Fon Carlson walks the halls of Freya Academy, excited about the Great Search announcement. There is a smirk on her lips and her strides are steady towards the hall. She's currently a finishing apprentice at Freya Academy and she knows that she is lucky enough to be in the Academy during the Great Search that happens only once every quarter of a century.

The Great Search is a competition wherein excellent witches and wizards will be chosen to display their skill in magick and pursue the goal of becoming one of the Greats—her dream. She had always been an excellent apprentice, and she is aware that she has a huge chance of becoming the victor.

She enters the function hall and finds it packed with the familiar faces of apprentices and witches that came from another Academy to watch. As expected, the function hall is different than usual. There are more lanterns on the windowsill and there are even more chandeliers than she could even count. The curtains are replaced with those that she only sees on special occasions. Even the windows and the furniture smell of paint.

Fon searches for her friend amidst the myriad of apprentices who could not keep themselves still and jumped up and about the hall. Fon stands at five-two and with a small frame like hers, it's hard to see anything in front unless she makes her presence known.

Fon takes a deep breath, hoping that this would not create another punishment for her. She looks for Philomena, her guardian, and instructor at Freya, the only one who could pass any punishment on her. When she couldn't see her, Fon let out a trickling of her magick. She is confident that it would suffice to make a passage for her.

Within a minute, the apprentices turn and stare while creating a way for her. She curves her lips, planning to give a smile, but the apprentices turn their eyes away. Rissa always laughed at her whenever she tried the art of smiling at strangers. She always tells her that it was never a smile but a smirk, especially when her eyes turn into a slanted angle. It never failed to make Fon's face look like she was plotting something sinister.

"Fon!" Rissa waves as she squeezes her way into the path and stumbles at her feet. "Did you use your smile again? Look at the effect of it," she says, breathless with amazement.

Fon helps her friend up as she tried to brush the dirt from her clothes due to falling. "You klutz."

Rissa smiles at her and makes inaudible excuses. She even creates exaggerated action as her red, curly hair synchronized with each movement.

"Come," Rissa says as she pulls her into the front.

Today is a very important day for Fon. Mainly because the candidates for The Great Search of the East will be formally announced. It was such an extravagant event that even known wizards from the Witch Council are present as well as witches from different noble clans.

In front of them is a huge table occupied by notable witches and wizards that will preside over the Search. Philomena, the head professor of Freya Academy, is at the center looking distinguished in her formal dress.

At her right, seats Jayden, one of the Witch Council Assistant Leaders, the main person who is designated to make sure that the Search runs as orderly as possible.

At Philomena's farthest right, an unfamiliar old woman is seated, probably another assistant to Jayden. And at Philomena's left, a young woman with very strong Kleinfeld features sits with another Freya Academy professor named Alexander.

On both sides of the table, stands a line of Council members and professors from Freya as well as representative professors from other academies.

Philomena clears her throat. A gesture to tell the apprentices that she's about to speak. Philomena is the strongest witch Fon had ever met. Philomena invites humans with affinity to magick to study in her Academy, especially those who live in non-magical human settlements like Fon. They call those places devoid of magick simply as the Void and they call non-magical humans as Aberrants.

Fon was invited into Freya Academy at a young age. From then on, she dreams of becoming one of the Greats mainly because of the mansion that comes with being a Great Witch. She wanted to become the protector of the Eastern region against unrest mostly concocted by dark witches who are bored with their lives. Her huge family can have a house of their own. Most of all, they won't be forced to sing in front of other aberrants just for morsels of food and a bit of donation.

"Freya Academy apprentices and guests. Here we are again to the Search for the Great Wizard and Witch of the East which happens every quarter of a century," Philomena starts.

"Last quarter, as you all are aware of, the Great Search happened at a different academy. Fortunately for our Academy this year, we have two apprentices qualifying for the Search which gives us the right to hold the Search at our very own premise," Philomena adds.

A deafening applause erupts in the hall. She hears the people shout the name of Cesky, the frail little sweet girl who is a niece to her teacher Alexander. Fon looks up at the table and finds Alexander beaming.

She smirks. He looks so proud which means Cesky is able to become one of the candidates for the Great Search. Unfortunately for Cesky, she might be her rival as the top apprentice at Freya but her magick is not even close to what she had.

"We are aware that the list of the candidates already leaked, but nevertheless, we are proud to announce the candidates for the Great Search!"

The spectators shout again. Fon shakes her head as she disapproves of the apprentices' lack of gracefulness and patience.

"This quarter, we have five apprentices qualifying for the Great Search which is, mind you, an average number for Searches. First, we have Cesky Trelewn!" shouts Philomena.

Fon sees Cesky being pushed by other apprentices to the front. She is blushing furiously from all the attention she's receiving from her colleagues. It seems so stupid. Of course, Cesky would be chosen. She had a pretty decent power, unlike her uncle, matched up with her hard work and dedication. She's also very popular among the apprentices which prove that her affinity for Enchantment and Glamour is high.

"Next is Ayin Repulse!"

Ayin Repulse is the only wizard ever to be considered as a candidate in the Search. He's even fortunate enough to be included. He may be the strongest wizard in the region but one should not make the mistake of comparing him to other witches.

