Mage Academy

Out of Control

Up in the dorms later that night, I lie in my bed, looking out of the open window at the navy blue, velvety sky. You can see so many stars out here. Where I live in Birmingham it's a surprise to see a few stars, fighting their way through the light pollution. But out here in the countryside, it's so dark, so quiet. No car noises, no loud drunk people passing by your house, just the occasional sound of owls who have their nests in the roof right above us. 

I know it's late, because everyone stayed up for a long time, getting to know each other. After dinner--which was a delicious Sunday roast followed with a choice of deserts, of which I chose a chocolate chip and wild berry sundae--we were taken on a mini tour of the Academy, and I say mini because we only managed to cover around half of it. Mage Academy has countless amazing features for magical training, including huge pools sourced from the fresh water stream running through the school into the ocean, gigantic caves for Earth magic, not to mention the sprawling countryside around the school making for perfect training conditions, windy hills near the beach for Air magic, and my personal favourite: a clearance in the forest for Fire magic. The clearance is right next to the river, so if anything were to catch fire you  could use Water magic to quickly put it out. Standing there, on the large stretch of grass, I felt free. I felt like after all these years of hiding my abilities, I could finally be who I wanted to be...who I needed to be. 

Of course, Lauren had something to say about it. "I'm keeping far away from Firecracker here." 

I tried to ignore it, but it made my cheeks flush, especially when a couple of people cast furtive glances in my direction. 

Oliver picked up on it and shook his head at Lauren, who scowled at him. "She needs to back off, seriously." he said.

I shrugged and changed the subject. 

We were shown the showers and toilets, one on the bottom floor for the first and second floor, and the other on the third floor for the other half of us. Then we were told to start getting ready for bed, because we would have a long day tomorrow. 

Once everyone had changed into their pyjamas, they were too energetic to just climb into bed. Most Students sat in the lounging area in the centre of the room, including Lydia and I. Lauren, I noticed, stayed on her bed, and was joined by two Students who she must have already known. They sat in a huddle gossiping and making fun of everyone, or at least that's what I think they were doing. They gave it away when they kept glancing at everyone and chuckling to themselves. 

How do they think I'm the evil one?

It was really great, just sitting there with everybody, talking about our experiences with magic. Around a quarter of the 50 girls also live on Earth, although most of them go to Moonbeam more regularly than I do. 

We got to a point where we started showing tricks, cool things we could do with our magic. Enid, the girl at our table in the common room with the bunches in her hair, pulled a rug away and grew a rose out of the wooden floorboards, and Audrey juggled with her hands still with Air, and Lydia sucked the water out of a bottle and made it do swirling patterns in the air. It was amazing-- and then they got to me. 

I thought about doing some Fire trick, but then I thought of the commotion that had gone on earlier in this very room, and what happened in the courtyard. I wasn't sure whether my Fire would just blow up in my face or something, I didn't know how well I could control it anymore. So I decided to use Energy magic. 

I held out my palms and focused, picturing what I wanted to happen, feeling the magic course through me, first a trickle...and then a tidal wave. It came on so fast, I wasn't prepared for it. The pink flame shot through my palms, up about five metres in the air, almost touching the ceiling, and for a panicked moment I though I was about to set the room alight. The Energy was blinding, pulsating, so everyone shrieked and fell back, scrambling to get away from the flame. It was unlike anything I have ever created before, it was Energy...AND Fire. Both of them, wrapped up in one, creating a massive explosion which I struggled to keep under control.

The flames were whipping around, and the people closest to me had to duck out of the way. It must have terrified them. I must have terrified them. 

Eventually, with all the effort I could muster, I killed the flames. Killed the magic. It dimmed out until it was nothing. 

The silence afterwards was the worst. 

Everyone was looking at me, unsure of what to say. They all looked gobsmacked. I couldn't blame them; I was as surprised as anyone. 

Lydia was the first one to speak up, her eyes twinkling from behind her glasses. "That... that was incredible!!" She gushed. Then everyone spoke up, wowing and shaking their heads in wonder and giving me amazed looks, like I was some strange being from another planet. Gibby poked my leg and said how cool it was. I laughed nervously, but I was thankful, so thankful, that everyone was being so cool about it. I bet they didn't know that I didn't have a clue what was happening. If they knew how hard I fought to keep that Energy in control, they probably wouldn't be as friendly about it; they probably would be fighting to get away from me. 

Of course, Lauren wasn't in awe. Neither were her cronies; they all looked at me like I was gum stuck in their hair. 

My new enemies are definitely a pain in the neck, but lying here in my bed, long after everyone has dozed off, all that I'm thinking about is: what on Earth is happening to me? 

First it was my Fire going crazy in the courtyard, so crazy that it turned me into a monster, and now my Energy magic... it's like I have no control anymore. My magic is bigger than myself now! I came here thinking I wasn't nearly as powerful as the rest, and it made me feel weak. But when I was in that courtyard, surrounded by my Fire, I felt like the strongest magician in the world. Unstoppable. When I was in that state, I didn't think about the danger, the fear, I didn't think about anything besides doing what I really wanted, what I have always been too scared to do: break free.

I roll over and close my eyes, wrapping myself in the duvet. 

My first day at Mage Academy, and I have learnt more about myself than I have in years. 

It strikes me that I have only learnt what some people think of me, that my mother has supposedly lied to me and that my magic is stronger than I ever thought possible. 

I don't actually have any answers.