The Realm Protectors

Chapter 28 - Ciana

Faris was right yesterday when he warned me about being self-conscious at the School of Light. Just in a completely different way.

After our sweet little tour of the busiest parts of the city – we all noticed that Sorin's "special tour" took us right around the poorer districts of Cidade do Sol – we made our way up the hill to the School of Light. The campus was somehow even more pristine than Sorin's "prissy little office," as Enya called it. Students walked around in neat uniforms: white pants and yellow polos for the boys and pleated white knee-length skirts with yellow blouses for the girls. Even their backpacks all match, simple white bags with golden trim that spelled out their name.

"Wow," I mumble to myself as I look around. I suddenly feel very under dressed. I don't care if these people look powerful – I already know that I'm the most powerful light elemental to exist. I care that these people look like light elementals. They glow – literally glow.

Blonde hair, brown hair, black hair, all glossed and shiny and healthy-looking. Everyone's skin is beautiful, and everyone has a radiance in their eyes that shows their love of what they're doing. They're neat and pristine, walking in little groups of friends that chat and laugh like tinkling bells.

I lower my head, unable to take in any more sights. The rest of my friends continue to look around in astonishment as we make our way to Headmaster Miracle's office.

Headmaster Miracle is standing in front of a building decorated with white and yellow tiles of various shades to make up a beautiful mosaic of a sun. He spreads his arms wide in a welcoming gesture as he grins at us.

"Your Highnesses! Welcome, welcome, welcome." We stop in front of him. I look up and paste a smile on my face to be polite. "Right Arch Leonide, good to see you again, my girl. Arch Cummins, shall we begin your tour and inspection?"

"That would be lovely, Headmaster." Carter smiles. The two of them take off down the path, leaving the rest of us to wander inside the mosaic building while we wait. Inside are luxurious white sofas with feet made of gold, and a ceiling made entirely of little pieces of glass that look like they were shattered and put back together again. It makes the light refract around the room in little rays of rainbows.

"This campus is gorgeous." Enya gushes, plopping down on the white sofa. Nile sits next to her and wraps his arm around her shoulders. Avani lays across the chair next to the sofa, hanging her legs over the side and closing her eyes as she leans back.

The rest of my friends sit as they chatter about how pretty the campus is, and how everyone seems so put together. I wander over to the crystal clear window at the side of the room. Across the campus I could see groups of elementals tossing balls of light back and forth, popping in and out of visual, and even wearing their light as accessories: hairpins, headbands, and bracelets.

I'm acutely aware of the fact that I have nothing to be jealous about – I am more powerful as a first sect than they will ever be – and yet I get the feeling that I don't compare to their radiance. My ears buzz as though I'm surrounded by a cloud of muted bees, and the room grows dimmer around me. The buzzing crescendos as the sounds around me take on a different tone.

"Ciana?" Someone asks. I turn around and see my friends on the couches, now staring at me with a varying array of emotions on their faces. I notice that my hands are balled tightly into fists, fingernails pressed against my palms so hard that when I relax, crescent moons are left in my skin. The light in the room begins to brighten once more, and I realize that in my moment of doubt, I had turned the room dark.

"I'm fine." I respond, wiping my hands on my pants before gingerly taking a seat on the sofa next to Nik. She sits very properly – legs together, hands on her knees, and spine ramrod straight. It's got to be enormously uncomfortable.