaving me alone in front of Etheria.

 Chapter 3

    I¡¯m told I need to head towards the southern entrance, but instead of a door, I come up to a huge tunnel filled to the brim with students. The walls are a dark limestone that makes the tunnel look older than anyone here, I can barely see the desk to sign in to.


    We wait in two lines that are barely moving forward, I stride ahead when someone steps on the back of my heels sending me flying forward into the back of the girl in front of me. She turns, grabbing me by the shoulders to keep me upright, she takes one look at my face and starts laughing.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I burst out laughing with her, watching as her smile reaches her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s one way to make an entrance.¡± Her smile never falters. She brushes a lock of her dark blonde hair out of her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m Eloise, hopefully, I¡¯m memorable enough to remember.¡± I take in her appearance, she¡¯s wearing fighting leather, which means she must be one of the fighting Myths. She could potentially be a Dragon or Elf Myth, but either way, she is breathtaking. Her ocean-blue eyes stand out against her slightly tan skin. She wears her hair in a loose bun on the top of her head, with only a couple strands of blonde hair hanging around her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember. Most people call me Scarlett, where are you from?¡± She tilts her head to the side showing me a rosy birthmark attached to her neck.


    The line moves forward, I hear people shuffling their feet against the cold cobblestone floor.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived in Akria all my life.¡±


    I think I¡¯ll miss Akira more than I ever have. I¡¯ll miss the sun beaming off my face, the red canyons sparkling in the late afternoon sun, and sitting outside eating dinner with my family every Sunday.


    ¡°Akira is beautiful, I call it home too! It¡¯s charming, but this place screams of magic!¡± She squeals, looking around excitedly.


    Her eyes scan my body, taking in my blond hair that hangs loosely over my shoulders probably in a tangled mess.


    ¡° Emma Tailor.¡± The front desk yells for all to hear. The line edges closer to the table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve met you before, you can¡¯t be a Dragon, can you?¡± Lucinda raises a brow in question.


    Most Dragons train together considering Akira is among the smaller realms. They train, fight and learn together, I¡¯m not close enough to a Dragon to be considered a fighting Myth, I never have gotten the chance to fight with them.


    I always watched them, I watched as they would soar high in the sky, rushing through clouds as they began their training.


    ¡°No, not a Dragon.¡± I smile shyly, I would rather people not know I¡¯m of the Phoenix Myth, not just yet. I narrowly avoid her question when the line moves again and it¡¯s Scarlett''s name they call this time.


    ¡°See ya soon Eloise.¡± She skips away, looking rather excited to be assigned a room.


    Although Dragons and Phoenixes seem similar, they couldn¡¯t be more opposite. Dragons are beyond powerful, they are considered one of the Myths that possess the most power, while Phoenixes are on the lower end of the scale. I don¡¯t nearly have enough power to be in a fighting legion, let alone be trained in one.


    My set ability is I can heal others, but only for a short amount of time. Although Phoenixes are famous for their power to be reborn, it can only happen once, and it is strictly forbidden until I¡¯m out of University. So at this moment, I¡¯m quite literally useless, powerless.


    ¡°Eloise Solace!¡± An older-looking man with a beard is calling my name, he waits for me by the second table. I head over, brushing past the people awaiting their turn.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me.¡± He skims his eyes over me, looking at the bag I¡¯m currently carrying over my shoulder. I remove the bag placing it gently on the wooden table in front of me. He turfs out my clutter and begins his search.


    ¡°Clear,¡± he grunts, shoving the excess amount of stuff back into my tiny bag.


    ¡°You¡¯re assigned to the southern quarters.¡± He hands out a key inscribed with the letter S.


    ¡°Next.¡± He dismisses me with a wave of his hand, clearly not bothered by anyone who steps in front of him.


    I leave the table and head towards the southern entrance quarters. The tunnel is luminous with little fireflies bouncing off the walls, illuminating my way. Light suddenly seeps into the tunnel, making me walk faster to see where it¡¯s coming from.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The tunnel opens up, revealing a massive courtyard with other stunned students. The walls are encased by vines with various colours, and the grass is long and luscious, making all the colours come together. The castle still has its pink glow, radiating onto the students below.


    I look up, the sky is covered by excess amounts of stairways and paths. Each bridge appears to have a unique plant growing along the sides. The plants and vines hang off the bridges above, giving the illusion we¡¯re in a greenhouse, not a school.


    A voice booms down upon us, I see a lady dressed in all black lean over the pathways, ¡°All southern students please head on up to your quarters.¡±


    I look around, not seeing any possible way to make it up to the quarters unless¨C


    ¡°All students will fly, no exceptions,¡± the same voice says.


    Other students have already taken their dragon and fae forms, but I look up, waiting for all to leave. Phoenixes are the only Myth that can transform part of themselves, while Dragons can only transform into their final form.


    Once the majority of Myths leave, I step back getting closer to the walls of the courtyard. My wings burst out, leaving my back with a tingly sting. I see the remainder of the students glaring at my red wings, looking in awe and disgust.


    At that thought I jump, I jump high into the sky feeling the brief breeze of wind flow past my face and through my clothes. Then it stops all too soon as I find the pathway beneath my feet. It¡¯s covered in lush vibrant rhododendrons. I let my feet slowly fall towards the concrete pathway, I let my hand reach out, touching the beautiful flowers that are in front of me.


