Goldborne Academy: Children of light and darkness (Discontinued sorry)

Chapter 13 | Astrea

She had gone back to her room that night, smiling on the outside, but confused on the inside. She had no idea what this strange new world was, and why she had been brought into it. She had never heard of this place or seen it on the maps. From what everyone told her it was near the Fiorelle Islands. She had been there with her parents once but she had never seen Goldborne Academy the whole time she had been there. She was pretty sure that she had flown over some water while coming here from Aloisia. It was probably some sort of island around it. Maybe there was a blanket of some sort of cloaking magic around here? She was here one day and now she was believing that magic was real. What she saw wouldn't exactly help her case either.

She walked inside the room, and set down the crimson rose on the oak wood bedside table, and closed her eyes, trying to imagine her mother's touch with the roses weaved into her long wavy hair that had fallen to her waist. She had always picked fresh roses from their garden every so often to put in her hair or on her clothes. To this day, she was always reminded of her when she smelt roses.

She looked to the sky and counted thirteen stars that were shining brighter than any other. A warm feeling filled her on the inside and she let herself sleep.
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The next morning, she shot out of bed, her eyes still adjusting to the light from the morning sun, which peeked through the heavy curtains draped over the windows.

She had awoken to see the rose on the bedside table; it hadn't wilted at all, still the bright scarlet colour it had been the day before when the boy, Axton had given it to her. She didn't know what to think of him, he seemed nice, everyone mostly seemed nice, well except for the dark haired girl, Sadira who she hadn't spoken to since she got lost.

A knock at the door shook her from her thoughts,

"One second!" She shouted, quickly throwing on the first thing she could find in her closet, "yes?" She opened the door and was met by Sadira, who was scowling.

"Speak of the devil." Astrea mumbled.

"What was that?" Sadira smirked, her eyes challenging her to repeat her words.

"Nothing, where's Dorin?" Astrea questioned her,while changing the subject

"How should I know? I'm not his babysitter now, am I?" she responded. "Anyway I'm here to tell you that you need to be downstairs in the testing room in.... about a minute ago."

Astrea's eyes widened as she whizzed out of the door. She could faintly hear Sadira tell her to not get lost but there wasn't time to reply. She found the door to the testing room but realised it was locked.

Sadira came up behind her and said, "what are you doing here? The testing is in an hour, right before breakfast."

Astrea glared at her. " Then why did you say I had to be here?"

Sadira smirked again, "oh, I just wanted to see you panic, I'm quite bored, it was very entertaining, thank you, it really made my morning." And with that she stalked off.

Astrea was fuming with rage as she stalked up the flights of stairs back to her room. She saw Sam walking down the stairs with a woman with sad golden eyes and he also reminded her that she needed to be at the training room in an hour. He looked confused at her disheveled appearance and nest of hair sitting in her head. But smartly said nothing.

Astrea slammed her door, not caring if she woke up everyone around her and drew up a warm bath. She had rushed down in a tank top and the early mornings were chilly. She released in the bath for a while but past memories swarmed back in her head and she needed to get out and busy herself with something to do. The rose lying on her bedside table brought mixed emotions: her mother and her new friends.

She picked out some training clothes as she was going to have her very first lesson after breakfast. She had memorised her timetable for the whole week and she knew exactly where to go and what teachers to look out for too. She needed something to do when the dreams started playing in her head.

She instead tried to busy herself by imagining what the testing would be like. She imagined a study with some of the head sitting around a table with her standing in front of them. Maybe they would pry into her brain using magic or maybe they would let her pick. Probably not. She hoped she didn't have to do some crazy stunt in front of everyone. She was jure she would embarrass herself with everyone watching her. She tried to draw calming breaths as she felt her chest rise and fall. She badly needed someone comforting to embrace her in a hug and tell her she would be okay. But her parents were gone. She had no one. She had Dorin but she didn't want to burden him with all of her problems.
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She was waiting outside the door, wondering if she should knock or go straight in. Good thing she heard the stern voice of the HeadMaster beckon her inside. She reached for the handle but the doors flung themselves open.

Inside Dorin was standing there, a giant smile on his face. When he was her he engulfed her in a giant hug and said excitedly, " Astrea you won't believe it; wait actually you probably will. I'm an Animal Speaker!"

Astrea laughed but before she could respond, the HeadMaster commanded Dorin to return to his room and wait for the breakfast bell.

Astrea tried to keep her ocean of nerves in check, she still thought that all this was strange and extremely sudden. She felt a shiver go up her spine as a cold presence looked behind her. She flinched as the rough hand of the HeadMaster grabbed her shoulder.

"Your turn."

She stepped on the pedestal in the middle of the room as crystal orbs rose from the ground. She was surrounded by these strange orbs, every colour of the rainbow and more. One seemed to have a kernel of fire inside and one even had what looked to be a newly hatched dragon sleeping inside, puffs of smoke emerging from its nostrils. That must have been the one Dorin was drawn to as underneath it was engraved 'Animal Speaker' on a gold plaque. She walked around the room but none of them seemed to draw her in.

"What am I meant to be doing exactly?" She blurted out.

A stocky girl in the corner with sad golden eyes and silver hair smiled at her,
"Just touch the one that most appeals to you."

"And if none of them do?" inquired Astrea

The golden eyed girl glanced at the master and back to her. "Then you'll be like me I guess. Powerless."

Astrea looked around one last time, not wanting to immediately be the different one. Again. The odd one. Again. Her light footsteps and slow breathing was all she could hear in the room. The unnerving silence of the room was getting on her nerves and she fought a glance to see if everyone was still there.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted one, it seemed to shine more than the rest, golden rays of sunlight danced in her eyes. The words on the plaque slowly dissolved leaving the gold empty. Suddenly every single orb started to glow.

"What... I- I don't understand," Astrea stuttered out.

The Master entered, each step edging towards her, a tight smile on his face. "Well, I think we've found the one."