Page 3

Malia

Kaz wishes me a good night before leaving me alone in the tiny white room.

Just four plain walls, with two doors on opposite sides of the room, one leading in from the hallway and the other connecting to a private little bathroom.

There are no windows, just white fluorescent lights overhead. It looks exactly like the rest of the building I’ve seen so far.

There are fresh clothes set out for me at the bottom of the small bed, and I change into them before slipping beneath the sheets.

I try not to think while my body goes through the motions.

Ignorance is bliss, and with so many questions still unanswered and so few memories of what led me here, there’s no use in pondering the gravity of this situation.

I feel exhausted despite not remembering the day at all, and that makes it all the harder to fight the fears and loneliness trying to flood my body.

I stare up at the ceiling and wait for the comfort of sleep to drag me under.

Tomorrow I will get my answers.

I’m sitting in the car with my parents.

We are laughing at the joke my Dad just told but my Mom’s sudden scream makes us stop.

"Watch out!" she yells, but it’s too late.

I look ahead just in time to see two blinding headlights.

I don’t even get to grab the oh-shit handle before our car crashes straight into another one and we flip.

Time stops as we’re suspended in the air.

It could only be a fraction of a second, but to me, the moment our car is upside down seems to last forever.

I’m paralyzed right along with it.

Then, it crashes to the ground, and all the motion rushes back in.

My head whirls around, and my seatbelt cuts into the skin over my throat, making me cry out.

My right cheek collides with the window on the last lurch. Everything goes dark.

When I open my eyes again, it takes a moment for me to understand what is going on.

Everything is upside down, and my blood is pounding painfully in my head.

I struggle to get my seatbelt off with trembling hands and finally fall out of my seat.

"Mom? Dad?" I ask, but there is no answer.

Panic seizes my chest.

I start fumbling with the door handle, but the damn thing won’t budge. No matter how hard I push or try to kick it, I can’t get it to open. I start screaming over the violent pounding in my head.

"Please! Help!" I yell frantically as the walls of the car tighten around me.

I bang my fists against the window, trying desperately to draw my next breath into my tight lungs, but the glass won’t budge and neither does the burning organ behind my ribs.

The edges of my vision turn fuzzy.

Then dark.

I try to crawl to the front of our car to get to my parents, my movements clumsy and hurried, but before I can reach them, black dots cloud my vision. My limbs grow heavier, and I collapse against the back of my father’s seat, still struggling for breath. From a distance, I hear shouting voices, but the words don’t filter through. Darkness takes over again.

The next time I wake up, I am in a bright room.

It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust, but when they finally do, I find myself in a hospital room.

I pull off the thin white blanket covering my body to find myself in clothes I don’t recognize. Faint memories of blood on my favorite shirt rush back to me.

I’m clean now, no longer marred by blood, but my left arm is wrapped up and my head is still aching, telling me the accident wasn’t a dream.

"Hello?" I ask slowly, but no one answers.

I get off the bed, feeling the world tilt as I do, and breathe harshly past the lump of foreboding in my throat.

I stumble out the door and down the hall where I finally find a nurse.

"Where am I? Where are my parents?" I ask quickly.

The nurse looks helpless for a moment but leads me to the receptionist where they tell me I had an accident and there was nothing they could do for my parents.

I tell them they have me confused, that I want to see my parents, but they keep looking at me with sad eyes.

This can’t be real.

The room starts spinning, and I black out.

When I wake up, I’m once again in a place I’ve never been to before.

Staring up at a curved ceiling, I feel like I’m in a massive tube. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

I try to sit up, but the same nurse from before pushes me back down.

She tells me I’m on a plane and calms me.

The rest of the journey is choppy and blurry until I am in Adira’s office.

I startle awake and blink twice, slowly remembering where I am just as another knock pounds on my door.

"Adira is ready for you.

You are meeting her in five minutes." I hear Kaz’ voice from the other side of the door.

Five minutes?! I quickly jump out of my bed and put on my clothes from the day before.

