Aurora's eyes widened as she took in the grand hall before her. The high ceiling, adorned with intricate carvings, seemed to stretch up to the sky. The walls, painted a deep crimson, seemed to glow in the soft light. And the students... they were all so... supernatural.
Aurora was shocked; she had never thought this was what Ashwood High would be like. She could actually tell what supernatural each student was because they were all showing their abilities. Most of the female werewolves had their furry tails and ears out, and their eyes were a piercing and captivating color of golden yellow. The vampires had their fangs out and wore their blood rings, which protected them from sunlight; a few still wore shades, though. The witches were using spells to close their lockers, teleport, or prank other students.
Just then, a vampire student who was being pranked by a witch fell face-flat on the cobblestone floor... yikes, that looked like it hurt, thought Aurora. But out of all the supernaturals, the easiest for Aurora to identify were the mermaids - they were all extremely beautiful, with different colors and shades of hair and beautiful shimmering eyes. She actually saw someone whose hair was forest green! Aurora thought to herself, "Well, that is definitely not something you see every day."
Despite the initial shock, Aurora was still excited. When she saw the different supernaturals actually getting along with each other, she felt like she could fit in too. Mia grinned, clearly enjoying Aurora's bewilderment.
"Welcome to Ashwood High, where the misfits and outcasts come to learn... and thrive." Mia's eyes sparkled with mischief. "You're going to love it here."
As Aurora made her way through the crowds, she noticed a group of students watching her with an intensity that made her skin prickle. They seemed to be sizing her up, and she didn't like it.
"Who are they?" Aurora asked Mia, trying to sound casual.
Mia followed her gaze and smiled. "Oh, that's just the Elite. They think they run the school, but trust me, they don't."
Aurora raised an eyebrow. "The Elite?"
Mia leaned in, her voice barely audible. "They're the ones with the power, the ones who know the secrets. And they'll stop at nothing to keep them."
"But don't worry yourself, Rory," Mia said, "just stay out of their path and avoid them always, and you'll be good." Anyway, we don't have much time before classes start, so let's get you to Mrs. Hopkins so that you can grab your curriculum and books. Then they came out of the grand hall and took a right. "Gosh, I really hope you have the same classes I do and join the same sports and clubs," Mia said, chuckling. "Sorry, I'm a bit overexcited." Anyway, each student of Ashwood High is required to participate in at least two clubs and a sport. "I play basketball and I'm a member of both the drama club and art club. We have so many other sports and clubs here, but don't worry, you'll see them all in your curriculum and decide the ones you want to participate in."
Here we are, Mrs. Hopkins' office. Aurora took in the door before her, which were exactly like the doors to this school that she came across before; they even had the same round brass knockers.
Mia knocked on the door, and after a few seconds, they heard a voice say, "Enter." Mia opened the door, and they both entered the office.
The office was spacious, with tall shelves lining the walls, filled with books, strange artifacts, and peculiar devices. The walls were painted a soft blue, and the floor was made of polished wood. Behind the desk sat a middle-aged woman, probably in her late 40s or early 50s, with glasses and her hair packed into a tight bun. Aurora could see a few gray hairs sprouting from her scalp.
The woman looked up, seemingly just noticing their presence, and said, "Ah, Miss Jenkins, what can I do for you?" Mia replied, "Well, Mrs. Hopkins, I'm here because of my friend Aurora Micheals; she's supposed to be starting classes today." Mrs. Hopkins shifted her eyes to Aurora, took off her glasses, and said, "Of course, Aurora Micheals, now I remember. You must be here to get your curriculum and books."
With a wave of her hand, a few books appeared from nowhere on her desk. Aurora looked at her, baffled, and thought, "Cool, I guess that means she's a witch then." Mrs. Hopkins said, "These are the books you'll need for your sophomore year. Be careful with them; of course, they're replaceable if you misplace them, but then you'll just be making a bad name for yourself." She waved her hand again, and a small stack of papers appeared next to the books. "Take these; it contains your school curriculum and the classes you'll be taking. Of course, you can decide to switch classes if it's not to your liking, but the classes given to you are the ones essential to whatever dream career of yours, so I doubt there will be need for a change unless you decide to change whatever career you currently decide to pursue."
"There are also two different sheets here; one contains all the clubs present at Ashwood High, and the other contains all the sports. You are to pick at least one sport and two clubs, but if you decide to engage yourself with more, you are permitted to. Once you have ticked the ones you're interested in, bring only those two sheets to my office by the end of the school day. And I suggest that you memorize your classes and their order, as it would be a hassle to carry your curriculum with you all the time, everywhere you go."
She leaned back in her chair and continued, "Any and all announcements will be made through the microphone, so wherever you are, you'll be able to hear it. Classes begin every day from Monday to Friday at 8:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m., but as today is the beginning of the school year, classes will begin at 8:30 a.m. You are free to stay back and study in the library, but note that the school will be locked at exactly 8:00 p.m. During the weekend, we have sports practice from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m."
Aurora felt overwhelmed with all the information, but Mrs. Hopkins reassured her that she would get used to it with time. She tapped the small stack of papers on her desk and said, "On the remaining sheets of paper are the rules and regulations of this school. Failure to comply with any one of them can lead to detention, a punishment, or expulsion, depending on the rule broken. I think I've said all that needs to be said, Miss Jenkins here will fill you in on any other information there is and answer any more questions you have."
Mia and Aurora thanked her and turned to leave. They were almost at the door when Mrs. Hopkins suddenly said, "Wait." They turned around to hear what she had to say. She looked at Aurora and said, "One more thing: the use of powers or abilities of any kind is prohibited during school hours unless under the supervision of a teacher. You can make use of them before classes start for the day and after classes end for the day, but not in between for fights or any other reason unless you are asked to by a teacher during class for class activities. Breaking this rule will result in serious consequences." With that, she nodded, and they left her office, feeling a bit more informed but also a bit more overwhelmed.
Mia and Aurora left the office, both looking a bit dazed. "Well, that was a lot to take in," Mia said, breaking the silence.
Aurora nodded, still trying to process everything. "Yeah, I feel like I'm in way over my head."
Mia smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. Just remember, the most important thing is to stay out of trouble."
Aurora raised an eyebrow. "Trouble? What kind of trouble?"
Mia leaned in, her voice barely audible. "The Elite, remember what I told you before, that they think they're the ones who run this school, when they obviously don't. Basically they're just a bunch of bullies who like to pick on the weak by making their lives a living nightmare and they don't take kindly to newcomers."
Aurora's eyes widened. "The Elite? You mean the ones who were staring at me in the grand hall?"
Mia nodded. "The very same. Just steer clear of them, and you'll be fine."
Aurora nodded, feeling a sense of unease. She had a feeling that avoiding the Elite wasn't going to be as easy as Mia made it sound.
As they walked through the halls, Aurora couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. She kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see one of the Elite lurking in the shadows. But every time, there was no one there.
Finally, they reached the grand hall, where the students were starting to gather for the orientation. Aurora took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She was determined to make a good impression, despite the ominous warning from Mia.
As they took their seats, Aurora couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. She was finally starting her journey at Ashwood High, and she was ready to see what the future held. Little did she know, her life was about to change in ways she never could have imagined.