Week 1 Day 5 Vegen

She had nearly reached the red brick building that served as the female dorm when the ground shook and a large bang rent the air. Looking behind her, Sky saw a cloud of dirt and smoke rising from the general direction of the summoning room. As usual, she ducked her head, hunched her shoulders, and resumed walking.

Four steps later, she stopped and turned around. Why was she running? They would figure out it was her fault anyway, and if she turned herself in, they might lessen the punishment. Slowly, Sky made her way back to the summoning room, cutting across the verdant lawn.

As she walked, she noticed how flat everything seemed. The sunlight that had been so warm and brilliant mere hours ago was now weak and did nothing to ease the dreadful chill that had settled into her limbs. The grass looked simply like ordinary grass rather than the ocean of vibrant blue green as it usually appeared to be. Even the cloudless sky looked pale.

Immediately, Sky's mind fell to what would happen when they kicked her out. All she had to look forward to was a lifetime of looking over her shoulder as she ran from place to place or from capture to enslavement—this would be bad. In Netherall, only one thing mattered: Magical Strength. Creature society was built around it, and the idea that one could only have something if one was strong enough to defend it. Frankly, Sky had very little confidence in her ability to defend anything, much less herself—much less here.

As a human female, a woman, Sky had no apparent value like the Chancellor said. Furthermore, she was an untrained, unmated, guardian-less human female with magic. One day, if she could survive here long enough, she would be able to defend herself, but if she left or were expelled, she would be captured and enslaved before she made it to the next town. Then, she'd very likely be sold to some vampire or incubus. She would most likely die an early death once she'd become completely broken and useless. Shivers ran up and down her spine at this thought.

That is why, no matter how bad the other students and the school treated her, she would never voluntarily leave. Sky saw the choices with clarity: endure now uncomfortably, or die a miserably slow and lingering death in servitude. It didn't even matter if she was never officially recognized as a student. Sky's goal was being able to protect herself. As long as she went to class, paid attention, and practiced, she would learn to survive. Earning her proficiency would make her dream of becoming a mage materialize. In order to become proficient, she needed to be recognized as a student, but that was just dessert. It would be great if she got it, but it wasn't necessary.

With these thoughts filling her mind, Sky's dragging feet brought her back to the summoning room. She was as close as she could get without walking through people because a wall of students now stood between her and it. "Excuse me," she said. Sky wormed her way into the throng. She tried squeezing passed one of the males. As she brushed near him, the male turned, snarled, and shoved her roughly away. Sky made a few more similarly fruitless attempts to pass into the horde before finally giving up. Feeling a bit defeated, she stole into the forest to wait until the crowd dissipated. If she were out in the open, she risked being attacked and missing the ranking ceremony tomorrow, which she needed to go to in the event she did get her student status changed.

A few minutes later, Sky leaned against a thick, scratchy tree trunk. As she rested there a moment, she heard the Chancellor's irritated voice carrying over the din from the students.

"Yes, there has been an incident," he continued, "but that is no reason for you to be skipping your classes or practice. The forest is now off limits until further notice. An official announcement will follow. Anyone not wishing to have detention cataloguing in the vault should return to wherever you are supposed to be because anyone still here in five minutes will receive detention." Loud grumbling greeted this proclamation, but through the trees, Sky saw the students begin to file away. She waited until the flow of black uniforms stopped before she stepped out of the safety of the trees. With stooped posture and a low hanging head, she finished making her way to the cavern's entrance.

In the billowing wreckage of the cavern's entrance way, Sky's eyes widened. Parts of the rock roof had been blown off and lay scattered throughout the small clearing. The rest of it had caved in and was partially blocked. The now massive opening arrowed straight into the cavern.

In front of this spectacle, the Chancellor was speaking with three other creatures. Although his back was facing her, she recognized him from his slicked back hair and sharp attire. Sky shook her head in disbelief. As she scanned the scene, she saw the tallest male in the group, Instructor Drakkon. Even though she could not see his face, she could tell who he was by the broad expanse of his back and his soft-looking, glossy black hair that was gathered loosely in a low ponytail and draped over his left shoulder. Sky noticed the shortest male in the group who appeared partly human. He was several inches shorter than the next tallest male and had softly waving, chin-length, white hair. His stormy grey eyes were serious as they watched Instructor Drakkon. Though he was handsome, he was not unreasonably so, unlike most creatures, leading Sky to the conclusion that he had a large percentage of human blood.

Instructor Drakkon shifted his stance, revealing the heart-shaped face of the last male. Sky froze, and a cold sweat broke out over her skin. With his angular features, dark eyes, and sleek, silver hair pulled back into a high ponytail, this male looked eerily similar to someone she'd seen more than a few times before. She just hoped they weren't one in the same.

Looking down at the ground, Sky quickly closed her opened mouth and schooled her features back to serenity. She began walking over to the group; one of her classmates blocked her path. She had not caught his name yet since he whispered and only to his brother.

"What- what are you doing here?" he asked in a quiet, slightly breathless voice. Sky glanced up into his almost glowing face lit by shining silver eyes. His pearly skin was flushed as though he were hot or were running a fever. Seeming uncomfortable with her scrutiny, he swiped a hand through his short, black hair.