The dragons. The best the academy had to offer. The summoner spoke the truth when saying those words. Everystudent in the academy skills were ranked by mythical beasts.

  Ones that no longer dwelled in the human realm. Griffin, chimera, Hydra, Dragon. Hydra was the lowest while Dragon was the highest. Well that wasn’t true—- not completely anyway. There was one more rank greater than Dragon. Phoenix. But no one had attained the rank in centuries, so it was hardly worth mentioning.

  Each rank was monumentally more difficult to attain than its predecessor. To move up in rank a mage would have to take part in the witch's traial. A series of challenges to prove they’re mastery of the magic they had decided to learn.

  While each of the trials could be proven deadly the phoenix trials was considered a death sentence. All mages who had tried had tragically lost their lives, there were no exceptions.

  Many believe Lucien would be the first phoenix mage in centuries, but not even he dared to participate in it. No matter how talented he was.

  Andrea looked at her miniature crystal ball out of instinct and her facial expression returned to being gloomy. She had received this when she had first arrived at the academy.

  She was a child then. Eight years old to be precise.. The griffin indicated she had suitable control of her mind and could perform most basic spells but nothing else.

  She looked away from her crystal ball and back to the summoner. She was announcing a few things. They were probably important, but Andrea couldn’t care less.

  What she was saying no matter how loud it actually was, were just muffled sounds with no meaning. Usually Andrea would pay attention to stuff of this nature but now…. What was the point?

  It hadn’t helped before, it wouldn't help now. ‘What was her name again?’, Andrea thought. ‘Ah… That’s right. Vivian vesper. An illusion master’. Not that it mattered. Nothing mattered.

  Andrea decided to avert her gaze to something or rather someone a little more… pleasant.

  HEr eyes landed on Lucien tempus. HE sat in the middle of the dragons. Looking almost as bored as he did. Andrea’s cheeks began to turn red once more. Was there something more perfect than him? No , she didn’t think so.

  She had once talked to him. It was a year ago. At the time she was more hopeful than she is now. SHe wasn’t beaming with hope but still, it was far cry from her current state.

  She had approached him at at Dining table and complimented him on all his achievements and told him how much she truly admired him and he said—-

  “Uh, Thanks”. That expression of gratitude alone made her jitter with joy and was enough to restore a little hope that she could indeed succeed and become great. That was— until Caroline stomped on her dreams once more.

  Speaking of caroline ANdrea noticed something about her sitting with the other dragons that made her right eye twitch. She was sitting right next to Lucien and she was doing something else. Something… unforgivable.

  ‘Are they… holding hands!?’ Andrea screamed internally. They were. Catoline had her hand on top of Lucien's. HE didn’t seem like he minded. He wasn’t smiling, he didn’t even look at Caroline. His face was straight forward looking at nothing.

  Caroline on the other hand couldn’t contain her glee. She grinned and repeatedly turned her head looking at Lucien and admiring him. She even giggled a little.

  “What in Morgan’s staff is going on!?”, Andrea screamed internally once more. “She’s just being over friendly and Lucien’s such a nice guy that’d gotta be it”. Andrea assured herself.

  “And theta concludes everything”, Vivain Vesper said. ABdrain turned her head back to Vivan. ‘Is she finished?’, Andrea thought.

  “Do well to remember all that has been said today. They are all important and if the new rules are not followed there will be serious punishments to any rule breakers. I promise you that”, Viavian vesper said.

  “Oh crap”, Andrea cursed. She suddenly regretted not listening to the announcements.

  “Now, since there is nothing else you may all continue……”

  “Actually!”, Andrea interrupted Vivain. “I have an announcement of my own and I would love to share it with everyone if you dont’ mind”.

  Viavian Vesper had no objections. Caroline slowly got up from her seat but was quickly pulled back by Lucien who gave her a deadeye look.

  “What do yo think you’re doing?”Lucien whispered. “I'm just going to share our delightful news with everyone. Don’t you think it’s about time they all knew?”, Caroline asked, smiling.

  Lucien shook his head ferociously. “Don’t do it”, Lucien commanded. Caroline took Lucien's hand off her arm. “You worry too much sweetie”, Caroline said.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  She got up and cleared her throat. She didn’t speak immediately, which was on purpose to build suspense. It had worked. Every student was eager to hear what she had to say.

  “Lucien and I….”, Craoline turned around to look at Lucien. He did not look happy in the slightest. “Are getting married!”. CAroline brought out her hand and on her ring finger there was a silver ring with beautiful designs carved into it and a sapphire stone embedded on the top.

  “SAY WHAT!?”, a female student yelled. No one followed her actions but they all had the same reactions to the news especially the female students in the academy.

  Vivian vesper smiled and began to chuckle loudly. “Wonderful, truly wonderful. The descerndents of Morgan's disciples joining together to improve the magical talent of their families. Tell me, have you set a date”, Vivian asked, with joy in her voice.

