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...
For all non-magical students, they were invisible or appeared like security guards but for the Corvus students, it was a plague. D.C. wore a permanent frown to every class. She growled like a dog from time to time, when a blurry shadow moved closer to her than she approved.
"They don't even notice you, Dee. Don't pay them attention." Kate tried to calm her down over and over but it only worked for a couple of hours or until the next Crow passed them too close.
"I'm getting wrinkles because of them," She took her hands to her face and stretched the tanned skin around her forehead with her thumbs and index fingers. "I can't stand it anymore!"
"It's been only two days." Kate pointed out. They exited the stone walls of the main building and stopped by the gigantic wooden doors that led to the Sun Plaza.
As its name indicated, the plaza was touched by the sun in every corner and nested a wide shallow fountain with various Greek goddesses made of stone that were frozen in playful poses in the water. The area was green and full of life with the exception of the paths that lead to the six buildings surrounding in.
To the left of the main building were the library and the non-magical teacher and student accommodations. To the right were the Conservatory and the Corvus students' accommodation. Right in front and past the fountain, was the Glass Hall, the most extraordinary building in the premises with tall glass windows that covered most of the walls.
"I want to crawl under a rock until they are gone," D.C. complained again. She readjusted the pile of books in her arms and blew a strand of hair away from her face. "Anyways, I've gotta see Sister Isolde for my credits assignment. I'll find the girls later and bring them to ours for a small session."
Kate nodded, barely paying attention. The air was different. Since the Crows had arrived, it hummed with electricity and power, making her skin tingle. The feeling had become irksome at that point, and anything that touched her skin irritated it to the point where it hurt.
"I will stop by the library," Kate murmured and began to walk towards the building without expecting an answer.
The library was protected with countless spells and if there was one place where the Crows couldn't enter, it was the Gothic building with gargoyles on its roof.
The air was cool inside, Kate's shoulders finally relaxed when the humming stopped. The silence was back and calmly swept over her mind.
Past the front black doors, the library was like any other inside. Students occupied most of the tables with their laptops illuminating their faces in a ghostly hue. Kate walked past them keening her eyes straight ahead.
In the deepest corner of the room was a door with an electronic pad. She pulled her ID card out of her jacked a swiped it through the small screen. A light flashed green and the door slid open. The sign above it read restricted area.
A narrow corridor stretched in front of her with multiple doors at both sides. Most were archives and all books from the main room. Kate didn't pay attention to them and climbed the stairs at the end until she finally stopped in front of a plain wooden double door with a carved design of the tree of life in it.
She touched the silver handles and the door clicked open by itself, revealing the Corvus library.
It was spacious and well lit by candles floating close to the ceiling, Some were at eye level and followed students around the darker corners of the library. Kate walked inside and a candle from the ceiling instantly floated to her side.
There were countless isles of books. The shelves rearranged themselves depending on what the reader was looking for so Kate chose a random one and walked inside it. She watched tomes shift, appear and disappear in front of her eyes and when she found one she was interested in, she simply picked it up.
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Soft steps of someone passing by Kate's table woke her up. Her head had been resting over a book and to her left a pile of five others towered over her. It was dark outside the window and only the soft hue of the floating candles illuminated the library.
She checked her phone and noticed it was already past eight o'clock. D.C. would have returned to their room with the girls ages ago. Kate packed up her belongings and began to return the books on the shelves, watching them disappear once she put them in the gaps that the bookshelves offered.
She was down to two books when her phone rang. Kate balanced the remanding books in one hand and reached for the phone in her pocket. The I.D. caller showed a picture of D.C. showing her middle fingers while she grinned like a psychopath.
"Girl! It's past dinner! Where are you?" The loud voice almost pierced Kate's ears when she answered the call.
"I got carried away, still in the library." She lied, pinning the phone between her ear and her shoulder so she could continue putting back the books.
"Well hurry your ass here, the girls are leaving now but the crows will start patrolling in twenty minutes and you'll be stopped if you are out."
"Shit!" Kate had completely forgotten about the new after-dark rules. "Yes, I'll be there soon, leave the door unlocked."
"Okay, pick up dessert from the kitchen on your way up!" D.C. said before the line disconnected.
Kate turned around to leave once she was ready but as she walked past a shelf her leg hit a book that was sticking out, sending it to the floor. She crouched to pick it up and realized it was in fact a notebook. Some sort of diary written in ink.
She flipped through the pages, admiring the sketches and the fine and feminine calligraphy that covered every page. It was a potions diary and some of the spells she had never heard of.
A sudden noise against the window startled her and she felt on her ass, dropping the diary. When she looked up, a dark shadow turned around the corner away from her, freezing her in place.
She hoped she was mistaken but it had really resembled an Umbra. Every bit of logic in her brain told her it was not possible. The library was very well guarded and protected, nothing that wasn't authorized could get past the wards.
But something just did.
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