Vanessa has spent her life believing she was abandoned, shuffling between neglectful foster homes and haunted by strange nightmares. When her suppressed magic resurfaces, she is thrust into the mysterious world of Alfea, a school for fairies. There...
Vanessa stood at the edge of the Alfea courtyard, her bag slung over her shoulder and her heart pounding in her chest. The sprawling castle before her was unlike anything she had ever seen, its towering spires shimmering with a faint, magical glow. Students milled about in the courtyard, their laughter and chatter echoing through the open space. Vanessa felt a pang of envy at how easily they seemed to fit in.
"Welcome to Alfea," Professor Dowling said, her voice calm and steady as she stood beside Vanessa. "This will be your home for the foreseeable future."
Home. The word felt foreign. Vanessa had spent most of her life searching for a place where she belonged, only to find disappointment at every turn. Could this be different?
"I don't know if I'm ready for this," Vanessa admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dowling's gaze softened. "No one is ever truly ready for change, Vanessa. But you wouldn't be here if I didn't believe in your potential."
Vanessa nodded, though her doubts lingered. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, her boots crunching on the gravel path as she crossed into the courtyard.
The other students barely noticed her as she passed. They were too busy greeting old friends, comparing summer adventures, and laughing about inside jokes Vanessa couldn't hope to understand. She kept her head down, focusing on the grand entrance ahead.
Her solitude didn't last long.
"New girl?"
Vanessa turned to see a tall, slender blonde with sharp cheekbones and an expensive-looking outfit approaching her. She recognized her from photos in the Alfea handbook-this was Stella, Princess of Solaria.
"Yes," Vanessa said cautiously. "I'm Vanessa."
"Stella," the girl said with a polite but distant smile. "Dowling told me to keep an eye out for new faces. Let me guess-you're either a first-year fairy or a Specialist who wandered into the wrong courtyard."
"Fairy," Vanessa replied, adjusting the strap of her bag.
Stella's eyes flicked over her, assessing. "You don't look like the type to cause trouble, so you'll probably survive your first week. Maybe."
Vanessa didn't know how to respond, so she nodded. Stella gave a small wave and walked off, her presence as commanding as it was intimidating.
"Well, that was... something," Vanessa muttered to herself.
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The dormitory was much quieter than the courtyard. Vanessa found her assigned room at the end of a long hallway, a small but cozy space with a bed, desk, and wardrobe. She dropped her bag on the bed and let out a long sigh.
The room felt empty, almost sterile. There were no signs of the personality or memories that made a space feel like home. She glanced at her bag, then at the small locket tucked inside. Maybe she could start small-unpacking one piece of herself at a time.
