Mystic Academy

Chapter 1: Meeting In a world that is very much like our modern society, the people are rated by their strength: there are commoners with no special abilities, who make up the 86% of the population; Talents, who make up 11% of the society, have minor powers of ESP; and the highest of the society which make up the remaining 3% are the Elite. ___________________________________________________________________________ By age five, I had already understood why the Elites were to be feared. One night, my family and I had gone to a park near our house for a walk. I brushed passed a woman and dirtied her fancy evening gown. Granma and Grandpa immediately bowed and apologized, frantically explaining that it was a mere accident. The woman twisted her mouth into a mocking grin and replied, “I’m feeling generous today. I’ll let this slide.” Shortly afterwards, we left for home and found our cottage engulfed in flames. Granma sobbed, and Grandpa cursed at that woman we met earlier. “That woman is Elite,” he explained to me. Even as a child, I had understood what had happened. We, the commoners could not do anything to an Elite. No matter how much we wanted to have revenge, we would not have the power to. Every parent in our town taught their children one thing: Do not anger an Elite. ___________________________________________________________________________ “Hey, wake up! Come on, or we’ll be late! Ellis!” Something’s shaking… “Give me a few more minutes. I still need to sleep. Go away,” I muttered. “GET UP! We’ll be late for school!” Huh? School? “School!” I jolted up. “I totally forgot.” I grabbed my uniform and started getting dressed. I managed to brush and tie my hair into my usual high pigtails in record time. “It about time you woke up,” Anna sighed. Cramming my books into my backpack, I complained blowing my bangs in exasperation, “Why didn’t you wake me up earlier, jeez. Oh, no look at the time, we won’t make it!” Anna shoved a piece of toast into my hands as we hurried out our small, messy dorm. “I’ve been trying to wake you up for twenty minutes! El, come on! Hurry, get on my bike!” I obeyed grimacing at the nickname. We sped through the school gates and arrived at our homeroom. “G-good morning,” I greeted my class, gasping for oxygen. “You actually came in before Ms. Minou.” Nina noted to Anna, completely ignoring me. No offense taken. I was used to being ignored. Being the quiet one gave everyone that privilege. “Yup, and I don’t know how I managed with her.” Anna grinned, walking towards her desk and started socializing with the class. I sighed, taking my seat in the front. I hate my seat—don’t get me wrong I don’t hate school or mind doing work. It’s just that when you sit in the front, the teacher always notices your every movement. You yawn because you didn’t sleep well last night, and they’ll accuse you of mocking them. Another problem with this school is how overpopulated it is. As the lowest school of the district, our school has to take in the rejects—people who don’t try to raise their grades or delinquents and troublemakers. “Eillishia Kana, please report to the office. Ellishia Kana please report to the office,” the intercom rasped, snapping me out of my daydream. The class bombarded me with questions. What did I do wrong? There’s no way I did anything wrong. I have a reputation for being a model student. In other words, a goodie-two-shoes, teachers’ pet, you name it. So there’s no way I’m in any sort of trouble. Right? I stopped deliberating with myself as I approached the principal’s office. I gulped as I turn the doorknob. Slowly (and dramatically), I cautiously opened the door. “Well, took you long enough.” The principal was waiting at his desk with a frown. “S-sorry, it was my first time coming to your office. I got lost,” I stammered, explaining with my eyes glued to the ground. He grunted, taking the excuse. “The reason why you are summoned is because you are to transfer to another school.” I knew I wouldn’t be able to pay the tuition. Any other school but this one will be unaffordable. I mean, I even struggle trying to meet my current bills! But still, I wanted to transfer out so bad. With no close friends, sitting at the cafeteria alone, and selected last for every activity, I knew how miserable my life is even without the constant teasing that served as a reminder. “This school,” he continued. “will cover your entire tuition as well daily needs, which includes dorm and food fees. You might even receive allowance. They seem to think that your exceptional grades and athletic talents are worth letting you in. I must agree that this is certainly an amazing offer especially because this school is also very prestigious.” My heart soared alongside with the birds in the early spring sky. It soared higher and higher—until I heard his next words. “You will be transferring to Mystic Academy.” Then my heart pummeled from the clouds straight down to the depths of Tartarus. Hours later, I finished packing all my belongings into my two suitcases and a carry-on. Mystic Academy. The world’s most well known and popular school. It is said that all of its students end up leading a successful life. Now why would I be reluctant to go? Not because all the students there were so rich that I wouldn’t have a chance of fitting in (really, I couldn’t care less), but because they were either Talents or Elites. And guess what? Elites are despicable. They are on the top of my hate list which only contained one subject—Elites. I’ve never known one personally, but my feelings are definitely not prejudiced. I’ve suffered from an Elite’s wrath more than once before—my house was burned down by one, and my family… In the taxi, I wondered how I was expected to be friends with anyone in Mystic, where there is only about a hundredth of the population of my old school, when I couldn’t in a place with over a thousand students. I had forced myself to wake up at 4 this morning, and I was glad I had. The traffic was going to cost me at least an hour’s worth of time. I didn’t bother telling anyone about my transfer. No one would have cared, and I didn’t want to hear any hollow farewells and “I’ll-miss-you”. I twiddled with my deep-violet ankle-length braided pigtails as my matching-colored eyes scanned the scene through the dirty window. Finally, I arrived at the front gates of my new school. Ready or not, I thought as I stepped out of the cab.