Page 180 of Magical Mischief

Was it a coincidence?

Was thereeversuch a thing in the Academy?

It felt like all the pieces clicked into place faster than I anticipated. Like I was riding the crest of something immense and unseen…magic, fate, and duty all tangled together, crashing forward whether I was ready.

And yet, I wasn’t afraid.

Not in the way I once might’ve been.

I was just full.

Full of questions, full of breath, full of motion.

The Academy’s front vestibule came into view, and the tall doors that led to the outer courtyard stood half-closed. No creaks. No howls of wind. Just stillness.

Something was beyond them. Iknewit.

I paused before the threshold and placed one hand on the carved wood. My other hand still held the crystal, its warmth steady against my skin.

I took a breath.

And for the briefest moment, I stood perfectly still, trying to gather myself, but also trying to listen.

Not just to the sounds of the hall or the wind pushing against the windows. I listened to thefeelof it, the Academy’s heartbeat. Its shift. Its pulse.

It wasn’t fear throbbing through these stones.

It was aninvitation.

My fingers curled tighter around the crystal.

“Alright,” I whispered, heart racing.

“Let’s see who’s come calling.”

And then I stepped toward the door…toward whatever waited on the other side.

But I didn’t open it.

Not yet.

I took a deep breath, knowing that everything was about to change. I wasn’t welcoming a teacher. We were welcoming a student.

My fingers curled along the runes etched into the door as I let this moment sink in, closing my eyes and feeling the significance.

Without another second lingering, I opened the door to see who was on the other side.

Our gaze connected, and I couldn’t believe my eyes.