William Isaak Corvus Academy or WICA- as the students refer to it- has a special branch of studies that specializes in magic and the creation of new witchers. Kate Graham, a last year student and candidate for the prophet crown, is the perfect witch...
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Kate's P.O.V.
Kate surveyed the sea of new students walking through the small courtyard. The ambiance was full of enthusiasm and nerves, typical at the beginning of each academic year.
Being the second week, one would think the students would have started to develop a routine, but not at the Academy. Her eyes focused on a group of first-year students, all girls. The one that seemed to lead the group held a map of WICA in her hands while the others stood around her.
To their left, further down and through the stone corridors with glassless windows, a group of boys ran against the current of people. Backpacks hung on their backs as they bumped up and down with the motion. In the corner, a girl sat on a bench with two earphones on and listened to music as she sketched into a book.
There was so much diversity and potential.
Kate's eyes became dim until a coat of murky white covered the bright blue of the iris. Though she could still see, all color had drained from the world around her. Wherever she looked, she found different shades of grey. The courtyard was plagued with ghostly figures, only see-through silhouettes of the students.
Her equally ethereal form moved away from her body and into the courtyard, surveying the surroundings for a search of color. Some steps further, her feet met a soft mist of a light green color. The point of origin seemed to come from a group of girls sat in a corner of the courtyard, just under a tree. Kate walked around the group, evaluating each one of them. It was hard to pin-point the host of the magic due to their closeness.
Crouching down, she stopped behind a smaller girl with big eyes and a warm smile. Around her, the mist solidified into strands of green. They climbed up her body in an infinite web that resembled the roots of a tree. It all became more vibrant around her heart.
Her smile was wide and bright, spreading onto the expressions of the students around her. The girl was gifted with magic, bearing an affinity for nature. Without knowing it, she was feeding with energy the grass, flowers, and trees around her.
Satisfied with her discovery, Kate returned to her body, back into the wilderness of real life. She began to pack away her abandoned notebook and pencil case when a shadow was cast over her.
"Doing some recruitment?" A boy with sunset brown hair smirked at her as he moved a leg on the bench by her side. He leaned over, resting an elbow over the knee. Kate eyed his black boots with disgust. Dean Royce, part of the Corvus order and former best friend of Kate.
"What is it to you?" She replied coldly. Once everything was packed, she stood up forcing him to step back.
"Why so frosty Kate? I just wanted to say hello." His smile melted away and his face contorted into a frown. "Are you really never going to talk to me again?"
"I've got nothing to say to you." She stepped around him, but he moved fast, blocking her path.
"Well, I've got plenty to say for both. It's your last year, you can't still be mad- "
"Step away, Dean." She warned, giving him a look through narrowed eyes.
"Will you just listen for a minute?" He erupted, throwing his arms up.
"No, now kindly shoo before I make you." He held her gaze, knowing too well that she could and would do something about it.
"All right," his hands flew up in an admission of defeat, "But I'm not done and I'm not giving up."
Kate walked away without acknowledging his words. Once she could not feel his deep eyes boring holes in her skull, she allowed herself to relax. Dean was not dangerous, but he made her uncomfortable, partly because of his Crow essence.
Crows were a special branch of students in the Corvus order that specialized in the protection of witchers. Dean was a Crow in training and as such, he had already been gifted with the sight and cloak sigils. Specifically, the cloaking power allowed him to fly undetected under the third eye's radar, explaining why Kate wasn't able to sense him while she had used it to scout the yard.
The time she had wasted with Dean resulted in losing the girl with the gift of nature. When Kate reached the spot where she had been sitting, she found it empty. Being almost time for the first class, it was no surprise that she had already run into the building.
Reaching into her pocket, Kate took out a small silver compass with sigils carved over the bottom surface. She opened it and passed a hand over the spinning needle, concentrating her energy into transferring the image of the girl in the object.
The needle calmed down slowly until it fixed towards a specific direction. It had found her. Kate stepped in that direction, ready to track down the girl. She had been carrying a dark blue envelope for the last week now. If she could just slip it into nature girl's pocket or bag, her mission would finally be complete.
As Dean had said, she had been recruiting for new members that had the gift to join the Corvus Order. Being a fifth-year student on her last year at WICA, it was her obligation to find fresh blood for the order.
Kate's hand reached to open one of the doors of the main Administration building when her alarm clock rang. She took the phone out of the pocket and stared at the screen. She was going to be late for class if she didn't hurry.
With a sigh, she turned around and headed to the opposite building. The envelope would have to wait a little longer.
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