I woke up in cold sweat, breathing hard. What was that dream? It was more. It felt longer than any of my previous dreams. I was finally going to be able to see their face but I woke up before that. I looked around the room and saw that I was the only one in there. The room was quiet, there was no sound even in the bathroom. Rubbing my eyes and brushing through my hair, I let out a big sigh and supported my forehead with my left hand. I took in deep breaths. The air here felt somewhat different. There was full light in the whole room which meant it must be morning already. Thinking about all that happened these last days I got a little bit lost in my thoughts and then it hit me. I have a class at the same time as my roommates. Dammit! Did I sleep through my alarm? And if I did why didn't the girls wake me up? Not that we promised to do it and that we are friends or anything since we barely spoke to each other, besides when picking out spots to put our things. I toss the blanket to the side and jump out of the bed. I leave the bed messy as it is and quickly search around to locate and grab my phone to check the time. I found it tossed and tugged under my pillow. I pressed the lock button to reveal my lock screen which was a selfie of me and Reilly, the first picture I took when I bought the phone. The screen showed 8:28am which made me sprung out of my bed since the first class is supposed to be at 9am and I run to my closet. I rummage through it trying to find some clothes to wear since I haven't managed to grasp how the clothes got organized. I take out the only thing I could find and piece it together, which was one of my dark blue skinny jeans and a plain white T-shirt with no print on it. I tossed it on the unmade bed and the crinkled blanket, then closed my wardrobe. I had no time to spare so I removed my clothes I used for pyjamas and hopped into the clothes on the bed fast. I had a few spare minutes so I walked swiftly into the bathroom to just wash my teeth and my face with a plain water and just soap as I didn't have that much time for any skin care routine nor make up. A simple kajal slim eyeliner topped with mascara and some transparent lipgloss will have to do for today. I kept my light brown hair cut short and simple, always something between the chin and shoulder length. They were straight and I never needed to do anything to it, just simply brush it. On the other hand, when I wanted some curls, or mostly when Reilly tried to curl my hair to match hers, it would be flat in a few minutes and never hold. I was never much into the hair styling and stuff anyway so I kept them straight and let Reilly cut them when they grew too long. I tidied up everything in the bathroom and then went to make my bed. The nuns and volunteers at the orphanage always nagged us, sometimes even disciplined us in many different ways if we didn't clean our beds. As a result, it became a habit or a reflex to always make sure my bed is neatly made. I only had two classes today but since I never knew what to expect and no one explained to us what to bring, I just took my backpack that was left under my desk, put in on the chair and then opened it up. I started stuffing it. First some pens and pencils that were prepared for us when we first arrived to our rooms, also with some clean notebooks to write into. I took one of those too as I was getting ready for your casual high school class. I wondered if there are any specific textbooks between those books they gave us yesterday so I disrupted the stack and shuffled through in on the table. I found one called General History but nothing that would seem to be fit for the Introduction class. I took the history textbook and slammed it into the free space in my backpack I could find and then closed it off. I grabbed my phone and put in inside my back pocket on the jeans and then I drag the bag in my hands as I leave the room. I stop myself in the doorway. The cloak! I groaned and turned around to go and take my cloak from the closet. I toss it across my shoulder and then run to the find the classroom.

