"Between the Shadows of the Academy: First Day at Levana"

When we tried to enter, a person suddenly appeared in front of us out of nowhere, surprising us and causing us to step back a little. He spoke with a smile, introducing himself:

"Welcome to Levana Academy. I am responsible for introducing you to the place, my name is Liam, and I am a magician and one of the professors responsible for teaching magic."

"Hello," we said together at the same time, our voices intertwined as if we shared the same feeling.

We entered behind him, and he began to introduce us to the place. The palace was so huge, it is difficult to imagine how many corridors you could get lost in. He took us to our rooms and indicated, "These are your rooms, rest a little, and when you hear the lunch horn, head to the restaurant on the first floor. Don't forget, the restaurant is on the first floor, and when you go down, head with the students to reach it. I will go now."

As he suddenly disappeared from in front of us, we entered the room.

The room is not big, but it is not small either. It has two beds, a small space between them, and a wardrobe, with another door. Luke opened the door for us to see what was behind it, and we discovered that it was a bathroom. Luke closed the door quietly, then I started to arrange my clothes in the wardrobe. They were academy clothes, so I took the right part of the wardrobe while Luke took the left.

After I finished changing my clothes, I went into the bathroom to take a shower. The clothes consisted of pants and a black jacket with sleeves, bearing the academy logo. While Luke was changing his clothes as well, the food horn alerted us. We started to hear footsteps in the hallway.

We walked out of the room towards the restaurant. It wasn't hard to get to, but we stopped for a moment in front of three doors. Which one should we choose?

Suddenly, a girl stopped in front of us, her jacket had the first grade logo. We asked her:

"Please, which door are we supposed to enter through? This is our first day."

The girl looked between Luke and me and said, "Oh, twins! You two look so much alike. My name is Fina. Welcome to our class! Come on, follow me."

We walked in through the door she pointed to, and the restaurant was very spacious. There were many tables and the place was packed with students. I couldn't believe that all of these were from the first class. There were a group of people talking among themselves, and others eating in silence.

We finished our meal and settled at a table behind Vina. It was there that we were introduced to a boy named Jan, who casually mentioned, "These are new to our first class." Vina's smile was warm as she added, "Yes, and these are twins."

I noticed Luke immediately engage with Jan. "Hello, I'm Luke, and this is my sister, Lara."

Jan looked us over, surprised. "You're twins?"

I gave a small nod, and Jan added, "Wow, you really do look alike."

Vina chuckled, her tone light and teasing. "Jan, he's my brother too, but we're not alike."

Her smile was bright and easy, her social energy contagious.

With genuine curiosity, Vina asked, "What's your species?"

Luke grinned and replied, "I'm a crow."

Vina then turned her attention to me, her eyes narrowing slightly as if weighing my answer. "And you?"

I sighed, feeling a bit of disappointment settle over me. "My mutant hasn't shown up yet."

A flash of regret crossed Vina's face, but she quickly masked it with encouragement. "Don't worry, you'll find him soon. You just need to train to communicate with your shapeshifter."

I couldn't find the words to respond, but her kindness made me smile. It was rare to find someone who treated us like old friends so quickly, especially when we had only just met.

As the place grew louder with the arrival of more people—Jean's friends, I assumed—I noticed how easily Luke blended in with them. He had a natural ease with people, and his laughter filled the air.

But as I watched, my mind wandered, drifting back to thoughts of our clan, and especially my father. Was he okay? What was happening back home? The weight of these questions hung over me like a shadow.

My reverie was interrupted by Vina's voice, sharp and playful. "Where have you been? I've been talking to you for a while!"

I blinked, caught off guard, and quickly apologized, "Oh, sorry, what were you saying?"

With a cheerful smile, she replied, "Lunch is over. The new students are gathering outside now to learn about their classes and schedules. We'll meet at dinner, same place. Bye!"

