Crescent High

Chapter 17

I sat in my armchair, my mind still swirling with ideas and thoughts. There was no one else in the room, and the only light to see by was a tall floor lamp set beside the seating. It gave off a warm glow, rather than the cool harsh light that would have come from opening the curtains. In my chair I sat for a while, not doing anything, just thinking of all the possibilities. Slowly, my eyes drooped closed, and I started to have a vision.

Looking down at my hands, I could see that I was not myself. My skin was wrinkled and saggy, and the clothes I wore were not my own. Around me, the wind blew plumes of smoke into the already polluted air above the city. People bustled through the streets below as I stood on a balcony watching out over the sprawling town stretching into the distance.
"Such a lovely sight, isn't it Void," I mused, looking over at a black dragon beside me. It had golden eyes and scales as dark as a black hole in the distant universe. The dragon stood, majestic and regal, with an air of confidence around it.
"Void, my time here is up." Snapping its head towards me, the dragon looked with pleading eyes. "Take care of my heir for me."
Slowly, the vision started to fade away, until I was in a black void, walking towards a door not unlike the one I had seen before. I opened it and stepped through, finding myself in...

My eyes shot open as I stumbled out of my chair and I heard the door creak open. It was Megan.
"You're in here?" she yelped, and then regained her composure. "How are you? I heard about the accident."
I didn't want her sympathy, so I just replied with, "I'm fine, thanks for asking. How are you doing?"
We had a conversation, then Megan said that she was going to go to bed, as did I. I slept so soundly that I didn't even hear Rose enter the room and settle down in her bed. Nor did I hear the cracking of the egg that was under mine.

📚

I woke in the morning to find myself alone in the room. Both Rose and Megan's beds were made, sunlight streaming in through the window,which no longer had the blackout curtains over it. I rubbed my eyes and got out of bed, getting dressed in my uniform.
Before leaving, I made sure the egg was safe, taking note of the extra cracks spreading across the shell. The door shut behind me with a click and I raced down the stairs towards breakfast.
My friends swarmed me as I entered the dining hall and sat down at their table. Through the jumbled of words and conversation, I could make out a few phrases.
"Feonyx!" Rose called. "Are you ok, I was so worried yesterday when you didn't show to class. It isn't like you not to go to class."
I smiled at her, feeling happy that someone cares about me. "Yeah, I'm fine now. I must have passed out cause of overheating or something. Thanks for finding me."

On my notepad, I ordered breakfast and began to eat, ignoring the many questions people had for me, even those who I had never spoken to before had some. After a while, I got a little tired of all the questions and left the room, making my way to the first class of the day - Magical History.
Professor Fellowe stood outside the room as I got there.
"Aren't you a little early?" she said, in an accusatory tone. Her lips were drawn into a thin line, and she peered over her glasses at me.
"Sorry Professor, I just wanted a little time to think alone," I replied. My heart was pounding in my chest, waiting for her answer, but it never came. Instead, she unlocked the door and welcomed me in.
"Sit down." Her voice was sharp, but also calming at the same time, and it made me want to do as she said. "I understand how you feel, Feonyx. I was like you as a student, always wanting to have space away from other people, and one of my professors provided me that comfort. Now I shall do the same for you. You can come in here whenever you want to escape the bustle of the main school and talk with me if you want, or just think."

I was stunned. For a while, I didn't know what to say, and we sat in silence, each absorbed in thought.
Eventually, I spoke to the professor. "Thank you," I said. "This means a lot to me. You don't know how much easier my life has become from this."
Professor Fellowe smiled a small smile. "It's my pleasure to have you here. There's not been anyone that I've been able to understand like you. Now, enjoy your last moments of peace - they'll be coming soon."
She laughed and we walked outside the classroom to wait for the rest of the class.

📚

The rest of the day passed without incident, the classes going relatively well. I sat under the willow tree with Rose and Reef, chatting about our day.
"I never knew how this school came to be," Reef announced. "It was so interesting to find out that this wasn't the original building, and that before, it was in the mountains at the ski lodge!"
"Mhu," Rose agreed, and I nodded.
"I mean, who would have thought that the best school for sorcerers in the whole world started with such humble beginnings."
"Wait, there are other schools for sorcerers?" I questioned. This was news to me.
"Yeah, I have a cousin who goes to Tufore, School of Sorcery. They live in Xiand though, so I hardly ever see them anymore," Rose told me. "Anyways, race you to the door. Last one there's a rotten egg!"
We set off laughing, running across the gardens to the school building, and it finally felt like home.

*Another chapter. Yay. Did you enjoy it. It's a long one, for me. A little bit of lore and backstory on the world. I'll get working on the next chapter, which will be uploaded soon. Maybe.*