Welcome. You are a phenomenon. You have been given a gift, an incredible power. You can change the world, shape your life however you can imagine. Or you can be overwhelmed. These supernatural abilities can sometimes be wild and unpredictable, and, if you are not careful enough, they will conquer you. So we will teach you to conquer them. With The Phenomenons, you will master your magic, make it part of who you are. If you cannot, your life will be spent learning how to become your truest self. You will only be free when you have complete control. This is not a voluntary process. Only those with the capacity to succeed and flourish will have their abilities unlocked. Here, you will be given the key to your future. Here, you will free your potential. Here, you are a phenomenon.
Kat smiled at the familiar inscription, the glittering words hovering in the air and casting a golden light on her face. This year would be her sixth year with The Phenomenons, having attended since her eleventh birthday, along with her twin brother, Ace. Well, her older brother technically, as he was born the night before her. Ace had been born in the late hours of September 11th, whereas Kat hadn't arrived until the early morning the day after. A fact that he just loved to remind her of. Whenever he wanted something, or when he wanted her to stop doing something. Sharp footsteps behind her alerted her to his presence, and she whipped around, a smile dancing on her pink lips. The twins were quickly wrapped in each other's embrace, two weeks of not seeing each other forgotten as they hugged.
Pulling away slightly, Ace glanced over his sister, instinctively checking her for any injuries or ailments. When he was satisfied, he cocked his head to the side, letting out a barking laugh at her mirrored movement.
"So, how's the family? Still crazy?" Kat raised one eyebrow and laughed when Ace pulled a displeased face. They had both received an invitation to join their cousins at their house for a few days near the coast, but Kat had decided to join a couple of students on a trip to The Phenomenons' sister school in Sollere. They would have gone together, but it hadn't taken much persuasion from the headmistress to convince Kat to travel to the southern academy instead.
"Pretty much, yeah. They were disappointed that you weren't there."
Kat didn't respond, instead loosing a long breath and rubbing her hands along the dark leather of her jacket.
"Mum and Dad already here?" She asked, gesturing to the school a few feet away from them.
Ace nodded. "Bet the headmistress is happier to see me than you. Since, you know, I'm her favourite."
She rolled her eyes at Ace's comment, unable to refute that, yes, he was the preferred twin. But that was only because the girl chose to have fun and to learn on her own terms rather than blindly following the rules, which sometimes made her unpopular with those in charge. Not that she wasn't valued and appreciated of course. Her powers were almost limitless, and she was a terrific mentor to younger students when it's came to keeping her considerable gifts under control, and manipulating them to her advantage. The same considerable gifts that were fluttering beneath the tanned skin of her arm, extending to activate the spell that allowed them to pass through the barrier.
Noticing her outstretched hand, Ace lunged forwards to press his palm to the wall before them, the magic entwined through the stone recognising him within seconds. A glow began to envelop the siblings and, with an almost tangible gust of power, they were teleported inside the grounds.
"Hey, you know I was going to do that." Kat punched her brother lightly on the shoulder, her playful grin fading as she took in their surroundings.
Even after years of spending all her time with The Phenomenons, the view from the mountaintop still amazed Kat: the shafts of moonlight shimmering on the lake; the endless rolling hills that supported the magnificent structure of the castle she called home; forests that sheltered countless species of animals. And then there was the castle itself. Centuries old, the towering citadel had always been home to generations of phenomenons, hidden from mundane life by a powerful enchantment cast by one of the founders. But they were truly missing out.
Kat was jolted out of her thoughts by Ace tapping her shoulder and yelling in her ear.
"Hello? Earth to Kat?"
He earned himself a flick to the jaw as he startled her, and the two of them began the walk towards the main entrance. They had barely taken a few steps when light spilled out of the doorway, a tall silhouette standing inside. Maude Wolfsfeld. The headmistress of The Phenomenons, and an all round formidable woman. With the world bending magic of wind and air manipulation, Maude could hold her own against any danger that threatened the castle and its inhabitants. She also had the useful talent of subduing any student whose powers roared out of control.
"Ah, welcome back Alexander, Katherine. How were each of your trips? Good, I hope. Anyway, it's late, the two of you should go to your dormitories and get some sleep. We have two new students arriving in the morning, I want the two of you to see what they can do. Alexander, there's an eleven year old girl who levitated half her family, and Katherine, a fourteen year old girl who set a on fire. Be at the training grounds for eight am. Sharp. And don't forget. The annual Phenomenons ball is tomorrow night, try not to cause too much chaos." With a pointed glance at Kat, and a quick nod to both of them, the headmistress turned and marched up the grand stairs.
"Ugh, I wish Maude would stop calling me Katherine, I hate that name. And I don't think I'd be getting up for another week if it wasn't for the little fire girl I've got to supervise tomorrow. Visiting our sister school in Fairvyn is exhausting, even if the people in the south are very handsome." Kat grinned at her last phrase, reveling in her brother's obvious unease. Ace was by nature a protective person, and didn't like the idea of anyone hurting his twin, especially not in the form of breaking her heart.
But he shook his head, bumping shoulders with her as they ascended marble steps set with tendrils of gold. The northern, and tallest, tower housed those between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, so the two of them climbed the ladder to the common room with a tired hint of their sibling banter. Obviously, there were separate floors for female and male students, so Kat waved goodbye as she continued up another flight of stairs to her dorm.
