[28/09, 4:25 pm] ChatGPT: The classroom was dimly lit, filled with floating glyphs and shelves of ancient spellbooks. Professor Malrik stood at the front, chalk hovering beside him, drawing complex sigils in the air.
"Magic is language," he began. "Power is meaningless without the words to wield it."
His voice was deep and smooth, but there was something about him that made Aurora uneasy. He moved like smoke, too quiet, too precise.
"Each of you has raw energy within," he continued. "Some of you are blessed with clarity. Others will struggle. But here, you will learn structure."
He turned abruptly. "Miss Seraphin."
Aurora stiffened.
"You've never studied magic formally, have you?"
"No, sir."
"And yet you carry a pulse. Something old. Something… restrained."
She didn't know how to respond.
"Good," he said, turning back to the board. "Magic restrained is magic controlled. You'll find more use for silence than shouting here."
Aurora felt eyes on her from the other students. Whispers. Curious glances.
It had begun.
***
After class, Aurora wandered the edge of the Academy gardens. Behind the greenhouse was a quiet space where the mountain met the cliff—overlooking the shimmering lake.
Destin was already there, sitting on the edge with a book in his lap. His aura flickered like dying starlight.
[28/09, 4:25 pm] ChatGPT: The next morning, the academy buzzed with life. Students in robes of all colors hurried through spiraling stone staircases, enchanted walkways, and floating platforms. Aurora followed the glowing runes on the wall that guided first-years to the orientation hall.
The hall itself was massive—walls of enchanted crystal, a floating stage, and above it all, a swirling orb of silver mist that shifted shape with every new speaker.
Dean Kael stood on the stage, tall and elegant, his long coat flowing like dragon wings. His presence radiated power, but his eyes sparkled with kindness.
"Welcome, new students," he said, voice calm but commanding. "Here, you are not your bloodline. You are your choices. But know this—magic is a gift, and it is also a burden. Learn control, or you will become the thing others fear."
His eyes passed over the crowd, pausing on Aurora for just a second too long.
"We are more than monsters. We are more than myth. We are Moonstone."
The orb above them exploded in a soft burst of light.
Aurora's schedule was handed to her as she left the hall. First class: Spell Foundations. With Professor Malrik.
Of course.
***
[28/09, 4:25 pm] ChatGPT: Aurora smiled, the warmth of the cup grounding her. "Thanks."
Thalina sat cross-legged on the bed, her sea-glass eyes glowing in the dim light. "So, where'd they find you?"
Aurora hesitated. "I ran away. From my foster family."
"Let me guess. Human?"
Aurora nodded slowly. "They didn't know what I was. I didn't even know, not really. But then... things started happening."
Thalina tilted her head. "Magic things?"
"Yeah. Heat. Light. Voices sometimes. I thought I was going crazy."
"You're not." Thalina's voice was firm. "Moonstone doesn't find mistakes."
They sat in silence for a moment. Aurora sipped the tea and let the warmth spread through her chest. Then, a quiet knock sounded again—softer this time.
It was Destin.
He stood awkwardly in the doorway, his silver eyes avoiding both of theirs.
"Dean Kael said to check on the new student," he said flatly.
Aurora blinked. "Oh. Um... thanks?"
He nodded once and turned to leave, but Thalina called after him. "You could at least *introduce* yourself properly."
He paused, turned slightly, and muttered, "I'm Destin."
Then he left.
Thalina sighed. "He's… weird. But brilliant. You'll get used to him."
Aurora wasn't sure she would.
***
---
: The Monster in the Mirror*
Aurora stood in front of the full-length mirror in her new dorm room, her reflection staring back with eyes that didn't feel like hers. The robe of Moonstone Academy fit perfectly—dark, soft, embroidered with her initials in glowing thread—but she still felt like an imposter wearing someone else's story.
The room was beautiful. Midnight-blue curtains, soft floating lanterns that dimmed on command, and walls that shimmered with protective runes. Yet, no amount of magic could quiet the storm within her.
She placed a trembling hand on the mirror, as if trying to see deeper. Past her human features. Past the part of her that pretended. The demon within didn't roar. It pulsed. Waiting. Watching. Always there.
A knock came.
"Hey, you up?" Thalina's voice floated through the door.
Aurora exhaled. "Yeah. Come in."
Thalina entered, holding two steaming mugs. "I brought nightroot tea. Helps with first-day nerves." She offered one to Aurora with a wink. "And insomnia. And nightmares. And... hangovers, not that you'll need it yet."
She didn't speak at first. She just sat beside him.
"I'm not used to being around people like me," she said after a while.
He didn't look at her, but answered, "No one here is used to themselves."
She glanced at him. "You're a werewolf, right?"
He nodded.
"And you can use magic?"
Another nod.
"That's rare."
"Unwelcome, too."
They sat in silence again, but this time it wasn't uncomfortable.
"You're hiding something," he said eventually.
Aurora stared ahead. "So are you."
He gave a faint smirk. "Fair."
Then he closed his book, stood, and walked away.
For the first time, Aurora didn't feel entirely alone.
She looked out at the lake, where moonlight began to ripple across the surface. Somewhere beneath the waves, magic stirred.
But so did danger.
And she could feel it now—subtle, patient, crawling up from the roots of the school.
Something was watching.
Waiting.