Iris's POV

I didn't waste a second. I grabbed the photo from the desk and carefully tucked it inside the acceptance letter.

Then I fished out an old backpack I'd been using for three years from the drawer and started stuffing things inside.

I had no idea where the Academy of Magic was. I didn't know if an ordinary person like me would be a complete joke in a world full of wizards.

But right now, I only knew one thing.

I didn't want to spend another minute in this attic.

Aunt Martha was still wailing downstairs. My Uncle Harold was already blocking the attic doorway, on the phone with someone. And that pig Chloe had turned into was still panicking and crashing around the room.

The seagull perched on my shoulder and said quietly, "Oh, right. I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Seventeen, but you can call me Sev. I'm your messenger, and I'll be living with you from now on."

"A seagull living with a human?"

"What, you got a problem with seagulls?" Sev shot me a side-eye, looking ready to spit at me if I said yes.

I zipped up my backpack and took one last look at the attic I'd lived in for three years. "Of course not," I said softly. "I'm actually glad I'll be living with you."

Sev seemed pleased with that. He lifted his head proudly and flew over to the window.

"Then let's go."

I glanced out the window. The evening breeze rushed in, but the three-story drop made me hesitate.

"Hurry up, quit stalling. Any later and the cafeteria won't have any midnight snacks left." Sev had already flown outside, his tone both urgent and impatient.

"Sev, but this is the third floor..." I was still hesitating. After all, I didn't have wings like a seagull. Jumping from three stories up—best case scenario, I'd break a leg.

"Don't worry. Try flying like me. Believe in yourself. You're different from them." Sev's voice drifted in on the wind, carrying a certainty I couldn't understand.

I didn't know why he thought I was special. In eighteen years of life, I'd never felt exceptional about anything. Average grades, barely passing gym class, and even worse luck than most people.

Behind me, Aunt Martha's hysterical voice rang out again. "She's running! Grab her!"

"She won't dare! This is the third floor!" Uncle Harold's voice was vicious as he stomped toward me.

No time left to hesitate. I had to trust Sev's words. I grabbed my backpack strap, put one foot on the windowsill, and jumped.

My body plummeted. Just as I thought I was about to slam into the ground, a strange force surged from between my shoulder blades, like something tearing and growing beneath my skin.

My body suddenly became weightless. The fall stopped abruptly.

I opened my eyes and saw my shadow cast on the glass roof of the garden below.

In that shadow were a pair of enormous, transparent wings.

The wings spread out from my back, looking as if they'd been carved from ice crystals, refracting rainbow colors in the sunset. My body was suspended lightly in the air, held up by those wings.

"I... I grew wings!"

My voice came out shaky. I couldn't believe my own eyes.

Sev circled around me, smugly ruffling the feathers on his tail. "See? I told you you were special."

I tried flapping my wings. My body immediately shot forward, and I nearly fell again.

After wobbling through the air for several loops, I gradually got the hang of controlling my speed and learned how to fly.

"Sev... aren't I human? Why do I have wings?" As the initial excitement faded, questions kept bubbling up. I couldn't help but ask.

"I'm not really sure either." Sev tilted his head. "But the teachers at the academy will definitely know. Bliston Academy's library has seven floors. You can find anything there. You'll definitely find answers to your questions."

I nodded thoughtfully. No time to dwell on my abnormality now—I was even more eager to get to the academy.

I followed Sev as we flew, soaring over towns, fields, and forests.

Finally, just as dawn was breaking, I saw that magnificent structure in the distance.

Bliston Academy of Magic.

It sat atop a steep mountain peak—a massive castle accompanied by seven towers.

The spires rose at varying heights, piercing the night sky. Each tower top had a floating sphere of ghostly blue light, like seven stars pinned to the sky.

The castle's main body was built from gray-white stone blocks, solemn and majestic.

Below the castle stretched a vast lake, its water black as ink, reflecting a bright moon.

I hovered in midair for a long time, too stunned to speak.

Sev circled impatiently above my head twice. "Seen enough? You're going to be here for years—you'll have plenty of time to look. Come down now. We're going to be late for check-in."

"You mean 'too late for midnight snacks,' don't you?" I snapped out of it and couldn't help teasing him.

"Exactly. So now you understand how serious this is."

Sev led me around to a small grove on the east side of the castle and signaled for me to land there.

The moment my feet touched the ground, the wings on my back folded and disappeared as if they had a mind of their own. Only two torn slits in my shirt proved they'd existed at all.

Sev glanced at me and warned quietly, "Remember—don't let too many people see your wings."

I nodded, knowing this secret wasn't something to take lightly. An inexplicable nervousness rose in my chest.

Walking out of the grove, I saw Bliston Academy's main gate.

That gate was ridiculously huge—three stories tall—black iron doors inlaid with countless tiny runes.

On either side stood a stone statue that looked like ancient knights, gripping long halberds, perfectly still.

I watched with my own eyes as one statue's eyeball moved, its gaze sweeping over and lingering on me for a split second.

In that instant, I felt like it had seen straight through me.

I didn't dare look again. I shifted my gaze to the crowd of people in the plaza in front of the gate.

Actually, not all people—all sorts of strange creatures.

Less than fifteen feet away, there was a carriage pulled by six weasels. Those weasels were bigger than normal horses, with icicles hanging from their whiskers.

A boy in a dark green velvet robe was jumping down from the carriage.

Not far from that carriage was an enormous teapot with steam still rising from its spout.

A petite girl was climbing out from under the teapot lid.

What shocked me most was a griffin wreathed entirely in flames, its wings creating gusts that nearly blew several people nearby off their feet.

"Tsk, tsk. Quite a few big shots in this year's freshman class." Sev had gotten much quieter, crouching on my shoulder and muttering in a voice only I could hear. "That guy getting off the carriage is from the Westlane family—old Ministry of Magic family, three generations of minister-level officials. The one riding the flame griffin is from the Black family—Dark Arts Defense specialists. Even their cats can cast shield charms."

"The one from the teapot is from the Vancent family—dwarves. Don't stare at her. Their people hold grudges smaller than a pinprick."

I nodded silently, matching these names to faces while mentally tagging them all with the same label: 'Don't mess with.'

"Bottom line—avoid them if you can. Your scrawny frame wouldn't survive one spell from them." Sev warned.

"Got it."

I was just about to quietly slip toward the back of the crowd when something suddenly charged at me from the side and slammed right into me.