I tossed the bag from one shoulder to another while trying to put the cloak on me. I slid my arms into the long baggy sleeves and then closed it up with the piece of fabric and buttons under my neck. I stopped for a moment to reach for my phone and check the time. I was already a few minutes late for the class so I picked up my pace and hurried to the classroom. I remember the prefects showing us around and mentioning it was on the first floor. I run fast and find the classroom. Opening the door, I caught everyone's attention. All of my classmates turned around to see who just entered. They were all sitting at their single desks while dressed in black cloakes we received as 1st years. Besides those, you couldn't really see what they are wearing. The only thing I noticed was their hairstyles and the amount of make up some of them had. Those people somehow looked different than your average people. Not just that they could do magic, but the atmosphere around them felt more rich. I look down at my feet and quickly walk to an empty seat I saw when I scanned the room as I entered it. I sit down and drop my bag next to the desk. The teacher didn't seem to be in the room yet so I took sigh of relief. I didn't know if there will be any points deducted for being late so it was better safe to be sorry if I wanna keep it up in here. In that moment somebody appeared out of thin air right in front of me. I got scared by the sudden presence and the shadow that covered me so I screamed. Everyone started to laugh as I looked around at them and then stared at the person in front of me. It was a female, maybe in her mid 40s, dressed casually in brown suit pants and a blouse in a dark forest green color that was tugged inside those high waist pants. She had a small piece of pearl jewelry finishing up her outfit which were revealed by her long blonde hair being braided and tossed to one side on the left shoulder. She just looked at me with no expression and then walked to the teacher's desk. When she arrived at her spot, she turned around back at me and said my name.

Teacher: Kaitlin Holland?!

Me: Y-yes?

Teacher: Glad that you decided to join us.

I gulped and stayed quiet, burying my head into my crossed arms on the desk while the others were looking at the teacher and waiting for her to start the class. First day and I am already embarrassing myself. I wanted to start a new life where I won't be in the middle of the attention, even though this is not the way I planned it. I guess I won't be able to escape this life of mine where for any reason there is unwanted attention on me. The teacher cleared her throat and everyone looked at her. She turned slightly to face everyone in the class and started to explain our studies.

Teacher: Right now, you have been accepted to Aveus Academy for magic descendants. Meaning you have a blood of a witch or a warlock. But even though you possess certain abilities fit for a magic academy, it doesn't mean you can't be expelled from it. If you follow the rules and attend all classes, you will ascend to Magicians. My name is Professor Zilla, and I will be your teacher for the Introduction class.

She snapped her fingers while explaining the purpose of this class to us and books drop to our desks. I took the book into my hands and look at it. At first, the cover was clear reddish brown leather, soft to touch. The book itself is pretty thin and light to carry. I opened it and ran through the pages but they were clear too, with no lines neither words written on them. I looked around to check my classmates and what they think about it. Everyone did the same as me and people started looking at each other and talking about what's going on with the students sitting around their spot. I closed the book and words started to appear on the cover. Rule book of the Aveus Academy Vol.1 in a gold writing. I open the book once more and go through the pages again, the text is being revealed slowly like it's being written as I read it.

Professor Zilla: Please read the rules properly and learn every one of them. For every year you get seven strikes. Earn seven strikes and you will be expelled. You can keep the book until the end of your studies.

People were still going through the rule book as was I when one of the classmates ask the teacher for permission to talk about something. I was flipping the pages and speed reading the rules but after I heard he speak up, I closed it slightly while keeping my thumbs inside to keep the page I was on still open and I looked up to see who it was. My eyes were moving around to classroom and in a few seconds I noticed which student was trying to ask something about the book or one of the rules inside perhaps. He arm was lifted up straight in the air already. The teacher adjusted her body to face in the direction of that girl student and then let her speak up.

Classmate girl 1: Can I ask... In the book it says that magic descendants shall not cross the border to the Umbras Academy. Why is that?

Professor Zilla: This rule exists since the beginnings of the academies. No one really knows why that is. It's simply that no magician is able to cross the border. Every magic blood will be tossed out or obliviated.

Classmate girl 2: Does this mean that people from the other side can't come to our side too?

Me: No, they can.

I went back to my book after she asked the first question but I was still listening onto the conversation that was carried throughout the whole room and the soft chatter of students talking to each other. I didn't even think about it and automatically replied to her, my head still down as I am reading through the book. There was a sudden silence so I lift up my chin and move my head from left to right. I quickly look around the room and meet their eyes, then look at the teacher. She only nods. I didn't know much about magic and things or any of the rules but I already picked up some of the things after I arrived here from the prefects or people talking.

