Elemys (Part 1: Magic schools and dark stories)

Chapter 7: Holidays

I was not really ready to face that kind of choice. Few minutes ago, I just wanted to bury myself in shame, anger and deception. Few days ago, I would have been happy if even one, two or three schools would accept me. But to have the choice between all of them was something else I did not expect.

I simply did not know which one to choose. All of those were great, as their name implied.

Then I thought about Jade, about the school she might be accepted in. As I couldn't guess, I tried to ask Khalel. I closed my eyes for a few seconds before answering the teachers.

"Khal, will Jade be accepted to Castlenaud?"

"No."

"To Châteaubriant?"

"No."

"To Versailles ?"

"Yes."

Without asking anymore questions, I got what I wanted. I opened my eyes and answered the teachers.

"I will choose Versailles."

With a solemn voice, one of the teachers asked, "Do you confirm that choice?"

As I confirmed, I was congratulated before being asked to leave the room from the other side. Once out, someone was waiting for me and asked me to follow him to another room. That was a room attributed to applicants who were accepted into Versailles'. There were other rooms like that for other schools and for those who failed. I just had to wait for Jade, and with some luck, I hoped Lin too would come here.

The room was slowly filling up. While some people were talking to each other about what spell they had and what they understood from it, I prefered to stay on my own. At every new entrance, I checked if it was Jade. As time passed by, I was more and more doubtful. I tried to contact her on my communication stone, but it seemed like she wasn't looking at her messages. All my hopes began to crumble as I saw Lin coming. She looked everywhere, looking for someone she might know, until she saw me.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaz! We were both accepted here! That's so niiiice!"

Lin seemed elated to find me. I could understand her, as I was also happy that we both succeeded in entering one of the great schools of magic, and to find out that I would be with one of my best friends. Nonetheless, what came to me first was that Jade should have had her interview with the jury before Lin. If she was not here as of now, she would have either failed, or chosen another school.

Anyway, we talked about what we learned and how it went until one of the teachers in the Jury came. He was representing Versailles and began a small talk to congratulate and explain to us what would happen next. Lessons would begin Tuesday 4th of september. We would receive at home everything we would need to know: schedules, room prices for those who would like to live in the castle itself, ...

As soon as he finished his speech, we could finally leave. There, we found Jade that was already waiting with a huge smile on her face.

"You have been accepted! That's great! You're in the same school?"

"Yup! We got lucky!" answered Lin. Without waiting more, I continued with what couldn't leave my mind.

"And you? Did you succeed?"

"Yes! I was accepted in Fontainebleau!"

"Ah?"

"Tell us how it went!" interjected Lin, all smiles.

I was really happy for her. It was incredible for the three of us to succeed. But I couldn't understand why Khalel told me she would be accepted in Versailles. That was wrong. I didn't know if I failed to talk to him, if he lied, or if everything was just my imagination. I couldn't understand this error. Something was weird.