My feet echo on the symmetric tiled floor. The entire room is filled with the scent of old wood, like my mother's chess set at home. Plush red seats line the wooden clad walls, like a beautiful carving on a stern plate of armour.
My eyes are instantly drawn to the light hanging between the staircase. Slender ropes of crystals spiral around the bulbs and hoist them upwards in a net of elegance. I can feel everyone else in the room gaze at it in wonder in perfect synchronisation to me.
And who can blame us? Summer Haven may have been a castle, but it was no palace. There were beautiful things yes, but in a rough way. Soft cotton sheets instead of velvet and silk. Daisies and wildflowers instead of roses and lilies.
An Eerie crosses our path. She stands strong, midnight blue hair and eyes that twinkle like stars, her features only emphasised by her coal-black robes. She pays little attention to us. I can't blame her. Some of the girls are still crying over their hair change. It makes me severely irritated. Their blonde hair has been replaced with anything from raven black, bubblegum pink, spring water blue. One girl has hair a violent shade of red, symbolising blood it seems.
A huge mirror lines the wall. I start as I see a figure staring back at me, only calming down when I realise it's me. My once blue eyes have transformed into a crystalising grey, and my hair has gone from brown to entirely white, throwing pieces of light back at the glass.
I sigh at the girl who is supposed to be me. I suppose there is no going back. No walking back to Summer Haven. No sleeping in my bedroom. No waking up to the stupid chickens. Dear Lord, I'm now thinking about those wretched chickens fondly. I must be that homesick.
"All right everyone." Our guide - Allirah, I hear her name is, a solemn woman with hair like grass, light brown skin and earthy brown eyes - "Here is where you will be staying for your time training as an Eerie. Does anyone have any questions?"
A tiny girl, no more than ten really, raises her hand with teary eyes. "Can I go home?"
Allirah shakes her head. "No, Natyar."
The ten-year-old bursts into tears here and now. A tall girl with black skin, curly dark hair in an afro, and eyes like coals pats her back. "But we will get to see our families right miss?"
"Of course." Allirah's eyes run over the group, counting over everyone. The boys were lead off by a tall man with a heavy rolling accent earlier today. She pulls out a list from her pocket and starts ticking off names. "Kaleem, this is your room..." The dark-skinned girl from earlier walks into a room. "Tysua... here please..." She absent-mindedly rubs the belt on her waist. "Ah. Tana Graves? This is your room."
My feet pad towards the door, swing it open, and close it behind me. What's inside takes my breath away. I was expecting a regular college dormitory, like the ones they showed us when we went on school trips to Rains Academy where they train doctors.
Instead, I'm presented with a large room with huge windows. A light like the one from the staircase hangs from the ceiling, illuminating the whole room. The floor is made of dark wood and the walls coated with some sort of light grey wallpaper. The bed is the same size as the bathroom at home. Mirrors line the wall, and I can see they did not hesitate with the amount of grey in the room.
It's not that I hate grey. Greys are nice. The fact that there is barely a single pinch of colour in this room though, is slightly irritating.
I walk to one of the windows for some sanity. Outside, perfectly trimmed trees are scattered across the garden. Flowers and vines crawl across the ancient stone walls. In front of my window, is a bush of pure white roses. Not a single flaw or mistake. I suppose, when you have Eeries who control plants, the task is easier than it sounds.
My heart began to ache at the idea that this is now my home. Endless riches and luxuries, whilst my mother and stepfather Jacah, are probably already asleep after a regular meal. I wish I could be with them right now.
Suddenly the weight of it all collapses over me. I'm not going home. I probably never will. A muffled sob erupts from my throat. Unsure of where to go, I throw myself under the silky covers of my new bed and cry myself to sleep.