  “We have indeed”, Caroline answered. “The wedding, our wedding will take place in the academy. It was our parents’ idea and it will take place the day before graduation”.

  “Splendid! That is quite the announcement. I’m sure everyone will attend”, Vivian vespered said. “IS there anything else?”.

  “No. I believe that’s all”, Caroline asked.

  “Well then as I was saying to everyone here, you may continue one daily duties”, Vivian Vesper said.

  The dragons were the first to leave. No one was permitted to leave before. As they walked through the pathway Caroline grabbed Lucien’s arm and brought it close to her, causing Lucien to flinch.

  “Don’t act like that sweety. Everyone knows our secret now you don’t have to pretend”, Caroline said.

  When the dragons had exited the halls the rest of the students did the same, all except Andrea. She was in a daze, frozen almost like a gorgon had turned her to stone.

  Vivian vesper remained in the hall and called out to her. “Child it seems you did not hear me! You are fee to continue your daily duties”, Vivian vesper exclaimed.

  Andrea was snapped out of her daze. “Oh.. um.. I’m… I’m sorry”, Andrea started and she left the hall.

  HEr daily duties as Vivian called them was just her going to classes but just like earlier when listening to the announcements in the hall Andrea couldn’r care less about it.

  She went from class to class without learning a single thing. She was just there and at the same time she wasn’t.

  Classes were finally over and this was regularly the time Andrea would return to her dorms. But not this time. She walked over to a section in the academy where a man in dark robes looking to be in his sixties sat behind a stone built counter.

  The room Andrea was in was not too large but not too small. There were seats placed for waiting but only Andrea and the old mage were currently occupying it.

  “Excuse me”, Andrea said in a low cracked tone. “I would like to go home”.

  “Sure thing kid”, The old mage said. “Name?”

  “Andrea Wildfire”, Andea answered. A sheet of paper appeared floating in front of the man containing Andrea details. The main ticked one of the boxes out of five.

  “You feeling homesick or something? You don’t look too good”, The olf mage asked. He noticed she was distressed.

  “Something”, Andrea answered, not giving any more information. The old mage didn’t pry. The sheet in front of him disappeared and now a key with a purple gem placed in its center appeared He handed it to andrea.

  Andrea walked to a door into the room and used the key to open it. What appeared beyond the door was a portal. A portal of opaque blue light, constanting swirling in a spiral and it generated a sound similar to that of rushing waves.

  She stepped through the portal and came out through the door of a rundown abandoned library. “I’m home”, ANdrwea said.

  She heard multiple Car honks and saw massive traffic jams. “HEy buddy, get a move on, will ya!? Some of us have places to be!”, a taxi driver yelled.

  “Oh and you think I dont!?”, Another taxi driver yelled. ‘You ain’t special! Besides it’s the dingus at the front that’s causing all this“.

  “What did you call me, you dumb mother loader!?”, A driver in a white truck said. You got out of his vehicle. “You wanna go!?”

  “Yeah I wanna go. I wanna go do my job!”, The other taxi driver yelled. It seemed like a fight was about to break out. “Well… almost home”, Andrea corrected herself.

  She was home in a sense. This was the city she was born and raised. The constant traffic jams, the non stop honks, the smell of fumes burning her lungs and the smell of urine in the alleys.

  She knew all these indications far too well to forget and yet it was somehow worse every time she visited.

  She had to get where she lived. She looked at the traffic Jam once more. “At this point it’s better I just walk”.

  She did just that. Eventually she had reached her destination. Andrea stood on a slanted road looking at rows of houses squeezed between it’s neighbors looking identical to one another except for minor differences.

  Andreas’s house was painted red and had a cracked window which her Dad said he was going to fix but never did.

  ANdrea climbed the steps and opened the door. “Who’s there!?”, Andrea’s Mum called out from the kitchen.

  “It’s me Mum I’m home!”, Andrea answered. A woman with black hair wrapped into a ponytail, wearing an apron and cooking gloves rushed to the door and gave Andrea a big hug.

  “Welcome back my little girl”, Bethany said. “Was that Andrea’s voice I heard!”, A masculine voice yelled.

  A man with fiery red hair. A fairly long beard and a newspaper clasped on his right hand.

  “Hey Dad”, Andrea greeted. “Beth, our little girl’s home!”, Rufus exclaimed. Andrea's eyes dropped whenever her parents called her “Little”. Seeing as he was short it had stopped becoming cute when she was no longer twelve.

  Rudfus did the same thing as his wife except he didn’t need to crouch down. LIke his daughter he was quite short as well. Andrea was only a little taller than him.

  Sometimes Andrea blamed her dad for giving her the short jean, but she immediately regretted those thoughts. Her Dad was kind and warm and he gave her nothing but love.

  They both did. Andrea was being embraced by the two people she loved most in the world and yet….

  ‘Why do I still feel miserable?’, Andrea thought