ForestLands Institution

Chapter | 2√

Nadia walked beside a woman through the hallways as they went to her dorm. Lessons haven't started yet, so students were still lingering in the hallways. They passed a group of boys who leaned against the lockers, Nadia watched in fascination as a boy manipulated a rock - which he made float between his palms - to any shape he desired.

Nadia faced forward, only to yelp when a girl with colourful butterfly wings flew in her direction. The girl flew past Nadia but not before looking at her like she was weird. Nadia still turned around to stare at the girl's wings after she flew past her then turned back around.

A boy stepped away from the lockers. Nadia didn't notice the boy's presence before for he had taken the colours of the lockers. As he walked past her, his skin tone changed its colour to that of her clothes.

The bell suddenly rang and students hurried to get to their classes. Nadia watched as some people vanished before her eyes, a few of them left black smoke in the process. Some of the students went through the walls of their classes. Nadia was overwhelmed, as well as mesmerized.

They passed through several hallways until they climbed the stairs to the top floor, where there were doors on each side of the hallway with their numbers inscribed on them. They finally stopped at a door and the woman unlocked it with the keys, which she afterward handed over to Nadia. Nadia watched as she walked away without a word.

Nadia pushed the door open and stepped in. The sight of a painted white and blue room greeted her. She took off her sneakers and stepped onto the cream soft rug. Three beds occupied a corner in the room with the owner's first initials written above them, to tell which belong to who. Three wardrobes on the other side of the room faced each bed. She kept her sneakers on the wardrobe facing her bed. She walked over to the large window close to her bed. The cool afternoon breeze caressed her face and she smiled gazing at the open field and the trees beyond it.

Nadia headed back to her bed and gingerly sat on the edge. A smile took over her face when her weight sunk in. So soft. She glanced at the empty beds. Where are my roommates by the way? They must be in class. She went over to the wardrobe and open it. Pajamas, nightdresses, three uniforms, black cover shoes, and notebooks stared back at her.

Nadia shut her wardrobe and went to lie on her bed. She thought about her life. She was happy that at least she has a roof over her head, she had no idea where to go that night. Nadia didn't have many friends at her former school, she only talked to people when it was necessary. At least, she didn't have to worry about someone worrying about her. She shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

It was official, she was lost. It was already time for lunch according to her schedule and the clock on the wall of her dorm room. She scratched her head, trying to understand the map in her hands, she had turned it this way and that but could still not understand it.

She would have gone back to her dorm and ignored her rumbling stomach if she knew the direction she had come from.

She groaned could this day get any worse?

She would have asked any of the students around that area for directions to the cafeteria but she was too nervous to walk up to anyone. She turned the map in another way, but still nothing. This was so frustrating, she felt like tearing it to pieces. She was moving into another hallway when someone ran into her, really hard.

Nadia fell backwards, about to meet the ground, when the other person took a hold of her wrist and pulled her back up, steadying her before releasing her. Nadia looked up to see a girl with long black hair and tiny eyes, she was as slim as a needle and the same height as Nadia. She looked about the same age as Nadia.

She was dressed in their school uniform which consisted of a white long-sleeve shirt, blue tie, dark blue skirt, and blazer which has their school badge on the left top side. She wore knee-length white socks that has blue linings at the top and black cover shoes

"I'm sorry," the girl said and stretched out her hand "I'm Mia, I'm from Japan. I'm gifted with super speed.

"Nadia," Nadia smiled, accepting her handshake.

"You are supposed to state your country and ability," Mia stated but not rudely.

"Oh, I'm an American but my mother was an Egyptian. I'm an earth Elementalist?" The last part came out more of a question than a statement because Nadia wasn't too sure about her powers even if the principal had told her.

The girl smiled. "Let's go to the cafeteria. I will introduce you to my friends," she hooked her arm with Nadia's and they started for the cafeteria.

Mia asked questions on the way, "So, have you ever been to Egypt? I have always wanted to see the pyramids."

"No," Nadia answered.

"Alright," Mia said. "so you're new here," she observed.

"How did you know?"

Mia looked her up and down. "Well for one, you are dressed in casual clothes. Two, you look nervous and seem to be avoiding everyone's eyes."

"Oh," Nadia mumbled.

Mia smiled brightly at her making her tiny eyes to be not so visible. "Don't worry you will enjoy your stay at ForestLands," she assured before she muttered; "Just as long as you don't make enemies with them."

"What?"

"Nothing," she quickly responded making Nadia raise an eyebrow.

They were almost close to the cafeteria when Mia blurted out, "What is your level?"

"What?" Nadia asked, blinking owlishly.

"Your level?" Mia repeated.

Nadia shook her head. "I don't know, what does that mean?"

"It determines how powerful you are among your species. We have five levels. Level one means poor, level two means fair, level three means average, level four means excellent, and level five means very powerful."

Nadia nodded in understanding. "What is your level?" she asked.

Mia grinned, showing her whites. "Level three, pretty cool right?"

Nadia shrugged. "I guess."

"Well," the Japanese started. "Principal Victoria is level five and some of the other students."

They finally stopped before the cafeteria doors. "We're here," Mia announced then proceeded to push the doors open.