IAN"We don't have time for this." Maria approaches, and I can tell what she's going to do by the look in her eyes. Too late to stop her, I can only watch as her palm harshly connects with Hotaru's cheek, nearly knocking him back to the ground. "Wake the hell up."He looks at her, his face turning red, more clarity in his eyes. "Tll curse you into being bald." It's a genuine spell we've learned. Makes one wonder what sort of witch was bored enough to invent such a thing.We throw the dreamcatches into the fire, a large burst of white smoke rising from it, making us all pull back a little.The image that forma inside is nothing like the ones we saw in the bubbles. Instead, what we see is a woman- maybe a man with the same colors as Choronzon, only different features. They're wearing a black centurion-like armor, with absolutely no cloth attached to it, meaning no pants, cape or anything. The armor has jagged shoulder. pads and no sleeves, showing off a pair of thin, pale arms. They hav
HOTARUOnce again, Quinn is the teacher sent to chaperone us on the field trip. The buses drop us off in New Sunshire, many miles away from regular Sunshire, all the way on one of Scotland's shores. Don't ask me to tell you if it's the east or the west, though. Maybe north and south? Scotland does touch the sea on all sides, right?"I can't believe you brought that," I mutter to Mac, who has a small plant in his lap. "You're gonna break it.""There's a burner moth somewhere in our room, and it keeps messing with my plants. Puffing out his chest as though he were personally challenged, he gets a serious look in his eye, which is not something you often see on Mac. "I'm not letting it have this one.""Why's that one special?"The blonde giant shrugs, looking down at his plant, a tender smile on his face. "It just is. Got the seed from the last one, so this'll be my first time going through multiple generations."I thought that was a regular thing to do, honestly. Well, I never did claim
"A spell gone wrong brought me here, I tell her, turning my palms upwards in a show of pacifism. I mean you no harm, I only wish to leave"The woman hisses, pointing one finger at me. "Then leave." From all around her, a whirlwind of petals comes flying toward me. I sense no true power within, so I let the spell hit me. The next moment, I'm in the middle of the rest, rushing through the trees. Then I'm above the ocean, one with the wind. Then I'm being pushed through a stone archway on a remote island.I get flung through it, and emerge back in New Sunshire. Well, that was a trip.Looking around, I see the others have realized what this is all about, too. With everyone going in and out of houses, the doorways are unable to fully close, letting some of the power of those inside them leak out. Perfect.I follow the stench of scented candles and expensive perfume, letting it guide me through an archway leading into a garden overcome by weed. I protect my body before stepping through, jus
ZENStarting a new school year is always nerve-wrecking. That goes double when you're about to enrol into an academy for witches.Yes, boys can be witches, too. Heaven forbid you should call yourself a wizard, They're a different thing entirely, and usually take offense to being compared to us.At least the world is starting to accept us. The more civilized places are a-ok with witches, but there's still some places where it isn't exactly seen as a good thing.The Hollow Night has been quiet for a long time, thankfully, so maybe this is the year they finally lift the immigration ban.Unlike most other kids, I don't get dropped off by my parents. They couldn't afford to drive all the way here, halfway across the world, so I'm forced to rely on what little knowledge of magic a person can get outside of school.Standing in the park in the middle of the night is scary, especially with the poor lightning of this area. That was one of the necessities, though, as I wait for the full moon's r
The chubby girl's family turns to look at me when they hear that, her mother walking over to me."They let you come here alone?" Ah, English, Good. She's got an accent I can't place, but thankfully it's easy to understand. "Where are you from, boy? You look like you are from the Western States."It's my eyes tilted downward at the outer corners. Makes me look like I'm always sad. It's a common trait back home. After the Migration Prohibition Act two centuries ago, several common traits popped up all over the world. We have our eyes, the Easter States have slightly pointed ears, Albinians all have purple eyes, and so on. This family all have brown hair and big, brown eyes. It's probably also a common trait, but I have no idea where from."Yeah," I reply, my voice almost giving out. "I came alone"She looks puzzled, but leaves it be, retreating back to her family. Just then, the gates open, as silent as the first time, allowing us to enter.I'm surprised by how massive the courtyard is.
Once everyone is properly equipped, he continues. "The basic classes include Levitation, Duelling, History of Magic and Spells, and Spiritualism. Anything else you might take an interest in will count as an extra curricular class. Only these four are mandatory."It makes sense, I guess. We're all here mandatory, so they don't have to force us to take classes. Probably want to avoid overwhelming the first generation of students, too."There will be a test at the end of each month to see how much you have improved. Depending on your performance, you can be sorted into one of four ranks, from A to D. A-ranked witches are the most advanced, while D-ranked witches are only capable of the basics"The blonde twin girl raises her hand, drawing everyone's attention."Yes, Ms. Nordin?" Lockwood doesn't seem to mind her interruption as much as he minded it when it was the parents doing it. Must want to keep us pleased for as long as possible."What will our ranks be before the test sorts us?" th
The man gives me a nod, and I bring the orb back toward me. Nailed the first part. Time to see how I do in terms of power.Horribly, as it turns out. I do manage to crack the ball, but that's it. No matter how hard I focus on it afterward, the damage doesn't spread. Damn."B-rank"Oh, Good. I was worried I'd be in the same spot as Maya, which would suck. A single extracurricular class is just not enough for me. I want to master as much magic as possible."You will now be taken to your rooms," Lockwood starts, not even waiting for me to reach the end of the staircase. "Each room will have three people inside. You will be sorted randomly. Your rank will not offer you special privileges in terms of comfort only education. A rulebook will be found in each of your rooms, Familiarize with it. At the end of each month's test, you will each also be judged based on your behavior. Step out of line one too many times, and your rank could even plummet, regardless of how much your skill has improv
"Can we go now?" The farmer boy is leaning back in his chair, one armpit plopped op onto it. "Kind'a warine get some shut-eye."Please don't be my roommate. I hate to discriminate, but he does not seem like he'd be very hygienic. If he does come, I'll be forced to pick a fight, and I'd rather not get the reputation of a clean freak. Not on my first night here, anyway.Some twenty minutes later, Lockwood walks up on the elevated area. I didn't see him come in, but there are four hallways leading into this place, so one of those must lead toward the Northern Tower. Need to remember that for tomorrow."Today's been an uneventful day," he says, his voice immediately drowning out all others. "Tomorrow, you will have a free day to explore the campus. You will each receive your schedules at six P.M. Be in your rooms when that happens, and don't lose them. Your uniforms- Ugh, I knew it. "-will be in your closets by tomorrow morning. Wear them from seven A.M. to three PM. That's when all the c