    "Look around, these fellow students will be your squad,¡± the lady in black speaks, she stands in the middle of the circle with her arms crossed behind her.


    ¡°You may have noticed not all are your Myth. Most of you up here can fly, but there will be some who cannot. Those who cannot have been granted the spell of flight.¡±


    ¡°If you have any further questions please hesitate to ask, I¡¯m not at your beck and call.¡± Without another word, she leaps off the bridge, but wings don¡¯t come out, instead, she flies on her own.


    What an odd way to greet us.


    The Dragons make their shift back to human form, while everyone else stares in awe.


    Everyone begins to disperse, looking for their rooms. I reach into my pocket fishing out the key inscribed with an S on it. I flip it over revealing the number 7, which I can only assume is my room number.


    I head past multiple rooms, already filled with Myths of all kinds. I spot a couple of Witches pilled together, probably concocting their own flight potions or other deadly elixirs of their choosing.


    I walk a little further spotting number 5 just ahead. I venture a little further across the pathways, taking little glimpses over the railings, overlooking the new Myths arriving. 6¡­ I turn the corner, heading onto another bridge that leads me to one final room, 7.


    I approach the building, the walls are still dark with colourful vines hanging low, but instead of its usual pink tone, an orange hue surrounds the door. Orange plants line the railings, one specifically speaks to me, a fire lily. These plants only come out after a fire has arisen. It¡¯s the ash that comes from the fire that makes these plants blossom into something so breathtaking. Which makes it even more weird that it is in full bloom, on a bridge of all things.


    I reach the golden doorknob, but I jump back in surprise. The handle has left the back of my hand stinging. I look down, noticing a small orange circle with a line through it has made its way onto the back of my hand.


    ¡°I see the handle has claimed you!¡± A familiar voice says from behind me.


    I turn around seeing bright auburn hair flowing in the wind with a huge smile stretching across her face.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re roommates!¡± Lucinda squeals, quickly pulling me into a hug. Her arms wrap around my shoulders as she reaches up to meet my height.


    I step back reaching for the orange handle again¨C


    Lucinda smacks my hand out of the way. She looks at me, clearly in disappointment. She touches the handle ever so slightly with her index finger outstretched.


    ¡°Fire Lily,¡± She repeats the phrase, but slightly more forceful; this time the door shifts. The dark wood door slides to the right, revealing the room I¡¯m to stay in for the next year of my life.


    The walls are bare, only the limestone shows through, showing just how old this room is. The floors are dark marble with sunset-coloured rugs, resembling the Fire Lilies that cover the outside of the dorm.


    I walk down the small hallway leading into one giant room. The windows are from the floor to the roof, letting in endless amounts of light; <mark>I count four grid windows.</mark>


    There are two beds on either side of the room. Both already have quilts on, one a light orange with frills lining the edges. The other has a cream-back splash with little orange flowers dotted around the quilt.


    I stare at the room in awe. The room fits me perfectly, it¡¯s everything I could have imagined and so much more. I walk over to the bed with orange flowers scattered across the quilt. I place my bag down, brushing my hands over the furniture.


    ¡°Looks like this one is mine,¡± Lucinda rushes over, placing her bag on the ground and flopping onto her cushy bed.


    I take a seat on my new bed, feeling the fabric between my fingers. I never did get an answer to why she¡¯s here.


    ¡°I thought you said you were headed to the northern entrance?¡± I purse my lips together, awaiting her answer.


    She flicks her hair out of her face while slowly sitting up. She pauses before she speaks, carefully choosing her words, ¡°I had to escort my brother to his room,¡± She dismisses my question without another word, clearly uninterested in my attempts at discussion.


    ¡°Anyways, here¡¯s some more exciting news,¡± she pulls out a crumpled paper coloured in pastel pinks and blues, in bright white the words read ¡®First Annual Ball¡¯.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first ball of the year!¡± She squeals, jumping up from her bed and rushing over to me.


    Balls are often held here, there will be dancing, singing, and so much more. The Myths who attended have always said it¡¯s one of the most magical nights of their lives. Everyone will be dressed in ball gowns of their chosen colour.


    There will be balls throughout the season, but this one is the biggest. Many Myths believe it is to celebrate the new arrivals to Etheria, but it was originally held to initiate the start of the Rebirth season.


    Rebirth is one of the most magical seasons in all of the world. An eclipse will happen for multiple weeks, causing the world to go dark, but the plant life goes wild. Most will be vibrant, acting as a source of sunlight.It¡¯s not just the plant life that comes out, the wildlife also joins in. Whether it¡¯s just little animals, or monsters we try to keep out, they all come out of hibernation for this season.


    ¡°Gosh, I have no idea what to wear,¡± Lucinda mumbles, rummaging through her suitcase, ¡°We must go shopping tomorrow! We can get you a gorgeous gown as well,¡± A gown would be nice, I haven¡¯t brought anything extravagant enough to even be let into the ballroom.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, but where can we even go?¡± Lucinda smiles, she clearly already has a plan in the works.


    ¡°You are friends with a royal after all.¡±