Alchanore~ School for Magically Gifted

Chapter 4.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Chapter 4. - Residence ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As Harlow turned the heavily decorative key and unveiled the inner entrance hall of the large stone building my jaw dropped in astonishment.

"This is incredible!" I muttered in disbelief, eyeing the emerald green velvet carpeting and masterful grand paintings that stretched several meters high upon the walls.

"You think so?" Harlow questioned curiously, tilting his head to the side, indifferent.

My eyes gazed over the magnificent surroundings in awe. Umpteen twinkling lights shone from concaved indents in the stonework lighting the entire room.

"Oh yes! Wow, there must be thousands of candles in here!"

"Yeah well, we're not allowed *proper* lighting in here any more- too many 'accidents'." Harlow smirked, rolling his eyes.

"It's all that lot upstairs, always crashing into the ceilings, knocking down the light fittings. I don't know why we have to share with them and why can't we have our own hall like the others."

"Others?" I questioned, uncertain.

"You should see the décor across the courtyard." Harlow motioned to his left. "It must be nice to be considered elemental royalty."

I stared at him, blankly.

"Never mind that now-" he continued, noticing the undoubted ridiculous look of confusion inscribed upon my face. "Let's go, I'll introduce you to your new room mates."

As I followed Harlow up the marble staircase toward the second floor I began to notice the small framed portraits that hung upon the walls- each painting slightly increased in size as we ascended higher up in altitude.

After scaling a short distance I stopped abruptly, tapping Harlow on the shoulder "Hey look! There's a portrait of you!"

Harlow gave a weak smile over his shoulder but said nothing, continuing to proceed further up the staircase.

I frowned a little to myself, wondering if I'd done something to upset him.

"OK, so here we are-" Harlow called, leading me down a faintly illuminated passageway to a dorm near the very end of the corridor. Harlow knocked once the green door of Room 56.

The door opened immediately.

"Geez Harlow! You're going to wake everyone up! Do you really want to deal with Eros again?! I'm already on my fifth warning as it is!" A girl with fair white skin and glossy black hair scowled up at Harlow from the other side of the doorway. Her eyes glistened a vibrant honey yellow as her dark brows furrowed in annoyance. She was dressed in a green shirt & tartan skirt, similar to the uniform Accalia had been wearing but differing in colour.

"Oh, hello." she paused, noticing me.

She pushed Harlow out of the way and shook my hand. "I'm Saskia, it's nice to see you again." She spoke quickly as her eyes locked intently upon mine. She half-smiled toward me, sweetly.

"Err.. again?" I mumbled in confusion, having no recollection of ever meeting this girl prior.

"Oh, I suppose you wouldn't have properly seen me before- I came to visit you whilst you were in the hospital wing- Anyway, I'm being rude- This is Ruby."

The girl gestured behind her toward another figure perched high upon the top bunk of the second bed situated toward the back of the room. Ruby smiled and gave a small wave in acknowledgement, a bottle of purple nail polish clasped in her left hand and a small nail brush in her right. Her dark skin and hair contrasted so beautifully against the violet bedspread beneath her that I was surprised I hadn't noticed her sooner.

"Ruby's a third year, but I'm a first year like you." continued Saskia, enthusiastically. She eyed me up and down, spying my unflattering, oversized grey dress. "I suppose we should find you some sort of uniform... Where have you been placed?"

"She hasn't." spoke Accalia, suddenly appearing behind me.

I leaped forward in surprise.

"Might as well start off at the bottom." she continued, handing me a neatly pressed green shirt and school skirt.

Harlow, Saskia and Ruby all glared at Accalia in unison. Though, Accalia seemed completely indifferent, her unreadable expression not shifting an inch.

"Oh, and you also forgot your manual." Accalia frowned at Harlow, as if to blame him for my forgetfulness as she placed the heavy book on top of the nearly folded clothing.

"Breakfast is in less than an hour, please take her down to the dining hall and show her around." Accalia existed back down the hallway, soon disappearing from view.

"She's such a bitch!" whispered Saskia animatedly, taking my hand and pulling me into the bedroom.

"So this will be your bed." Saskia took the clothing from my hands and roughly threw them on the bottom bunk of the first bed, which was positioned at a close proximity to the doorway.

"The top bunk belongs to our fourth room mate but she's..." Saskia exchanged glances with Ruby.

"Abroad" Ruby concluded, her eyes widening in approval.

"Yes, abroad. Well, we should really be getting ready-Harlow, get out, let the girl get changed!" Saskia pushily ushered Harlow back out of the doorway, closing the door inches from his face.

"Sorry, what was your name?"

"...Chloe"

"Ah, So, Chloe; where have you come from?" Saskia spoke in an unusual manner, her eyebrow raised as she carefully emphasized each word as it laboriously escaped from her lips."

I stumbled over my words uncomfortably. "Umm, I'm not sure." My eyes drifted down toward the floor, disconcerted.

"No?" Continued Saskia, analyzing my face as if she were searching for something.

"I remember being in the snow, then I awoke in the hospital."

"Do you remember anything from before?" Saskia continued, Ruby's head perking up in interest too, now.

"No."

"What do you know about Alchanore?"

"Umm, it's a school, I suppose?" I glanced at the manual in my hands, wishing I'd bothered to flick through it earlier.

"Do you know about the elements? Metamorphosis?" Saskia queried, eagerly.

"No, not really."

Saskia studied my face vehemently for a moment.

"Wow, it's true; you really don't know, do you? We have so much to teach you! I can't begin to imagine- How did you even manage to get here?!"

Saskia turned around, speaking to Ruby now "They were right, this really is something!"

Ruby jumped down from her bunk and came over to join us.

I shifted my weight uncomfortably, a little intimidated by the intensity in which they were both staring at me. We all stood in silence for a few moments, before Ruby spoke, taking another book from a small wooden bookshelf.

"Get dressed, we'll fill you in over breakfast."

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