Professor Zilla: I see you are finding your way around the academy already. Yes, Kaitlin is right. Students and teachers from the Umbras academy are able to cross the border. That's why even some of your teachers will be god descendants.

Upon hearing about god descendants the chatter in the room started again, bigger than before. It was mostly the new students who were surprised by the existence of gods too. They were sorta on the same level as me, not knowing magic. I overheard them talk about their lives when they were socializing and getting to know each other during the admission in the main hallway. Some of them dabbled into magic as street magicians. They never really practiced real magic and did only the little tricks they figured out that they can do. So they had a little bit of a better start then me but they were still so many things unknown to us that weren't handed over by our families like it's your casual study material. The chatter was getting louder but it was interrupted by the teacher. She clapped her hands, catching everyone's attention again. She cleared her throat and then walked through the classroom in between the single desks. As she walked, the door opened by itself in front of her and she left the room. After the door closed, the bell rang telling us to go to the next class. The base of the ringing was the same like any highschool, to let you know about the end of the classes, but it sounded more older. Not your modern buzzing bell, but more calmer and nicer, like an old bell that someone had to manually ring for it to make any noise. The next class is supposed to be History. Let's go. I just hope the version of history in this school is not going to be boring as it is in human school. I bend down to open up my backpack and put the rule book into it bag and then pick it up. I stood up from my seat and tried to walk away but I bumped into someone who left their seat too. They turned around and stared at me. They gave me a weird look but then continued to walk away. Some others who were walking behind them looked at me and started to laugh but after a while they re-joined their friends and left the classroom. Great! I am going to be a weirdo in this school too. In the human world, I was either bullied for being an orphan or for the rumors that were spread about me. I figured that if the accidents were caused by magic, it might seem like I am one of them, a normal person, but it doesn't seem to look like it's going to be like that any time soon. I didn't want to risk any other collision or weird looks so I sit back down, waiting for everyone to leave the classroom and then I go too. Walking through the corridors, trying to find the next class, I am looking around the school. There are some old paintings of flowers, fields or nature decorated with wooden frames that were sprayed with golded dust, haning on the walls. Also some weird statues made out of clean white marble or clay sitting on pedestals that look like those greek pillars in the old ruins. I haven't been in this part of the school building yet so this is the first time seeing it. I was looking at the art when suddenly you could hear a loud thunder. It made be jump a little bit because it sounded really close. I look through the window to see if there is a storm coming but I only see a clear blue sky with a specs of white clouds decorating them. Maybe it was just my imagination and I was still tired from the dream I had so I started to walk again while returning my attention to the different art in the hallway. The thunder rolls again and now it's even raining? That wouldn't be weird if it wasn't raining on me, while I am inside a building. I look up to trace the source of the water droplets and see black clouds forming on the ceiling. The rain was getting heavier and the other first years who were walking in front of me start to scream and run through the hallway covering their heads with their arms, books or bags to avoid the rain. Older students, who were passing by or just standing in the hallway near the windows to chat, stay still and start to laugh at the first years. They lift up their hands and fold their fingers in weird positions. Their robes get dry and the rain is bouncing of some invisible shield around them. Their clothes were casual and mostly covered by the black fabric of cloaks they were wearing. They were same as ours with a one small difference. The insides of their hoodies were filled out with a colorful satin and there was something embroidered on their shoulders. Our cloaks were plain black with no additional markings which means they must be older students. And I was right since the students who were standing in the hallway started to laugh and chatter.

Older male student: I guess Idarin's are failing this class.

Older female student: You also couldn't control your air powers during Manifestation class though.

Older male student: Yeah and I thought they are gonna flunk me, but look at us now, in our 4th year. Who would have thought.

