NEXT DAY
(Talia and Calla both waited in their houses, bags packed, uniforms perfectly worn, their wands in their pockets — and sometimes, nervously twirling them in hand.)
(At first, excitement filled their faces. They laughed, imagined spells, and wondered what the school would look like.)
(But as time passed… no one came.
Their excitement slowly turned into impatience. They sat with their families, glancing at the door every few minutes. The sky outside was getting brighter, but still — nothing.)
Talia (sighed, resting her chin on her hand):
"Did they forget me…?" she muttered.
Just then —
KNOCK KNOCK.
(A loud, heavy knock echoed from the door.
Talia's mom quickly stood up and opened it, but as soon as she did, she screamed.)
Talia's Mom:
TALIA! Come here!
(Talia rushed to the door and froze. A massive dragon stood there, green and gold scales shimmering, his eyes locked on her.)
Tharion:
You must be Talia Caldwell.
Talia:
Y-Yes… that's me.
Tharion:
I'm Tharion. I've come to take you to Orvellan.
Talia:
Wait—wait! What if someone sees you and me like this?
Tharion:
No need to worry. I'm invisible to everyone else. Right now, only you and your mother can see me. When we reach Orvellan, others will be able to see me.
Talia:
Uhh… okay.
Tharion:
If you're done asking — climb up. Sit on me.
Talia:
Uhh… but how will I sit with my bag in my hand?
Tharion:
You don't need to carry it. I'll hold it with my tail — now just chill and hurry up.
Talia chuckled a little and handed the bag to Tharion's tail. Then she climbed up carefully onto his back.
Tharion:
Hold tight, little witch.
(With a mighty flap of his wings, Tharion soared into the sky — the wind whipping past as the world below faded smaller and smaller.)
(At Calla's house, not just Calla, but her parents too were getting bored and impatient.)
Mrs. Everhart:
They need to come before Cody gets back from school.
Mr. Everhart:
Yes, if he returns, it'll be difficult to explain everything to him.
Just then —
KNOCK KNOCK.
(Everyone turned their heads. Calla jumped up and opened the door — and stood stunned.)
(In front of her stood a majestic unicorn — its body pure white, a long spiraled horn on its head, and enormous shimmering wings folded gracefully on its sides. Its mane sparkled like silver threads, and its presence was gentle but powerful.)
Calla (whispering):
You're… a unicorn? With wings?
(The unicorn smiled softly, its voice clear and elegant.)
Lysandra:
Indeed. My name is Lysandra. I'm here to take you to Orvellan.
Calla (smiling):
I'm ready, Lysandra. Let's go.
Lysandra:
Good. Come, sit up on me — and hang your bag on my side.
(Calla quickly hung her bag as told and carefully climbed onto Lysandra's back, still amazed at how soft yet strong the unicorn felt.)
Lysandra:
Hold tight now.
(With a graceful stretch of her wings, Lysandra flapped once — and they soared into the sky, the wind rushing past as Calla grinned wide, the ground fading beneath them.)
(Moments after Calla flew off with Lysandra, the front door opened again — it was Cody, back from school.)
Cody:
Hey! I'm back. Where's Calla? Did she leave before I came?
Mrs. Everhart (softly):
Sorry dear, but yes… her ride came and took her before you arrived.
(Cody's face dropped, a little disappointed he couldn't see her off.)
Cody:
Oh… I wanted to say goodbye.
Mrs. Everhart:
Don't worry, dear. She'll be back soon.
(She pulled Cody into a warm hug, gently patting his back as he sighed quietly, still missing his sister already.)
(Tharion descended gracefully, landing on the stone grounds just outside a grand, towering castle.)
(Talia climbed down, her eyes wide as she looked around in awe.)
Tharion:
Remember this, little witch — if you ever need me, just summon my name in your mind. I'll be there.
Talia:
Really? That's… cool.
Tharion chuckled softly.
