"Ugh—why won't this thing fit?!"
The voice came sharp through the haze of sleep, tugging Solana out of her dreams. She stirred slightly beneath her blanket, the fabric warm and soft around her, cocooning her in half-dreamt memories. Her eyelids fluttered open reluctantly, and she blinked at the pale ceiling above. A soft red hue filtered through the curtains, casting everything in a dusky light.
She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. Across the room, Kael was twisting herself in front of a full-length mirror, clearly engaged in a battle with her uniform skirt.
Solana's gaze drifted to the wall beside her bed. A clock etched directly into the surface glowed faintly: 6:21 AM.
Kael caught the movement and whipped her head around. "You sleepyhead," she grinned. "Took you long enough. Look to your left."
Still groggy, Solana turned—and there it was. Hanging neatly on a wooden post carved into the wall was a uniform. Her uniform.
The coat was deep red—elegant, sleek, tailored to fit perfectly. Underneath it, a crisp white shirt with a high collar peeked out, and a thin black tie had been folded neatly in the center. The skirt was dark red with subtle pleats, its fabric a little heavier than she expected. Below it, folded black socks and polished shoes waited like final pieces of a spell.
Solana blinked, feeling a mix of awe and nerves build in her chest.
"Come on," Kael said. "The bathroom's all yours. I already hogged it for like twenty minutes. Don't judge me."
Solana smiled sleepily and rose from bed, carrying her uniform with both hands. The bathroom door was just a few steps away, carved from the same stone as the rest of the room but smooth as marble. She stepped inside, closed the door, and let the rush of warm water and lavender-scented air wake her up fully.
It was quiet. And for a moment, she just stood there, hands braced on the edge of the sink, staring into the fogged mirror.
She was really here. Academia Magnivar.
By the time she stepped back out, fully dressed and hair tied in a ponytail, Kael looked up from her bed and gasped.
"Oh stars, Sol," she said. "You look—like—insanely pretty. I'm serious. You just became the prettiest girl in the whole academy."
Solana laughed, a flush creeping into her cheeks. "I doubt that."
"I don't. You just dethroned Aleia Santos."
"…Who?"
Kael narrowed her eyes with a grin. "You'll meet her. Hopefully not today. Or ever. But you probably will."
Solana didn't quite know what to say to that. She smiled, awkwardly, and Kael grabbed her own coat and slung it over her shoulders.
"Let's go. You ready?"
"No," Solana admitted.
"Good. That's the best way to be."
They stepped out of Room 313 into the cool corridor of Astrid Hall. The walls shimmered faintly with enchantment—alive in some quiet way. Their footsteps were soft on the velvet carpeting, and ahead of them stood the same grand mirror embedded into the hallway wall. Solana felt a little tug in her stomach at the sight of it.
Kael walked up to it confidently and said, "Galley."
The mirror pulsed with light, and a doorway formed across its surface like ripples through water.
Kael glanced over her shoulder. "Come on. It's breakfast time. We'll go through the mirror passage."
Solana hesitated for just a breath, then nodded and followed. As she stepped through, the mirror's surface was cool and weightless—a passing shimmer—and the moment she emerged on the other side, her breath caught.
They were now standing in front of a massive double-door entrance—dark oak and ancient, with metal flourishes shaped like curling leaves and vines. Just beyond it, noise was already spilling through—chatter, laughter, movement. The energy of it prickled at her skin.
"You ready?" Kael asked again.
"No," Solana whispered.
Kael smirked and pushed the doors open.
The Galley burst open like a vision from a dream. Vaulted ceilings soared above, held by curved beams of blackened wood. Glass orbs floated in midair, shedding golden light across rows and rows of long tables filled with students. And everywhere—everywhere—there was color.
Red coats, blue coats, gray coats, black coats. Hundreds of students, all in neat uniforms, filled the room with sound and life. Some stood and waved at others, some were casting bits of quiet, harmless magic—little flashes of light or floating paper birds. Solana paused at the entrance, momentarily stunned by the sheer scope of it all.
People turned.
Not everyone, but enough. Heads tilted. Whispers sparked. Some paused mid-bite to glance toward her and Kael.
Kael leaned in. "They're staring at you."
"Why?"
"You're new. No one comes late, not without notice." She paused, and added casually, "Also, you're sort of dazzling."
Solana fought not to shrink beneath the attention. She kept her eyes forward and walked beside Kael, mirroring her confidence as best as she could.
