Page 11 of Lucent Academy: Trinity Awakens
"I'm absolutely terrified," I admitted.
"But you said it anyway! That's even better!" She turned to address the assembled students, her arm still around my shoulders. "This is what bravery looks like, children! Not the absence of fear, but the willingness to speak truth in spite of it. You could all learn something from..." She paused and looked at me. "What's your name?"
"Leah. Leah Wood."
"From Leah Wood! Remember that name, all of you. I have a feeling you'll be hearing it again." She released me and walkedback toward the stage, but not before giving me a wink that made me feel like I had just been let in on some cosmic joke. "Now, Luccy, can we please do the fun part? I've been patient for ages."
The principal, whose expression had cycled through several more variations of long-suffering resignation during the exchange, sighed and nodded. "Very well. Crystalline will now demonstrate the transformation ability that all Pacted beings possess, for those of you who have not seen it before. Please pay attention, as this is relevant to your future bonds."
Crystalline clapped her hands together like a child who had just been promised dessert. "Watch closely!" she called out, and then she changed again, her human form dissolving into light and reforming as the frost phoenix, massive and magnificent, her wings spreading wide enough to cast shadows over half the courtyard. She screeched once, a sound that echoed off the stone walls and made my ears ring, and then she was human again, grinning at us like she had just performed the world's greatest magic trick.
"Every Pacted being has two forms," the principal continued, as though his mate hadn't just given a thousand students a heart attack. "A true form, which reflects their nature and power, and a humanoid form, which allows for easier interaction with their Manaborn partner. The form they take when summoned depends on many factors, including the desires and expectations of the summoner. You will learn more about this in your classes. For now, simply know that your mate will be your partner in all things, your closest ally and your greatest strength."
The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur. The principal spoke about schedules and dormitories and rules and expectations, and Crystalline sat on the edge of the stage and swung herlegs like a bored child, occasionally interjecting with comments that made him pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation. I barely heard any of it, too busy trying to process what had just happened, too aware of the stares and whispers still directed my way. I had made an impression on my first day, that was certain. Whether it was a good impression or a bad one remained to be seen.
When the ceremony finally ended and the students began to disperse, Amber grabbed my arm and hauled me toward the nearest exit, her expression somewhere between horrified and impressed.
"What was that?" she demanded once we were safely in the corridor. "What in the name of all the gods was that?"
"I have no idea," I admitted. "It just... happened."
"You called a frost phoenix cute. To her face. In front of the entire school."
"I know."
"She could have killed you. She was going to kill you. I saw the ice forming, Leah, you were about ten seconds away from becoming a very cold corpse."
"I know."
"And then she hugged you! She said she liked you! She told everyone to remember your name!" Amber ran her hands through her hair, making it stick up in all directions. "Who are you?"
I thought about the question seriously for a moment. Who was I? A gardener's daughter who had accidentally grown magic apples on her birthday. A commoner with no education and noconnections and no ambitions beyond a simple life. Someone who had never been special, never been noticed, never been anything more than pleasant and forgettable. And yet here I was, in the most prestigious academy in the Empire, having just survived a close encounter with an ancient being of immense power by telling her she was cute.
"I'm Leah Wood," I finally said. "And apparently I have no self-preservation instincts whatsoever."
Amber stared at me for a long moment, and then she started to laugh. It was a real laugh, the kind that came from somewhere deep in the belly, and I found myself laughing too, the tension of the day finally finding an outlet. We stood there in the corridor, two common girls in a school full of nobles and monsters, laughing until tears streamed down our faces and other students gave us strange looks as they passed.
"I think," Amber said when she finally caught her breath, "that I'm very glad we're friends."
"Me too," I agreed, wiping my eyes. "Me too."
We found our dormitory eventually, with the help of a harried-looking older student who seemed more interested in getting rid of us than actually being helpful. The room was small but comfortable, with two beds and two desks and a window that looked out over the mountainside, and our luggage had already been delivered, sitting in neat piles at the foot of each bed. Amber claimed the one by the window without asking, which was fine with me since I had always preferred to sleep near the door, and we spent the next hour unpacking and arranging our meager possessions and trying to make the space feel like something other than a prison cell.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of orientation and confusion. We were given maps of the Academy, schedules that didn't tell much as we'd be split after the summoning, and a tour led by an upper-year student who walked too fast and spoke too quietly and seemed personally offended by questions. By the time dinner rolled around we were exhausted and overwhelmed, picking at our food in the massive dining hall while students at other tables whispered and pointed at the new arrivals. I caught Seraphina's eye across the room at one point, and she looked away with a sniff of disdain that was almost comforting in its predictability.
"So what happens now?" I asked Amber as we walked back to our dormitory through corridors that were starting to look vaguely familiar. "Do we just... wait?"
"Didn't you hear the principal? The Grand Summoning is tomorrow." Amber's voice was tight, and I noticed for the first time how nervous she looked beneath her usual bravado. "All the first years, all at once. They split us into groups across ten circles and we call our mates. Just like that, on our second day. I thought we'd have more time, you know? Time to prepare, time to figure out what we're doing. But apparently not."
"Tomorrow," I repeated, the word feeling strange in my mouth. "And then?"
"A week to recover. Bonding takes a lot out of you, apparently. After that, classes start."
We reached our room and I sat on my bed, staring at the wall without really seeing it. Tomorrow I would stand in a circle and call out to beings from another realm, hoping that one of them would find me worthy. Tomorrow everything would change, again, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. The pendantlay warm against my chest as I changed into my nightclothes, a small comfort as the weight of what was coming settled over me.
"We should sleep," Amber said from her bed, her voice already heavy with exhaustion. "Big day tomorrow."
"The biggest."
