by Tom Early
“Welcome to the Circle,” Aiden said, “you’ll be spending a lot of time here, since this is where most classes are held.” He started to point out the buildings. “Right here is Iris Hall. You’ll be taught about mind magic, illusions and the like, as well as its potential application for helping others in therapy and in societal settings where a lot of pressure is put on people to succeed.”
“Hold up,” Sam said. “You’re telling me Janus University actually teaches practical uses for magic?”
Aiden rolled his eyes. “Not everyone who comes here wants to spend their life fighting. While Janus University requires all of its students to be able to protect themselves and others to the best of their ability, it would be a waste to teach only that.”
“So does that mean there are practicing mages back home who were taught here?” I asked. “I thought most people with magic didn’t come from Earth.”
“They don’t,” Aiden said. “But while they may have been born on Gaia, as is the tradition with all the Families, many of us who are human spend most of our lives on Earth. Crossover points,” he said as Sam opened her mouth to ask another question, “exist all across Earth, especially in places that have a lot of history. I spent most of my life in Rome.”
I blinked. That was a lot to take in. I wondered how much influence mages had on Earth. Considering all the things they could do, I wouldn’t be surprised if they controlled more than normal people did.
Aiden noticed my expression. “Most of our Earth-born students feel that way when they come here. I recommend taking History of Gaia this semester. It should help with a lot of your questions.”
“Thanks,” I said, frowning. “That was… nice of you to suggest.”
Aiden squared his shoulders, looking at both of us. “Look. I realize my actions up to this point haven’t done much to endear myself to the two of you. Neither of you likes or trusts me, which is understandable.” He didn’t exactly sound repentant about it. “The fact remains that we have no choice but to spend more time together,” he finished with a little shrug, as if that was that.
Sam folded her arms across her chest. “So you’re just going to magically stop being an asshole?”
He smirked. “Well, this would be the place for it, don’t you think?”
I snorted. Sam glared at me and then at him.
“Whether or not you choose to believe me, I am capable of being perfectly cordial toward people with whom I’ve had… animosity in the past. If I must make an effort for the sake of allowing a working relationship with the two of you, then I will.”
“Sam?” I deferred to her on the choice. While I still had reservations about trusting Aiden after our first encounter, I had always found holding grudges exhausting. And from what I was beginning to see, it was possible that Aiden wasn’t all bad. Just mostly.
“Fine,” she said, surprising both of us. Aiden’s brief look of shock was almost comical. “What? I can give people second chances.”
“Not often,” I said wryly. “But I’m glad you picked this time to defy expectations.”
“Well, now that we have that figured out,” Aiden said, “may I continue with the tour?” Not waiting for a response, he continued to point out other buildings.
In addition to Iris Hall, there was Sylva Hall, a colonnaded pavilion absolutely covered in ivy, where Elemental magics as well as the taming of nature and weather were taught. I could hear birds chirping somewhere inside its open roof, and the few drops of rain falling seemed to be veering out of the way. Then there was Osiris, which covered necromancy and the proper way to summon otherworldly beings. It was the one with the spire, which looked somewhere between a steeple and one of those castle towers plucked straight out of a fantasy novel. Aiden looked fondly at the place—I had a feeling he spent a fair amount of time there.
We continued our tour and came to the next section of buildings. Prince Hall was a simple front-facing building made of the same old stone as everything else, with a massive set of sturdy-looking wooden doors at the entrance, currently propped open. It looked like the largest of the buildings and had a circular space at the back of it that seemed suited to an assembly hall or the like. Apparently, it offered courses on politics, tactics, Warding, and structural magic. Vesper Hall, located directly to the right of Prince and looking entirely like a repurposed church, was for healing magic, as well as magic channeled through music and other arts, including something Aiden called theomancy. He tried to explain what that meant, but the idea alone was enough to make my head hurt.
Then there was Ares Hall. Given the name, I wasn’t surprised to hear that Ares Hall taught battle magic—Sam perked up at that—and was in charge of the Arena, a requirement for all students. Lastly, there was the Library of Seers, and Alexander Hall, which was a portion of the library dedicated to lectures on the older, more arcane topics the university offered. I tried not to drool when I thought of how many books it held.
“I remember when the Alchemist came to speak once at the Library. It was fascinating. His demonstration involved turning his chair to gold and back, and an explanation as to why the Bans were put in place so long ago.”
“The Alchemist?” I asked. “Is that an official title or something?”
“Not as such,” Aiden replied. “But he has been around for so long that no one else can really claim to be the representative for that particular field.”
Before I could ask another question, the door to Iris opened as a short-haired, dark-skinned woman in a perfectly tailored violet suit strode out. Her cheekbones looked like they could slice through rock, but her brown eyes were kind as they scanned over us quickly and then settled on Aiden.
“Mr. Ombra,” she said in a warm voice, “so good to see you again. Will I be seeing you in one of my courses this semester?”
“Hello, Professor Avery,” Aiden said, an actual grin on his face. It was weird to see. “If my schedule obliges, I’ll be in your Intermediate Illusions course next week.”
“Good,” Professor Avery said, nodding. “Your magic has excellent potential. I’d hate to see it go to waste if you insist on only using straightforward combat spells like you did last year.” Aiden ducked his head at the reprimand but didn’t seem upset by it. “Now,” Professor Avery continued, looking at Sam and me curiously, “who are these two?”
