MYSTRIA CHRONICLES: The Crown of Ivory Kingdom

CHAPTER 2 - Through the Looking Glass

Lunarine Chavez

Tapos na ang first class namin. I still think na everything I'm seeing here isn't real. It's as if I'm inside a dream. Parang isang panaginip na hindi ko alam kung kailan ako magigising. The towering stone walls, the ancient hallways, and the endless sea of students, all so different from the ones I was used to. There was something off about this place-something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Lahat sila, parang may alam na ako lang ang hindi.

One thing was clear though: I don't belong here.

Habang nagmamadali akong tumungo sa next class, I couldn't shake the feeling that people were staring at me. Every time I passed a group of students, they'd stop talking, and I could feel their eyes on me. Some whispered. Saan kaya galing 'yan? Bakit nandito siya? Mukhang hindi bagay dito.

I tried my best to shrug it off, but it stung. Ano ba ang meron? Bakit parang out of place ako? My robe-dark blue with silver accents-looked the same as everyone else's. Pero pakiramdam ko, parang ako lang ang hindi swak sa lugar na 'to.

By the time I reached the next classroom, Olivia and Sabrina were already there, lounging at the back like they owned the place. Olivia flashed me a teasing grin habang inaayos niya ang buhok niya, perfect as always. "You're late, Luna."

I rolled my eyes and sank into the seat beside her. "Alam mo bang ang weird ng school na 'to?"

Sabrina looked up from her notebook, raising an eyebrow. Olivia smirked. "Weird? What do you mean?"

"Bakit lahat ng tao parang ang tingin sa akin, I don't belong here? I mean, even I think that I don't belong here. Para bang ang daming alam ng lahat na hindi ko alam." I tugged at my robe, comparing it to theirs. "And bakit ang daming nagtataka na nandito ako?"

Sabrina exchanged a look with Olivia before returning her attention to me. "Maybe they think that you're not worthy of a seat here in Class Luxis."

I snorted. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

But Olivia's smirk didn't fade. Instead, she leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Or maybe kasi... hindi mo pa alam kung bakit ka talaga nandito."

I raised an eyebrow, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well," Olivia said, her eyes gleaming with mischief, "you think you got assigned here because you're a new student?"

I nodded my head. "Exactly. It's just so weird. Why would a powerless teenager like me be admitted in a magic school?"

There was a moment of silence. I glanced at Sabrina, who had suddenly gone still, her hand hovering over her notebook as if she'd frozen in place. Olivia leaned back in her chair, still watching me with that smirk on her face. The kind that said she knew something I didn't.

"Powerless, huh?" Olivia repeated softly, raising an eyebrow. "You think na wala kang magic?"

I blinked, my heart skipping a beat. "Wala nga. Kasi kung meron, sana naipalabas ko na diba? I know ma you said that I have innate power and I just have to wait for it to come out. Pero, shouldn't there be any signs? Or kahit hints man lang about my magic?"

Olivia exchanged a glance with Sabrina, as if they were silently communicating something I wasn't part of. Then, with a sigh, Olivia reached into her robe and pulled out a small glass orb. It was smooth and perfectly clear, like a marble, but bigger-about the size of a golf ball.

"Tingnan mo nang mabuti," Olivia whispered, holding the orb out toward me.

I leaned closer, curious. At first, walang kakaibang nangyayari. It was just a simple glass orb, reflecting the light from the windows. But then-suddenly-it started glowing. Soft, blue light pulsed from its core, like a heartbeat. Before I could react, the orb slowly lifted out of Olivia's hand and floated in midair, spinning gently.

My breath caught in my throat. "What... the...?"

Olivia smirked, clearly enjoying my reaction. "This," she said, gesturing to the orb, "is a magic detector orb. It's also known as the Looking Glass. Once a mage gazes to the orb, it reveals the mage's magic. It's what we use in our kingdom. And the other kingdoms as well."

For a few moments, I couldn't speak. Couldn't move. My mind was trying to make sense of what I was seeing. Floating orb? Light? Magic?

"Would that even work on me?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around it. "I don't have magic. I'm just... normal."

Sabrina sighed, closing her notebook and giving me a serious look. "You're not just normal, Luna. Kung normal ka, hindi ka mapapasama sa Mystria."

"Look towards the Looking Glass, Luna." sabi ni Olivia. Sinunod ko naman ang sinabi niya. Matapos ang labintatlong segundo, biglang lumiwanag ang magic orb. Paiba-iba yung kulay neto.

My mouth went dry. "What was that?"

Olivia leaned forward, locking her eyes with mine. "You have magic in you, Luna. That's what the Looking Glass is trying to show you. Magic runs through your veins-you just don't know it yet."

My stomach churned. Magic? Ako? That didn't make any sense. How could I have magic? I wasn't special-I'd never been special. I was just a normal girl na somehow napunta dito.

"I don't feel anything," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Wala akong nararamdaman na magic."

"Not yet," Sabrina said softly. "But you will."

I stood there, frozen, as my mind tried to process everything. The orb, the whispers, the way people looked at me-it all started to make sense, but at the same time, none of it did. How could I have magic? I didn't even know how to use it. I didn't even believe in it.

Before I could ask more questions, the door to the classroom swung open and our professor walked in. Class was about to start. But my thoughts were miles away. My whole world had just been turned upside down, and I had no idea what to do with this new reality.

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The rest of the day passed in a blur. I sat through classes, but I barely heard a word. Everything felt different now-every glance from a student, every whisper in the hallway. They all knew. They knew I had magic before I did. And it made me feel even more out of place.

When the final bell rang, I found myself wandering aimlessly through the halls. Everything felt heavier, like the air itself had changed. Was this how it always felt here? Like the walls were alive with secrets? Or was it just me? Just the weight of what Olivia and Sabrina had told me, pressing down on my chest?

I made my way to the courtyard, hoping for some air. Baka kailangan ko lang ng fresh air to breathe. But as soon as I stepped outside, a hand grabbed my arm.

"Luna," Sabrina said, her voice serious as she pulled me aside. Olivia followed closely behind her.

"What?" I asked, feeling a sense of confusion.

Sabrina sighed, crossing her arms. "You need to know more."

"More?" I said, feeling overwhelmed. "What else could there be?"

"Hindi ko nga alam kung paano gamitin 'yun," I muttered, feeling frustrated. "I don't even feel magic."

"You will," Olivia said confidently, stepping closer. "You're here for a reason, Luna. The professors, the council-they all saw something in you. Something powerful."

"Powerful?" I repeated, my voice tinged with disbelief. "Pero paano? I've never done anything magical in my life."

Sabrina shook her head. "That's because it's been dormant. But it's there, waiting. And trust us, once you figure it out, everything will make sense."

I looked between the two of them, searching for any hint that this was all just a joke. But there was none. They were serious-dead serious. They believed in me, even though I didn't believe in myself. And that terrified me more than anything else.

"Magic runs through your veins," Olivia said again, her voice soft but sure. "And it's time for you to embrace it."

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of their words sink in. Magic runs through my veins. Maybe it was time to find out what that really meant.

END OF CHAPTER 2