Chapter 4

　　MAYA'S POV.

　　"Hold up!" I lift my hands and stop her. "I think there's been a mix-up here, because I'm just a regular normal girl, and everyone I've seen here so far are all freaks. I'm not one. So just send the guys with the rope to come back and return me home."

　　"No, the guardians couldn't make a mistake. They sense your powers before bringing you to this academy. It's the best place for training supernatural beings who will protect and lead their different realms."

　　I laugh. "You see, I don't have any realm. I live in a small town in California, and I just want to go home. If this is all a joke, it isn't funny! Just stop!" I bang my hands against the table. Then, I try to lift my hands from the table, but they're stuck. I feel a burning pain on my fingertips, moving up to my arms. I grit my teeth to stop myself from screaming.

　　She simply smiles and calmly says. "Don't ever talk to me in such a manner again, okay?"

　　I nod because I'm in so much pain, and I'm guessing playing along will be my key to freedom. "Yes, ma'am."

　　She snaps her fingers, and the pain disappears. I fling my hand in the air, checking it for any injuries.

　　"So you, Maya, are here to strengthen your abilities and lead the..." She trails off, tapping against her temples like there's a button there. She stops and looks at me with wide eyes. "There's no record of you."

　　"See, I told you it's a mistake." I bite back on the words when I see her reaction.

　　"This can't be possible. I can sense you, but the academy doesn't know you?" Kylie places her hands on the desk, leaning in. "We had no idea who tampered with the sealed box—but we felt a gate weaken," she says in a low voice. "Our wards scream when someone summons magic reckless enough to break time. What are you?"

　　I shrug, covering the glowing thing on my arms, but she notices it and grabs my arms, staring at the purple mark. "This sigil... How did you get it?"

　　A sigil? So that's what it's called. "A stupid spell I cast." I sigh.

　　She rubs her fingers on it, and I notice things in her office begin to come to life with a purplish glow—the books, the ornaments, the... Her eyes grow wide, and her breath catches. "You're... not simply human." She whispers, interrupting my thoughts. There's a stretched silence. "You're... a hybrid." She finally adds, and the object returns bland.

　　"Of what?"

　　She smiles. "An unknown species." She presses her temples again, flipping through pages of books stacked on her desk. "We'll find out soon, but you'll need special training to enable you meet up with the already enrolled students; you'll be assigned to your dorm room and handed a student's handbook to guide you through. I'll put you under strict supervision and training by the academy's top three students. Malek, the werewolf. Miles the incubus and Morien the dragon shifter. You must reach the 10th rank, which is the highest rank in the student body, before the session expires; if not, you'll never be able to save your realm."

　　What the hell is she talking about? "When do I get to go home?"

　　"In a few months. If you can survive the academy, you can go wherever you want." She turns to the side, tapping on a metallic object attached to her desk. "Yes." She nods. "Let the transfer student into my office."

　　I tap my fingers against the desk, my eyes darting around the office for the fastest way out. Then, I feel a spark on my arm, which happens whenever the sigil on my arm is glowing. My eyes land on one of the glass paintings hanging on the wall.

　　In it is a woman dressed in the finest royal attire and jewelry. It looks like a painting from a thousand years ago; the woman has fair skin, with beautiful gray eyes and even more beautiful hair, a perfect hue of dark chestnut and ember orange, and there's a big crown on her head.

　　My breath stops as I stare at the portrait...those eyes...the face...my face, only stronger, nobler. I clean my eyes. "That's me?" I whisper in a low tone.

　　"What?" The Grandmistress turns her attention to me.

　　"The glass picture." I point towards it. I slowly move to the wall and trace my fingers along the edges. Same face... eyes... but yet completely different. This isn't the girl from California; the woman in this portrait looks like she's lived a thousand lives I haven't.

　　"That's just a painting of the old academy." Kylie says without looking twice.

　　I tilt my head sideways to try and see the academy in this painting, but all I can see is my reflection clothed in royalty and staring back at me. "You don't see the woman?"

　　"Who?" She frowns and glances away. "That's just stone and dark clouds."

　　I turn to Kylie. Can't she really see what I'm seeing? "Forget it, I'm probably just seeing things because I'm in a stupid academy." I sigh, but a chill runs down my back if this academy doesn't have any record of me. Why am I here, then?

　　"You should go on to your classes now."

　　I nod, then I sprint. I have no idea where I'm running off to.... the painting, the door; I just run, but immediately I touch the doorknob, the door vanishes into thin air.

　　"Doors only open here when we want them to." The Grandmistress's voice is maddeningly calm. She really thinks I can't escape, huh? "You'll learn all about it in time."

　　I turn around, glaring at her as my heart beats loudly against my chest.

　　"So, let's try this again." She clears her throat. "You should probably go to class." Her tone this time is hard, leaving no room for argument.

　　But I argue anyways. "No, I want to go home, not join some weird magical cult."

　　"You'll adjust with time." She says with a tight smile.

　　My feet twitch. My brain literally screams at me to run again, and I nearly do, but I stop myself because I need answers more than escape right now. I scoff. "Fine, I'll go to class. I'll sign up for wand waving and monster anatomy while I'm at it."

　　"That's better. I'll send someone to give you a tour." She smiles; her calm demeanor is back.