Idarin? Wasn't that the name of the Principal? Are those his kids or something? I wondered but then I snapped back to reality and started to walk again. I didn't mind the rain or the chaos created by other students who were running thorugh the hallway to avoid it. I was already pretty wet from it anyway as my hair were now sticking to the side of my face. I passed the 4th years who were still chatting and laughing while the rain slowly stopped and the dark clouds disappeared soon after. I found my classroom, mostly because I saw some familiar faces of my classmates who arrived here before me. Two girls were standing in front of this old gothic wooden door with black iron bars on it. It looks kinda creepy but this is a magic academy. Nothing should surprise me now at this place. I notice the girls are just standing in front of the classroom, looking at the door. They weren't talking to each other and were just staring at the door, their bodies moving only slightly because I saw their cloaks shuffle a little bit. Maybe they are waiting for someone? I couldn't figure out why couldn't they just wait inside so I walked and stopped behind them to see better. One of them was trying to grab the handle but every time she did, her hand went through it. They looked at each other and then they realized I am standing behind them. I must have startled them because they jumped a little bit. They didn't say anything to me and we just stood there. Even more people from our class started to group up with us. The two 4th years who were laughing about the rain walked around our small group and chuckled as they passed us. I push the girls gently to the side and try to grab the handle but my hand went through too. Was this the wrong classroom and we are not supposed to enter this room or what? I tilt my head to right a little bit to check it out. I look at the door and they seem weird for some reason. They look...almost see-through? It could be some kind of test for us. I take a step back and take a deep breath. I close my eyes for a while and then open them again. I decided to try and pass through the door. Either I will get in and pass their little test they prepared for us, or it is really a wrong classroom that we are not supposed to enter and I will just smash my face against the hard wood, maybe imprint the metal bars into my forehead too. I start to walk and my classmates yelled at me, trying to stop me. But I don't let them and then walk through the door successfully. The closer I got to the door, they started to disappear more and more. There was only a whoosh sound that I noticed as I passed through and I ended up inside. I look around the room that looks more like an armory of medieval weapons. It was relatively bigger than our Introduction class which was just a round room. This one was longer and the corners of it were covered in shadows. It was only the center of the room with a big square of wood serving as a table that was illuminated the most. There wasn't much on the table besides a random stack of two or three books and an old lamp that was turned off since there was enough light coming from the arched windows on the second floor of the classroom. Some walls were only a naked sand-colored bricks with metal shields and different weapons, like swords, spears or axes, hanging on them. Some parts of the walls were covered by bookshelves that were filled with many books in leather suits. There was a cut out portion of the room extending it to the outside of the building. It had a small wooden cubes put together, aligned to the shape of the cut out space, topped with small circle burgundy pillows. It looked like a nice place to sit down and read a book. There were also some scarce wooden boxes or chairs around the room, some on the bottom and some on the little podium which also had that table in the middle of it. There weren't any desks for us, neither were any at the second floor which you could get to with this ladder in the back of room, so I picked and empty chair that was facing the main square table and walk up to it on the podium. I sat down and let my bag just rest right next to the chair. Suddenly I hear a clap. I search for the source of it and then I see a guy, which I didn't notice before, leaning against the main desk. He just appeared out of thin air which made me a little bit annoyed. I guessed he must be the History teacher.

History teacher: Did someone tell you to just walk through the door?

Me: No. I just saw the door is see-through and just tried to walk through it.

History teacher: Hmmm. Interesting. You are the first of the 1st years to figure that out this fast. Congratulations.

First time I was praised for something. The achievements weren't really celebrated in the orphanage. They turned it into a thing that everyone also had to do in their lives and just brushed it off. I was a good student at school too. I never really studied since most of the things just stuck with me from the lessons, besides that damn Spanish class, but I never attended any competitions or anything to show off. I only did my job of studying and just minded my own business, trying to lay low. I had enough work with all these rumors shifting the attention on me and I didn't need to stand out even more.

