The first thing I noticed was the sky.
It was… too blue. Not Bangalore blue, not that dull, polluted haze I'd grown up with. This was clear, endless, almost painfully bright, like someone had erased every flaw from it.
For a few seconds, I just lay there staring, my mind blank, trying to make sense of it.
Then everything came rushing back. The train. The light. Akira.
"What…?" I pushed myself up—and immediately regretted it. Pain slammed into my head, sharp and unforgiving. "Ahh—okay, nope. Not doing that again."
"Mira, you're awake!"
I turned to see Akira kneeling beside me, relief written all over her face. Too much relief. The kind that made it feel like she knew more than she was saying.
"Where are we?" My voice came out dry. "And don't say 'you fainted' because I swear—"
"You fainted."
I stared at her for a full second. "Wow. Amazing. Very helpful."
She ignored the sarcasm and brushed dust off my shoulder like this was completely normal. "We're at Artemis."
"…What?"
That didn't make sense. Nothing about this made sense.
I finally forced myself to look around properly—and froze.
The space around us was massive. A wide courtyard stretched in every direction, covered in grass so green it almost looked unreal. The air felt lighter, cleaner, like breathing here actually meant something.
Students moved across the grounds in small groups. Some looked just as confused as I felt, whispering, glancing around like they'd been dropped into the wrong place.
Others didn't.
They walked like they belonged here.
Then I noticed it.
"…Wait," I muttered, squinting. "Are they floating?"
A boy drifted past, a few feet above the ground, like gravity had taken a break.
I blinked slowly.
"Okay. Right. Sure. That's normal now."
I turned back to Akira.
She looked completely at ease.
That unsettled me more than the floating.
"…Aki," I said slowly. "What did you drag me into?"
She smiled, that same strange, unreadable smile.
"Something better than normal."
That did not help.
I stood up carefully, still dizzy, trying to make sense of everything.
"This isn't real," I muttered. "I hit my head. I'm hallucinating. That's logical."
"Or," Akira said calmly, "you're finally seeing things as they are."
I gave her a flat look. "Ahh yes. Very mysterious. Very helpful. Again."
But even as I said it, something inside me didn't feel like laughing.
It felt like this wasn't new.
Like I was supposed to understand this.
And I didn't.
Before I could question it further, someone dropped in front of us.
Not walked. Not approached.
Dropped.
I froze. "…Oh. Okay. We're just doing that now."
The woman stood straight, composed, her presence heavy without her even trying.
"I am Ms. Aurora," she said. "Head of the Outer Court."
Outer what?
"And this," she continued, gesturing to Akira, "is your senior and captain of the Inner Court."
For a moment, I didn't process it.
Then I turned slowly.
"To Akira."
"Come again?"
She didn't react. Didn't deny it.
Nothing.
Like this was normal.
Like she'd always known.
A tight feeling settled in my chest.
"Wait," I said, quieter now. "You're what?"
She met my eyes briefly.
"Later."
No.
No, we were not doing "later."
"Welcome," Akira said, stepping forward.
Her voice changed. Stronger. Controlled.
"You've all been chosen to learn magic."
The word landed hard.
Magic.
Not exciting. Not amazing.
Just… heavy.
A boy nearby laughed nervously. "Yeah, okay. Where are the cameras?"
No one laughed with him.
Ms. Aurora stepped forward. "You were tested. Not just academically."
Her gaze swept across us.
"Your blood carries potential. Some inherited. Some… rare."
Something twisted in my chest.
I didn't like how that sounded.
"And if we don't want this?" I asked.
Her eyes locked onto mine instantly.
"You may leave," she said calmly. "But you will forget everything. This place. Your abilities."
My stomach dropped.
"…That doesn't sound legal."
Silence.
Her smile didn't change. "Without control, power destroys. Those who lose it rarely survive."
Right.
So that was the choice.
Stay—and deal with this.
Or leave—and lose everything.
Great.
"Before you are dismissed," Ms. Aurora continued, "all devices will be surrendered."
That got a reaction.
"What?" someone snapped. "You can't just take our phones."
"They connect you to a world you no longer belong to," she said simply.
A staff member walked through the crowd, holding out a box.
My chest tightened as it reached me.
My phone.
Home. Mom. Everything normal.
For a second, I hesitated.
This made it real.
Too real.
Akira's voice came quietly from beside me. "You won't need it."
I glanced at her.
Of course she wasn't hesitating.
Of course she'd already let go.
I swallowed, then dropped my phone into the box.
The moment it left my hand, something shifted.
Like a door had closed behind me.
No going back.
I barely heard the rest.
Rules. Divisions. Courts.
Didn't matter.
Because one thought kept repeating in my head.
Akira knew.
She knew all of this.
And she didn't tell me.
THE DORMS
By the time we reached the dorms, the shock had settled into something quieter.
Heavier.
The building was beautiful—high ceilings, soft glowing lights floating in the air, walls carved with patterns that didn't look human-made. It should've amazed me.
It didn't.
I dropped my bag onto the nearest bed with a sigh. "Okay. New rule. No one knocks me unconscious again."
"Good luck with that."
I looked up.
A girl with bright red curls was already grinning at me like she'd been waiting for this moment. She flopped onto her bed, completely at home.
"I'm Rhyshe. And this?" She waved a hand around. "This is amazing."
"Of course you think that. You look like you'd enjoy chaos."
"I do," she said instantly. "Chaos is fun. Also—did you see that floating guy? I want to do that."
"Yeah, no. I'd like to walk like a normal human being, thanks."
Rhyshe laughed, stretching back against the pillows. "You'll get used to it. Or you'll accidentally float and scream. Either way, entertaining."
"Great. Love that for me."
"You won't float on the first day."
I turned.
The girl by the window hadn't moved much. Dark hair, calm expression, just watching everything like she already understood it.
"I'm Celvia," she added after a moment. "And she's right about one thing. You'll get used to it."
"…That's what people say right before things get worse."
Rhyshe pointed at me. "See? She gets it."
Celvia didn't smile. "Adjustment is part of survival here."
I blinked. "Okay… that sounded way too serious for a school."
"It's not a normal school."
"Yeah," I muttered, glancing toward the courtyard. "I noticed when people started flying."
Rhyshe leaned forward slightly, curiosity kicking in. "Wait—so you didn't know about any of this before coming here?"
I paused.
"No," I said slowly. "Did you?"
She hesitated, just for a second. "Not exactly. But I knew it wasn't normal."
Of course she did.
I looked at Celvia. "And you?"
A brief pause.
"I suspected."
I let out a dry breath. "Wow. Love being the only one completely clueless."
Rhyshe laughed. "Relax. You won't be clueless for long. Either you learn fast, or…"
She trailed off.
I raised an eyebrow. "Or?"
She shrugged. "You struggle. A lot."
"…Very comforting. Thanks."
Celvia's voice came quieter this time, but sharper. "This place doesn't wait for anyone. Keep up, or you fall behind."
Something about that stuck.
Not dramatic.
Just real.
I sat down on the bed, exhaling slowly. "Yeah. I'm starting to get that."
Rhyshe stretched again, completely unbothered. "I'm just excited. Magic, weird rules, possible danger—way better than normal school."
"Of course you'd say that. You probably wanted something like this."
"Obviously." She grinned. "Didn't you?"
I opened my mouth—
Then stopped.
Did I?
No.
Not like this.
Not when I didn't understand anything.
Not when—
Akira.
The thought hit again, sharp and annoying.
I looked away. "No. Not really."
For once, Rhyshe didn't joke.
Celvia just watched me.
Like she understood more than she was saying.
Which, honestly… was starting to become a pattern here.