My head is hurting at the thought of my dream.

No, not a dream, my memory.

But that would mean that Adira had said the truth and my parents really are dead. I try to remember seeing them in the wrecked car, but the memories are too chaotic.

I shake my head as I throw my shirt on.

They can’t be gone.

They are everything I have. The room starts tilting left and right. I stagger to the door, my hands colliding with the wood, and it opens readily for me. I stumble outside.

"Malia, are you all right?" I hear Kaz speaking to me, but I can’t see him.

"I can’t breathe," I croak before falling to my knees.

A sharp pain shoots up my legs, but it is a welcome reminder that I am not falling.

I feel two big hands on my shoulders and Kaz talks to me again. He tells me to breathe and count with him.

“Breathe in…”

“breathe out…”

“Do it with me, you’re fine.”

“In…”

“And out…”

"You are okay," Kaz whispers, but I shake my head.

"They are gone." I sob painfully, clutching my stomach as my shoulders curve.

Kaz steps in front of me and cups my face with two big, calloused hands, forcing me to focus solely on him.

"But you are here.

You are a fighter even if it might not feel that way right now.

Do you know what fighters do?" he asks me, rubbing a tear away with his thumb. I shake my head.

"They get back up after the fall and keep going.

Can you do that?" His voice is stern, but all it does is calm me.

I nod slowly, and he pulls me back to my feet.

"You will get your answers and explanations now.

You can get breakfast afterward.

How does that sound?" he asks. I search for my voice and swallow around the lump in my throat.

"Good," I say hoarsely.

"I can’t hear you."

"It sounds good," I say a little louder, glad when he seems satisfied.

"Great.

If Adira asks you a question, you answer like that."

He leads me through the halls in silence, which I’m glad for since it gives me time to sort out my questions for Adira.

I’m careful to avoid any thoughts of my parents, though, scared it would bring me back to my knees.

If Kaz expects me to be a fighter, I can’t cry again.

We enter the same room I was in yesterday with Adira already waiting at the desk.

I sit opposite her, and she greets me politely.

"Good morning, Malia, I hope you got some rest your first night here.

Before I start explaining, do you have any questions?" I try to remember what I wanted to ask only to find my mind blank.

"Not right now.

Can I ask in the end?" I try to keep my voice steady like Kaz told me to.

"Sure.

Let’s start with some information about this Academy.

It was founded back in the 18th century, at the time of the witch trials here in Virginia. Our people were being murdered, so a small group came together and built this haven. They recruited other people with the power to manipulate the elements and brought them back here. Together, they started practicing and found ways to use their powers more efficiently.

"Soon, people of each division contributed to the safekeeping of their secret hideaway.

This place used to be surrounded by a thick forest, so the water handlers forged a raging river that would keep intruders from the west away while the ones with the ability to manipulate earth either created steep valleys or shaped rocky and nearly unclimbable grounds around the other sides.

Air handlers made sure to scare any curious enemies away with the eerie sound of the wind howling through the trees, and fire handlers made small forest fires from time to time. That way, the woods were said to be cursed and became a feared place to the unwanted. This building has been renovated and expanded multiple times since then, of course.

"Our students are parted into four groups, fire, air, water, and earth.

You get placed in the division of your element." Element? What is supposed to be my element? Adira ignores my puzzled expression and goes on.

"We currently have about 600 students of all ages up to 18.

Students above that age can join our force and are allowed to attend, or even lead, big missions.

Our missions are about protecting the people that cannot protect themselves. If that is from ordinary threats or the Dark Fraction all the same. All students are orphans with the same gift as you or me." She waits a moment for her sentence to settle in.

"I am sorry, but I don’t understand," I tell her.

All that talk about elemental handlers and forging rivers? Is she saying witches are real? Instead of explaining, the headmistress decides to demonstrate.

She lifts her hand above the table with the palm facing up.

When nothing happens for a moment, I raise my eyes back to hers.

She wordlessly nudges her head in the direction of her hand, and when I look back down, my jaw drops. There is a big drop of water floating inches above her skin.

