Welcome to the academy

~Daryn~

My life as an average teenager has always been a mess. Raised by a single mum, I at times feel very lonely whenever she's at work; I have no friends to visit, I don't do parties and other stuff you might refer to as 'cool'. Often times, I also get bullied at school.

Most times I just wish I could have the adventurous life I've dreamed of since I was a child. Find magic if it really exists, sail across the night sky upon a dragon's back, and save the world together with my team of magical superheroes. But again, all these fantasies can only exist in my head and not in the real world.

********

It was 8:00pm at night, and my mum had not yet returned from work. As usual, I just finished having a nice cold bath and was about to watch some TV, dressed in my bathrobe; I would then probably fall asleep on the couch like always, until my mum came back from work.

However, things took a different turn when a sudden knock was heard on the door. I wasn't expecting any visitor, not at such time of the night. It also definitely wasn't my mum, since she never returned back from work so early.

Cold shivers of fear raced down my spine as the knocks became more vigorous, until I couldn't ignore them anymore. It couldn't be anyone I knew, so I was curious to know who the person was.

I looked through the door's peephole to see whom it was. My eyes widened in surprise when I found out that it was an ordinary delivery man who had been knocking the whole time.

Huh, did mum place an order for anything?, I wondered.

In slight relief, I heaved a sigh as I squeezed the door knob, allowing a cold gust of wind blow into the house.

My gaze was locked upon the delivery man who held a brown package and seemed to be smiling sheepishly at me.

"Delivery for Mary Coldwater."

"Oh yeah, that's my mum...I wonder what she might've ordered this time. Last time it was a set of magical kit for my birthday".

I smiled back at the delivery man.

"Oh, I see..."

"Tell me kid, do you believe in magic?", asked the man.

" Uh...it may seem crazy for someone as grown up as me to say yes, but yes I do... I believe in magic. "

"Okay, how 'bout a cool trick?"

"It's cool", I replied.

" Just keep your eyes closed, wouldya?"

I shut my eyes in excitement, hoping to see what magic trick the man would perform, once my eyes were open again. I would then ask the man to teach me how to do it.

My eyes remained closed as the man flicked his hands in a strange manner while whispering some words - a magic spell perhaps.

The man's fingers glowed with bright dust particles that surrounded them, until suddenly...I fell unconscious.

*********

The man whispered a bit more loudly this time, "Arris xion".

This caused Daryn to disappear first, before the man also disappeared with him, leaving the house empty and unlocked.

The package laid in front of the door. It gave off a golden glow as it transformed into a golden envelope, and flew into the house.

Thud! The door was mysteriously shut.

*******

" Welcome to The Mage Academy For The Gifted. "

I suddenly became conscious at the sound of a lady's voice. I opened my eyes to realize that I wasn't at home anymore, but in a large room which was brightly lit up by a golden light. It was filled with many people who were confused just like I was.

My eyes scanned everyone's faces, in search of the strange man who kidnapped me, but it was futile.

My mixed feelings of confusion and anxiousness grew wilder as I kept on thinking of how worried my mum might be, if she didn't find me at home.

The hall was full of indistinct chattering from the confused crowd. Most of us were dressed in our night wears, making us feel very embarrassed.

We needed to know why we were kidnapped and where we were. But the lady who greeted us earlier neither said nor did anything.

She just stood upon the well raised podium which was in front of us. Her silence probably indicated that she awaited someone's arrival.

The chattering grew louder and louder because everyone was getting more frustrated; it was ten minutes since we arrived, but nothing had happened.

"If you're gonna kill us, just do it already!!!", someone yelled.

My heart pounded faster, making it difficult for me to control my breath. Beads of sweat rolled down my face, while I stood amongst the crowd - it was my own way of expressing my fear and confusion, but I tried to hold it all in.