Guardians of the Light

Rainbow train station

Almost three years have passed since my diagnosis. Now I'm going to therapy and it's helping me with my problems. I met people like me there. People, children who, like me, have just learned about their disorder and are not sure what will await them in the future. I'm not sure what awaits me in the future neither. I don't think my diagnosis is so terrible, but people do. When I try to tell someone about it, they usually don't believe me, or they pity for me, or they talk to me like a kindergarten child. As you can see, none of those reactions are exactly positive or neutral. Does that mean I'll never have friends?

Erika sat on the bed, looking out the window. It was raining outside, and it was hard to see anything through the heavy rain. Then the alarm clock rang. "Well, time to go to sleep." Erika told herself, covering herself with a blanket. The next morning she was awakened by strange sounds. It was as if someone was knocking on a window. She looked sleepily at what was making the sound and saw a flying envelope crashing into the window. She ran out of her room and went to catch it. Then she returned to the room. Merlin's academy was on the cover along with her name. Erika knew what would be written there. Her parents applied to several other schools, but they all rejected her. She was expecting the same thing here. "Should I read it at all? What are the chances of me getting to the school I want?" She thought. "Although, I will not give anything for the attempt. But I'll probably be disappointed." Without further delay, she opened the envelope and pulled out a letter. As she read it, she couldn't believe her own eyes.

"Erika Tie, congratulations, you have been admitted to Merlin's school for magicians and sorceresses. We are aware of your developmental disorder, so you will have help from your assistant, Liliana Tie. In the envelope you will find a list of textbooks, a ticket to the school train and a school badge. The school train departs from Rainbow train station, platform 6 on September 3 at 8:00. Pets are allowed, but you must report this in advance and indicate the type of animal you want to bring to school, you must obtain approval. A list of optional subjects is also written in the envelope. Use the number 1 to mark the subject you want the most and the number 2 to mark spare subject. Yours sincerely, Orion Merlin, Principal of Merlin's Academy."

Erika read and reread the letter over and over to make sure she read it correctly. When she realized that the letter was really for her, she started jumping up and down and clapping her hands. She jumped out of her room to tell her parents and brother the good news. She hopped into the living room, where David sat on the couch eating a bowl of cereal. "Good morning, Riki." He yawned. But Erika did not respond to his words and continued to jump. In about a minute, Erika calmed down. "Why are you so excited?" David asked. Erika sat down next to him, took a breath, and replied enthusiastically, "I was accepted to Merlin's Academy." She couldn't stop clapping with enthusiasm. David looked at her with a pleasantly surprised look. "Seriously? That's fantastic, Riki. I'm so happy." David wanted to hug his sister, but he stopped. Erika was still clapping her hands. "I'll wait for her to stop, and then hug her." And what he said, he did. He waited for Erika to stop stemming, and then gave her a big heartfelt hug. "Is Dad awake? I have to tell him the good news. And Mom, too, when she comes home from work." The sorceress asked. "Yes, he's awake, but he's not home." David replied. "He wasn't feeling well, so he went to the doctor. He probably has magic cold." But Erika didn't remember what magic cold was. "What's magic cold?" David looked at her, surprised she didn't know. Yet he replied: "It's like a normal human cold, except that if you sneeze, something magical will happen." He explained. Over the years, he had learned to read Erika's facial expressions, so it was clear to him that her brain had trouble understanding what he had just said. He ran somewhere and returned with a blank piece of paper in his hand. He took a pencil from the table and wrote something. Then he handed the paper to Erika.

"Magic cold is similar to a normal cold, but when you sneeze, you inadvertently cast a spell."

"I got it. But why do you think Dad has magic cold." Erika asked. David explained. "I heard some sneezing from the bedroom, and when I went to see what was happening, there was a terrible draft. But the window was closed. And if you put all those things together, the draft, the sneezing, and Dad's magical abilities, it's very likely he has magic cold." David was right, it was likely. Especially since their dad Remus was a magician of weather. As Erika and David talked about him, he returned home. He sneezed as he entered the house. He conjured a pile of snow aimed at David and Erika. "Atmosphere!" David shouted, casting a shield to protect him and his sister. Their dad went to the bedroom immediately and didn't even notice them. "Yeah, it's probably magic cold." Erika decided.