Tharion:
Now go on. Your journey begins here.
(With that, Tharion shimmered and slowly turned invisible, vanishing into thin air.
Talia stood there, still processing everything, when suddenly —
Voice (from behind, loud):
TALIA!
She turned quickly — and there stood Selby, walking up to her.)
Talia:
Ohh hi! You know, I came here sitting on a dragon — his name is Tharion! What about you?
Selby (calmly):
Nothing special. I came here with my own magic.
Talia (confused):
But why? Then why didn't I come like that? And… why don't you have a wand with you?
Selby:
Those are valid questions. The answers will be given inside — so just be patient.
Talia (pouting):
But still… you didn't get a ride like me. Plus, whenever I summon him, he'll come to me and I can go anywhere!
Selby (with a slight smirk):
Ah, I can already do that on my own — and that too, in an even more amazing way.
By the way, that dragon isn't just your ride. He'll be like a friend. If you ever want to talk to someone, you can talk to him — that's why he can speak.
Talia:
Oh, that's good!
(At the same time, not far from them, Calla landed gracefully as Lysandra gently touched the ground with her hooves.)
Lysandra:
Remember, Calla — if you summon my name in your mind, I will come to you. Anytime, anywhere.
Calla:
Wow, thank you!
(Lysandra smiled softly before spreading her wings and flying off into the skies.)
(As Calla looked around, taking in the sights of the grand castle, a boy approached her from the side.)
Aren:
Hi. What's your name?
Calla:
Me? I'm Calla Everhart. And you?
Aren:
Aren Blackmoor. Calla — that's a pretty name. Ah, you came here riding on a unicorn, right?
Calla:
Ah… yeah!
Aren:
That's good — it means you're a Newblood too.
Calla (confused):
Newblood?
Aren:
Yeah, obvious reaction.
Newblood means people chosen by magic to become witches or wizards — just like us.
Calla:
Oh! But how do you know all this?
Aren:
Actually… that's a long story.
Calla:
You can tell me in short.
Aren (smiling):
Well, when I got the letter, I didn't respond. So Mr. Scandal himself came to meet me. That meeting was… intense. I had so many questions that, in the end, they just gave me the Book of Orvellan — it explains everything about the school.
Calla:
Oh, that's good!
(At that moment, Calla glanced around — and her eyes caught sight of Talia standing with Selby a little distance away.)
Calla (pointing):
Hey, that's my friend!
Aren:
Your friend? Is she a Newblood too?
Calla:
I don't think so.
(Without waiting further, Calla hurried towards Talia, with Aren following close behind her.)
Calla:
Hey, Tal!
Talia turned around, smiling.
Talia:
Oh, you, Cal!
Aren (confused):
Tal? Cal?
Calla (laughing):
Ahh wait, let me introduce you both! Aren — this is Talia, my friend. And Tal, this is Aren.
Talia:
Ohh hi, Aren! Nice to meet you.
(Meanwhile, Selby stood a little apart, watching them with a sad expression. Talia noticed and whispered to Calla.)
Talia:
Hey, Cal… now's the time. Just let go of the anger and talk to Selby.
Calla:
Hmm… yeah, you're right.
(She was about to step towards Selby when suddenly — Aren's shoelace was loose, and Talia accidentally stepped on it. Aren tripped forward, nearly falling — but just then, a boy with dark brown, almost black hair who was walking nearby calmly reached out and caught Aren by the arm before he could fall.)
Owen:
Now would you get up.
(Aren steadied himself, a bit embarrassed, while the others looked at Owen with curiosity.)
(At that moment, a blonde-haired girl along with a blonde-haired boy hurried towards Selby, with cheerful expressions.)
The girl smiled brightly and asked eagerly —
Lyra:
Hey! You're Selby Thorn, right?
Selby:
Ahh… y-yes!?
