The heart monitor’s rhythm was steady—annoyingly so.
Mina Lee groaned and peeled one eye open. Where…? Her vision was blurry, but bright light poured into the room, making her squint. The sterile smell of antiseptic stung her nose. Hospital.
Wait—didn’t I—?
The memory returned like a slap: car, brakes screeching, blinding headlights, and then darkness. She should be dead. Or in surgery. Or in the emergency room, at least.
But no. She was in a private hospital room with polished wooden furniture, a curtain of lavender silk, and a chandelier. A chandelier. The bedsheets were embroidered with golden thread, and someone had placed a vase of fresh blue roses by the bedside.
Blue. What in K-drama hell—
The door burst open.
“Oh, thank the stars you’ve awoken, Lady Arcanestra!”
Mina blinked at the man rushing in. He wore long navy robes trimmed in silver, and his salt-and-pepper hair was pulled into a low ponytail. His mustache twitched as he gasped dramatically. “You gave us quite a fright. Imagine—the Great Archmage herself collapsing on the morning of Orientation Day!”
“I’m sorry—what?” she croaked, her throat dry as old toast.
“Oh! Forgive me!” He snapped his fingers, and a floating goblet of water glided to her lips. “Drink, Lady Arcanestra, please.”
“Lady…who?” she mumbled between sips.
The man exchanged a confused glance with the nurse—who looked like an elf, an actual elf, with pale violet eyes and ears like sleek teacups.
“Arcanestra Velladine,” the man said slowly. “Greatest mage of the last century. Vanquisher of the Black Tide. Professor of Ancient Theory and Applied Sorcery at the Avalorne Academy of Mystical Arts.”
Mina nearly choked on the water. “EXCUSE me?!”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
He offered a gentle, worried smile. “You must be disoriented from your… ah… magical exhaustion. Memory loss, perhaps? Not uncommon among archmages. You’ll recover soon, I’m sure.”
“No, I—I think you have the wrong girl,” she stammered, clutching the blankets. “I’m just Mina. Mina Lee. I work in customer support. I live in Seoul. I—what the hell is an Avalorne?!”
The elf nurse stepped closer, laying a glowing hand on Mina’s forehead. “Her aura is turbulent. Magical pathways are… unstable. Sir Thandrel, we must not overwhelm her.”
Sir Thandrel—if that was Mustache Guy’s name—nodded solemnly. “Perhaps it’s best we let her rest. But we must leave you with this, Lady Arcanestra.” He bowed deeply, and produced a scroll with an elaborate golden seal. “Your appointment begins tomorrow. First lecture at dawn.”
He placed the scroll beside her and marched out with the nurse in tow, leaving behind the lingering scent of sage and panic.
Mina stared at the scroll.
“…Okay. Breathe. Just breathe.” She pressed a hand to her chest. Her heart thumped fast, but steady.
She looked down.
Not her pajamas.
She wore a flowing white nightgown trimmed in violet thread. Her nails were longer, neatly painted in an iridescent shimmer. Her hands looked… elegant. Too elegant. These aren’t my hands.
Mina grabbed a silver hand mirror from the nightstand. Her breath caught.
She looked the same, mostly—but her brown eyes now glowed faintly, and her long black hair shimmered with streaks of silver. Her skin was flawless, like one of those impossibly perfect manhwa heroines.
“Oh no,” she whispered. “I’ve been isekai’d.”
There was a pause.
And then, despite the dizziness and creeping anxiety, Mina started to laugh.
Oh my god. This is a fantasy trope. I’m living a manhwa! Magic school, weird name, glowing eyes—next thing you know, I’ll have a tragic backstory and a sassy pet dragon.
She flopped back on the pillows, giggling helplessly.
“Okay. Okay, okay. I can work with this. I’ve read enough to know how it goes. I’m probably a chosen one, I’ve got some secret power locked inside, and everyone thinks I’m some big deal.”
She paused.
“But I don’t know magic. Like… at all. I can barely do my taxes. What the hell do I teach at a magic academy?”
The scroll on the table shimmered and unfurled itself.
At the top, in sweeping calligraphy:
Course Roster: Archmage Arcanestra Velladine
Subject: Chaos Magic & Applied Life Wisdom
Class Size: 5
Current Enrollment:
-
Tamsin Weller – commoner, alchemy minor, quiet type
-
Fennik Delore – expelled from three other classes
-
Lira Moonbranch – half-elf, overly enthusiastic
-
Darek Stonejaw – ex-blacksmith, midlife career shift
-
Callum – just Callum
Mina stared.
“…What the hell kind of class is this?”
She was still laughing when the sun began to set, painting the sky outside her window with strokes of lavender and gold. Somewhere below, bells rang softly through the academy courtyard.
And so began the most bizarre chapter of Mina Lee’s life.