The Arcane Institute

Chapter 1

"Is this even real?" My foster mom's face contorted as her eyes glazed over the letter in front of her.  

"What? Is it really that hard to believe a good school would want me?" I reply in an even tone taking the letter from her hands in one motion. 

I look down at the eggshell toned paper resting in my hands, and read the first line for the 5th time in the past hour. 

'Congratulations on behalf of The Arc Institution on your invitation to attend this Prestigious academy for the gifted in the fall. ' 

The paper is crumpled a bit at the bottom from sitting in the front pocket of my hoodie, and the ink that met the areas the paper had been folded were beginning to wear. 

It's been exactly two months since receiving this letter and I've purposefully waited until the day before the orientation date listed on the paper to tell my Foster mom, Miranda, so I wouldn't have to listen to her squabbling about it anytime she was reminded of the thing. 

But quite honestly, after looking at the prices of all the other schools I got into, it's either this, or Im gonna have to live out of a car. 

"Did you even apply to this school? Ive never even heard of an Arc Institution," Her eyebrows furrow as she speaks. "and a full ride? It just seems a little too good to be true." 

"Well I'm legally an adult, I've aged out of the system so you can't force me to stay here." I look up from my paper. 

"Hayden seriously, you can't be this dim, this school doesn't even exist on any database." 

I look at the last line of the letter,

'Call xxx-xxx-xxxx for more information.' 

Quickly I look up at my foster mom while pulling my phone out of my pocket.

"If you call that number I'm calling your caseworker today and you're out of here by the morning." She crosses her arms as her eyes pierce through my phone. "I've just about had it with the senseless stress you've put me through."  

"I really, do not care Miranda." I dial the number in, and walk into the room I've been staying in. 

the sofa-bed creaks as I sit down on its edge. I wait for two rings before the phone is answered. 

my breath hitches.

"Hello, Dean of The Arc Institute, how may I help you?" The voice spills out of the phone in a thick British accent. 

I hesitate a little before responding, "This is Hayden Viora, I received a letter a few months ago regarding an invitation to-" 

The voice interrupts me before I could get another word in, "Yes, Hayden, I know you, I personally sent you that letter."

"Oh-" I started. 

"You see, I personally choose multiple students every year all over America, with the most promise to take part in all of the action we have going on here at The Arc." 

I blink, "That's Nice, I was wondering-"

"You're probably wondering why you've never heard of us." He interrupts once more. 

Silence fills the room before I realize he's expecting a response from me, "Well, Yes." 

"Our school is involved with a lot of the positive change happening around the world, it's essential to keep discretion for the safety of staff and students in order for our programs to continue." 

"What programs?" I ask with a twinge of uncertainty in my voice.

 "All will be revealed at orientation of course!" His voice booms through my phone. 

"Right, of course." I reply looking down at the paper in my hands. "There's no address on here." I mention, flipping the paper to see if I missed anything. 

"Right well, as soon as you verbally accept the invitation I'll provide a means of transportation to your location so I can guarantee you arrive safely." He states matter a factly. 

Obviously every indictor says this is so insanely strange, but it's either this or the street so without hesitation I say, "I accept." 

I place the paper beside me and wait for him to continue, hoping I haven't just made a huge mistake. 

"You're fairly close to the academy location so ill arrange for a driver to come pick you up tomorrow at 10:30am in order to get you here in time for orientation, pack the necessary items for a one night stay, and Hayden." He pauses.

"Yes?"

"Make sure you come alone, this is a student event only." He breathes, hanging up the phone call. 

Everything I've ever learned tells me to call him back and undo what I've just done, but my hope for the future died as soon as I turned 16 in the foster care system, and realized every wish of me being adopted departed with my youth. Once you hit sixteen, people stop looking at you like someone's future kid and start looking at you like someone else's problem. Nobody wants to adopt a teenager, especially considering the fact that my height, and long black hair made me look older than my days. To top it all off, I was blessed with a very high IQ and a severely above average skill level, which means anyone who wanted to take me in, also had to take in large amounts of debt, while worrying about placing me in a school for the gifted, and what extra classes they had to pay for next. If I somehow reach my doom by the end of this ridiculous journey, its safe to say I probably wouldn't have made it out in the real world anyways, so off with this stupid pursuit I go. 

Im pulled out of my self wallowing by the sound of the door beside me slamming open.  

"Pack up your stuff I want you out of here by the morning." Miranda demands, her face red from anger. 

I slowly turn my head to my dark green backpack leaning against the empty dresser in the corner of the room, its leather base worn from years of group homes and foster families. 

"Im packed Miranda." I state bluntly knowing the only four items and two outfits I actually still owned have been sitting in that bag for the past three weeks.

Before I can turn my head to look at her again she slams the door closed, and I can't help but smile hearing her stomp back into her usual side of the house, knowing today was the last day I had to endure with her.