As they passed between tables, Kael lowered her voice. "Stick with me. A lot of people are great here, really. But others? Not so much. Bullies are real."
Solana blinked. "Bullies?"
"Yup. I'll start with the obvious ones. There's Teryn Greaves. Second-year. Total nightmare. Think royal bloodline and all the entitlement that comes with it. He likes to pick on first-years—especially the ones who don't come from the usual channels."
"You mean the ones who weren't trained since age ten?"
"Exactly," Kael said. "Most kids here were brought in young. Basic training stuff, nothing too serious—but enough to make them smug."
They reached a smaller table near one of the tall windows. As they sat, food began to drift toward them through the air—platters and plates hovering like they were carried by invisible hands.
Kael reached up and grabbed a golden bagel mid-flight, grinning. "These? Absolute heaven."
Solana smiled, relieved by the return of something familiar. "Nan and I used to eat bagels every morning."
Kael's eyes lit up. "You're officially my favorite person."
Solana took one as well, still watching the floating trays with fascination. A pitcher of warm cider hovered into place beside them and poured itself into two cups. The scent of cloves and apples filled the air.
"By the way," Kael added between bites, "you should also watch out for Aleia Santos."
"You mentioned her earlier."
Kael nodded grimly. "Most beautiful girl in the academy—until about twenty minutes ago."
Solana gave her a look.
"I mean it," Kael said. "But more importantly, she's vicious. Think flawless hair, perfect grades, and a personal vendetta against anyone who threatens her spotlight. She's a third-year, so we probably won't see her much… unless she comes looking."
Solana tried not to let that sink in too much.
After a while, she looked around the room again. So many coats, so many colors. She saw groups that stuck tightly together—friends who had clearly grown up learning together, laughing together.
"They're all so… close," she murmured.
Kael gave her a knowing smile. "They've known each other for years. We didn't get that luxury. But it's okay. Year One is where everything really starts. Magic gets serious. Tests begin. And Circles… well, we'll get there."
Solana looked down at her plate, her thoughts turning over like slow embers. She didn't know what this year would bring, or what role she was meant to play. But as the morning sunlight spilled across the tables, and the sounds of breakfast surrounded her, one thing felt clear:
She wasn't alone anymore.
⸻
The day stretched on gently, like a slow, turning page. After breakfast, Solana and Kael had wandered through a few of the open-air corridors just to get their bearings. The halls of Academia Magnivar were a marvel in themselves each lined with high-arched windows, stone columns tangled with living ivy, and charmed lanterns that glowed with soft blue fire.
At one point, a group of students in blue coats had passed them, laughing loudly. One of them a tall girl with a tight braid and piercing gray eyes had looked at Solana just a second too long before whispering something to her friends. Kael noticed. She didn't say anything, but her narrowed eyes said plenty.
By late afternoon, they were back in Room 313. Solana sat on her bed, her legs tucked underneath her, hands loosely clasped in her lap. Kael was lying upside down on her bed, her legs dangling over the headboard, flipping through a book with shimmering silver pages.
Solana stared out the window. The world beyond it was painted in hazy gold, the kind of light that only arrived just before dusk. Clouds drifted slowly past the tall tower outside.
Then suddenly, a fairy came knocking at the window. Its size the same her arms. Solana let the fairy in and it snapped its fingers and there came sparkling words floating mid air that says :
"Placement at the Orientation Hall NOW!"
Sol couldn't believe it! Kael laughed so hard and held her hand. They got out of our room.
_______
The moment we stepped into the Orientation Hall, a hush settled over the crowd. Even with the press of bodies—students from every year in coats of red, blue, gray, and black—there was a strange kind of reverence in the air.
I clutched the hem of my red coat, the uniform given to every first-year, and glanced around nervously. Kael walked beside me, her eyes flicking toward the stage where the professors had begun to gather. I spotted Headmistress Violet among them—tall, ageless, sharp-eyed, and wrapped in a violet-toned robe that shimmered like dusk.
"All of them?" I whispered to Kael.
She nodded. "Every year. They all come to watch the placements."
The stage lights flared gently, casting a halo around Headmistress Violet as she stepped forward. The hall stilled completely.
"Welcome," she said, her voice as crisp as winter wind. "Today marks the official beginning of your time here at Academia Magnivar. First-years, this is your moment. You are about to be placed into the Circle where you belong."
I swallowed hard.
Violet continued, "To the rest of you—second, third, and fourth years—thank you for your presence. Let this remind you of your own beginnings, and that every year brings new strength to the whole."
