CHAPTER 1:The silent echo

The morning bell rang, its sharp chime reverberating through the halls of the prestigious *Aeloria Academy*, a place where magic was as much a part of life as breathing. Students, most of them already donning their perfectly tailored robes, bustled in and out of classrooms, their conversations filled with whispers about new spells and magical achievements.

Seraphina stood at the edge of the hallway, her eyes following the movements of the crowd with a quiet intensity. She pulled her scarf tighter around her neck, not out of cold, but to hide the silver strands of her hair that always seemed to glow faintly in the presence of the other students. Her appearance had always set her apart—too different, too unusual—and she'd learned to avoid standing out.

Her gaze fell to the empty bench by the window. There, as always, sat *Maria*, her one true friend. Maria had always been the one to accept Seraphina for who she was, even when the others whispered behind her back. But these days, things had felt different between them. Maria had grown closer to the other students in their year—students from powerful magical families, who were everything Seraphina wasn't. They had connections, status, and magic that made them worthy of respect. *Maria*, though kind and open-hearted, had begun to slip into their world, as though it was a natural thing.

"Hey, Maria," Seraphina called softly, approaching her friend's usual spot. Maria glanced up from her notebook, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"Seraphina! You're here early today," Maria said, closing her book with a snap. "Didn't think I'd see you before the bell."

Seraphina forced a smile in return. "I didn't feel like hanging out in the hall. It's noisy."

"Tell me about it. You've got a good head start on those other students, I guess," Maria teased, tapping her pencil on the desk. "You should join us at lunch today. There's this *elite* group... you know, the ones with the real power."

Seraphina's smile faltered. She didn't like how Maria's words tasted. *Real power*. She couldn't help but feel the weight of that phrase. To the other students, power was everything. Magic determined your worth. And her power, which had always felt so... insignificant, seemed to mock her every day.

"I'm not really interested in those kinds of people," Seraphina replied quietly, but the words felt hollow even to her. She wasn't interested because she couldn't compete. Her abilities were *nothing* compared to theirs.

Maria blinked, pausing before speaking again. "I know. I just... I want to get closer to them. You know, for the future. We could both get in, maybe... you know, do something different."

Seraphina's heart sank. She could hear the uncertainty in Maria's voice, but there was something else there too. A longing for acceptance, a desire to belong to a world that always seemed just out of reach for her.

"I'm fine where I am," Seraphina replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She didn't want to admit how much it stung to hear Maria talk about fitting in with those students. She didn't want to admit how much she wished she could be a part of that world—if only she had more magic, more something that made her special.

Maria smiled again, though it seemed a little forced this time. "I know. You're always so sure of yourself. You're lucky that way." Her voice grew softer as she added, "But don't be too hard on me. I just... want to see what else is out there, you know?"

Seraphina nodded, though her mind drifted. *What else is out there?* She knew what *Maria* was really asking: *Are you going to change?*

The bell rang again, and the flow of students surged into the classroom, breaking their moment of quiet. As Maria packed up her things, Seraphina lingered by the window, staring out at the sprawling grounds of Aeloria Academy.

Her fingers tingled. A strange sensation pulsed through her as her mind wandered. There was something deep within her that stirred—something she couldn't understand, something that had always been there but was never truly acknowledged.

*Why am I always so different?* she thought bitterly. *Why can't I be like them?*

She didn't notice that the clock on the wall had begun to tick louder, its second hand slowing down just for a moment. It was almost imperceptible, but to Seraphina, it felt like a ripple in the air—an odd sensation she couldn't quite shake.

She shook her head, trying to clear the feeling, but as she turned back to her desk, something strange happened: the faint glow around her silver hair flickered, just for a second, like a spark of magic.

It was gone before she could even blink.

But it left a mark. *What was that?* The power inside her, which she had so long ignored, had awakened. The faintest sense of magic surged in her veins, but it wasn't like the normal magic she'd always seen in others. It felt deeper. Stronger. *Dangerous.*

Maria glanced back over her shoulder and gave Seraphina a soft smile, but it was too late. Seraphina already knew that things were beginning to change. The power inside her was stirring, and it would never allow her to stay in the shadows again.