The morning sun peeked through the curtains of the dormitory, casting a soft golden light across the room.
Sharana stood by the door, her bag slung over her shoulder, as her father prepared to leave.
Gabi was already bouncing on his heels, eager to start the day, but Sharana felt a lump in her throat.
“Take care of yourself, Sharana,” her father said, his voice warm but firm.
“And look after Gabi too.”
Gabi puffed out his chest, his small frame trying to look as imposing as possible.
“Don’t worry, Father! I’m her little guardian!”
Sharana couldn’t help but smile, her heart swelling with affection for her brother.
“Yes, you are,” she said, ruffling his hair.
Her father chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Yes, you are,” he echoed, his tone filled with pride.
With a final hug and a wave, their father left the dormitory, leaving Sharana and Gabi to begin their first day at the Magic Academy.
Once the door closed, Sharana took a deep breath, steeling herself for the day ahead.
She quickly changed into her academy robes, the fabric soft and comfortable against her skin.
Gabi, already dressed, was busy rummaging through his bag, pulling out a small notebook and a quill.
“Ready, Shar?” he asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Ready,” she replied, though her stomach was a knot of nerves.
The two of them made their way to the classroom building, the halls of the academy bustling with students.
The air was filled with the hum of conversation and the occasional burst of laughter, but Sharana couldn’t shake the feeling of being an outsider.
She was joining late, and she knew she had a lot of catching up to do.
At the entrance to the classroom building, Gabi tugged on Sharana’s sleeve.
“I think my class is that way,” he said, pointing down a different hallway.
“Oh, right,” she said, crouching down to his level.
“You’ll be fine, Gabi. Just remember to listen to your professor and don’t show off too much, okay?”
Gabi grinned, his confidence unwavering.
“Don’t worry, Shar! I’ll be the best in my class!”
Sharana laughed, though her heart ached a little as she watched him skip down the hallway, his small frame disappearing into the crowd.
She took a deep breath and turned toward her own classroom, her nerves returning in full force.
The class began at 7 a.m., and Sharana quickly realized just how much she had missed.
The professor, a tall woman with silver hair and piercing blue eyes, introduced herself as Professor Lira.
“Today, we’ll be reviewing the basics of elemental magic,” she said, her voice carrying a note of authority.
“For those of you who are new, this will be a good opportunity to catch up.”
Sharana sat at a desk near the back, her eyes scanning the room.
Around her, other students chatted quietly, their voices a low murmur.
She noticed a few faces that stood out—a girl with fiery red hair who seemed to crackle with energy, a boy with a calm demeanor and a faint glow around him, and another girl who was quietly sketching something in her notebook.
As the class progressed, Sharana struggled to keep up.
The concepts were familiar, but the pace was relentless.
She scribbled notes furiously, trying to absorb as much as she could.
During a break, the red-haired girl turned to her with a friendly smile.
“Hey, I’m Rukha,” she said, her voice warm and inviting.
“You’re new, right? I’m good with Thunder magic. If you need any help, just let me know.”
Sharana nodded, grateful for the offer.
“I’m Sharana. It’s nice to meet you.”
The boy with the calm demeanor introduced himself next.
“I’m Zer,” he said, his voice soft but steady.
“I specialize in Light magic. It’s nice to meet you.”
The girl who had been sketching looked up from her notebook, her dark eyes curious.
“I’m Maya,” she said, her tone quiet but confident.
“I use summoning magic.”
Sharana’s eyes widened.
“That sounds amazing. How does it work?”
Maya smiled, clearly pleased by the interest.
“It’s about balance. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.”
As the conversation continued, Sharana noticed a boy sitting a few desks away.
He hadn’t said a word, his attention focused entirely on the book in front of him.
His dark hair fell over his eyes, and his expression was unreadable.
“That’s Gale,” Rukha said, following Sharana’s gaze.
“He’s not much of a talker, but he’s really good with Earth magic.”
Sharana nodded, making a mental note to introduce herself later.
The day flew by, and by the time the final bell rang, Sharana was completely exhausted.
She had tried to demonstrate her Fire magic during a practical session, but nothing had happened.
The professors had been patient, offering advice and encouragement, but one in particular—Professor Obirom—had been less than kind.
“Focus, girl!” he had snapped, his voice sharp and impatient.
“Fire magic is about passion, not hesitation!”
Sharana had felt her cheeks burn with shame, her hands trembling as she tried again and again to summon even a flicker of flame.
By the end of the class, she was ready to collapse.
As the students filed out of the classroom, Sharana lingered behind, her mind racing.