She raised a hand and motioned to the object at the center of the stage: a massive mirror, tall as a door and framed in etched obsidian. Its glass pulsed faintly, like it was breathing.
"The Specularis," Violet announced. "This ancient mirror has guided generations of mages into their rightful Circles. Each Circle is tied to an elemental core or a unique magical discipline. There are six—each vital, each powerful in its own right."
She turned slightly, gesturing toward six banners that had appeared behind her, each bearing a different color and sigil.
"Emberlyn," she said first. "Fire. Those who belong to Emberlyn channel passion, energy, destruction, and rebirth. Their strength burns through every obstacle."
A flame curled across the banner, deep crimson and gold.
"Sylvaire," she continued. "Earth. The stewards of nature. Potion-makers, herbalists, and those who root themselves in the ancient magic of the land."
The Sylvaire banner glowed green, earthy and vibrant.
"Aerith," Violet said, and I felt my pulse skip. "Air. The healers, the swift, the unseen. Aerith is grace and clarity. Their winds speak to those who listen."
I nearly shivered at that. I had always heard the wind. Felt it respond.
"Mirelda," she said. "Water. Shifters of tide and rain. Weather-callers. Deep thinkers and secret keepers."
Blue shimmered across that banner, cool and heavy.
"Lucentra," she added. "Light. Scholars, spellcrafters, enchanters. Lucentra thrives in the illumination of knowledge and precision."
A radiant gold flickered there.
"Umbrosa," she said next, voice darkening just slightly. "Shadow. Illusionists, secret-keepers, protectors of what is hidden. They are often misunderstood."
A deep purple mist curled around that sigil.
Then Violet fell silent. A ripple passed through the students. I felt it as much as saw it—a tension beneath the surface. And I understood what they were waiting for.
But Headmistress Violet only said, "Let the placement begin."
The first-years began stepping forward, one by one. Each would walk before the Specularis, speak their name, and wait for the mirror to react.
Colors would bloom in the glass—deep green for Sylvaire, golden light for Lucentra, bright flame for Emberlyn. One girl trembled as her mirror turned blue and rippled like water—Mirelda. Another boy burst out laughing as fire exploded around him—Emberlyn.
Kael went before me. "Mikaela Arvens," she said, voice bold. The mirror shimmered green and gold for a moment… then settled into the rich emerald of Sylvaire. She turned back to me, grinning.
I tried to smile.
It's my turn. I stepped forward nervously and looked at the mirror. I then spoke my name, "Solana Chandria Wales".
For a moment the mirror didnt show anything. And then the mirror pulsed series of colors. One after another, the colors of the six Circles flickered across its surface. I held my breath, waiting for it to settle, to show me where I belonged.
Then it didn't.
The colors began to swirl, then pulse faster and faster until the mirror itself gave a low hum that filled the room. My chest tightened. Something was wrong.
And then the colors vanished.
Replaced by a darkness so deep it seemed to swallow the room whole. It wasn't black. It was deeper than black like night draped in shadow and laced with veins of moving silver. An unnatural hush fell.
And I knew something was terribly, terrifyingly wrong.
A whisper swept through the room. One word, shared like a chill running down a thousand spines.
"Tenebrae."
No one said it loudly. They didn't need to.
Gasps, sharp inhales, and a few murmurs filled the hall. But mostly, there was silence. Not even the professors moved.
I stood there, frozen. My own reflection was gone. The mirror showed nothing but that swirling, impossible color of void and silver and something like… blood in twilight.
Across the room, I spotted Nan. She wasn't moving either. Her face was pale, her eyes wide. Fear gripped her so tightly it seemed to shape her bones.
She didn't scream. She didn't run. But she looked like she had seen something she thought she'd never see again.
She looked… afraid.
Headmistress Violet stepped forward then. Her voice didn't shake, though it was quieter than before.
"Solana" she said, "you have been placed."
That was it.
No circle name. No explanation. No celebration.
I turned away from the mirror, every step stiff with the weight of invisible eyes.
When I returned to the line of first-years, Kael was staring at me. Her mouth hung slightly open. Her brows were drawn in shock. She didn't say a word.
No one did.
Even the students from other years the ones in blue, gray, and black coats had gone still. I could feel their stares like a thousand tiny pinpricks against my skin.
I didn't understand what had just happened. But I knew it wasn't normal. I knew it wasn't good.
I had been placed.