Hidden Magic

Chapter Three

I was woken by a loud knock on my door, though when I got to answer it, there is only a small food tray on the floor, with a note on it. Welcome to your first official day at Crest-Fallen Academy, today will be your choosing day, please eat your food and change into the provided uniform in the closet, leave all your other belongings in the room, you have thirty minutes to prepare and go to the entry hall.

I was quick to follow the note's instructions, unsure as to what would happen if I didn't and not truly wanting to find out, I feel like I am running out of time by the time I make it back to the entry hall where other students are already waiting and our guide Mindy is standing next to a set of doors that rested in between the statues of the element deities, with three statues on either side of the doors. I glance around nervously, wondering if we were all here yet, if the thirty minutes were even over. All too soon I hear a yelping noise, and someone comes running out of the hallway on the right side of the room, where our temporary rooms had been, and we all gasp in shock as we see he was being chased by a miniature storm cloud that was zapping him with tiny bolts of lightning to move faster. "Mr.Trunwitt, not a great first impression, sleeping in on your choosing day." Mindy shakes her head, looking disappointed with him, he was messily dressed in the uniform and looked entirely unkept, but if he had been sleeping when the storm cloud had started zapping him, I imagine he was urged to rush very quickly through everything.

The uniforms were rather standard, a white blouse, black blazer, a black and white plaid pleated skirt, with tights, and a pair of black flats for the girls. While boys had the same white shirt, and black blazer, but they had a white and black plaid tie, along with white pants, and black dress shoes. It was a strange combination in truth, it didn't quite match, but who was I to tell them that. Now that we were all here, Mindy waves over at the doors, and gazes at us firmly, looking very serious. "Now, you'll each be called by your full names to step into the room." Mindy slowly organized us into a straight line. The first person, a girl named Alexa Bandin, was called into the room and we all shoved each other to get a peek inside. The doors opened, bright lights hit our faces and cheers rang out loudly, and then they slammed shut as soon as Alex had finished stepping through, leaving us cut off from the room as everything went silent on our end.

In what feels like no time at all, the doors abruptly open again as the next person was called, it went on like this for what felt like ever, especially for me considering I was near the end of the line. It was absolutely nerve racking watching people go into the room and hearing the cheers and shouts of people and then get cut off from it, without finding out what was happening, over and over and over again.

Finally, it was my turn, Mindy turns to me with a soft smile and says my name. "Karinna Valdis." Gesturing me to go to the slowly opening doors, my heart races as I think of what could possibly lie beyond those doors, I step through the doors nervously, forcing myself not to jump at the sound of the doors slamming behind me. I keep stepping forward down this small hallway, only to emerge in a rather small circular room, whereas I spun around to look at the room, it had a weird sort of haze to it, I could hear people cheering, but I couldn't see anyone, six white marble pedestals surrounded me.

"Karinna Valdis, this is your choosing ceremony, touch the elemental representations of our deities and find out which one has chosen you." The voice echoed around me eerily, but knowing that there were probably people watching me, not that I could see them, didn't leave me long to debate what I should do, so instead of standing there like an idiot, I move to the pedestal the that was closest to me on my right, a swirling ball of water hovered on the platform.

I wasn't quite sure how I would know if said god or goddess chose me, but I figured it would be obvious. I reach out to touch the floating ball of water and it bursts, splashing down lightly on the pedestal and me slightly, I guess I was denied from that deity, I move to the next where a large stemless flower bud floated, its petals still tightly together, I touch it gently and its color fades as it falls and lands on the pedestal, next one I guess, which seemed to be a glass ball that was glowing with yellow light, a soft touch and the light vanishes from it, as it slowly lowers to sit on the pedestal again, simply an empty glass ball now.