I think my eyes are playing a trick on me because it looks like she is controlling it, making it move along with the slightest movement of her fingers, but that can’t be.

I look back up at her, and the water she was playing with disappears.

"You can move water with your hands?" I ask, not sure whether to be scared or impressed.

Adira chuckles.

"I can do a lot more than that, and so will you, once you practiced."

"Everyone here can?" I ask.

"Everyone here can manipulate one of the four elements, yes.

Your training starts tomorrow.

Your first few lessons will be alone with a trainer. Before you start, keep in mind it might take a while until you can manipulate water yourself. It is important to be patient and to not give up."

"How do you know I have this power?" I press skeptically.

If I haven’t known, how could she?

"We have our ways of finding people with the gift.

The system is never wrong," she explains in her gentle voice.

I nod slowly and think back to everything she said. My mind is reeling.

"What is the Dark Fraction?"

"As I’ve said, the academy was originally created to hide from the people without powers during the witch trials.

A few years after the trials were over, some of our founders returned to live amongst the ordinary people.

They learned they could help the helpless with their powers and brought the idea back to the academy.

“Most members agreed to use their powers for good, if still only from the shadows, of course, but some disagreed.

They had lost family or friends to the trails and didn’t want to protect the ones responsible for their loss.

There was a big fight which led to a fraction of the handlers leaving the academy. That’s what we call the Dark Fraction.” Her eyes take on a far-away look, and it makes me wonder if she realizes she’s still talking to me.

“Quiet years followed until people in the village started to get injured in the most absurd ways.

Ways that could only be caused by handlers.

At first, the people who had been closely involved in the witch hunts were targeted. Then, it continued with their families. The members of the academy tried to stop the ones responsible, and we have been at war ever since.

“Their fraction might be smaller than ours, but they have access to powerful but dark methods, making us equal opponents.” Kaz clears his throat, and Adira’s eyes focus on me, her trance shattered.

She blinks two times, the motion strange and quick, and then she pastes on a smile and brushes me off.

“That is nothing you have to worry about, though. There’s no place safer than the academy. The building’s walls are solid and there are wards and shields in place to protect us from any kind of intruders. Maybe you’ve noticed the absence of windows? As gloomy as it might seem aesthetically, it keeps us save from prying eyes. You see, it’s all well thought through." Despite the reassurance, the pit in my stomach remains at the thought of bad powerful people with magic. I swallow any further questions.

"You can get to breakfast now.

I believe you were in the great hall yesterday?" I nod.

"Great. An older student of your division will find you and show you around later. Goodbye, Malia." The dismissal is as clear as any, so I get to my feet. A quick glance over my shoulder at Kaz tells me he won’t be accompanying me this time as he’s already taking the seat I just vacated opposite of the headmistress. I voice a quick goodbye and head out.

I wander through the halls without any sense of where I’m going.

I might’ve been in the kitchen yesterday, but I was too distracted to memorize the way there even remotely.

I listen closely for any sounds which might confirm I’m heading in the right direction, relieved when a loud, booming laugh down the hall does just that.

The muffled voices get louder and louder with every step I take, and the knot in my stomach tightens.

I don’t know anyone in this place, and the urge to cry resurfaces along with the feeling of utter loneliness.

I tip my head back in my neck and look at the ceiling to blink away tears, but after taking about two steps without looking ahead, I bump into something solid. The collision makes me fall flat on my ass.

”Oh, no.

I m so sorry.

Are you alright?” the kid I bumped into gushes as if it was their fault I walked straight into them. I try to look for signs of sarcasm or scorn in their tone, but they seem genuine, if not a little overly concerned. I decide to trust them enough to take the hand they’re offering me. They’re surprisingly strong, nearly heaving me straight into their body once more with the force of their tug, but I catch my balance before I can stumble.

“I’m fine.

Sorry,” I finally mumble, and something about that makes my new acquaintance smile.

"I don’t think we’ve met.

I’m Wystan.

