Hidden Magic

Chapter Five

A soft knock on my door interrupts my thoughts, it couldn't be Alyssa, I doubt she would ever return here again, let alone speak to me. "Karinna? It's just me, Ariel, I saw Alyssa storm off back to her room and figured I should check that she actually explained everything to you? I'll never know why Sira guided you to her, she is a horrible mentor." Upon hearing her words, I rush to get the door, eager to speak to a friendly person who will actually answer all my questions, and won't get mad at me for having the nerve to ask anything at all.

She smiles at me and nods as she takes in my desperate expression. "She did explain the basics at least? And mention to you about tipping the staff?" I raise my hand in the tilting back and forth way of saying kind of, she looks as if she expected as much. "May I come in?" I nod rapidly, and open the door further allowing her inside. "Okay, I think I should just ask what she did explain, so I can fill in the blanks for you, or let you know about anything she might have decided wasn't important enough to share." My shoulders sag with relief, grateful that she had decided to take the initiative and come to me before I had to try to seek her out.

"Well, she told me about the night gardens, that the mirror I entered through was the only way out, where the library was and how it was order of Sira specific, and that more generalized books can be found in the academy library, where the dining hall was and the times of breakfast and dinner, along with how it was a help yourself buffet. She told me about the weekend trips to the village, as well as the whole money exchange with Sikmas. The soundproofing, and about pixies and tipping." She nods slowly, looking rather impressed to find out that Alyssa had told me that much.

"She was nice to you then, the last person she mentored was a male, he asked if her boobs were real, she broke his nose and left him alone on the stairs." I stare at her in shock, not so much about her breaking someone's nose for being rude, so much as the fact that Ariel called the attitude she gave me, being nice, if that was nice, I never want to see angry. "There are a few other things I can explain to you, but do you have any questions about what she already told you?" I nod my heading, eager to get the answers to my questions.

"How do the lights work?" She laughs at me, looking amused that that was my first question.

"It's simple really, the pixies have minor elemental magic, for all six elements. Which is what allows them to keep the rain and wind out of your room, as well as fill the lights with small balls of fire, there are no candles, the flames inside are sustained by pixie magic alone, so they'll only light up or extinguish when you enter or leave the room, but when you are going to sleep, simply pull up the covers and close your eyes, exactly like you're going to bed. Pixies have phenomenal vision, and as creepy as it may sound, their entire job is to watch us while we are in our rooms to ensure all our needs are met, as well keeping our rooms tidy. Same thing for a fire, simply grab one of these red stones here on the coffee table and throw it into the firepit, the pixie inhabiting your room would have already imbued it with fire magic that will keep it going for at least a few hours, they will ensure that the bowl never runs out of stones.

Now while our rooms stay the perfect temperature, the academy follows the normal seasons, just like it will here, though the starry night sky and forest is an illusion, you'll feel the breeze on the balcony, smell the fresh forest air, feel the sun on your skin in the daytime, it is daytime right now, don't worry, you're not wrong, but because our goddess controls shadows and hence the night, when it is induction day the illusion shows you the prettiest view, a starry night sky, it will go back to normal tomorrow. Now speaking of normal, seasons and all that, during the winter season, the illusion will change to a snow-covered forest, and a candle will be on the mantle, if you want the fire going all the time, leave it lit, if you don't like fires, and you'd rather it was never lit, extinguish the flame with the gold candle snuffer that will be next to it. It sounds more complicated than it is, anything else I can answer for you?" She had explained so much to me that Alyssa had already decided wasn't an important thing for me to know, and she had only answered one of my questions.