(Zelda's POV)

I woke up in a bedroom, and by the looks of it, I was in an empty dorm room in Elysium. So was everything a dream? How did I get here? Oh yeah, I was at the Portman's for a party the night before school started, and I didn't want to be there, so I snuck away. I found the journal of Oliver Nightingale, which made an absolute unhinged mess of my life from the moment I touched it. Okay, so it wasn't a dream, as I remember everything. Great, now what am I going to do? If I'm fifty-two years in the past, how am I supposed to get back?

I groaned at my thoughts. I think I'm supposed to be doing something today. Who am I kidding? What could I possibly have to do right now? Besides, I must find a way to return to my time. Moon Goddess, why do you have to royally fuck me?

As I was getting dressed by using magic to alter my party dress, I remembered that I had to see Malakai early at 9 am on the dot. I started heading to his office, but he was sitting on the garden bench. "Ah, Zelda. I hope you slept well. How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright, I guess." I chuckled softly.

"I think you are handling this better than most people would. Just keep your strong poker face for a while, as we talked about last night. We should keep the mysterious details of your appearance between us. Do you still remember the cover story we made?

"Yeah, you'll tell Headmistress Caroline I'm enrolling as a senior. My parents have homeschooled me my whole life while traveling abroad with them until their untimely deaths. Thus, leaving me an orphan, and at their will's request, I was placed under the care of the Portmen family because our families were so close." I repeated what he said last night word for word.

"Excellent, Zelda, good job. I've already briefed the Headmistress, but I'm sure she'll still have questions. So let's make sure our stories match up, and I'll come to get you after your meeting."

I nodded as he led me to the Headmistress's office and knocked on the door. "Come in!" said Headmistress Caroline. I walked in. "Ah yes, hello! You must be Miss Cromwell. Please have a seat."

I took a seat that was by her desk. "Thank you so much for meeting me on such short notice, Headmistress Caroline."

The Headmistress smiled at me. "Not a problem at all, Miss Cromwell. Professor Portman spoke very highly of you."

"Yes, I'm incredibly grateful for everything Professor Portman has done for me lately," I said.

"Well, Malakai does have a kind heart. Being Elysium's top student from when he attended, I was ecstatic when he decided to teach here." Headmistress Caroline said.

"I'm looking forward to learning from him very soon," I said, making a quick lie.

"He seems just as excited to have you here, dear. I think it will be good for him. Perhaps you can help him get out of his shell." The Headmistress said.

"I will certainly do my best." I smiled and nodded.

"So, I believe he mentioned that your family was close. The Portmans' have had many generations of their own attend Elysium. I am surprised you are enrolling so late in your education." Headmistress Caroline said.

She's asking why I didn't enroll sooner. But I know the cover story, guys. "I was homeschooled due to all the traveling abroad my family did. But I'm sure it would be here if my parents ever decided to settle down somewhere. My education was crucial to them, and Elysium is quite clearly the best." I said.

"You have high school spirit. I like it! I'm sure the students here would be excited to hear about your travels. We rarely allow transfers, and I'm sure you'll be treated with such curiosity." Headmistress Caroline said.

Oh, that's fantastic, JUST what I need. "It'll be an adjustment for me, that's for sure." I rubbed my neck.

"And how are you doing, dear? I imagine such a transitional time in your life must be a lot right now." Headmistress Caroline said.

"I won't lie to you, Headmistress, it has been difficult coming to terms with my parent's deaths, and I don't think it was ever getting easier to move on with my life without them. But Professor Portman has been so amazing in taking me in. I don't know where I would be without him." I said.

"Yes, of course. How fortunate that the two of you found each other during such a trying time. I'd like you to know that if there's any support we can help provide, all you have to do is ask." Headmistress Caroline said. "Our student's well-being is of the utmost importance."

"Thank you so much, Headmistress," I said.

"Of course, Miss Cromwell. I'm here to guide you to the best of my abilities and now to the issue of your enrollment. We will need to test you to determine what level of classes you should be taking, and before we do that, we'll want to get you matched to your proper circle. Has Professor Portman spoken to you about this?" Headmistress Caroline asked.

"He has mentioned it," I said. I have been a part of Intuitus for the last three years.

"Wonderful. So you are familiar with the four Elysian Circles. These are the pillars upon which our school is built. They exist to help foster unity and teamwork among our students early on. They are meant to serve as a foundation and not create division. We believe bringing you closer to like-minded peers can help provide a family away from home. Of course, there is healthy competition among the Circles, which is expected in any setting with distinct groups. We strongly encourage students to make connections with those in other circles. Now that you have a better understanding of their purpose, I can tell you about each one, and we'll sort out which you'll be a part of for your time as a student here." Headmistress Caroline explained.

