Chapter 6: A Letter from the Sky

Rive knocked softly on Mona's dorm door.

Thak… thak…

After a few seconds, Mona opened the door. Her eyes still held a storm of questions, but her face had a hint of hope.

"Still upset?" Rive asked gently.

Mona sighed. "I sent a letter to Dad yesterday. Maybe… I'll get a reply today."

"I'm sure you will," Rive said with a reassuring smile.

They began walking toward the hall together.

On the other side of the corridor, Ilisha, Celestia, and Aurelia were chatting and giggling.

All the girls around were glancing toward Ilisha. She noticed the attention and leaned toward her friends.

"Why is everyone looking at me like that? Do I look… weird?"

Aurelia laughed. "Weird? No way! You look stunning today!"

"There are way prettier girls in Thornwick than me," Ilisha said, blushing slightly.

"Trust me," Celestia chimed in, "you're literally known as The Most Beautiful Girl of Thornwick."

Ilisha gasped, "What?! Seriously?" She turned around and began walking right into Keal.

Thump!

"Oh no! I'm so sorry," she stammered.

Keal, walking beside Lavya, smiled. "It's fine uh… really, it's fine."

As they walked ahead, Keal whispered to Lavya, "This girl is going to kill me one day with beauty. She's just… wow."

Lavya chuckled. "The whole school says the same thing."

In the Great Hall, students were settling into their tables for breakfast.

At the Mystveil table, Rive and Mona sat together again. The air between them felt warmer now.

Just then, a sleek black owl soared through the tall windows and landed gracefully on the table in front of Mona. The students nearby stared in surprise.

Mona's eyes lit up. "Sky!" she whispered. She gently took the letter from the owl's leg.

"This is Sky," she said to Rive, smiling. "My dad gave him to me when I was just one year old."

The owl hooted once and flew away.

Mona unfolded the letter with trembling hands. Her eyes scanned the words quickly then filled with relief.

The letter read:

"Ignore what others say. You are my daughter in every way that matters. You are my real daughter."

Thorne Emberfell

Her heart flooded with peace.

Without another word, Mona stood, walked over to Nova and Lyla's table, and placed the letter in front of them.

"Read this," she said softly.

Nova and Lyla looked up, confused, but did as told.

They read Thorne's words, and a new emotion flickered in their eyes something between understanding and sadness.

Nova read the words slowly, her hands tightening around the parchment.

 "Ignore what others say. You are my daughter in every way that matters. You are my real daughter."

Lyla leaned over to glance at the letter too. A heavy silence fell between them.

"She really believes it," Lyla whispered to Nova.

Nova gave a small nod. "Or maybe she just wants to."

Mona stood still for a moment, eyes on the letter. "I just wanted you both to know… I'm not lying," she said quietly. "I don't know why Dad Thorne never told me about any of this. But he loves me. That's all I care about."

Without waiting for a reply, Mona turned around and walked back to her table, where Rive was still waiting. For the first time in days, there was a calmness in her steps.

Later that day, the students headed to their Potion class. The classroom smelled of herbs and soft magic, and shelves were lined with glowing bottles.

Professor Glintora waved her wand and spoke cheerfully, "Today, you will be creating something special: The Essence Circle."

The class grew curious.

"This circle," she continued, "will glow in a color that matches the deepest part of your personality. Each one will be different. Some might shine bold red for bravery, or soft blue for wisdom. Let's see what the magic reveals about you."

Everyone began the potion process.

Lyla's circle turned a warm silver, glowing steady and calm.

Nova's became a cool blue, shimmering softly.

Rive's flashed a strong dark red, and Mona's glowed violet, swirling with a mixture of colors.

But just as the class was ending, something strange happened.

As Lyla walked alone through a quiet corridor maybe the same one from the day before she stopped. She had come back to check something. The air was heavy again.

She glanced over her shoulder.

Silence.

Then suddenly a whisper.

 "You will lose all your powers, Lyla.

You are nothing. You will be nothing."

The words weren't loud. But they wrapped around her like cold chains.

She gasped, spinning around. Her eyes widened a message had appeared on the wall, glowing faintly.

"I see you. I will take your magic. You don't deserve it."

She screamed.

Students nearby came running. Teachers too.

But by the time they reached, the message had vanished.

The next period was Enchanted Creatures, held outside near the edge of the forest.

Professor Stenfield hadn't arrived yet. While waiting, some students began gossiping about the scream.

"I heard Lyla screamed because she saw a spider," someone laughed.

"She's pretending," another said. "Trying to get attention."

Mona clenched her fists, overhearing everything.

Before she could say anything, Adien stepped forward.

"Enough," he said. "You all don't know what happened. Stop acting like children."

His voice was calm, but firm.

The students fell silent.

Later that night, in the Solburn common room, the mood was calmer. Books were open, candles glowed, and quiet chatter filled the space.

Adien sat next to Lyla. She looked drained.

He nudged her lightly and said, "Hey… my parents hardly talk to me either. I get it. Sometimes you just need to breathe, even when it feels like everything's crashing."

Lyla gave a faint smile.

"Thanks," she said.

"You'll be okay," he replied. "You're stronger than whatever that was."

She nodded and looked away, her mind still spinning.

Elsewhere…

Three figures stood in the shadows of the Forbidden Tower. Only their outlines could be seen.

One of them spoke in a cold whisper.

"She must be weakened. She's too powerful."

Another said, "Don't worry. Her brother did well today. She was terrified."

The first one asked, "Did you find the book?"

"Yes," the third figure hissed. "And now… I know exactly who must die."

That night, when the castle had gone quiet and everyone in Solburn House was fast asleep,

Lyla sat by the window of her dormitory, gazing out at the stars.

Her thoughts wandered from Mona's reaction to the letter, to the strange things she had begun to feel.

She took out her leather-bound diary, opened to a fresh page, and whispered to herself,

"I need to write this down…"

Diary #4

Today felt like a whirlwind.

Mona got a letter from Thorne. He told her she is his real daughter. She looked so happy when she read it… but it felt strange. I don't know what's true anymore. I wish I did.

In Potion class, we made something called the Essence Circle. Mine was silver. Nova's was blue. Mona's… hers kept changing colors. Maybe she's more confused than she pretends to be.

But something terrifying happened today.

I heard that voice again.

Not just a whisper… this time, it spoke clearly.

It said it would take my powers.

That I didn't deserve magic.

Then… glowing words appeared on the wall.

"I see you."

"You will be nothing."

By the time anyone arrived, the message was gone.

Was I imagining it?

No. I know what I saw.

Why is this happening to me?

Who's watching me?

Why do I feel like something big is coming…