And don’t worry about all that, it takes more than a little collision to throw me off balance. I’m pretty solid on my feet." As if to highlight that statement, they smack their thick, trained legs and wink. I take them in and finally smile back weakly. They have forest green eyes with a brown ring around the iris and beautiful tan skin. Their warm complexion and soft features do wonders to soothe the ache in my chest.

"My name is Malia.

I’m new here." Despite how much I lower my voice at the last part, Wystan understands me just the same.

They squeal, then quickly tone it down.

"I heard about you from my roommate, but I’m not 10 years old yet, so I didn’t see you myself.

Did you already make some friends?" I shake my head in response, ignoring the twitch in my gut.

Wystan goes on, oblivious to my embarrassment.

"Great! I mean not great but- whatever! Just stick with me and my friends.

Only, if you want to, of course.

I mean, I’m trying to say you could hang out with us if you want." Their cheeks flush as they ramble, and I smile a little more. At least I’m not the only one that’s nervous.

"I’d like that." As the words fall from my lips, I realize just how big of a weight is being lifted from my shoulders knowing I don’t have to face the big cafeteria all by myself.

We walk into the massive hall, Wystan ahead and me trailing closely behind.

I haven’t had time to take in the size of it all yesterday, but now that everyone is occupied with something else than my arrival, I look around.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many people in one place before, and it could only be half of the students considering what Adira told me. Before I can ogle too long, Wystan takes hold of my elbow and pulls me to the back of the line for breakfast.

"I totally forgot to ask what your element is." I take my eyes off the crowd and look back at my new friend.

"Water, I think.

What about you?" I reply.

"Earth.

It’s a shame we are not in the same division, but we’ll still see each other in training.

Not straight ahead, of course, but at some point maybe. The groups are all mixed up depending on your level of skill. How old are you? Everyone that’s the same age is in the same mundane classes."

“Ten,” I provide.

“Oh, great.

I’m turning ten soon, so we’ll see each other there for sure.

I’ve been here for almost three years, but my training group isn’t very advanced. It shouldn’t take you too long to join us.”

At my doubtful expression, they smile and give me a small shove as if my skepticism was unwarranted.

But I mean, three years? How am I supposed to catch up when everyone else has a head start?

"It might seem impossible at the beginning, but I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it quickly.

Don’t be too hard on yourself and it’ll be fine." If another person tells me the beginning is near impossible, I might have to break out of here.

That idea unlocks an unpleasant thought. Didn’t these people kidnap me?

"Is it safe here? I’ve never heard about this school before," I ask in a hushed voice.

To my surprise, my friend laughs.

"It’s kind of a secret organization, but don’t worry.

Outsiders are not allowed to know about our powers or anything else about our world, that’s why you haven’t heard of it before." I nod even though that explanation isn’t the least bit reassuring.

I am locked in here with a bunch of strangers and no one knows about it... And what Adira said about the place being warded and hidden in a “haunted” forest... Do the authorities know about this place?

I shiver, feeling as if a cold hand was brushing down my spine.

We get our food and make our way to one of the tables while I try to squash the lingering unease.

Honestly, what are my options anyway? I’ve got no way of getting out of here, and even if I did, where would I go? My parents are gone.

There’s no one waiting for me anywhere, and so far, this place doesn’t seem so bad. At least there are other kids my age who seem all too happy to be here.

The room is packed, making it hard to move, but Wystan seems solid on their feet.

They’re tall enough while I feel lost in the crowd, unable to see anything other than shoving arms and shoulders.

Ahead of me, a tall guy is pushed by one of his friends and stumbles into Wystan, making them fall to their right.

It all happens too fast for me to react, but thankfully, my friend doesn’t hit the ground but just bumps into yet another guy before they right themselves.

The third party of this chain reaction is about the same height as my friend and stays steady on his feet.

Still, as he turns to Wystan, his handsome features are pulled into such a deep frown, you’d think he had just lost a limb because of them.

He has light brown skin, short curly hair, and his eyes seem impossibly dark as he glares down at my friend.