It had come to the end of the First Quarter and Lilly passed with all A's except for one B in Alchemy. No other incidents had occurred since The Beast and it'd been almost completely forgotten by everyone, except the five students responsible for the attack. Lilly's sleep had been haunted by the moth man almost every night since he showed up in her class, something that hadn't happened since she was a small child. Professor Sunderland was unable to figure out the cause of these nightmares and promised that as soon as Dean Fogg had recovered, they would find a way to keep the monster out of her head. In the meantime, Sunderland had instructed her to keep a dream journal so that they could be analyzed.

Dark circles had formed under her eyes and Ava was just about ready to strangle her if she woke up screaming again. Lilly's friends grew concerned and even Penny had taken to watching her closely, even walking her back from the library one night, as if she would break from the slightest disturbance. To say she was relieved when she walked into class that morning to find Dean Fogg at the front of the room would be an understatement. He was newly blinded, which explained the pair of darkly tinted sunglasses he wore, but he still surveyed the students like he could see every movement they made. Lilly took an empty seat beside Alice, shooting her a puzzled look. Fogg waited until everyone had settled in their seats before cutting through the murmur of voices to begin his speech.

"Being a Magician has always been, in part, about accruing power. Power over yourself, the elements, power over the future, the very world that exists around you." A door shut in the back and all heads turned to find Quentin, late as usual. Lilly made a mental note to buy him a watch for his birthday. Everyone disregarded him and he shuffled his way over to Lilly and Alice.

"He's back?"

"But power, as you all know, does not come cheaply. There are reasons we teach this curriculum precisely the way that we do. Skipping around, focusing on all the wrong things, lack of guidance- these are all extremely dangerous. There are certain energies, certain spells, which are far too powerful for one Magician to do alone. If you lose control they will turn against you, they will kill you, they will consume you, change you into something else."

A chill ran down her spine as he spoke. She supposed it was the ominous wording that caused the hair on her arms to stand on end and maybe even the possibility that it might happen to her or her friends. A wave of whispers swept through the room. She wasn't the only one his words affected, "now that I have your attention, we test to discern your Discipline, your area of concentration. It is what you are, and with the right guidance, you may safely rise to unknowable heights. You will find your scheduled times and invitations inside your bags." Everyone simultaneously reached into their bags to find a card almost identical to the ones they received during the entrance exam. On it was printed,

LILLY COLE

Please report to the DEAN'S OFFICE at

17:00

"Classes are canceled for the rest of the day. Your evaluating Professor will explain the circumstances of your continuation in this program. You are dismissed." Lilly grabbed her bag and slung it across her shoulder, thankful that she wouldn't have to sit through History of Magic. A week with barely any rest was becoming increasingly difficult to handle and Lilly prayed that the Dean would be able to help.

➺➺➺➺

"Come in," The Dean called, and Lilly pushed open the French doors to find him sitting across the desk from her. Professor Sunderland stood to the right, arms crossed and looking very stressed. Another woman loitered by the window, her red hair pulled into a vintage updo, she faced away from the others. "Please, take a seat," Dean Fogg motioned to the empty chair across from him with a gloved hand. The Beast must have done something to them to hinder his casting. The gloves had multi-colored wires connected to each finger, giving the impression that they were bionic. "I've been informed that you've been having dreams of The Beast that attacked you." Lilly nodded as she took a seat only to remember he was blind and couldn't see her.

"Yes, that's correct," she eyed the woman at the window who had yet to reveal herself.

"As you can see, I'm in a bit of a tricky situation at the moment and am unable to help you." Lilly's shoulders sank, there was no way she could handle this much longer without having a complete mental breakdown, "but, I called in a specialist," he motioned to the woman who finally turned around when addressed. Lilly recognized her from their last encounter.

"Paramedic lady?" The woman smiled sadly and sighed.

