Aralyn's POV
I woke up to the loud, annoying ring of an alarm that I didn't even know existed. It went off at exactly 7AM, and for a second, I was confused about where I was, but then everything came crashing back into my brain like a wave.
Shadowvale. A new school. Supernatural roommates. A terrifying girl with the power to rot my body. Yeah, that was my new reality now.
I sat up slowly, blinking at the morning light spilling through the window. The memory of Serenessa sitting on my bed last night still made my skin crawl, but thankfully, nothing strange had happened after I made that weird promise. She kept to her side of the room, and I'd kept to mine.
But now I had something else to freak out about.
Today was the day I entered a class full of magical beings, fairies, elves, phoenixes, and God knows what else, and there I was, just Aralyn. An ordinary human girl who had somehow stumbled her way into this magical academy.
I didn't even know what subject I was supposed to be good at, let alone how I was going to keep up with a bunch of students who could probably lift tables with their minds.
I groaned and forced myself out of bed. One look at my uniform, beautiful, tailored, and slightly glowing at the edges, made me pause. At least I looked the part, even if I felt like an imposter.
I dragged myself into the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and stepped into the warm bath. I let the water run longer than I probably should have, using the time to give myself a mental pep talk.
"You're here for a reason. The Priestess doesn't make mistakes, remember?" I whispered under my breath.
Still, my stomach twisted in knots as I dried off and put on the uniform. The fabric was soft and smooth against my skin, with a delicate crest stitched into the collar. I stared at myself in the mirror, trying to picture myself as someone who belonged here. Someone brave and someone who wouldn't run the moment a fairy sneezed.
Thankfully, I wasn't going to face this all alone. Elyra and her friend had said they were also first-years, and Elyra had promised to come pick me up so we could walk together to class. That helped a little.
At 7:45AM, I stepped out of the room, hoping to find Elyra waiting. Serenessa hadn't even stirred when I left. She had a curtain pulled across her bed, and for all I knew, she could be silently cursing me from behind it. Whatever. I wasn't going to let her ruin my already anxious morning.
I stood outside my bedroom door for what felt like forever, just staring at nothing and trying to calm the nervous flutter in my chest. My fingers toyed with the edge of my new uniform, and my heart thudded loudly in my ears.
It was early, too early, maybe, but I didn't want to be late. I didn't want to stand out any more than I already did.
Finally, after about five minutes of waiting and silently wishing for some kind of courage to appear out of thin air, I saw Elyra walking toward me, her bright green hair swaying behind her.
Right beside her was Penna, the other girl I had met yesterday. Elyra waved when she spotted me, her face lighting up with that same friendly grin she'd worn yesterday.
Penna, though… She looked a little less thrilled. Her eyes met mine, and for the briefest second, it felt like she was forcing her steps to stay in sync with Elyra's. I gave a small, awkward smile and waved anyway.
"Morning!" Elyra greeted me cheerfully once they reached me. "Sleep okay? Or was it a total nightmare sharing a room with her highness, Serenessa?"
I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. "It was... interesting," I replied. "She didn't throw anything this time, so I'm counting it as a win."
Elyra giggled. "You're braver than the others. Do you know you're the first person to last a whole night with her?"
That made me blink. "Wait, really?"
"Yup," Elyra nodded. "No one ever made it past a few hours before they stormed out crying or demanded a room change, and the school usually agrees just to keep the peace."
I swallowed, suddenly understanding why Velmira had looked so serious when she said I'd have to stay with her. "So, what's her deal then?" I asked cautiously. "Why does she hate everyone?"
Just as Elyra opened her mouth to answer, Penna spoke up. "How are you going to introduce yourself?"
I turned to her, a bit caught off guard. "What do you mean?"
She raised a brow, folding her arms. "Well, you're human, right? You've got no magic, no special bloodline, no nothing. Shadowvale doesn't exactly get excited about people without powers. You're a little... underwhelming, no offense."
My cheeks flushed instantly, and I could feel the heat climbing up to my ears. "I... I haven't really thought about it," I mumbled.
Penna smirked. "You should. First impressions matter around here. If you go in there and sound like you don't know anything, you'll get eaten alive."
Elyra gave her friend a quick nudge. "Penna, come on, don't scare her."
"I'm not scaring her," Penna said with a shrug. "I'm just being honest. The sooner she gets it, the better her chances of not being turned into some toad in a prank gone wrong."
I stared at the floor, trying to keep the anxiety from showing on my face. This was already hard enough. Did she have to make it sound like I was walking into a battlefield?
"Don't listen to her," Elyra said gently, touching my arm. "You'll be fine. We'll be right there with you. Besides, half the class is probably just as nervous as you. Everyone's trying to prove themselves."
I nodded, grateful for her words, but Penna's comment still clung to the back of my mind like an itch I couldn't scratch. I was a powerless human in a school full of magical beings. How was I supposed to blend in or even survive?
We kept walking, the silence a bit more awkward now. As we neared the classroom building, I noticed the students around us were starting to increase.
More people, more strange looks, and more butterflies in my stomach. Some had wings, others glowed faintly, and I could've sworn I saw someone floating instead of walking.
"Here we are," Elyra said brightly, stopping in front of a large doorway with carvings etched deep into the stone. "First Year General Studies. Everyone in here is starting from the basics."
Penna leaned against the wall, looking around with mild disinterest. "Some of us just have more 'basics' than others," she muttered.
Elyra ignored her and turned to me. "Are you ready?"
No, not at all, but I nodded anyway.
As we walked in, a quiet hush fell over the class, and dozens of eyes turned to look at us, or more accurately, at me.
I wanted to disappear, but I couldn't. So I straightened my shoulders, took a deep breath, and followed them inside.