The Academy of Shining Light

Chapter 1: Letters

Astra's POV:

She sat in complete darkness under the makeshift roof of her pillow fort leaning up against some throw pillows she had made herself with a pattern. Astra reached up and turned in the reading light that she had gotten as a gift from a festival in their district. The soft hue illuminated the whole fort as she pulled out a book hidden under a quilt. The intricate gold designs on the cover glinted with a slight shimmer. It was an Astrology textbook she had stolen from her parent's study, which wasn't hard. They were gone most of the time so she had just snuck in, climbed up a bookshelf, and stuffed it in her backpack. She never was allowed to read the books in there but a simple one on Astrology wouldn't do any harm. "Finally, I've already read most of the books of stars in the school library." She thought about asking the librarians about new volumes next time she saw them but chose against it, she could find books on her own. Astra sat up, almost hitting her head on one of the hanging paper stars. She was almost about to begin reading it when she heard her mother's voice calling for her. "Birdy, me and your father have something for you!" "Why are they home so early? What could they have for me?" She pulled her blue hair into a pair of pigtails then got up and avoided the hanging stars as she left the safety of her pillow fort. Her long cotton socks made no sound on the wood flooring as she made her way down the stairs to greet her mother. "I wonder if they are mad at me for taking the book! I need to learn as much about Astrology as I can if I ever want to become a Shining Light and map all of the stars!" She thought her heart was starting to pound when she saw her parents. Her mother stood there in a long evening gown while her father wore a rich finely tailored suit. Her mom's hair was the same blue as the night sky decorated in glitter accessories but her fathers was more of a light shade like the ocean. "Hello why did you call for me?" She asked them tilting her chin up a little like they had taught her. Her mother smiled at the small gesture, "What a lovely lady your becoming and with the arrival of the letter..." She tensed, what letter? One to the The Academy of Shining Light the most prestigious school in the world for magic learning. "Well and for learning in general." Astra thought. "You know the deal about Shining Lights by now. They're powerful magic users that can pretty much do whatever they liked with their powers." Her dad rambled. "Yes everyone knows you set for life if you get in even if you don't become a powerful enough magic user." He chuckled, "You know I learned that its easier to make friends in a new environment and you could use help in the subject. Its the only one your failing-" He removed a white envelope from his pocket which had a wax seal imprinted with a sun. "You got in Birdy!" 

Kai's POV: 

There he worked in his dads garage making an invention for his high school's engineering fair. His family own a car repair shop so there always was spare parts lying around that he could use, despite owning a successful store they weren't rich far from it really. Due to his dad's gambling addiction most of the funds went to that, in fact it was the whole reason he made to store for a steady supply of cash. They had a whole room in the house where he would gamble with his friends and whenever Kai went in there it reeked of smoke. No matter though he was going to become a engineer and build a space shuttle that will take him and his mom to space. Far away from this dumb world and all he had to do was become a powerful magic user. Every person in the world was born with a soul and dream. Magic is you soul's determination trying to reach the dream but most people loss hope in it after a while making there magic weak. Shining Lights are those who get to reach there goal because there magic is that strong, of course if you a smaller dream you'll be weaker. Not him though he was going to be and engineer and astronaut! "I'm going to build and wonderful spaceship that will take me and my mom away from all of our problems, I might take a few others too and be there hero." He thought imagining who would he take. Definitely Jenne and maybe one of his others friends, Kai picked up a can of spray paint and shot it all over the main part still brainstorming. He was creating a mini plane and was going to trying to make it fly without the help of a human. His plan was to hook it up to the smallest engine he could find and have in run of gasoline. Kai paused for a second imagining what it would be like to save all the people on board of a plane and to be the hero of the story. He always had wanted to be a hero to and acted most of the part, every semester he won the leadership award, and he was head of almost every club in the school. His classmates looked up to him so all he needed to do was have his adventure start one way or the other. Click Clack! The sound of his mothers heels on the garage's cement flooring. "I'm off the work sweetie could you please check the mail!" His mother called out as she got into one of the cars. It fired on, a sharp breeze shooting out of the vents and spraying some of the dirt off of it and all over him and his clothing. He didn't mind Kai was going to change into school cloths anyway. "On it, Mom!" He yelled jogging inside then out the front door. He swung open the mailbox and started sorting through the contents, a cheap magazine his dad was subscribed too, some tax letters, and a envelope that he instantly recognized. The fine white paper paired with a golden wax seal its sharply folded corners scratching his hand a bit though he barley noticed the pain. "This is where my adventure begins."