Headmistress Caroline then started to explain what the four Circles were all about and what they were.

The Intuitus Circle is where you will find those with profoundly loyal and protective natures. These brilliant and intuitive individuals are also playful and curious.

The Viribus Circle is where those that seek strength and power come together. These bold and brutal individuals are known for their tenacity and depth of hidden knowledge.

The Gratius Circle shows favor to those with loving and caring spirits. They are very skilled in the healing arts and become world-class doctors.

The Honestus Circle honors those who are wise and possess the power of foresight. They are very patient and observe people, and are very independent.

"And those are the four Elysian Circles. Now let's match you to the right one, shall we?" The Headmistress pointed to her crystal ball. "Place your hands on this crystal ball, please."

I did as instructed, and the ball began to glow. I took a closer look, and it glowed a bright light blue. HAH, I KNEW IT. "It appears you belong in the Intuitus Circle." Headmistress Caroline clapped.

"Thank you!" This is not surprising at all. "This is very exciting," I said.

"All we have to do now is some placement testing for your classes and--

(One Hour Later)

I walked out of the office with a smile on my face. That couldn't have gone better. "So, how did it go?" Professor Portman asked me.

"Okay. I think! You are looking at Intuitus's 'newest' member." I said, and we both laughed.

"Sounds like we should celebrate. Come on; I'm taking you out for brunch." My smile widened when he said we were going out for brunch. I wondered what the food would taste like in 2025. 

Professor Portman took us to the nearest local town, near Elysium. It's a lovely little town called Starwood Hollow. During the weekends, students are allowed to visit if they'd like to shop at the local boutiques or eat at the restaurants, or if they want to try their luck, they would dare try to sneak into the only bar in town. Shawn managed to convince me to once last year, and I promised him I would be more adventurous during our final year in school.

"Thank you for taking me into town, Professor. We might have overdone it on the shopping, though," I said.

"Please, you're living a whole new life now. We need to make sure you're adequately equipped for anything. I'm sure you want to wear more than one outfit in your wardrobe rather than change your dress's appearance daily." Professor Portman said.

Well, he's not wrong there. "True, but I still feel you've done so much for me already, and I don't know how to thank you for everything. But I can say this, Thank you so much."

"Zelda, based on what you've told me so far, it sounds like I consider you a member of my family back in your time. I'm only doing what my future self would probably do, and truthfully, I could use some family in my life these days. Being here made me realize I never got over my parents' deaths. I guess I have been shutting people out without noticing, but I will make sure not to do that anymore. Thank you, Zelda," Professor Portman smiled.

Warmth spread over me as I felt a pang of familiarity in response to his heartfelt words. I am not reminded of the older version of Professor Portman, though. No, my mind has unwittingly wandered back to my best friend once again--his grandson. I've always known Shawn to wear his heart on his sleeve. It's nice to know that this endearing trait seems to have spanned multiple generations of Portman men.

"Come on, Zelda, I still owe you brunch. The cafe's right ahead." Professor Portman said.

We sat in the cafe, ordered our food, and chatted about what to expect during my stay in Elysium. I'm sure some things will be different between 2025 and 2077. Seeing Professor Portman when he was 25 is one of those differences. "Malakai? Is that you?" Said a very familiar woman. "What are you doing here? I thought you never socialized on weekends."

"Oh, hello, Monica. I suppose I spoke too soon when I said that to you, and I'm here to show Zelda around." Professor Portman said.

"Hi, I'm Zelda Cromwell." I waved at Monica.

"I'm Monica. So, how do you know Malakai?" Monica asked me.

"Professor Portman's family and mine have always been close. I've enrolled as a transfer student to Elysium, so he's kind enough to be my guide." I explained.

"Zelda's parents were in an unfortunate accident not too long ago, and I'm kind of the closest thing she has to a family now and vice versa." Professor Portman said.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry," Monica said.

"Thank you," I said. "The best thing I can do is move forward with my life. I think that what my parents would have wanted and honor them by living my life."

What a profoundly bright outlook to her for someone your age. Well, I should get going, Malakai. I got what I needed to fill my storage with supplies for my class. It's good to see you out and about, Malakai. I'm looking forward to having you in my class, Miss Cromwell. See you soon."

"So, Monica is a Professor?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Yep, she's the Potions Professor. I promise you she is nothing like Professor Snape." Professor Portman laughed. "Her full name is Monica Luma,"

I was taken aback by this. "That's Professor Luma?!" My mouth dropped.

"You know of her?" Professor Portman cocked his head.

"Yeah, I know her the same way I know you," I explained. "I also happen to know that she thinks you're a total babe, Professor," I laughed softly.

"You're joking, right?" Professor Portman's jaw dropped.

"Sorry, her exact words were 'Silver Fox'!" I said.

