Chapter 1 On Graduation Ceremony Day... I Learned of a Major Event

Catherine's POV

Today is graduation day.

Everyone had put on their carefully chosen formal wear, and each person looked absolutely stunning.

I was holding up my skirt, walking toward the banquet hall, laughing out loud at the jokes my friends were tossing around beside me.

Then I caught a glimpse of something in the distance...

My smile froze for a second. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief and quickly tapped my friend on the arm. "Sally, do you see that? That... thing in the garden — that, uh, that horse?"

Sally shook her head, confused. "Catherine, what are you talking about?"

I quickly looked around at everyone nearby. None of them seemed to see what I was seeing.

The laughter and chatter carried on exactly as before, as if nothing had happened at all.

What the hell?!

"Sally, go ahead without me. I forgot to grab my book."

Sally watched the person dart off like a gust of wind and muttered to herself in confusion, "A book? Do we even need a book?"

The massive creature — enormous, seemingly visible only to me, shaped like a horse but with wings — stood there with grace and gentleness, beautiful and calm, watching me as I rushed toward it.

It seemed to be waiting specifically for me.

The moment I carefully reached out and touched its back, a single tear fell from its beautiful eyes — a tear that solidified mid-air, crystallizing into something that shone like a jewel, like a pearl.

No time to be amazed. I quickly stretched out my hand and caught it. The instant the pearl touched my palm, it transformed into a letter.

Wait.

It turned into a letter?!

One thing after another was hitting my brain, but driven by the most primal human instinct — curiosity — I desperately wanted to know what was inside.

The paper was thick and richly textured. Gold foil sealed it with a wax stamp that glittered in the sunlight, and the faint scent of perfume drifted from it. This must be Czech paper, a random thought flashed through my mind. I had no idea why.

Expensive. Refined.

My name was printed on the front.

Up to this point, the idea that this letter belongs to me felt unexpected yet somehow fated — like it made perfect sense in the most miraculous way. I opened it without hesitation.

Congratulations, Catherine Wells: You have been officially admitted to the Imperial Academy of Magic for the current academic year. Please report to the main entrance of Corridor No. 1 at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, March 1st. Enclosed with this letter is your dormitory key (brass, engraved with the symbols of the four seasons). Accommodation, robes, and all basic magical supplies will be provided by the Academy. You need only bring personal items you cannot do without. We look forward to hearing the whispers of magic alongside you.

Vera Ashen

Principal

My eyes drifted to the key hanging around the creature's neck. It was heavy and antique-looking — the kind of key you'd expect to find for a castle dungeon.

It gestured for me to take it.

I stood there holding the key and the letter like they were both burning hot potatoes, completely at a loss.

I'd heard of the Imperial Academy of Magic since the day I was born. Everyone knew about it — a century-old institution, the undisputed ruler at the very top of the global magical world. But it kept nearly all commoners out with one brutally strict rule.

Rule One: Only magical beings are eligible for admission. Non-magical creatures need not apply.

There was already a massive class divide between people born with magic and ordinary humans. And the students who got into this academy — weren't they all nobility of the highest order, from the most prestigious bloodlines, God's favorites, touched by angels?

I knew my own life better than anyone. Twenty-something years of being plain, ordinary, and poor. Why would a school like this ever accept someone like me?

And on top of that — my family had never said a single word about any of this!

"Aunt Lassey!"

I was so panicked I didn't even make it to my own graduation. I clutched the letter and ran straight home, throwing myself into my aunt's arms.

Aunt Lassey quickly took off her glasses and set down her newspaper, pulling me into a hug. "What happened, sweetheart?"

She looked at the letter in my hand. The confusion in her eyes shifted — into recognition.

That expression. She already knew about this, didn't she.

Aunt Lassey was the only family I had to lean on. I had no memory of my birth parents whatsoever. My earliest memories were just Aunt Lassey — those deep blue eyes that matched mine exactly, and her flowing golden curls.

"Catherine, actually, on your eighteenth birthday," Aunt Lassey said slowly, "the Academy's admissions office had already notified me in advance. I was planning to tell you everything tonight, but I didn't expect you to receive the acceptance letter early."

I was too stunned to speak.

"My dear," Aunt Lassey smiled at me gently and began to explain everything, "I didn't believe it at first either, but the admission result was no mistake. Your parents had already submitted your enrollment paperwork before you were even born."

In that moment I held my breath. My heart was pounding. Only one question surfaced in my mind. "But I'm just... the most ordinary human being there is..."

I was desperately searching her face for confirmation.

"No, you're not. According to the records, your identity is unclear — there's no specific magical species listed — but one thing is certain: you are an Awakener."

Aunt Lassey gently steadied me as I stood there in a daze. "Awakeners mature on different timelines. Some awaken the moment they're born. Others don't awaken until they're around thirty."

"And your parents have already paid all your fees for the next four years in full. We won't have any extra burden at all."

I shook my head. Every part of me was pushing back against what Aunt Lassey was about to say. "Please stop... I'm not going..."

Aunt Lassey let out a quiet sigh. "I should have seen this coming. After all, your parents were... and you would be too. I don't know much about Awakening cycles, and you'd been living so steadily all these years, so I just stopped thinking about it. Maybe..."

I gripped my fork tighter and cut her off. "Aunt Lassey, today is my graduation day. I'm about to start walking the path I've worked so hard to build for myself. How could I possibly throw everything away right now and go live a life I know absolutely nothing about?"

"Magic, Awakening, noble bloodlines — I know nothing about that world. I don't belong there."

My voice was starting to tremble toward the end — maybe because I'd already started imagining how terrible that life would be.

Aunt Lassey looked me straight in the eyes, calm and steady. "Sweetheart, the power an Awakener shows in the early stages is uncontrollable. While you're out there living that ordinary life, you could transform into an unknown creature at any moment, lose control of your abilities and hurt the people around you — or miss the chance to step into who you're truly meant to be."

She held my hand tightly. "I know you've never lacked courage. You're scared, you're terrified, you want to pretend this isn't happening — but this is your life. Don't run from it."

"Catherine, think about it carefully. Fifty years from now, when you look back on your life, do you want to regret that you didn't have the guts to choose this?"

...

After a long silence, I worked through everything — every risk, every consequence. Slowly, but without hesitation, I nodded. "I'll go. I have to go."

Watching Aunt Lassey's satisfied smile, I felt like I was in a dream.

Whatever was waiting for me ahead...

What was it going to look like?