"It is very nice to see you again, Lilly. You may call me Eliza. Paramedic Lady is much too formal," her voice was laced with humor. Lilly wondered if she always had this air of amusement, as if everything was some cosmic joke and only she knew the punchline.

"Eliza will be helping you stop these dreams," Fogg explained, "I trust her completely and if anyone can figure it out, it would be her."

"Have you ever heard of Occlumency?" Eliza asked, perching herself on the corner of the desk.

"Like, from Harry Potter?"

"Precisely, I will be teaching you how to close your mind and protect it from external attacks," Lilly shifted forward in her seat, intrigued.

"Do you think it'll work?"

"We can only hope," Eliza didn't sound very optimistic, but Lilly was grasping at straws and would take anything she could get. "Everyone has a certain level of protection around their minds that is preexisting. You can learn to build and enforce those walls, but I will warn you, it's not easy, not in the slightest," Lilly nodded to signifying her willingness.

"So, you think these dreams are The Beast trying to get into my head?" A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of that thing prowling through her mind. The pause confirmed her suspicions. Lilly sagged into her chair, "why me?"

"That is what we would all like to know," Dean Fogg interrupted, but Eliza ignored him.

"There is no apparent reason why it's targeting you, but you aren't the only one. Your friends, Quentin," Lilly's eyes shot up, "and Penny, seem to be of interest to him as well."

"What did we do to gain its attention? We're not special," Eliza didn't bother to answer and Lilly assumed it was because she didn't know. How could she know? There was nothing about them that would attract The Beast's wrath.

"I have been told that your mental protections are naturally rather strong. However, they are not strong enough to protect you from The Beast. Your friend, Penny, has also fallen victim to mental attacks and will be joining us for our lessons."

"We're not friends," Lilly snapped indignantly and amusement flitted across Eliza's face.

"Very well, our first lesson starts Tuesday, at six o'clock. Don't be late, I despise tardiness," Lilly immediately dreaded these lessons. She and Penny would probably kill each other on the first day.

"Let's continue, Professor Sunderland will be testing you to determine your discipline," Fogg nodded in the general direction of the professor who stepped forward. She placed a heavy leather bag beside the desk and produced a compact golden spyglass from its depths. She expanded it and gazed through it in Lilly's direction. Lilly felt like a scientific specimen under a microscope.

"The dreams you've been having initially made me think you were a psychic, but as we have determined, they were an external attack. My suspicions are no longer valid. Have you heard voices at all? Deja vu?" Lilly shook her head and Sunderland retracted the spyglass, reaching into her bag once more. She placed an ornate hourglass on the table and flipped it over, so the sand drained into the lower chamber. "Clear your mind, focus on every grain of sand as it falls," Lilly did as told, no matter how bizarre the task was, nothing happened.

Sunderland sighed and circled through another round of tests. It was quickly determined that she was neither a Healer nor an Herbalist. That left Illusions, Knowledge, and Physical magic. They must've been there for hours and Lilly wondered how long it had taken the others to be sorted. She couldn't help the pang of anxiety in her chest at why it was taking this long. Sunderland had taken to pacing back and forth while Eliza studied her pensively from across the room. "Hold these," Sunderland handed her a pair of Egyptian scarabs, "now think the alphabet in Greek," Lilly looked around to see if anyone else found this strange before doing as told. "Nope," the scarabs were plucked from her grasp, "not Knowledge." Sunderland looked around the room and took an apple from the edge of Fogg's desk and promptly chucked it at Lilly's head. She ducked before it could hit her and it smashed against the wall with a resounding bang.

"What the hell?" Lilly looked at the professor as if she were insane, but the other adults seemed to find nothing awry.

"I did think you might be a Physical Magician, but your lack of response is telling me otherwise," she rifled through her bag which must've been almost empty by now and produced a hand mirror. "Would you say you are a good liar, Lilly?" Lilly was taken aback by this question. Had they figured out that she was a part of the summoning? Had Penny betrayed her too?

"Is this a trick question?" A flicker of amusement crossed Sunderland's face.