"Why would she tell a student that?" Professor Portman said.

"She didn't, she told another professor, and I accidently overheard," I explained. "Must be mildly embarrassing, huh?"

"Very mildly; I'm not going to continue this with you any longer, Zelda." Professor Portman huffed with frustration.

"Oh, you're no fun," I pouted.

"MOVING ON, you'll probably meet the other professors tonight at dinner. Well, I hope you see more familiar faces that will help you put your mind at ease. I wouldn't be surprised if there were an official announcement about your arrival, Zelda." Professor Portman giggled.

"Is that necessary? I thought the fewer people who know about me, the better," I said.

"Don't worry about it; I heard from the other professors that they were very impressed by your placement scores. There's only one student at Elysium currently near your academic level." Professor Portman said.

After we finished eating lunch and returned to school, I found myself in the Great Library of Alexandria. According to human history, this library was burned to the ground, but in truth, the greatest witches and wizards used magic to save the books and moved them to Elysium. Wizards like Merlin, Leonardo da Vinci, Morgott, and Witches like Morgan Le Fay and Marika worked together to save what was left of the library.

I wanted to take a nap or try settling into my dorm before dinner, but I couldn't contain my anxiety, so those options went out the window. It seems that the library is one of the only places that can calm my nerves. I started looking for books that could help me with my time travel dilemma and a little bit of praying to the Goddess for anything that could help me get home. So far, I haven't found anything, just another dead end, and that's the FIFTH magic book I've looked at already.

I was skimming through the shelves for another book on time magic until I heard a sweet, almost angelic voice. "What are you looking for?" Said the voice.

"A miracle," I said as the words slipped out of my mouth, dripping with sarcasm before I realized what I was saying. All I can register is the feel of an indescribable tingling running up and down my body. I could feel someone's magic gently caressing me, much to my alarm. I could sense my magic humming beneath my skin. I was delighted to reach out and meet this familiar yet unfamiliar energy as it is saying hello to an old friend. Then I felt the sudden feeling of the bookcases pressed up against my back, leaving me stunned as this stranger's body loomed over me.

"What do you think you're doing?" The young man said. I stood there frozen. What's happening here? Did this guy mistake me for someone else?

"What do you think I'm doing?!" I yelled. "What do you think you're doing?! Are you not familiar with the concepts of personal space or consent?"

The young man laughed and leaned closer to me. "That's funny; you're the one to talk," said the young man. "It's not very polite to use magic on unsuspecting strangers."

"What are you talking about?" I cocked my head.

"Oh, don't play dumb. Just now, I was minding my own business, and for some reason,  you saw it fit to brand me?" He said.

"Brand you? I have no idea what you're talking about." I said with confusion in my voice, but he didn't believe me. "I did no such thing!"

"Oh, so those words on my arm showed up on their own, then?" He said.

I took a glance at his forearm, and I saw what he was talking about now. 'A miracle.' Two words are mesmerizingly written in a shimmering silver color against his skin. Two words are unmistakably written in the distinct looping cursive of my handwriting. I spoke those two words not too long ago. Words that had fallen out of my mouth were the most natural thing in the world. It felt as if I had been waiting my whole life to say them without realizing it. "Oh Goddess, OH NO! No, no, no!" I was about to freak out.

"Look, is this some creative way to get my attention? I have told others that I'm looking for a relationship. I'm too busy with school and council duties to have time to date, anyone." he said.

"Well, that's presumptuous of you. Trust me; I have no interest in you." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Then why did you mark me?" The young man cocked his head to the side.

I groaned at him. "I told you, I didn't!" I said, getting annoyed.

"Right, sure you didn't" His voice was dripping with doubt.

"I don't give a shit if you believe me or not, but I'm leaving now," I yelled at him as I stormed out of the library and leaned on one of the pillars.

Goddess did I yell at The Nightingale, Oliver Nightingale?!

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(Oliver's POV)

I need to stop lending books to Jax. This is the third time now that he's lost one. I know that my assignment for Professor Malborne's class is already perfect, but it feels wrong not to double-check my work. I'm going to get the book and get out of here. I walked over to the shelf where the book I needed was, and a girl was looking for something but was taking a long time. How long does it take to find what she needs, and the book I need is on that shelf?

Maybe I should ask if she needs help so I can get out of here faster.

"What are you looking for?" I said to her.

"A miracle," She responded.

What the hell am I feeling right now? The most sublime sensation is traveling throughout my body right now. Vibrations of energy ghost along the surface of my skin, imprinting in a way that pierces the soul. This is someone's magic. It takes a while to see that my magic is reaching out to meet. I am delighted and comforted as if it's being reunited with something precious and long lost. But that doesn't make sense, but I don't want to question it as I feel drawn to it. I want to be closer to it. Closer to her.