After a while other students decided to do the same as I did and started to come into the room one by one. They were all clutching their arms, pressed in front of their bodies, and they walked in slowly with their eyes closed. The teacher welcomed them and they opened their eyes. History teacher told them to sit down and get ready for the class. I was just sitting on the chair and watched everyone get inside and chose their spots randomly around the classroom. Then I guess it would be better to get ready for the lesson so I leaned to the side to reach for my bag and take out a notebook. I placed in on my thighs and secured it with my left arm as I continued to rummage through my backpack to grab at least one of the pens. When I had everything, I shifted a little bit to adjust the crinkled cloak. I took the notebook and scribbled down my name on it, marked it as a History notes, and then just opened it on the first page. I wrote down today's date on the right margin and then just doodled some swirls and stuff on the page. The teacher was still standing and leaning against the main table without saying anything. He waited until the classroom filled up with the remaining students, counting everyone present and then after everyone found a spot, he started his class.

History teacher: Welcome, students. I am Professor Ikaim and in this class you will learn something about the history of your ancestors and also this academy. Some of you might know a little bit of their family history already from your parents or siblings but we have some faces around this year who don't seem familiar with magic. No worries, we will go throught the history together and explain everything. As you all know, you were accepted to the Aveus academy for young witches and warlocks. Let's begin our first class then, shall we?! When the magic first landed on the earth, people got scared of this new found power. But then children of the old gods were born too. And these two lines of descendants joined their hands and founded our school to continue handing down their legacy to new generations. You might be wondering about the border. Why is there a line we cannot cross even though magicians and demigods used to be such good friends. Simple. Few texts say that the power of so many magical people at one place started to flow through the building and mix up together to the point it created a havoc in the universal energies. That is why they decided to cut those different powers in two and our academy was divided. Aveus for magicians, Umbras for god offsprings. Many years later, demigods found out that they are able to cross the line but magicians aren't. Being the god descendants, some of them called themselves superior beings and they think that they are better than us. But don't let those kids get to you.

I took down some notes but most of the time I was only listening to the teacher explaining the basics we heard in our Introduction class and explained them further for us. Some of the non-magical-family kids kept asking question which made the teacher busy but happy. The class went on for an hour and then the bell rang again. The teacher asked us if we enjoyed the class and if we are happy to be admitted to the academy, to which the new kids answered yes enthusiastically but those who were from magical families with a long tradition only scoffed and left the room. I wasn't sure yet if I liked it here or not so I didn't answer and left too. I went to grab some lunch since the class ended at 11:15am and I figured I could grab something small to eat. We learned today something about how the school was founded but nothing about our powers that would help me figure out the weird accidents in my life. I was still wondering about the border though. If other magic people can't cross or touch the border, how was I able to walk in it? Maybe they will explain more about the border in future classes or I could find some book to read up about it in the library. Lost in my thoughts I suddenly hear Reilly's voice. Sitting in the canteen and eating my lunch, I look up to look at my friend. She knocked on the table and then sat down in front of me, smiling. She told me about the visits or having lunch together but I haven't had the time to contact her about meeting up. How did she even know I was here? Her special power? Don't mind the meet ups, I haven't even had the chance to ask her about her, how did she got in here or what her power was. I completely forgot about it or better, it didn't even cross my mind. I look at Reilly who was putting her hair up into a ponytail so it's not dipped in her food and then proceed to munch on the salad she bought. She was wearing a white tight shirt or maybe a tanktop under a sky blue shirt that was buttoned only up to half, and a basic plain dark blue skinny jeans finished with white sneakers. You could see her whole outfit since she wasn't wearing any cloak or anything else. Meanwhile I sat in the black fabric covering my clothes and felt like an idiot. She was so lucky she didn't have to wear something that looked like a cosplay. She was stabbing the tomatoes with her fork and then quickly snatched them from it with her mouth. She stuffed her cheeks for a few more cherry tomatoes and then finally spoke to me.

Reilly: I am so glad you are here too. I knew that you were special.

Me: Thanks, I guess?

Guy voice: A demigod and a freak. What a disgusting friendship.

I look around to see older magician students sitting at one table and looking at us. They started to laugh and continued to talk about me and Reilly, pointing fingers at us.

