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Chapter 1: Nascent
It all started one cloudy day in late April. The day didn't seem particularly special at first, but I guess days never do until something happens. I certainly had no idea of the watershed my life was about to hit.


Victoria Steirle, seventeen year old mage-in-training of the infamous Tessellation Academy, needed a new bookbag.

The girl looked down at the papers scattered about her feet with a small frown of mild annoyance, then kneeled down with resignation and began picking up her belongings. Oh well, it was her fault for not buying a new bag when she first noticed the strap tearing. The seam had been coming loose for ages.

Although really, she needed more sleep. She'd been walking to class as usual when she could've sworn she saw a flash of color and gray from the corner of her eye, but when she whirled around there was nothing there...and the strap punctually gave way and dashed all her schoolwork onto the carpet. Still, that wouldn't have been such a big deal except that Tory could have sworn she'd been seeing that exact same glimpse of something for the past three days. It was starting to honestly worry her.

"Need a little help?" came the teasing voice from her left. Its owner was watching her in amusement, his hands stuck loosely in his pockets and his own bookbag secure on his shoulder.

"Uhh..." Tory tentatively began balancing her belongings in her arms, "no thank you, I'm good."

He quirked an eyebrow at her but let it be. "Okay. Headmaster Shreyas is looking for you."

"Again?" Tory sighed in exasperation as she straightened and began walking down the hallway. "Well, he'll have to wait until after I put my belongings away," she replied pertly.

"If you say so." He smirked and fell into step beside her, and once again Tory realized just how short she was. He stood a full eight inches taller than she, his build lithe and athletic, and his hair was a flaming auburn. Tory would have poked him in the ribs if she hadn't been carrying two books, two notebooks, and a binder.

Either way, it was getting too quiet. "Eidos," she began, her mind grasping for a conversation topic, "do you know what the Headmaster wants to talk to me about?"

From behind the corner floated a near-transparent tress of stone gray smoke, a vibrant rainbow shimmering softly through its center. The Whisp followed Tory with an almost mindless determination, passing through cracks in the walls and under the doors without so much as a breath of hesitation. It'd been wandering for a long time, and the Whisp had finally found the Jiva that created a harmonious resonation. The smoke drifted after her instinctively, subconsciously waiting for...something.

"Thank you," Tory accepted graciously and set her books on the floor. She seated herself in the armchair directly across from the Headmaster, legs together and her clasped hands resting lady-like in her lap. "Is there something you wish to discuss with me?" Even though she took care to be polite, Tory always went straight to the point. The Headmaster smiled.

"Yes. You've been selected as one of the candidates for the Magi Exposition," he informed her while pulling a blue sheet of paper out from a drawer.

"What?!" Tory stiffened in surprise. "But that's an honor reserved for the top five students of the Academy. I know my ranking's high, but it's not that high."

"Nevertheless, you're going." He reached over, plucked a pen from the cup on the right corner of his desk, and began writing. "You may not be among the top five," Headmaster Shreyas continued calmly, "but that's certainly not from want of ability. This is our opportunity to show the elves the Tessellation Academy is worth keeping open, and that magi have value." He lifted his head to level at her a stern gaze. "You know this chance only comes once every twenty years. We can't afford to send less than our best."

She half-frowned but nodded in acquiescence. "Very well. When does the Exposition begin and for how long will it last?"

The Headmaster smiled again and handed her the blue sheet of paper. "All the information you'll need is on there. If not, feel free to ask me any questions you may have. Also, your books are waiting for you at the Student Store."

Tory blinked and glanced down; sure enough, her textbooks and binder were gone. When had he...? Oh well, she wasn't complaining. "Thank you," Tory replied dutifully, a small smile on her own face. "Enjoy your day, Headmaster."

"Same to you, Miss Steirle."

Tory blinked sleepily in the darkness of early morning and threw off her blankets before she could snuggle down and return to bed. She stretched languidly on the mat, arching her back like a cat, then got to her feet and shuffled over to the closet.

She spared a glance at the bed as she crossed the room and noted that the creature was still there. Not surprising, I'd be sleeping too if I didn't have class... She pulled out her chosen outfit for the day-

Knock knock knock.

-and started at the sharp rapping on her door. She hurriedly crossed the room and cracked the door open. "Hello?" Tory inquired softly, her voice slightly rough with sleep.

A woman dressed in navy blue stood in her doorway. A little gray ran through her hair and faint wrinkles crossed her stern features. "Miss Steirle?"

"Yes?" Tory shifted uncomfortably.

"We have reason to believe you have been utilizing magic without permission," the woman reported in a voice that had said this message many times before and would continue saying it many times over. "Please come with me."

Tory's brows knitted together in anxiousness. What magic? I haven't done anything, not even for classwork...is this because of the levitation spell Eidos used yesterday? Ugh...if that's what this is all about, I'm going to smack him! "Alright," she acquiesed, already slipping out of her room. She followed the lady down the hallway, padding along in her pajamas.