1 New Beginnings

Mixed emotions swirled inside her as her eyes connected with the reflection in the mirror. Anxiety churned in her stomach and doubt rolled in her head. Was this the right choice ? Amber's train of thought was interrupted by a yell from downstairs.

"Darling, ready to leave?"

The upbeat tone in her fathers voice made her feel a bit guilty. Amber wished she could be as excited as her father was.

"I'm coming!"

Grabbing the bag she heads for the door. Amber gives one last quick look around her room before heading down to the car. It was late when she arrived at the terminal gate where she's greeted by her aunt. As they walked out of the station the cold air hit her face. It scrunches up in response to the stingy sensation.

"So tomorrow you will start, are you excited?" spoke her aunt

Amber just hummed in response. The following day she woke up early, groggy. The nervousness had kept her up all night. Quickly grabbing some clothes she's headed for a cold shower hoping to wake up a bit. She greeted her aunt a good morning as she took her unpacked suitcase to the car.

"How did you sleep sweetie?" Her aunt, fixing her hair in the driver seat, turned her head slightly to look at her.

"It was well," she lied as she watched Alex start the car.

Amber stared out the window; scenery went by as she attempted to take in her surroundings. Soon enough they arrived. The building was breathtaking. It looked like a castle, No in fact it was a castle. Amber placed her head back so she could gaze at the magnificent spiral towers soaring through the white candyfloss clouds. Maybe it won't be so bad she thought to herself.

Amber and her aunt were led to the sports hall, where students and parents had already gathered. They took their seats just as the red velvet curtains opened, revealing a short bald man standing with a microphone.

"Welcome to the academy students, I am one of the founders of this school. You can call me Professor Ivan. We're glad to have you here today. As you know this school has students both from the Guardian race and the Demon race, we are here to learn to work together and help you discover your true self. " He adjusted the microphone before continuing.

"I will explain how things work around here. There are different classes however at the start everyone is a fighter, once you reach level 5 in that class and achieve certification by sitting a test you can pick another class to study. There are over all ten classes; Paladin, Wizard, Cleric, Barbarian, Warlock, Sorcerer, Druid, Fighter, Rogue, Bard. However there are certain classes only for Guardians and Demons while the rest of the classes are mixed." Professor Ivan clears his throat.

" You've all been assigned a number, please head to a table with your number on it and there you meet your group members that will be with you for this year." Amber looks down at the piece of paper in her hand and on it the number 5s written. She heads to the table after saying her goodbyes.

As Amber gets nearer to the table she notices two boys and a girl already there. The girl has long black hair with purple streaks, and she's wearing a pleated skirt with a white jumper, however her grey eyes were what drew Amber in. As for the boys, one of them was dressed in black jeans and a shirt while the other was wearing jeans with a tank top. The boy with the tank top had curly brunette hair and blue eyes while the other boy had blond hair and green eyes. Without realising it, Amber clutched her shirt as her eyes wandered elsewhere, aching to find something else to be distracted by. She had a strong urge to hide and lose herself in her world of stories. However, the thought of her father reminded her that if she wanted to succeed, she would have to suck it up and push through.

"Hi, what's your name?" A voice spoke.

Amber jumped a little from this sudden moment. She turned to find the girl looking at her, just before the boys caught wind of what's going on. Amber's cheeks flushed red, unable to utter a single word. The girl smiled softly.

"Name is Talia," She said, "I am 18. This boy with blond hair is Leon, he's 19, while the boy with brunette hair is Zack and he's 18," both boys nodded their heads towards her while giving a welcoming smile.

This calmed Amber down a little, and her clutch on her shirt eased. She took a deep breath.

"Hi, my name is Amber and I'm 18." She replied, taking a seat next to Talia after nodding back at the boys. Just then a woman appears in front of the girls and boys.

"Hello students, I am professor Cronin. I will be with you for this whole year, all four of you will be working together as a group, so most missions and lessons will be together." Professor Cronin fixes her jacket before continuing.

"Now I will show you where your dormis, follow me" Zack and Leon were right behind Pr.Cronin while Amber and Talia followed behind the boys. They were led out of the hall and into a garden of flowers, which had a path that took you into the forest. The garden itself was beautiful and impressive, almost like the Garden of Eden. There were red, blue, purple and yellow roses growing alongside the path. Behind the roses, there were tulips, lavenders and other types of flowers placed around the garden. However the forest leading to the dorms was beyond imagination. Each tree that they went past had pink and white flowers blossoming and the leaves swayed gently as if they were singing to one another. The pathways of the forest itself were flooded with the white, pink petals and bright green orange leaves as if they were welcoming the students.

Amber lifted her face, letting the light and shadow dance across her skin. Bees hummed in and out of the pennyroyal. She inhaled its minty smell and continued on, delighting in the sound of her feet sliding through the leaves. Soon they arrived in front two buildings, which looked very much like mansions that gave the vibe of a dusky, ancestral palace.

"Now as you can see there are two buildings. The one named Azazel will be where the Demon students will be living and the building named Jophiel is where you four will be staying." Professor Cronin explains. "But of course the girls and boys will be separated. Zack and Leon will share a room while Amber and Talia will be staying together. Your rooms have your name so off you go and get yourself settled. I will see you tomorrow at 8am sharp in the sports hall."

Amber and Talia go into the building and head straight to their room, which unfortunately for the girls was on the 7th floor. Once they reached the 7th floor they found their room right at the end of the hall. Both girls were aw stuck by the layout of the room and on how big it was. Opposite to where the girls stood there were glass doors that led out onto the balcony, with dark purple curtains draping off them. On the left side of the room were two king beds with small tables next to them while in the centre of the room was a big round glass table with sofas. On the right side of the room was a door that the girls presumed led to the bathroom and near was a wardrobe with a couple of empty bookshelves.

"Is it alright if I take the bed nearer to the door?" Asked Talia while looking at Amber.

"Yeah sure" Amber walks towards the bed and sets her bag down by the end of the bed. She lays onto the silky, clean sheets, closing her eyes and falling into a deep slumber.