"No, no trick, just a question."

"I guess so? I used to want to be an actress when I was little," the professor nodded pensively, "am I in trouble?"

"Trouble? No, quite the opposite, the tests we performed indicate that you may be an Illusionist. Now we're going to figure out your specific Discipline."

"Illusionist?" Lilly muttered, mulling over the words as one would a fine wine. She felt a surge of excitement as she remembered watching Alex demonstrate his Discipline the first time they'd met. She'd been hoping to be placed in the Physical group with Eliot and Margo, but Illusions was infinitely more intriguing

"Vanishing is quite common, but you didn't respond to the test that would've revealed it. Sunderland handed her the mirror, "focus on your reflection, every tiny detail," Lilly tried her best, but yet again, nothing happened.

"Maybe I did it wrong?" Her shoulders slumped, muscles sore from being in the same position too long, and she was growing discouraged.

"I suppose we can try one more thing," for what Lilly prayed was the last time, Sunderland reached into the bag. Her entire arm was swallowed up and when she resurfaced, she held the largest chunk of reflective rock, Lilly had ever seen. "I want you to concentrate on the colors, just for a minute." She placed the rock in Lilly's hands and the blonde observed it. A thousand colors were reflected on the walls as sunlight illuminated it. The request at least was less bizarre than some previous ones. She concentrated on the crystal as she'd been instructed, and as she watched, gradually each image began to swirl and blend into a swirling vortex of colors.

"Somethings happening!" A spark of excitement ignited within her at the first sign of something since they'd started this grueling aptitude test.

"Keep with it a few moments longer," Sunderland's voice was level, but a telltale triumphant smile had appeared on her lips. The crystal continued to swirl as the professor looked through her optical revelation lenses. "You can stop now," Lilly looked up rapidly and was hit with a wave of nausea.

"Woah," Lilly gasped, "what was that?"

"That was Opinokinesis," Sunderland hastily plucked the crystal from Lilly's grasp and returned it to her bag, "manipulation of the senses. None of that was really happening, you just tricked our senses into believing it was true."

"Hold on," Eliza moved over to them, eyes calculating as they looked Lilly over. Eliza turned to Sunderland, "may I?" She stepped back in silent approval. Eliza circled Lilly, who watched apprehensively as she bent down to her level. She pulled a small magnifying glass from her skirt pocket and used it to examine Lilly for any identifying markers.

She hummed softly in contemplation, then stood to whisper something in Sunderland's ear. The professor nodded once and left the room, "she will be back in a moment, I just asked her to fetch something for me. I'm not surprised that Professor Sunderland didn't catch it, I almost didn't see it myself."

"See what?" Lilly asked and Eliza smiled secretively. The door rattled as Sunderland returned, holding numerous vials of colored liquids.

"Thank you, Professor," Eliza spoke, watching as Sunderland laid out the vials on Fogg's desk. During all of this, the Dean remained silent. Eliza reached out to grab a purple liquid, popping the cap and sniffing it lightly. Her nose scrunching up in disgust, "hold out your hand." Lilly followed orders and Eliza dropped a bit of the purple liquid into her palm. As soon as it hit her skin, it morphed from purple to pure silver. Lilly regarded the phenomenon with bewilderment.

"What does that mean?"

"Something remarkable," Eliza reached for another vial, this time scarlet. If Lilly didn't know any better she would've said it was blood. She gestured for Lilly to hold out her hand again, dropping the liquid into her palm. Lilly gasped as the substance was dissolved into her skin, without a trace. Something very peculiar was happening. Lilly felt it first in the spot where the liquid disappeared. A tingling sensation, filling up her whole body, then heat boiling beneath the surface of her skin.

"What's happening?" Her unease was evident and Lilly watched as Professor Sunderland stumbled back in surprise. She looked to Eliza for answers, but the woman sat eerily calm. Lilly turned pleadingly to Dean Fogg who, of course, couldn't see her. Why weren't they helping her? What was going on? The feeling abruptly halted as if a faucet had been turned off. A smile tugged at the edge of Eliza's lips.