"Isn't he cool? With that long hair?" Rissa asks interrupting her scrutiny of the other candidates.

"Who?" Fon asks disconcerted. She looks at her best friend and notices her swooning over Ayin. He's currently ascending the platform towards Cesky who is still flushed and embarrassed for the attention.

"Ayin! Really, Fon, you don't care that much about boys. Wouldn't you want him to be your husband? With his Restoration affinity, life would be very comfortable, and that's the least he could give me. Although for you, you might like his Restoration skills."

"He is a rare breed, yes, but I am not particularly interested in Restoration type."

"You're not interested in any type at all!" Rissa complains.

Fon sighs. His Restoration will indeed make life convenient for his wife since it is the ability to reconstruct anything to its original state. If skilled enough, it is the magick that can rejuvenate and mend anything.

"Comforts should be the only factor when choosing your husband. That is the norm and you should follow it. You are such a strange girl for a witch," Fon adds.

"Next is Sven Kleinfeld!" Philomena continues.

A little girl barely reaching five feet in height and with long, black, wavy hair up to her waist passes the apprentices and started to walk towards the other candidates. Aside from her raven black hair, she had brown skin and deep-set eyes, a feature common to all Kleinfelds.

"Did you know that little Kleinfeld girl is noted for being a prodigy? However, I heard her classmates complaining about how haughty she is," Rissa whispers.

"You are so fond of hearsay."

"I need the talent to spy on ordinary humans," Rissa says and snickers.

"You should really stop going outside the Academy and spying on them. Someday you would be expelled and don't blame me if you do."

"At least I have my share of the aberrant's culture," Rissa says and Fon can't help but hit her on the head.

"Hey!" Rissa complains.

"Just trying to reattach the screws loose on your head."

"By hitting me? You're just making it worse!"

"Prim Jaxon!" Philomena calls and Rissa turns her attention in front of them.

"This is the fourth one, right? Don't worry Fon, you would definitely be called. It will be such a waste not to include you."

Fon looks at her friend and smiles. "I'm not slightly bit worried. I am confident I would be chosen as a candidate."

"As you say so. I think you and Sven will have such a great time," Rissa comments.

"Why would you think that?"

"You are both so confident in your abilities," Rissa answers and laughs.

And Fon laughs with her because it's true. She is so confident about her affinity to everything, except Divination, that she appears haughty and very proud like the little Kleinfeld girl.

"And the last candidate would be our very own, Fon Carlson!" Philomena says in a booming voice.

She hears Rissa clap and shouts encouragement for her but she's the only one who did so. Everyone falls into silence and is trying hard not to meet her gaze. Even the guests are extra careful about it. She looks at the huge table and understands that these are the only people who can look at her straight in the eye, affirming the fact that only experienced witches can ever commune with her.

Philomena continues with her long speech and Fon uses the time to skim over the audience who are still in a state of excitement. Rissa is the only one looking at her and still clapping happily.

Rissa really is a weird girl. Every single apprentice in the Academy is wary of her, but Rissa is different. She tried so hard to be her best friend. A best friend might not be the correct word since she had no other friend which defeated the purpose of the term best. And besides, there is no one to be compared to Rissa.

So, Fon decides to gauge her rivals, but she stops when she notices a strange guy at the farthest corner of the hall. She retraces her vision and sees him. He is wearing ordinary jeans and a shirt with an ordinary robe atop it. He has unkempt hair and a tanned complexion. He is around six feet tall and has a strong build that might be the cause of some heavy activities. He has his hands crossed against his chest and he is just staring nonchalantly... at her. The guy realizes she's looking at him and he did the most unexpected thing—he bows at her displaying his compliments for her.

Fon is flabbergasted. This might be the first time this young man met her so he might not have known. Maybe he is a very weak wizard. Or worse, an aberrant so he cannot feel the magick emanating from her. Besides from this distance, she cannot feel any magick from him either. Still, she is interested.

"And that concludes this assembly," Philomena says, and the apprentices start to leave the hall.

Fon quickly descends the platform and tries to catch up with the strange guy. She catches him smiling broadly at someone behind her. She turns around and sees the young woman at the huge table. Sven is talking to her. The young woman at the table gestures something and when Fon looks back at the young man, he is nowhere to be found. She looks back at Sven and it hits her. She should have realized it sooner, with her black, wavy, shoulder-length hair, brown skin, and deep-set eyes, a mirror of Sven Kleinfeld.

This is Myrielle Kleinfeld, the eldest daughter of the powerful main branch of the Kleinfeld clan. She is the rumored cursed daughter of Kleinfeld because of her very low affinity to magick despite being born to an ancient family of powerful witches and wizards. Even before graduating, this young woman involved herself in defeating and sealing dark witches.

According to rumors, because of these activities, she was cursed. It's the type that seeps all magick from a witch. If that is so, the young man she sees is the rumored aberrant pet of Myrielle, Finn Zachary.

A/N: 

At the top is a picture of Fon, looking as arrogant as ever. :) 

Dedications to asterisk02 for creating my book cover! :)