Lyra:
Nice to meet you! I'm Lyra Draycott and this is my twin sibling, Damon Draycott. I've heard a lot about your father from mine — they were friends. Would you mind coming with me?
Selby:
No, I will come with you. (nodding her head)
(Lyra smiled warmly and gently held Selby's hand, leading her away.)
(Calla saw this and her expression darkened with anger. She turned sharply and walked off.)
(Talia turned and looked at Aren, giving him a sharp death stare.)
Talia (angrily):
Youuu… huh!
(Without waiting for a reply, she huffed and rushed off behind Calla.)
Aren:
What… what did I even do?
(He looked at Owen and Damon, questioning them.)
(They both just stared at him silently. Damon walked away without saying a word.)
Aren (confused):
Huhh…? By the way, what's your name?
He asked Owen.
Owen:
Owen Branford.
Aren:
Oh, that's good. I'm Aren Blackmoor.
Owen:
Hmm.
Aren:
Are you a Newblood too?
(Just then, a professor arrived, his presence catching everyone's attention.)
Mr. Veylor:
Hey students, make a line please. Form three lines and come inside.
(The students quickly moved, arranging themselves neatly into three lines, standing straight and waiting for further instructions.)
Mr. Veylor:
So students, this is your first day. I'm Professor Alton Veylor. As you go inside, you'll see three big rows, each marked with different colors: Yellow for House Veilborn, Green for Aetherborn, and Red for Novaborn.
I'll call your names one by one. Step forward when called and go inside — your seniors are already seated.
(Mr. Veylor began calling names, and students stepped forward one by one:
Julian Crestwell — Veilborn
Nia Fairmont — Aetherborn
Elias Fenmore — Novaborn
Damon Draycott — Aetherborn
Lyra Draycott — Aetherborn
Calla Everhart — Novaborn
Selby Thorn — Aetherborn
Talia Caldwell — Veilborn
Aren Blackmoor — Novaborn
Aren went inside and sat in the Novaborn row, settling near Calla.)
(After him, Owen Branford entered and sat in the Veilborn row.)
Aren (muttering):
Oh, so he's Veilborn…
(More students followed, filling the seats of the three houses.)
(Then, a lady stepped forward, aged yet still graceful and strikingly pretty. Her presence alone was enough to command silence.)
(Seeing the lady, all the senior students stood up, and noticing them, the new students quickly stood as well. Together, they all bowed in respect.)
Miss Coldhollow:
Hello, students. Welcome to Orvellan. I am your Headmistress, Cordelia Coldhollow.
(Aetherborns already know much about this, and perhaps some Veilborns too — but Novaborns, you are new to everything.
Let me explain:
Aetherborn are those born from a witch and a wizard — the Purebloods.
Veilborn are born of one magical parent and one normal parent — the Half-bloods.
Novaborns — you are the ones chosen by magic itself, and thus called Newbloods.)
(Now, Aetherborns are born with magic naturally flowing inside them, so they don't need wands to perform magic — unlike Novaborns and Veilborns, who do require wands. Veilborns possess magic too, but not as potent or innate as Aetherborns.
However, in Orvellan, everyone will be treated equally. Whether you are born with magic, chosen by it, or worthy of it — you all are special in your own way.
All of you will study together — subjects like Defence, Potions, and many more. But, there will also be a special subject unique to each House, which will be introduced to you tomorrow.)
(And now, I won't take any more of your time. You may proceed to dinner.)
(One last thing — boys and girls will have separate rooms, regardless of House. New students will have their own dorms, and seniors will be accommodated separately.)
(Headmistress Coldhollow clapped her hands gently. In an instant, tiny glowing fairies fluttered into the hall, carrying trays and dishes, placing them neatly on the long tables. They gracefully served food to each student, their wings leaving trails of soft shimmering light.)
(The hall filled with the delicious aroma of freshly cooked meals. Students began eating, the room buzzing with soft chatter and excitement.)
