Under the Spell

Chapter Two - Learn, Learn, Learn!

An abrupt alarm echoed horrendously throughout Caroline's room. She tossed and turned, trying to cancel out the noise by throwing the pillow on top of her head.

A second later, her mother bursted into her room. Caroline could already feel her mother's eyes piercing glare on her back, almost as if it was burning through.
  Then the alarm rings stopped. "Well, Caroline? Are you going to get up?" Her mother firmly questioned, her foot tapping against the wood floor. Caroline immediately sat up from her bed and gave her a weary smile, "Sorry, I'll get ready right now..."

  Her mother nodded in approval, disappearing off into the hallways of their home. Caroline sighed in relief, she thought about punishment she just slightly evaded. She shook her head, and began getting ready for school.

  Caroline stared at the mirror, looking at herself in wonder. She wore her academy's uniform with the little pride she had. A white blouse with a pleated down collar with was adorned with a beige blazer, embroidered with the school's logo. She also wore a checkered skirt that was frilly at the hem with white lace. Her auburn hair spilled down onto her shoulders and she smiled at her effortlessness when it came to getting ready.

  Once she was done having a good look at herself, she quickly grabbed her satchel and ran down the hall. Her mother rose an eyebrow, pointing at the clock behind Caroline in the kitchen. "Seems like breakfast won't be happening," her mother chuckled. Caroline shrugged, "A piece of toast can fix the problem."

  She walked towards the toaster, putting in a slice of wheat bread. Meanwhile, her mother quickly fixed a lunch with a ham sandwich, an apple, and some baby carrots. None of those Caroline enjoyed. Once the toaster spat out the brown slice of bread, Caroline immediately grabbed it and gobbled it away.

  She saw Sebastian jump on the counter, nuzzling her, "Don't forget your lunch, Vrutasia." Caroline nodded in response and grabbed her lunch sack and shoved down her satchel.

  She said her good byes and promptly ran out the front door, she quickly took a glance at her wristwatch and her pace went up a notch as she saw the time.

  Her walk to school was a simple and thankfully not far at all. Although, she was already running late and to make matters worse no one else was on the streets which meant she definitely was last to arrive. It didn't sit too well in her stomach for her. Being late meant getting caught with the gate keeper.

  "If only I could fly over the gate with a broom like a stereotypical witch, that would be convenient," She sighed.

  Once she arrived, she saw the large iron gates began to slowly close. She yelped with panic and started running towards the gates. Each step made is so seemingly heavy as she saw how closer and closer the opposite sides almost met. However, with slight luck and persistence, she made it through and heard the gates slam shut behind her.

  She panted and had her hands on her knees, bending down looking ahead at the brick walkway to the entrance of the academy. She looked up and saw the marvelous building high above the multiple, large oak trees that scattered across the school yard.

  There were four floors to each three separate school buildings. The land was massive and well spread out and the school obviously flaunted its wealth and power. This was, after all, the greatest magical academy the world had to offer.

  Once Caroline finally caught her breath, she made her way down the walkway while being eyed down by other students.

  Caroline didn't have any friends within the academy, she got herself the name "Mute" during the Ring Rituals. The event always occurred during the beginning of the school year for the freshman to demonstrate their strength and power, and to also be fairly ranked. Caroline was utterly destroyed during the rituals and made herself a laughing stock.

  After all, she didn't have any magic to demonstrate to begin with.

  Caroline tried her best to ignore the stares and kept her head down, it was embarrassing and hurtful to look back to those who stared. She felt weak the minute she stepped into the building. Like a little pebble next to thousands of boulders. Despite her coven always telling her she was something great, she could never see it. The students around it made it painfully clear to her, she would never be on their level. She was a mute. A person with no magic.

  She sighed in defeat and made her way down the "B-Wing" of the building to go to her first class, History. It wasn't just a basic history class about her country, it was about the birth of magic and the trials people went through to control it. Perhaps it was the one of the few enjoyable subjects of Caroline's with Language Arts as her other.

When she entered the large classroom, she realized she was the first one there. Besides a student and the teacher, Professor Evans, having a conversation together.

  "Well thank you for tutoring me, Professor Evans. I'll see you in the next class." A velvety masculine voice spoke.
  "Of course! Feel free to come by again, Mr. Castell. It's always a pleasure to help a future leader of his Coven."
Caroline froze for a second, Julien de Castell? The next-in-line for the Sanguis Coven?

  It was in that moment when she looked up and made eye contact with him, it was indeed the prestigious heir, Julien.

  He gave her a questioning look, a pair of memorable azure eyes that made Caroline anxiously look away in fright. He walked past by her in the door way, slightly brushing her shoulder with a slight push. Caroline tumbled to the side and turned back to face him once again.

"It was him, the guy who stared me down in the hallway the other day!" she thought.

  She shook her head and made her way to her desk at the back of the class room. All the desks were line up perfectly in rows with books settled on top of all of them. When she finally sat in her desk she wondered why these past two days she's slightly gotten attention from the Sanguis heir.

"No no, Caroline, everywhere stares at you because how much of a sore thumb you stick out," She muttered quietly as she put her hand on her forehead in frustration.

"Earth to Caroline," Professor Evans chuckled. Caroline snapped back into reality an nibbled her bottom lip, "Ah, sorry! I was out of it Professor Evans."
  Professor Evans handed her a white form, "Don't fret Caroline. Have this and please give this to your parents when you have time. I also want you to look over it as well, Caroline."

  Caroline nodded and reached out for the form, a little worried if it had something to do with her low grades. When finally begun to skim over it, the form was an invitation to History Club. It was the only club in the academy that allowed students to join through invitation-only. This made Caroline overwhelmed with happiness.

  "I hope you can join, Caroline!" Professor Evans smiled softly and Caroline could only return a weak smile back. Knowing how her mother was, she would immediately reject such an offer.
  After all, it would take up all her time after school. To her mother, the only thing Caroline should spend her free time on was studying.   With that realization, all of her happiness had been sucked out of her.

  The final tardy bell rang and Caroline's classmates began flooding in and settled in their seats. Laughter and chatter filled the room and Caroline could only sit there awkwardly. She thought that they were the show and she was the only line audience. No one ever paid attention to her. "The life of an outcast," she weeped in her head.

She thought briefly how the next three years of academy would be a painful journey as a social outcast. The chills she got from such a thought, she'd rather leave the trouble to her future self.

Then class began, a mark for the start of her school day.