She had barely pushed the door open when Kat's vision was impaired by brown curls, and her senses overwhelmed by a floral perfume. Dominique Congrave. An impressive wielder of heliokinesis, an admirable healer, and one of her best friends. Her bubbly and kind nature was reflected in the bright warm golden of her magic, a common occurrence amongst phenomenons. Kat herself often came across as volatile, mirroring the dangerous nature of her own gifts. Kat returned the hug for a few seconds, offering a tired smile to her roommate before collapsing onto her bed.
"I've been waiting ages for you, the headmistress told me you were due back three hours ago!" Her usually soft voice turned indignant and questioning, a hint of worry revealed as she continued. "I thought you had gotten hurt or something..."
"Domi, you know I can take care of myself." Kat smirked, holding up a hand crackling with pale blue lightning. Ever since a freak childhood accident had revealed her electrokinesis, she had been an incredibly talented member of The Phenomenons. Her gifts had only increased over the years to shape her into one of the most powerful magic users alive. Paired with her brutal combat skills, it was near impossible to defeat the sixteen year old at her full powers.
"Anyway, how was your trip? I want all the details, especially since The Prodigies girls are supposed to be considerably hotter than the ones here." Dominique gushed, laying down on her own bed, facing Kat and propping her head up with one delicate hand. Years of training had barely affected the girl's bronze skin, with scarcely a callous on her palms. Mostly due to her healing powers, which tended to kick in automatically whenever she had minor injuries, such as blisters and sores.
"Oh, they so are. With those cheekbones? I could barely take my eyes off any of them. There was this one faerie guy, about seveteen, I think, and he was just beautiful. So much exposed tanned skin- I'm so glad the weather is hot down there. And he was tall, too. You know I'm a sucker for anyone over six foot." Kat gushed, laying back and looking at the ceiling, a slight smile on her face.
She had missed this. Just talking, no judgement, being able to say whatever she liked, feeling comfortable. The two roommates had been best friends since they met, three years ago. Dominique had arrived at The Phenomenons, glowing like a firefly, and Kat's magic had been immediately drawn to her. She didn't know why, but something about the intense glow intrigued her, and the two of them had been inseparable ever since. So it was nice, after four weeks of being apart, to fall back into easy conversation, about girls, boys, danger and heartbreak, about anything and everything.
"So, apart from Fairvyn good looks, what else caught your eye? Anyone with cool powers? I heard a rumour about a pyrokinetic girl who literally breathes fire, is that true? Please say it's true, that sounds awesome, I-"
"Woah, woah, slow down. Yes, The Prodigies are great, their castle has nothing on ours though. Yes, there is a girl who breathes fire. She's pretty incredible, but she sneezed and ended up almost burning my arm off. Look."
Kat sat up, pulling her jacket off and twisting away from her friend. On her back, spanning from her left shoulder blade to her elbow, was a dark pink burn. Dominique let out a gasp, moving towards her, hands glowing with pure instinct. She glanced up to meet Kat's bright blue eyes, silently asking for permission. When she received a nod in response, her hands grew brighter and she brushed them against the burn. Within a few seconds, the skin was back to its usual fair shade. The only sign her injury ever existed was a fading shimmer around the area.
"Thanks. But enough about The Prodigies, we can talk about that later. I want to know what you're wearing tomorrow night. After all, it is the most important event of the year, and we have to look fabulous in front of all the newbies." Dominique hopped off her bed in excitement as Kat finished speaking. She darted to her wardrobe and pulled out a ball gown. She span to face the room, smiling widely as she held the dress against herself.
"Oh, Domi, that's stunning." And it was. Dark, rusty red fabric flowed from a fitted bodice, accented with golden leaves at the waist and bust. The gown was scattered with tiny glittering gems, warm in colour and imitating the afterglow of her magic.
"Thank you, Merope finished it a few days ago, and I couldn't wait to show it to you. I just love these balls, you know? And I can't wait to meet all the new Phenomenons, maybe I could... get to know one of them. Wait, have you got a dress yet? The ball is tomorrow, but you've been away for ages, and you didn't get one before you left-"
"Any girl would be lucky to get to know you, as you say." Kat raised an eyebrow, compelling a short laugh from her friend.
"I do have my dress: a seamstress in Fairvyn owed me a favour and made it for me. However, there's a few finishing touches I want to add before tomorrow, so I need to finish it now." A folded pile of black fabric was pulled from her bag, long hands laying it carefully on the wooden floor.
"Maude wants me to train a newbie tomorrow, she's got some kid with pyrokinesis who burned down her school. I have to meet her in... ten hours, so I gotta start. I'm not dealing with a hormonal teenager who can burn me alive on no sleep."
Hands incandescent with lightning, Kat began to weave magic through her dress, each strand picking up a blue light- the colour of her gifts when they were wielded. Dominique watched in wonder as Kat worked, always fascinated by her friend's seemingly infinite power.
It took almost an hour to set the whole gown aglow, by which point Dominique had fallen asleep and Kat's hands were shaking: not due to overexertion of her magic, but sheer exhaustion from the long journey she had made that day. But it was done, lighting up the wardrobe as the dress was hung and shut away.
And, finally, Kat could sleep.