Chapter 3

It's been three days since Haneul came to the Night Academy. These few days that she has been there, she has tried to put pieces of her past together and figure out what kind of her future would be.

Today is the day when my parents go back home and I stay here alone. This is the first time that I will be away from home longer time. Of course, I'm seeing my parents next time at Halloween but still, I think I'm going to miss them.

I'm still a little bit confused about things the Principal told me and my parents. But same time I'm happy because I don't need to go back to my previous school. I can feel a little bit more normal and maybe I can get friends here.

"Haneul, come eat breakfast," Haneul's father said.

"Okay, I'm coming."

While eating breakfast with her parents and Principal Rivera someone knocked on the door.

"Please, come inside," Principal Rivera said. Behind the door was Professor Edwards.

"Good morning. I have made preparations for your leave. You can leave when you're ready."

"Thank you, Gaia." Principal Rivera said and they continue eating and discussing Haneul's studies.

After a while, Haneul's mother turn over to Haneul and said:

"I think we are ready to go back home now. Haneul remembers that you can contact us whenever you feel like that."

"We are very thankful for you to take care of her while she is here." Haneul's father said and hugged his daughter.

"You don't need to worry. She will adjust quickly. I will take her later today buy things that she will need while she studies here."

After sending her parents' home, Haneul walked with the Principal to her office. On their way to the office, Haneul saw other students first time since she arrived at Night Academy. Even she has been there already several days, she hasn't had time to look around yet. Her time has passed to talk and learn to the Principal about her background at the Principal's living quarters.

"Haneul, now that your parents have gone back home, I'd like to show you something. Let's go this way." The principal showed her the way. After a while, they got back to the main building. But after getting inside they didn't get back to the Principal's living quarters but she started to walk towards different corridors.

There were many students and when they passed them Haneul heard them whispering with each other:

"Who is she? Did you saw her eyes? No way... Could she be...?"

A short moment they arrived at the door and Principal took something out of her robe's pocket. It was an old silver key that had some kind of light pink stones.

"Haneul, these rooms will be yours while you stay here", the Principal said and opened the door. "Your father used these rooms when he was a student here like the other Renoir's before him. And he also used them while he stayed here after he graduated from Academy, so there is still a lot of his things."

"Did he stay here often?"

"Yes. I haven't told you this yet, but Renoir's have always had a special connection to Night Academy."

"A special connection? What do you mean?"

"Renoir's are the founder members of the Night Academy. That's why they can example get through the walls without invitation. Like you got through the walls, all though they normally don't do it through their dreams as you did. I already asked you to bring your luggage here so you can start to unpack them while I take care of a few things before we leave to buy things you need for school. I will come to get you later." The principal said and before she left, she gave Haneul the key. "This is yours now, so take good care of it, because this room has more secrets than no one ever guess. Maybe you will be found answers to questions that I don't have answers to."

This room was my father's. It's hard to imagine that he has been here, in these same rooms. There is a lot of books in selves and there is also a large fireplace and in front of it are two old chairs.

I walked to the bookshelves and start to read the backs of the books. There is a lot of books that I assume are charm books but there are also books that look like they are journals. I took one of them to my hand and start to flip to pages. I was right, it is a journal. I took it with me and I go sit chair in front of the fireplace.

April 12th, 2003

It's been a couple of months since I came back from Korea and I haven't heard anything from her. I'm so worried about her. I have tried to contact her multiple times without success. What happened to her? Where is she?

I asked one of my friends to try to find her, but she wasn't there anymore. No one knew where she is. She just disappeared one day.

I need to find her. I just wish I could have ignored things here, but what I could do. It's my faith. I'm bound to this like my ancestors were before me. I need you next to me Ha-won. I miss you so much...

"Sorry, I didn't know there was someone..." Haneul heard someone say next to her and she drops the book to the floor and looks up. Wow. Her eyes... Who she is? I haven't seen her before.

In front of Haneul were standing young man. Who is he? How did he get in?

"I didn't mean to scare you. Sorry."

"How did you get here?"

"Ah, the door was open. This door is always locked and when I saw it open, I got curious about what is inside. Sorry, I should have knocked door before I came inside. I just didn't expect that there was someone inside. I'm Min-woo by the way and you are? "

"Haneul, are you ready to leave?" The principal said from the door. "Ah, Wang Min-woo, you have found your way here."

"Principal..."

"Min-woo, I was thinking of finding you later to ask a favor. This young lady is Han Haneul. She is a new student. I hope you can show her around the Academy later and help her with her studies if she needs any help."

"Of course, Principal."

"But now we need to go buy things you need, Haneul. And Min-woo, these rooms are her living quarters, so in future remember to knock on the door before you come in."

"What? She isn't staying in dorm rooms like the others?"

"Min-woo, you have studied here four years now. You should know whose room these are."

"Are you saying that she is...Renoir? But you just told her name was Han Haneul."

