First Day in Window

The first class was led by Barry Trest, the headmaster of the Power Division. Cristerfor was amazed as he looked through the massive window. Compared to the human world, it felt like staring into a football stadium yet it was all built inside a single structure. High above, another floor opened up with an enormous window overlooking the classroom.

As soon as the teacher entered, the room fell into silence. It was the first day of classes, and Barry wanted everyone to feel comfortable. He began with a speech.

"Hello students, welcome to Window A4033. I hope everyone is doing well. My name is Barry, your headmaster, and I will be teaching you about illusions."

He raised his hand and spoke:

"Look oda sab mame."

Suddenly, Barry's face appeared on every student in the room.

He repeated,

"Look oda ulat sab mame."

Everything returned to normal.

"This," Barry said calmly, "is a basic illusion. As the year progresses, I hope you'll come to master even more complex ones."

Then, with a wave of his hand, he cast another spell.

"Deta dauna."

Immediately, every student's scoreboard appeared in mid-air, and a book materialized in front of them the same book Cristi had once shown to Cristerfor. Barry glanced at the top ten list on the board and asked the highest ranked students to join him in the window's field a space where all magical equipment and historical artifacts were displayed. The windows there glowed faintly red with candlelight.

Among the top ten were all of Desart's friends and Cristi too.

"You ten will represent this class," Barry announced.

He led them to a magical well. It was said that when a student placed their hand inside, it would reveal their role in the classroom. But only the top ten students could activate it. Others who tried would see nothing.

Desart went first. A red light glowed, the candles around them blazed brightly, and a voice echoed from the well:

"Student Guide."

Next came Cristi.

"Protector of Love."

Then Stor.

"Problem Maker."

Linder.

"Window Representative."

Faller.

"Illusion."

Orifist.

"Creator."

Milli.

"Kindness."

Clipper.

"Emotion."

Mausam.

"Problem Maker."

Nine names had been revealed—but the well still glowed. A voice echoed again:

"One student remaining."

Barry froze. In all his years of teaching, this had never happened before. The well had always stopped at ten. He called the student ranked 11th. Nothing. Then 12th. Still nothing.

Finally, Cristerfor stepped forward.

As he placed his hand into the well, a green mist swirled around it. A voice rang out, powerful and unexpected:

"He is the Leader."

Barry was shocked beyond words. He dismissed the class and told everyone to return to their hostels.

Cristi quietly pulled Cristerfor aside.

When the classroom was empty, Barry teleported with the well. A green light flashed and he vanished.

In the Tower

Barry arrived at the tower, standing before Headmaster Monique Feast of the Holy School. Fear gripped Barry's face as he asked:

"Are you sure… is he from the human world?"

The Headmaster stood facing away, surrounded by candles burning with yellow flames.

"I know what you're thinking," Monique said. "Yes. He's from the human world."

When he turned around, half of his face was horribly burned.

Barry recoiled. "What happened to you?"

"I tried to reach a new division," Monique said.

"Which division?" Barry asked.

"I haven't reached it yet," the Headmaster replied. "But it's a division of—"

He paused. Lightning cracked outside the window.

"…a Division of Death."

The Headmaster stared out the glass. "I'm beginning to believe the rumors are true."

Barry gasped. "The rumors? That's impossible! You must have made a mistake in your research."

Monique's voice darkened. "Look at my face. One of them tried to kill me. Somehow, I survived."

Barry looked away, shaken. "You're the most powerful magician alive… and you had to run from them?"

Back at the hostel, Cristi worried deeply for Cristerfor. She feared Desart might try to hurt him. Quietly, she took out a necklace. On one side was a photo of her parents; the other side held a mirror. She whispered Cristerfor's name and instantly, the mirror showed him.

She kept checking the mirror from her room, which was right beneath Cristerfor's floor. The more she watched, the more she felt herself falling for him.

Rain poured across the magical school. Deep in the headmaster's office, lit by a soft aloe colored glow, Barry questioned Monique again.

"Why did the well choose him? Why Cristerfor?"

The Headmaster was distracted, his mind tangled in the mysteries of the Division of Death. "I don't know. Maybe it was an error… the magic of the well doesn't usually work on humans. Perhaps it's just a mistake."

Meanwhile, Cristerfor and Neon sat by the window, watching the rain. Cristi soon joined them.

"Hey guys," she said, smiling. "What are you doing?"

Cristerfor replied, "Just watching the rain. Neon is my classmate my window-mate. And this is Cristi."

They sat together, warm and cozy while the storm raged outside. The wind twisted through the trees as the three talked.

Cristerfor asked Cristi, "Were your parents students here too?"

"Yes," she said proudly. "They taught me a lot before I came. I was nervous at first but now I'm ranking again, just like them."

Then Cristi turned to Neon. "What about you? Which division are you from?"

"The Nature Division," Neon said.

"Oh, I love nature!" Cristi exclaimed. "I would have chosen that if I had the chance. My neighbors were from that division. So kind."

Neon smiled. "It's peaceful, sure. But not as simple as people think. Many magicians don't consider Nature powerful. But power isn't everything. The gods didn't send us here to rule they sent us to live."

Cristerfor asked Neon quietly, "You once said you don't know your parents. But now you're in the Power Division. Do you think your parents were, too?"

Neon shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know anything about that. I didn't even know magic. The only thing I understood was science."

Cristi looked puzzled. "Science? What kind of spell is that?"

Cristerfor laughed. "It's not a spell. Science is how the world works. Nature, energy, cause and effect."

They all laughed until lightning struck a nearby table.

Desart had arrived.

Cristi stood protectively. "Go away!"

Desart smirked. "Look, the girl is trying to protect him."

She pointed her finger and whispered,

"Clip club."

A white beam blasted from her hand and struck Desart squarely. Surprised and angry, he sneered, "I'll deal with you later," then left, staring darkly at Cristerfor.

Cristi gave Cristerfor a marble. "If you're ever in danger, rub this. It will take you to the place where you feel safest."

A magical bird flew through the hallways, calling in a sing-song voice,

"Time to sleep… time to sleep…"

It served as a notifier for all students. Everyone returned to their rooms. Cristerfor shared a room with Mi—a calm, quiet student.

Far from the hostel, a shadowed figure walked through a dark forest. He seemed afraid, constantly looking around.

He suddenly stopped. Footsteps.

A boy in a red and green robe stepped into view a student from an unknown division.

"I'm the Headmaster of Holy School," the man said. "I need to speak to your division head."

"Do you have proof?" the boy asked.

The man raised his hand. Five glowing lights drew symbols in the air. A voice rang out:

"He is the Master."

The boy nodded and led him to the division.

The place was vast, filled with unique, free creatures unlike other divisions, where magical beings were kept in glass cases. These ones roamed freely.

"Don't they harm you?" the headmaster asked.

"They protect us," the boy replied. "They are called dragons. We are their masters."

As they reached the magical well, the boy and the headmaster jumped inside and landed before a great door.

Barry Trest's name was written on it.

And a portrait inside showed Barry as headmaster of this secret division.

Monique gasped. "Was I under an illusion this whole time? Or did I trust the wrong person?"

He took the boy's hand, whispered,

"Memo slipho."

Red sparks flew, and the boy vanished his memory erased.

Back in his office, Monique was devastated. The man he trusted most had betrayed him. And worst of all he had told Barry that Cristerfor was human.

Panicked, he rushed to the hostel.

But Cristerfor was gone.

Monique pulled out his own necklace identical to Cristi's and whispered Cristerfor's name. A dark, swirling vision appeared in the mirror.

Where was Cristerfor?

The mystery had just begun. And the headmaster… was afraid.