The Arcanum Manor

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝔀𝓸- Campus

I felt a surge of awe. Full of excitement, blown away by its beauty and prestige. Stepping onto the expansive grounds of Arcanum Manor, seemed already magical enough.

I took a deep breath. The campus sprawled out before me with lush greenery and magnificent buildings encircling the area. Each manor's walls were full of significant details and ornaments.

So, not only one but six manors.

I grabbed my sunglasses from my grandmother's car and put them on to shield my eyes from the already bright morning sun.

My attention was abruptly snapped to a young albino woman who appeared right in front of me, leaving me in a state of shock. Had she materialized there out of thin air after watching me from far away?

I took a sharp inhale, because while I had heard about witches, I nearly forgot about magic being a thing.

She stood there rigidly, adorned in a flowing long dress and a pointed hat. Witchy hat that crowned her with a white afro hairstyle.

I was utterly speechless by her presence.

The woman's soothing voice cut through my astonishment, "Welcome, Elvira."

I struggled to regain my composure, my eyes wide with shock, my sunglasses nearly slipping off.

"I am headmistress Nori Hawthorne," The woman offered a comforting smile. Her unbelievably gentle tone made me choke out a response.

"H-hello."

"Oh, you haven't seen any magic before," Nori Hawthorne commented with understanding. "Sorry to scare you. I know this may be overwhelming for you, Elvira, but I promise you that you are in good hands. This is a place where you can learn and grow as a witch."

"Thank you," I blurted out quickly, a nervous smile forming on my lips. I extended my hand hesitantly to shake hers, all the while wondering if she could read the mess of thoughts running through my mind.

After a brief touch and shake of my hand, Nori gracefully moved around me. SHe offered a firmer handshake to my grandmother, who was equally taken aback. "Hello, Alvara, nice to see you again."

"Hello, Nori! I can't believe my granddaughter is finally here," my grandmother said, wiping away a tear and looking immensely proud. I couldn't help but sneak a glance at her side eye.

"How time flies, doesn't it?" Nori added as they shared smiles. "I still remember the very last Easter festival that we attended together when Elvira was just a newborn."

"And here she is all grown up," my grandmother said, giving me a look that caused me to blush deeply.

My eyes darted between them. Oh they know each other? My brain had to be really frozen right now. Then the synapses worked again.

I had been here as a baby. If I could've remembered that, it would've spared me years of not knowing about magic. My grandmother wouldn't have had to surprise me with the news of a new school. Everything would have been different. Easier.

Nori returned her attention to me. "Elvira, please say goodbye to your grandma and then check in at the reception," she said as her hand motioned to the building behind her. "Someone will surely tour you around the campus. You will love it here. Oh! And when you go to your new room, your bags will already be there, don't worry." She placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, gave me a meaningful look, and departed to welcome the other students who had just arrived after us. "I will leave you to have a proper goodbye, ladies."

I found myself alone with my grandmother, who came over and hugged me tightly. We had known there would be this moment to say goodbye, but it didn't mean it would make it easy.