"Just as I suspected!" Eliza cheered in a singsong voice, hopping up from her seat to examine her in detail. Sunderland was still in shock and watched Lilly with a mix of horror and fascination. Lilly had no idea what had just happened, but apparently, it was pretty mind-blowing. "You, my dear, are a Shifter!" This meant nothing to Lilly, but Sunderland broke her reverie.

"I thought Shifters were a myth."

"Just like people think magic is a myth," Eliza sassed, never taking her eyes off of Lilly.

"What's a Shifter?" Lilly inquired dubiously.

"Well, being a Shifter is unbelievably rare," Eliza explained, "so rare, that many believe them to be a myth. Their abilities, well, it may be better if I show you rather than try to explain," Eliza reached across the desk to grab the hand mirror and turned it to face Lilly. Only it wasn't Lilly who stared back at her, but a stranger. Lilly screamed, jumping up from her seat and stumbling away from her alien reflection.

"What the hell happened?" She yelled at Eliza who had yet to lose her composure.

"Shifters, have the ability to take the form of others. Experienced Shifters can do it through simple eye contact, but the easiest and most effective way is through blood," Eliza gestured to the red vial and Lilly felt the sudden urge to vomit.

"You're telling me that you poured blood onto my hand to make me turn into someone else!"

"Shifters are a race of magical creatures. Their abilities pass down through their lineage, which means..."

"One of my ancestors was this Shifter thing?" Eliza nodded and gently guided Lilly back into her seat. Sunderland finally worked up the courage to inspect her and now circled Lilly.

"I've seen Illusionists warp the perception of themselves to look like another, but this- she actually is this girl." Lilly did not share her enthusiasm and only wished to return to herself.

"How do I stop it?" She looked at Eliza helplessly.

"Focus on yourself. Picture every detail of your being until you feel it." Lilly followed the instructions, not wanting to be stuck in another girl's body a moment longer. Sure enough, a moment later the tingling returned and when she looked in the mirror she was Lilly again.

"How do you know so much about Shifters if they're supposed to be a myth?" Eliza hesitated.

"I have spent time in other worlds. Worlds where Shifters are much more common than here. I picked up a few things along the way." Lilly wished she had been less vague, but one look at the woman told her that was all she would get.

"I am not equipped to teach her, I have no knowledge of Shifters. I suggest we call in a specialist to help her," Sunderland looked to Dean Fogg for his approval.

"Why call in a specialist when one is standing in the room with us?" Dean Fogg cocked one eyebrow, "Eliza, would you?" Eliza's eyes bored into the Dean, the tension palpable. She gave him a displeased scowl, then shook her head in frustration.

"Of course," Eliza smiled, "I will be your mentor during your time at Brakebills. We will meet once a week, along with our Occlumency lessons."

"You are an Illusionist," The Dean declared, "your exact discipline, Opinokinesis," Lilly nodded, though the thoughts running through her head made it hard for her to focus on his words.

"Illusionists live in a castle on the west side of campus by the ocean," Sunderland told her.

"A castle? I've never seen one on campus."

"There is a reason they are called Illusionists, Lilly. Your things will be moved to the castle so there is no reason to return to the dorms."

"You may go, any further questions will have to wait until your meeting with Eliza," Dean Fogg released her and Lilly slowly got up in a bit of a daze. Professor Sunderland still had a bit of disbelief behind her eyes as Lilly turned to leave. She wandered around campus until she ran into Dani at the coffee shop, sitting alone with her laptop.

"Hey, what happened?" Dani's excitement turned to concern when she saw the look on her friend's face.

"I have no idea."

What do you guys think of Lilly's discipline and her being a Shifter? I really wanted to explore the Illusionists because we don't get to see much of the other disciplines in the show. Please vote and comment what you think about the new developments.

- Vi