Invisible Strings

Chapter 1: The Second Semester

The second semester always felt heavier. Snow clung stubbornly to the courtyard stones, the kind that never quite melted, no matter how many students trampled through it. Isadora Capri pulled her cloak tighter as she stepped into the hallway, the familiar sting of cold air following her inside. Nevermore always seemed colder after the holidays, like the school had secrets it refused to let thaw.

She slipped into her classroom and set her books neatly on her desk. Same students as the semester before, aside from a few who just needed the extra credit.

Then, almost missing her, she saw one of the new students sitting in the back row. At first, Isadora almost missed her. The girl blended into the shadowed corner as if the light didn't quite want to touch her. She sat stiffly, sleeves pulled over her hands, light hair falling across her face. A senior, maybe... Isadora didn't recognize her, and she knew nearly everyone by now. She didn't necessarily seem shy, but... just not wanting to be noticed. Or not caring...

And then, halfway through class, it happened. A student passing by brushed too close to her desk, and for a split second, the girl blurred. Her outline faltered, like she'd been erased from the room. When she came back into focus, no one else even noticed. And she didn't even flinch. As if she knew, even without her gift, she was already invisible to everyone.

Isadora noticed though.

She froze, pen hovering over her notes. A vanisher. Most students gave vanishers a wide berth, not out of cruelty, but out of habit. They slipped away, even from memory. Easy to overlook, easier to forget. Only a few got praised for being popular, but most took their invisibility to their heart.

But Isadora couldn't stop glancing in the back corner.

"Pair up," Isadora instructed, her voice calm but firm as she set her chalk down, trying to set her thoughts aside, focusing on teaching. "Counterbalance is key. You'll need a partner to work on creating a 30-second piece. Vocal. Instrumental. Whatever you and your partner decide. Then in 2 weeks' time, I'd like you to present to me. I'll have a sign-up sheet with times posted on my door with your class name."

The room shifted at once. Desks scraped, students gravitated toward their friends, the air buzzing with chatter. Isadora's sharp gaze traveled the room, ticking off pairs in her mind.

Everyone had someone, except the girl in the back.

She sat very still, shoulders drawn up as if the noise might swallow her. Her quill was poised above her parchment, unmoving. Students brushed past without a glance, filling the front rows with easy laughter and the scrape of chairs. But she didn't look up. She didn't want a partner. Making Isadora even wonder if this girl was even in the right class.

Just before the girl could vanish out of instinct, Isadora looked at her attendance sheet and then up at the girl. She softened her tone. "Hannah," she called gently, drawing the girl's gaze. "Why don't you come work with me today?"

The heads of a few students turned at that. Brief flickers of surprise before they bent back to their partners. But Hannah rose gently, almost as if she thought she was in trouble, clutching her books to her chest as if they were a shield. She crossed the room with careful, deliberate steps and stood in front of Isadora, looking up at her with thoughtful eyes, but what were those thoughts in this quiet girl?

Isadora gave her a small, reassuring smile. She wasn't sure Hannah would even notice it, but she did. The girl's outline shimmered faintly, as if she might fade out of existence at any moment, and yet, here she was, anchoring herself by her teacher's side. She hadn't seen a vanisher like this. As if she were ready to vanish at any given moment. Usually, these kinds only use it when necessary, or students use it to trick each other.

"Let's see if you have any musical talents hidden in that sweet brain, huh?" Isadora said softly, opening the piano and patting the bench next to her. "I don't bite," Isadora said gently.

Hannah hesitated at the edge of the bench, her fingers brushing the polished wood as if testing whether it would hold her. As if her thoughts carried more weight than her thin body did. The moment she lowered herself onto the seat, her outline shimmered and blurred, fading almost completely. Like she was trying to disappear from view. Isadora's eyes widened slightly, but she stayed still, giving her space.

"Go on," Isadora insisted softly, her voice calm and encouraging. "Just one note at a time. I'll follow your lead."

Hannah's hands hovered uncertainly over the keys, shoulders tensing as if the act of being seen, even by one person, was terrifying. A single key rang out, soft and hesitant. She exhaled shakily, then added another note.

Her outline flickered and shimmered with every movement, subtle waves of near-invisibility rippling across her form. But Isadora didn't flinch, didn't comment. She simply let Hannah exist at her own pace, letting her slowly inhabit the space without fear.

"You're playing beautifully," Isadora whispered. "See? Nothing to fear."

Hannah's hands stilled for a heartbeat. She swallowed, eyes flicking toward Isadora, her face flushed. And in that fleeting glance, Isadora caught it... the tiny, almost imperceptible color of blush fading across her cheeks. Hannah continued playing softly, a song she had taught herself from a random piece of sheet music she had found in her school's piano bench. Isadora smiled softly at the tune, recognizing the old piece of music. She gently placed her fingers on the tiles, playing alongside Hannah but letting her take the lead.

The bell rings, and Hannah's fingers still, her last note fading out into the busy chatter of students getting up to leave. Isadora watches Hannah gently get up and walk back to the classroom to grab her bag. As she walks back to the front to leave, all students gone, she stands quietly in front of Isadora.

"Thank you... I mean, I could've worked on my own, but-" Hannah starts saying, her voice quiet but with purpose.

"Oh, it was my pleasure. You should use that piece to help you make your own. I can always help you work on making your own piece for this assignment, too, if you'd like." Isadora says affectionately, tilting her head a little. Hannah smiles a little, about to nod, but doesn't. "I'll take that for a yes." Isadora smiles and closes the piano.

Hannah smiles and heads towards the door. She looks back as Isadora as she's fixing up the desk in her room for a moment before vanishing into the hall with the rest of Nevermore.