The boy raised a brow, his dark eyes narrowing slightly in surprise. "You don't know where you are?" he asked, his voice calm but with a hint of curiosity. He tilted his head, studying Eli closely, as if trying to piece something together.
Eli shook his head, still trying to catch his breath. His golden eyes darted around, taking in the endless expanse of water and light. "No," he croaked. "I just— I was in my dorm, and then—" He stopped, realizing how insane it all sounded.
The boy's lips twitched, almost like he was fighting back a smirk. "The dorm?" he repeated, his tone teasing but not unkind. "Yeah, that explains it."
Eli blinked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
The boy let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. "You came out of the lake," he said, gesturing to the water around them. "That's not normal. Most people show up through the Mirror Room, not—" He motioned vaguely toward Eli. "—this."
Eli frowned, trying to process the words. "Mirror Room? What are you talking about? Where even is this?"
For a moment, the boy simply looked at him, his expression softening. Realization seemed to dawn on him, and he sighed, running a hand through his wet black hair. "Right," he muttered, more to himself than Eli. "Of course you wouldn't know. That's why you didn't use the mirror."
Eli opened his mouth to ask another question, but the boy cut him off with a small, knowing smile. "Welcome to Pendarghast Academy," he said, his voice carrying a mix of amusement and sincerity. "I'm Griffin."
Eli stared at him, stunned. "Pendarghast… Academy?" The name felt strange on his tongue, foreign yet oddly familiar, like a word he'd forgotten but couldn't quite place. "What is that? Where is this place?"
Griffin shook his head with a soft chuckle. "Alright, let's get you out of here first," he said, sliding an arm under Eli's to help him stay afloat. With an effortless motion, he guided Eli toward the edge of the lake, where a smooth, glowing platform rose just above the water's surface.
Eli pulled himself onto the platform, shivering slightly as the cool air brushed against his damp skin. Griffin joined him, standing casually as if this was just another day for him. "You look like a drowned cat," he said, smirking as he flicked water off his own arms.
Eli glared at him, but his exhaustion made it half-hearted. "Thanks," he muttered. "Really helpful."
Griffin raised a brow, then shrugged. "Time to dry you up. Hold still."
Before Eli could ask what he meant, Griffin waved his hand in a fluid motion. A faint, glowing symbol shaped like a swirling gust of wind appeared behind his palm, and a gentle breeze enveloped Eli. The air grew warm, and within seconds, his soaked clothes were completely dry, leaving him warm and comfortable.
Eli blinked, his mouth falling open. "What… what was that?" he asked, his voice louder now, edged with disbelief.
Griffin sighed, folding his arms as if bracing for a long conversation. "Yeah, figured you wouldn't know about magic either," he said, sounding almost resigned. "Guess I've got my work cut out with you."
"Magic?" Eli repeated, his voice rising in pitch. He looked at Griffin like he'd just sprouted wings. "You're serious?"
Griffin raised a hand and lazily conjured a small ball of light, letting it float above his palm. "You tell me," he said, grinning as Eli stared at it, wide-eyed. The ball winked out of existence with a snap of Griffin's fingers, and he chuckled at Eli's stunned expression.
"You're not in Kansas anymore, kid," Griffin said, leaning casually against an invisible force. "This is Pendarghast Academy. Magic is kinda the point here."
Eli rubbed his temples, his mind spinning. "I… I don't even know how I got here," he said quietly, more to himself than to Griffin.
Griffin sighed again, this time with a touch of sympathy. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out. But first, we need to get you to someone who actually knows what's going on. I'm just the welcoming committee."
Eli glanced at him warily. "Why do I feel like I'm not going to like this?"
Griffin smirked, already turning to lead the way. "Oh, you're definitely not."
Griffin led the way across the glowing platform, his hands tucked casually into his pockets. Eli followed reluctantly, his mind racing with too many questions and no clear answers.
"So," Griffin said over his shoulder, "we're heading to the dorm hall. Gotta check the registry, see if your name pops up."
Eli frowned. "It's not gonna be there," he said firmly. "I don't belong here."
Griffin smirked but didn't stop walking. "Yeah, you keep saying that. I'll believe it when the list says otherwise."
Eli rolled his eyes. "You're not listening. I'm telling you, there's no way—"
He stopped mid-sentence, his golden eyes catching sight of someone out of the corner of his vision. A dark-skinned woman stood a short distance away, her Afro haloing her face like a crown. Her wide, shocked eyes were locked on him, like she'd just seen a ghost.
Eli's steps faltered, his heart skipping a beat. "Hey, wait—" he started, turning toward her.
Before he could take a single step, his shoulder collided with someone else, jolting him backward.
"Watch it," a low voice growled.
Eli snapped his head around, forgetting the woman for a moment. The person he'd bumped into was tall, with sharp features and cold, piercing gray eyes. He stood rigid, his expression hard and unreadable, like he was sizing Eli up.
Griffin, who had been a few steps ahead, stopped and turned back, his brows shooting up as he took in the scene. He let out a low whistle and leaned slightly toward Eli. "Oh, man," he murmured, clearly amused. "You've done it now. Things are about to get real interesting."
Eli blinked, his frustration mounting. "What are you talking about?" he hissed.
The gray-eyed guy's gaze narrowed. "You've got a lot of nerve," he said, his tone dangerously calm.
Griffin chuckled under his breath but didn't step in. "Good luck, new kid," he muttered, clearly entertained.
Eli's eyes darted back toward where the woman had been standing, but she was gone. His stomach twisted, and he cursed under his breath.
"Hey," the gray-eyed guy said sharply, drawing Eli's attention back to him. "I'm talking to you."
Eli sighed, already regretting everything about this bizarre day. "Look, I didn't mean to—"
The guy didn't let him finish. "Save it," he snapped. "You're new here, right? Figures."
Eli glanced at Griffin, silently pleading for help, but Griffin just smirked and gave him a little wave.
"Welcome to Pendarghast," the gray-eyed guy said coldly. "Try not to cause more trouble. You won't last long if you do."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Eli standing there, confused and annoyed.
Griffin clapped him on the back. "Well, that could've gone worse," he said cheerfully. "C'mon, let's get moving before you bump into anyone else."
Eli groaned but followed, his thoughts still spinning between the strange woman and the stranger he'd just collided with.