(At the Veilborn table, Talia ate quietly, occasionally glancing around with curiosity. Owen sat a few seats away, observing others in his usual quiet manner.
At the Aetherborn table, Selby sat still, barely touching her food. Beside her, Lyra Draycott chatted cheerfully with her, trying to lighten her mood. Damon Draycott, on the other hand, ate silently, not paying much attention to either of them — as if he didn't care who Selby was.
At the Novaborn table, Aren and Calla shared playful exchanges, laughing softly at the enchanted food and the fairies fluttering by.)
(Meanwhile, the seniors were chatting confidently, sharing inside jokes and occasionally glancing at the newcomers with interest.)
(Then, a loud gong echoed in the hall, silencing the conversations. Everyone looked towards the front.)
(Headmistress Coldhollow stood again, her expression composed.)
Miss Coldhollow:
Once you're done eating, our fairies will guide you to your rooms. Rest well, for tomorrow begins a new chapter for all of you.
(With that, the hall settled into soft chatter again, students finishing their meals.)
(After dinner, the fairies arrived to guide the new students to their rooms. As they walked, they noticed there were no visible stairs.)
Talia:
What? How are we supposed to go up?
Fairy (giggling):
Ah, just step forward.
(Following the fairy's words, Talia cautiously stepped forward — and suddenly, a stair appeared under her foot. With each step she took, a new stair formed, while the ones behind her disappeared as if turning invisible again.)
(Like that, they all made their way up, led by the fairies, until they reached the dorms.)
(In the girls' dormitory, Selby stayed with Lyra, while Calla and Talia shared a room together.)
(That night, Lyra glanced at Selby, curiosity in her eyes.)
Lyra:
Hey, if you don't mind, can I ask you something? Who were those girls you were standing with earlier?
Selby:
Oh… they're my friends — Calla and Talia.
Lyra (raising an eyebrow):
Hmm… a Veilborn and a Novaborn? You know about the Novaborn story, right?
Selby:
Yes, I know it.
Lyra:
So…?
Selby (sighing):
Actually, Calla and I… we're not really talking right now. I hid the truth about my magic from her and… well, there's a lot more. But deep down, I don't believe she'd do anything bad.
Lyra:
Yeah, maybe she's your friend — or was — but still… in school, we just can't trust any Novaborn.
Selby:
Let's not talk about it anymore. I'm going to sleep. Good night.
Lyra:
Alright, good night.
(Meanwhile, in their room, Talia and Calla lay on their beds, the lights dimmed to a soft glow.)
Calla (quietly):
Did you see how Selby went with Lyra and chose to share a room with her?
Talia (frowning):
Yeah… and she didn't even bother to look at us again.
Calla:
It's just weird… she's changed a lot. And now she's with those Aetherborn.
Talia:
Okay, but still… you haven't talked to her yet. Maybe she's still too angry with you.
Calla (sighing):
Yeah… maybe. But I don't know how to start talking to her now. Everything feels so different.
Talia:
Okay, don't think too much about it now. Let's just sleep. Good night.
Calla:
Good night.
In the boys' dormitory…
(As all the other rooms got filled, finally Aren, Owen, and Damon ended up sharing one room.)
Aren (smiling):
Oh, that's nice — we're together.
Damon (scowling):
Hey, you Novaborn… stay away from me.
Aren (frowning):
Hey, what's with that attitude?
Damon:
I just hate Novaborns.
(With that, Damon walked into the washroom, slamming the door behind him.)
Aren (confused):
What was that? And why don't you say anything, Owen?
(Owen just smiled faintly and quietly climbed into his bed.)
Aren (sighing):
What? Huhh… my fate's really bad to end up with this.
(Muttering to himself, Aren lay down and closed his eyes. A little later, Damon came out from the washroom, silently heading to his bed and laying down without another word.)
(And just like that, the castle of Orvellan stood under the night sky, its towers glowing softly under the moonlight.)