Chapter Music: "Gothic Ballroom" by Derek & Brandon Fiechter
I was not lying on my bed, back home, but on the floor of an unknown place. Since I used to live alone, I didn't have to worry about the immediate consequences of such an immense change. But, fortunately or not, I wasn't a complete hermit. There was no person who I could call a 'friend', but family (or, at least, what was left of it) worried. Indeed, that fractured institution that I was meant to meet from the moment I was born had, surprisingly, been my best companion ever since I could remember.
Sad, wasn't it? Random people caring and encouraging you more than anyone else just because they happened to be your relatives. The only reason I still had a good relationship with my mother was that I admired a considerable part of her personality. Blood meant nothing to me and I had no qualms about disregarding almost everyone else. Sooner or later, though, even those few people who knew of my existence would start to worry. Would I even return in time, before they noticed? Would I have to worry?
Since the moment I had woken up, everything around me was tinged with a darker shade than I was used to. Even though it was late at night, I couldn't shake the dread that the new environment was causing me. Was it suspicion? Confusion? One thing was certain: the new scenery was more similar to my inner world but that didn't mean I could feel happy yet.
Time couldn't pass more slowly. I could hear them talking outside the locked room I was confined in but the sound was still muffled. Even though they had been discussing for a few minutes, it seemed way longer to me. When, finally, I heard the sound of the key turning inside its keyhole. Only then was I able to breathe normally again. I couldn't stand the uncertainty of my peculiar position.
"Ms. Sophia Black," said the first man who entered and who I believed to be the head of the academy. "From now on you'll be staying on this campus. We cannot allow outsiders to learn about your existence."
He was old, thin and had a beard. His smart brown eyes made him appear suspicious of everyone. Everything about the way he acted gave him away: his furrowed eyebrows, his cautious walk and the way his hand always ended up on his chin, in an attempt to drive his contemplation forward.
"But, Mr. Ashford, the discussion is not over yet!" a stern looking woman complained behind him. She looked aged as well and old fashioned. I didn't expect her to have an open mind. She only seemed to do what was expected of her position.
Relieved, I inwardly sighed at the predictability of those two. At least there were some things I could be sure of even here.
"Silence, Meredith!" he raised the tone of his voice by a lot.
"But how is she supposed to keep up with the rest of the students–"
"Enough!" he shouted and breathed out huskily. "Enough. I believe that our supervisors are responsible enough and will not allow such a thing to happen. Besides, are you aware of the unrest which will follow if the government finds out that a human without an ID slipped away from our Academy?"
Ms. Meredith seemed convinced by his reasoning but she still seemed to have objections. However, she decided to go along with the suggestion of her superior.
"Ms. Black," Mr. Ashford now turned to me. "Are you sure you don't remember how you woke up in the library?"
I nodded and tried to explain it as calmly as I could: "All I know is that I fell asleep in my bedroom back home and when I opened my eyes I was here."
"We were lucky that the library was closed when the staff members found you," Ms. Meredith commented.
"Such a thing has never happened," the principal appeared to be immersed in his own thoughts. "It's impossible for one of our students to have summoned you here."
My heart skipped a beat at the word 'summoned'. Who knew what kind of people I was to deal with if a man of such authority was considering such a possibility?
"At least now we know that there's life outside this world," she replied.
I'll have to agree on that.
"Anyway, I don't have time to talk now. I must attend to some business so please take her to a new apartment and teach her the basics," Mr. Ashford told his subordinate and left without expecting an answer. He seemed to be in a hurry. No wonder about that.
I had to admit, though, that it was quite disturbing to see them work at such a late hour. A part of me hoped that emergencies weren't a part of their daily routine. It was the other part of me I was afraid of. The one which was entranced by the danger of the unknown.
The old lady glanced at me, troubled. "Come with me," she said and walked off.
We entered what must have been the Administration Office and Ms. Meredith requested a key for a single room.
"A single room?" the employee seemed a little startled. "Is it for this student?"
"Yes. It's somewhat urgent so please ask Mr. Ashford if you have any questions," her strict tone left no room for argument so the woman simply obeyed.