Her easy dismissal left me with little time to dwell on my thoughts as the moment shifted, pulling me back into the present.

We walked out alongside Jan and their friends, the cool air outside feeling refreshing after the heaviness of the previous moments. Suddenly, a voice echoed through the loudspeaker:

"Attention to all new students, head to the garden outside to learn the academy's rules and lesson times."

Luke and I followed the crowd of students as we made our way to the garden. There, we joined a large group of students, all standing in rows, creating the atmosphere of a well-organized camp. It didn't take long before a woman emerged from the crowd, drawing everyone's attention. She was strikingly beautiful, with a stern, commanding presence that seemed to radiate strength and energy. Behind her stood three others, one of whom was Professor Liam.

One of the men spoke up, his voice firm and clear:

"Welcome to our academy. This is your first day. Learn the rules well. First, no fighting. If you break this rule, you will be held responsible for anything you damage, in addition to punishment. When the horn sounds, it means it's time for food. If you miss it, you'll have to wait until the next time. Sleep is at eight in the evening—no leaving your rooms after that. Your lessons will include everything you studied in your previous schools, as well as classes on fighting, magic, and other lessons you'll discover later. No violations, or punishment will follow."

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle on us. Then, he continued, turning his gaze across the gathered students:

"Now, let me introduce you to the principal and founder of this academy, Ms. Levana."

A hush fell over the crowd, and all eyes turned to Ms. Levana. Her gaze swept across us, sharp and calculating, before she spoke, her tone unwavering:

"

Complacency and weakness are not in my dictionary. Here, if you are not strong, you will not last. You will be sent back to where you came from, and no other school will accept you. Shame will follow you for the rest of your life. Now, return to your rooms. Everything you need will be there. Do not break the rules. Is that clear?"

The silence that followed her stern words made it feel as though we had just entered a world of challenges we couldn't escape. Once she finished, she disappeared from sight, and Professor Liam directed us to head back to our rooms.

Luke and I approached Levana, and while I felt nervous, I spoke to her:

"Ms. Levana."

She turned to face us, and I swallowed hard. Luke spoke up for me:

"I'm Luke, and this is my sister, Lara. Our father asked us to deliver this letter to you. He told us you're an old friend of his."

Levana stood silent for a moment, as though lost in thought, before asking:

"Who is your father?"

Luke replied, "His name is Andrew Axev."

Levana took the letter slowly, almost reluctantly, her fingers brushing over the wax seal before she whispered in a barely audible voice:

"Andrew... I haven't heard his name in a long time."

I exchanged a quick glance with Luke, and it was clear we were both thinking the same thing: There's something strange here.

But Levana quickly regained her usual composure, offering a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Thank you for bringing this. You must be tired. You should go rest."

With no other choice, we left. As soon as we closed the door to our room, Luke let out a sigh and tossed his jacket onto the bed.

"Did you notice that?" he said quietly, undoing the buttons on his shirt.

I sat cross-legged on my bed, Levana's words still echoing in my mind.

"You mean her reaction? Yeah, she didn't seem happy to see us."

Luke shook his head thoughtfully. "It wasn't just that. She didn't seem to expect my father to contact her after all these years... Like she was hoping he wouldn't."

I sat in silence for a moment before whispering, "Do you think there's a secret?"

Luke flopped down onto the bed beside me, resting his arm under his head. "I bet there is. The question is: Do we want to know what it is?"

I stared at the ceiling, trying to quiet the storm of thoughts racing through my head. Something tells me this letter isn't just a greeting from an old friend… It's the beginning of something much bigger.

1. "Do you think the academy will be a safe place, or are there secrets that will be revealed soon? Share your predictions!"

2. "What do you think of our characters so far? Do you expect them to face even bigger challenges as time goes on?"

3. "Could the relationship between Lara and Luke become an important turning point in the story? What do you expect to happen between them in the future?"

4. "Do you think Luke and Lara will uncover hidden secrets about their academy soon?"