The first thing I noticed was the sky.
It wasn't the dull gray of Bangalore's morning haze or the golden warmth of an afternoon sun. It was impossibly blue, vast and endless, dotted with wisps of clouds that drifted like they had nowhere to be. A cool breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers and damp earth, crisp and clean, like the air had never known pollution.
For a long second, I just lay there, blinking, my mind sluggishly trying to put together the pieces.
A train. Akira. Blinding light.
Then—nothing.
I tried to sit up, but my head throbbed like I'd just been hit by a sledgehammer.
"Mira, you're awake!"
Akira's voice broke through the fog in my brain. I turned to see her kneeling beside me, her silver hair catching the sunlight in a way that made her look almost… ethereal. Her expression was a mix of relief and something else—something unreadable.
"W-Where are we?" My throat felt dry, my voice raspy. "What happened?"
"You fainted on the train," she said, brushing dirt off my shoulder. "We're at Artemis Academy now. You scared me."
I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Yeah, well, you trying to chant me into unconsciousness didn't help."
Akira didn't answer right away. She just smiled—that same tight, unreadable smile from before.
I forced myself to sit up, finally taking in my surroundings.
And holy hell.
The train was gone. Instead, I was sitting in a massive courtyard, sprawling and alive, the grass beneath me so green it almost looked fake. Grand, towering stone buildings stretched toward the sky, their intricate spires glistening under the sun. Wide marble staircases led to entrances so massive they looked like they belonged to gods, not humans.
Students moved all around us—some walking, some floating, their robes billowing as they soared through the air like it was the easiest thing in the world. Magic crackled in the air, a hum just beneath the surface, making my skin prickle.
"I… I can't believe this place," I whispered. "It doesn't even feel real."
Akira chuckled. "It's real, alright."
Something about the way she said it made me glance at her again. She was different.
I wasn't sure when it happened—maybe somewhere between the train and here—but the Akira standing before me was nothing like the girl I'd grown up with.
She held herself differently. There was no hesitation in her stance, no nervous fiddling with her sleeves like she used to do during school presentations. She stood tall, confident, completely at ease in a place I barely understood.
Before I could say anything, a woman descended from the air, landing in front of us with a grace that made it look effortless.
Her robes shimmered with iridescent hues, shifting with every movement, as if woven from starlight itself. She had sharp features, piercing golden eyes, and an aura that demanded attention.
"I am Ms. Aurora, the head of the outer court," she announced, her voice smooth but powerful. "And this—" she gestured to Akira, "—is your senior sister and the captain of the student council's inner court."
The words barely registered at first.
Akira? Captain of the inner court?
I turned to her in shock, searching her face for some kind of explanation. But she didn't even look surprised.
Like she'd known this all along.
Like she'd known… and just never told me.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out. What was I even supposed to say? The Akira I knew was the quiet one, the observer, the girl who hated attention. Now she was standing here like she belonged to this world in a way I never could.
What else had she been keeping from me?
"Welcome, my fellow students," Akira's voice rang out, pulling me back to the present. "I know this is hard to believe, but you've all been chosen to learn magic."
Magic.
The word settled into my chest, heavy and cold.
Around me, a few students murmured in confusion. A boy near the front shook his head. "We took a test on science and math. There was nothing about magic."
Ms. Aurora smiled, something almost amused flickering across her face. "True. But you were also tested in ways you weren't aware of."
Her golden gaze swept over us. "Your blood samples were taken to check for any traces of magic. Some inherit it from their families, but others…" She paused. "Others are born as exceptions."
I felt the words like a punch to the gut.
So that was it? That was how they'd chosen us? Some random test we didn't even know we were taking?
"And if we don't want to learn magic?" I found myself asking.
Ms. Aurora's smile didn't waver. "Then you will lose not only your abilities… but your memories of this place."
Something in her tone made the hairs on my arms rise.
"Stripped of your magic, you would face a fate worse than death."
I swallowed hard.
A fate worse than death?
A chill ran through me, but what made it worse was Akira's expression.
She looked almost… pleased.
The same Akira who used to sneak extra fries onto my plate at lunch, who once helped me cheat on a history quiz, who used to rant about how unfair school was.
Now she was standing beside Ms. Aurora, delivering this life-altering news like it was nothing.
I barely heard the rest of the speech—something about an orientation ceremony, academy rules, inner and outer court divisions.
I was still stuck on Akira's betrayal.
How could she not tell me? How could she keep this from me?
I clenched my fists. I needed answers.
The Dorms
By the time we were assigned to our dorms, I was still seething.
The academy was beautiful—grand murals, floating lights, magic practically woven into every inch of the walls. But I barely saw any of it.
My thoughts kept circling back to Akira.
And the fact that she had abandoned me without a second thought.
My new roommates didn't help much either.
Rhyshe was a walking thunderstorm of energy, her wild red curls bouncing as she practically vibrated with excitement. "This is going to be AMAZING," she declared, throwing herself onto her bed like a queen claiming her throne.
Celvia, in contrast, was calm, composed, and unsettlingly observant. Her dark hair fell in sleek, glossy waves, and when she spoke, her words were measured, almost too careful.
"You'll get used to it," she said. "It's overwhelming at first."
I wasn't sure if she was talking about the academy or Akira's betrayal.
Either way, I wasn't sure I'd ever get used to this.
As I lay in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling, only one thought repeated in my mind.
What else had Akira been hiding?
And more importantly—why did it feel like I was the only one who didn't belong here?