As we were walking towards the top floor where my apartment was located, I had the chance to admire the grandeur of the building. Scarlet colored carpets were covering every corner and large chandeliers could be found in every area. That place looked like a palace which certainly was nothing like the buildings from the era I had come from.
I didn't think I had been summoned to the future. The technology wasn't as advanced as the one I was familiar with - not that the people here really needed it. And, of course, past was out of the question. Humans were rare in this world. As I was informed, this was a land of wizards. It had its own laws and its own dangers. The dark colors everywhere around me made it clear enough that this place wasn't less complicated than the one I knew. It felt suffocating, yet enchanting, somehow.
One more thing that piqued my curiosity was the fact that most people there seemed to be dressed in a way I wasn't used to. My comfortable pajamas and my bare feet didn't make me feel as self-conscious as they would have under normal circumstances. I hadn't seen anything extravagant yet and there were many whose clothes could be considered as 'casual'.
Nevertheless, people didn't seem to care about what the others would say – if they would at all. I had the impression that anyone could dress provocatively, wear an old-fashioned pair of trousers or mismatch their clothes and still be able to walk around without worries. Maybe that was just a habit, maybe everyone was afraid of each other. Whatever the case was, something was telling me that the reason behind that simple detail of life would be interesting. I wouldn't have a hard time getting used to that refreshing fashion but I couldn't help but wonder where that derived from.
Not long later, we finally reached the eighth floor. There was no elevator, of course, and I found myself panting by the time we got to the top of the stairs. That specific floor looked a little more crowded compared to the almost empty corridors of all the other floors. I had the impression though, that the opposite would be true from the morning until the evening. Mostly middle-aged people were strolling around and they didn't seem to be subject to the same rules that applied to the students.
Naturally, I initially hadn't had the chance to see all that since I woke up in the academic library, located in this area. Those who found me immediately teleported me to Mr. Ashford's office, having no clue about what was happening.
"Here," Ms. Meredith gave me a key once we stopped in front of a door with an '8.13' sign on it.
I unlocked the door and we entered the mini apartment, similar to a room in an expensive hotel. It was designed in the same gothic style and it matched the magnificence of the rest of the building. I could most certainly say that the rooms on that floor were destined for important visitors and employees of the college.
"I hope you won't mind staying here because it will be difficult for you to freely march outside this apartment for a while."
I gave her an inquisitive look. So not only was it forbidden to leave the campus but I also had to stay confined in a few square meters? However, now that I was thinking of it, I wasn't the type to physically explore the area but it would be nice to have the option.
"We have to come up with a good lie," said the old lady as she sat on a comfortable looking armchair signaling me to sit down on the small couch at the opposite.
"So that the rest of the students know how I ended up here?"
"Correct. This is an academy for wizards and witches. The most powerful of them. No human like you could ever keep up with any of those."
Although I acknowledged the truth of her statement, I couldn't overlook the belittling tone of her voice. I simply nodded, urging her to continue.
"Only employees in this college should know about your status– not even all of them. If someone lets the cat out of the bag, we could all be publicly humiliated and you would be in danger."
I was afraid that this would be the case. Besides, the world outside was still a mystery and I couldn't yet risk being thrown out from a place which guaranteed some extent of security.
"As you already know," she went on, "the problem is that you have no ID and the only way to obtain one is by visiting an administrative hospital outside this college and, of course, beyond our competence."
"What do you mean by 'administrative hospital'?"
"You have no idea about IDs either, haven't you? In our world, an ID is a thin 'tattoo' around one's left wrist and only this type of hospital has the authority to give them," she raised her sleeve and showed me a thick black line around her wrist. "The substances of the ink used for the 'tattoo' are also found in your blood so that someone can confirm it is not fake. People with fake 'tattoos' or none at all are severely breaking the laws of our society."
Even though I was familiar with the concept of an ID, something was telling me that people here were far more cautious on this aspect. That must have been why the principal was so insistent on me staying here. At least, strict rules meant more safety, right?
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