Me: What did you say?

Another guy: Ohooh look at that! The freak can talk. We heard everything what you did, you mundrel.

They don't know me. I didn't know anything about magic back then and I couldn't control it. Why are they judging me? They know nothing. How did they even find out about it in the first place? A sudden rage takes over my body and the table starts to shake. Reilly grabs my hand and tries to calm me down. She was the one who was punching first, ask questions later when someone tried to bully us, but after years she just let it go, tried to control her anger and not fight people. Better to leave the situation, she would always say. I tried to do the same as her and not mind the people but sometimes I couldn't just let it go. If it was only about me I would. But Reilly did nothing, only stayed by my side all those years and helped me. She didn't deserve to be dragged into my mess again at a new place. I clenched my teeth and my breath gets heavier. Other tables start to shake too. I stare at the group of douchebags who said those things about us and I hit the table with a force while standing up. I stand in front of the table and position myself to be directly in front of them. I wanted to say something to them but I couldn't seem to open my mouth and say all those vile things that crossed my mind. Instead, , it came to my mind as an instinct and I raise my hand in the air. The guys dropped on the ground and something was pulling them towards me. They tried to grab something so they are not getting dragged on the floor but with no luck and they were slowly pulled to our table. Other things from their table were being pulled too. Suddenly everything stopped and they were left on the ground in the middle of the canteen. My breath slows down a little bit and when I am calm, I look around the terrified people in the room and then see Reilly standing next to me, hugging my arm. I literally showed them the horrors of my life, the things that made people call me a demon child, right after they pointed it out, right when I decided to make a new life for me and gain control over those incidents. Everyone was standing frozen in the canteen when someone cleared their throat once and then second time louder. I turned around to see a familiar person standing in the doorway. It was Ms. Edite and she was waving her index finger, signaling me to go to her. I caused problems again. I definitely will get expelled on my first day!

We walked to top floor and at the end of the long hallway. She knocks on the door and then a familiar voice tells her to come inside. Ms. Edite opens the door and walks in, telling me to wait. It was taking a bit longer than I expected so I started to get nervous. I was pacing in front of the door, biting down on my thumb. I hear their mumbled discussion throught the door, but I couldn't really tell what they were talking about. I walked up closer to the door and tried to eavesdrop, and see if I catch anything from their conversation. Then I hear my name being said. The door opens in front of me, revealing Ms. Edite. My face was close to hers since I tried to press my head on the door to hear better. She only looks at me and says nothing. My eyes fell behind her on the Principal sitting behind his desk. He was older than any of the teachers at the school I have seen so far. His short hair and his long beard already turned grey, which was lighter than the robe he had on. But he didn't seem strict or anything. His gaze was warm, like a grandpa, if I ever had one. My eyes meet with his blue ones that look more like a deep ocean than your casual blue ones and then he asks me to walk inside. I enter the office and wait for what's going to happen next. Ms. Edite closes the door and stands in front of them with her arms crossed. I turn back to look at Principal Idarin and greet him.

Me: Good afternoon, Principal Idarin.

Principal Idarin: Greetings, Kaitlin. Please don't be scared and sit down.

Do not be scared? I was scared of what he might say or do. It never happened at any of my previous schools, me being called into the principal's office. The bullying never went too far and it mostly unnoticed and there was also no other reason for me to go into one. I finally found a place where I can be myself, or exist without being the weird one or things happening around me. Or at least try to find a way how to stop the weirds things from happening. For this reason, I don't want to leave. I needed answers or I needed a way for me to control it. Principal only chuckled slightly and reassured me that nothing will happen to me, yet.

Principal Idarin: Don't worry. You won't get expelled just because you managed to find your power.

I wondered what that meant. Knowing that the weird stuff happening before is because of magic, it was obvious that I had some kind of power after finding out about this place. I didn't just find it out now. Confused, sitting in the office, I stare at the Principal and wait for an explanation.

"Congratulations. You are now an Ossilor."