Rukha, Zer, and Maya waited for her by the door, their expressions sympathetic.
“Don’t worry about Professor Obirom,” Rukha said, rolling her eyes.
“He’s always like that. Thinks he’s the best just because he teaches Order magic.”
Sharana frowned.
“Order magic? I didn’t even understand what he was talking about.”
Zer nodded, his expression thoughtful.
“Order magic is the purest form of magic. If you master it, you can control every element—Fire, Water, Lightning, everything.”
Sharana’s eyes widened.
“That sounds… impossible.”
Maya chuckled.
“It’s not impossible, just really hard. Personally, I think Dark magic is more interesting. Imagine controlling puppets!”
Sharana grinned, feeling a little of her tension ease.
“Hehe, that does sound cool. Oh, Maya, you use Dark Magic for your summoning, right?”
Maya nodded.
“Actually, it’s a mix of Water and Dark magic. I’m not great with Water magic on its own, so I use Dark magic to maintain the Water clones I summon.”
Sharana’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Woah, so that’s how summoning magic works? That’s amazing!”
Maya smiled modestly.
“It’s the most basic combination, really. You could probably do something similar with Fire magic if you wanted.”
Sharana’s heart leapt at the idea.
“You think so?”
Before Maya could respond, Gale, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.
“Maybe you don’t use Fire magic,” he said, his tone blunt.
Sharana blinked, caught off guard.
“What do you mean?”
Gale shrugged, his expression indifferent.
“I don’t see any ignition when you try to cast Fire magic. Maybe it’s not your element.”
Sharana’s stomach dropped, his words hitting her like a punch to the gut.
She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.
Rukha quickly stepped in, her tone light but firm.
“Don’t listen to him, Sharana. You’ll figure it out. It’s only your first day.”
Sharana nodded, though her confidence felt shaken.
As they walked back to the dorms, she couldn’t shake Gale’s words from her mind.
Maybe you don’t use Fire magic.
The thought lingered, a shadow over her already exhausting day.
But deep down, a spark of determination flickered to life.
She would prove him wrong.
She had to.
When Sharana returned to the dorm, Gabi was already there, his face lit up with excitement.
“Shar! You won’t believe what we did today!” he exclaimed, practically bouncing on his toes.
Sharana forced a smile, pushing her worries aside for his sake.
“Tell me all about it,” she said, sitting down beside him.
Gabi launched into an animated retelling of his day, his hands waving excitedly as he described the spells they had practiced and the friends he had made.
“And then, I made a water bubble that floated all the way to the ceiling!” he said, his eyes shining with pride.
“That’s amazing, Gabi,” Sharana said, ruffling his hair.
“You’re going to be a great mage one day.”
Gabi beamed, but then his expression turned serious.
“How was your day, Shar? Did you learn lots of cool stuff?”
Sharana hesitated, not wanting to dampen his enthusiasm.
“It was… challenging,” she admitted.
“But I’ll get there. It’s just going to take some time.”
Gabi nodded, his small face filled with determination.
“You’ll be the best, Shar. I know it.”
Sharana smiled, her heart warming at his unwavering faith in her.
Later that evening, as Sharana lay in bed, her mind wandered back to the day’s events.
The frustration of failing to summon her Fire magic, the sting of Professor Obirom’s words, and Gale’s blunt observation all weighed heavily on her.
But amidst the doubt and uncertainty, there was also a glimmer of hope.
She had made new friends—Rukha, Zer, and Maya—who had been kind and supportive.
And Gabi’s boundless optimism reminded her why she was here in the first place.
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
“I’ll figure it out,” she whispered to herself.
“I have to.”
The next morning, Sharana woke up with a renewed sense of determination.
She dressed quickly and headed to the classroom, her mind focused on the day ahead.
As she walked, she noticed Gale sitting alone in the courtyard, his nose buried in a book.
Against her better judgment, she approached him.
“Hey,” she said, her voice tentative.
Gale looked up, his expression unreadable.
“What do you want?”
Sharana took a deep breath, steeling herself.
“I just wanted to say… you might be right. Maybe Fire magic isn’t my element. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up. I’ll find my magic, no matter what it takes.”
Gale studied her for a moment, his gaze piercing.
Then, to her surprise, he nodded.
“Good,” he said simply.
“You’ll need that attitude if you want to survive here.”
Sharana blinked, caught off guard by his response.
Before she could say anything else, Gale stood up and walked away, leaving her standing there, her mind racing.
As she entered the classroom, Sharana felt a strange sense of clarity.