"Min-woo, you should know that name and bloodline, they don't always go hand in hand. She may have grown as Han but in her veins, there runs the blood of Renoir's. But now I need to leave with Haneul."

"Okay. See you later, Haneul."

*****

Haneul arrives at Salem with Principal Rivera.

"We are at Salem, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are. Stores we are going are hidden here. Many stores here are owned by witches and wizards, you just need to know which ones."

"How can you know which ones are owned by witches and wizards?"

"If you look carefully, you will see the markings on the door. It took a little bit of practice, but don't worry you will learn. Later you will also learn to tell difference between a witch and a normal human."

"So, you mean we can identify other witches or wizards by just looking at them?"

"Yes. First, we need to buy robes for you and then we need your books and other supplies and most importantly we need to get your pendant."

"Pendant?"

"Yes. I don't know if you have noticed that we don't use wands instead of them, we use pendants like this to channel our power." Principal Rivera said and showed her pendant to Haneul. "We all have a different kind of pendants and someone uses rings instead of the pendant. And some of witches and wizards learn to channel their power without it, but that is very difficult and hard to learn so that's the reason we use these." Principal Rivera explains to Haneul while they walk into one store.

"Athena, what brings you to here? It's been a long time since we last time saw each other." The woman behind the counter said.

"Dear, Nelly. As you said, it's been a while we have seen. I need your help. This is Haneul, she is a new student and she needs school robes."

"Hey, Haneul. I'm Nelly Miller."

"Hey."

"Please, come with me", Nelly said and opened the door behind the counter. "Let's find you to robes."

While Haneul was trying on robes Nelly asked:

"Athena, there is been rumors circulating about Beau, like you probably know. Are they true? Haneul, is she Beau's daughter?"

"Yes, Nelly, she is his daughter."

"She never got a chance to meet him. Beau looked at her mother for so long. Do you think he might know that he had a child?"

"I'm not sure."

The rest of the day went like same. Everyone was curious about Haneul. Some of the stores were the same ones that Haneul had visited on a school trip. Of course, at that time she wasn't aware of what was hidden in most of those stores. There was a completely different world hiding behind those doors.

Some store owners remembered Haneul to visit their stores and they were surprised that they weren't recognized her to be a witch. But more surprised they were after they heard who was her biological father.

At the night Haneul was sitting in her room and read her father's old journal when she heard knocking. Who is it? That boy? What his name was? Min... Min-woo? I think that it was. Haneul got up from a chair and walked to the door and opened it. Behind the door was Min-woo but there was somebody else too.

"Hey. Where are you sleeping already?" Min-woo asked Haneul.

"Hey. No, I was reading. What brings you here?"

"Principal asked me to show you around the Academy. This is my friend Alex. If you don't mind, he would come with us."

"Hey, Alex. For me it's fine."

"Hey. Are you Beau Renoir's daughter?" Alex bluntly asked.

"Alex!"

"It's fine, Min-woo. Yes, I am." Haneul answered. "Are we ready to go?"

"Sorry for me being so blunt", Alex apologized.

"Don't worry. I'm getting used to it. I can even remember how many times I were asked that already today and future there will be others who will ask that too." Haneul said and they left.

Alex and Min-woo showed to Academia to Haneul and it was larger than Haneul had thought. There were hundreds of corridors and stairs.

"This may sound funny but I thought this building was much tinier than it is."

"It's because of magic. It would be a bad thing if normal humans would notice us and that indivisible wall is to keep them and others who are not invited outside." Alex told to Haneul.

"Min-woo, if I don't remember wrong, Principal said that you have studied here almost four years."

"Yes?"

"I just wondered if you ever met my father while he was here? She told me that he died four years ago. I just wondered if you had the chance to meet him before he died." Haneul said and looked to Min-woo to straight his eyes and waited for his answer. It felt like time had stopped.

"Yes, I met him once. But it was long before I started to study here. I met him while he was visiting my father. I think they were old friends. I don't remember much about it because I was quite young then. I think I was around six years old then. I'm sorry that I can't tell you more than that."

"Ah, don't worry about that."

"Did you study at another Academy before o came here?" Alex asked Haneul.

"No, I studied at school for normal humans. I didn't know that I was a witch before I met Principal."

"What? You didn't know?" Min-woo said and he and Alex looked to Haneul.

"Umm. I was adopted by my parents when my biological mother died when I was two years old. They are normal humans like my birth mother was."

"Wow. How old are you now? We both are eighteen." Alex said.

"I turn seventeen this Halloween", Haneul said.

"So, you are three years behind your studies. That's a lot. Hope you are good at studying because it won't be easy to get caught up." Min-woo said.

"Thank you for showing around Academia," Haneul said when they arrived back to Haneul's room.

"Good night and good luck with your studies and remember you can always come and ask for help if need," Min-woo said.

"Umm. Good night." Haneul said before closing the door. Because it was already pretty late, she decides to go straight to bed. And before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.