“These two are Samantha and Feayr. They’re new this year, both from Earth.”
Professor Avery smiled at the two of us. Her eyes widened as she took in my white hair, but I was used to that. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. If you have any questions during orientation week, my office is just upstairs.”
I managed to nod in thanks, as shy as ever, and Sam did the same, uncharacteristically quiet. The professor cocked her head slightly, smiled again, and then cut her way across the Circle quickly, disappearing between two other buildings.
“Professor Avery’s an excellent teacher,” Aiden said. “She offers courses in Illusion in Iris and Arcane Arts in Vesper. If either of those interest you, I’d recommend taking a course with her.” He started walking again. “Moving on, the Chorion is this way. It’s where the students reside while here on campus. The Arena you’ve already seen during the Trial. It’s another trip through Limbo to get there, so I’m afraid I don’t have the time to take you there today.”
Aiden led us through the Circle and out the other side, where a long stretch of rolling green had a stone path carved through it. On the other side were three large buildings, each made of the same gray stone as in the Circle. Each one had a sigil above the door. The one on the left appeared to be a moving curl of black smoke in the shape of a sphere, the one in the middle was a blazing ball of light, and the one on the right was some kind of flower, with the petals constantly shifting in color.
“The three dorms are as follows,” Aiden said, with an expansive gesture. “Obsidian House on the left, Sol House in the middle, and Verdant House on the right. And yes, the Hogwarts joke has been made,” h
e added with a put-upon look. “Many times. The Houses represent the allegiances of those who come here, whether to the Families, Avalon, or elsewhere. If you don’t already belong to one of these groups when you come here, you get placed in a House depending on who sponsors you.”
“Why do people have allegiances to these groups?” I asked. It seemed like every step I took here raised another question. I loved it.
“They are the major powers on Gaia,” Aiden explained, “and on Earth, to a lesser degree. My family, Ombra, is one of three Great Families, most of which you’ll find in Obsidian. We’re the most active on Earth, and we’re generally involved in a little bit of everything. Avalon, who has most of Sol House, is exactly what the name would suggest.” Aiden saw my mouth open and raised a hand to stop me. “I’m not the person to ask about them. And the Chironians, who have Verdant. And yes,” Aiden said, looking pained, “I know that just means more questions. I’ll answer them once we aren’t on a tight schedule.”
Aiden led us over to Obsidian House and opened the door. “You two will be living in Obsidian, as I have already laid claim to your talents on behalf of my Family.”
“Hold on,” Sam said, “you don’t get to lay claim to any of me, okay? What if I want to live somewhere else?”
Aiden swore under his breath and then visibly calmed himself. He was trying; I had to give him that.
“Where you live is mostly a formality,” Aiden said finally, his voice stiff. “It determines only your team in the Arena, and nothing more than that unless you want it to. It’s customary to be part of the house of whoever tested you. Do you still have any objections?”
“Not yet,” Sam said, her gaze hard. “But I’ll be sure to let you know the second I do. And after this, don’t decide anything for me ever again, even if it’s tradition to do so. It’s a bad idea.”
“I’m beginning to see that quite clearly,” Aiden said. “Follow me, please.”
On the inside Obsidian House was actually very comfortable. It had a dark color scheme, which was a bit overdramatic for my tastes. But the black carpet looked quite cozy, and the dark brown leather sofas were probably soft enough to sink into, so I figured I could get used to it. There was also nobody in sight.
“Where is everyone?” I asked.
“I brought you here a little early” came Aiden’s response. He was already halfway up the staircase to the left, having kept moving while I looked at the lounge. “Other students should begin to filter in over the next couple hours.”
Upstairs were the bedrooms. The bottom floor was the lounge, and the rest of the floors were all living areas. I estimated each floor held about thirty rooms, though I didn’t know how many students each room was meant to hold.
“As first-years, you two will be living on the second floor,” Aiden said. “I’ll bring you to your rooms now.”
Sam’s room was the fifth on the right. Aiden took out a key and opened the door to reveal a sizable room, with two beds and enough space for a carpet and two desks. The walls were a rich, dark wood, polished to gleam in the soft light coming from the fixtures in the ceiling, which were definitely electronic, not magical. I was going to ask about the whole technology carryover thing, but I guessed now I didn’t have to.
“You’ll be living with another first-year,” Aiden said, “and no, I don’t know who. Feel free to leave your baggage on whichever bed you choose.”
Sam looked around the room curiously and then promptly flumped onto the bed on the left, beaming happily when she sank into the soft folds of the plum-colored sheets.
“Ohhh, I could get used to this,” she groaned. “My back feels like it’s being petted by angels.”
“Disregarding your particular choice of imagery, I’ll be taking Feayr to his room now. Take the time to get accustomed to where you’ll be spending the next stage of your life.” He tossed her a small black key similar to the one he had used to open the way to Limbo. “Don’t lose that. You’ll need to hold on to it for the year.”
Sam gave me a little wave as she lay there blissed out, and Aiden led me along to the very end of the hall, to another door. He produced another key and led me inside a room about half the size of Sam’s, and most notably had only one bed.
“Considering your… circumstances, the administration saw fit to give you a room to yourself. They understand your need for privacy, given your situation.”
I grimaced at the reminder and took stock of my new quarters. It looked cozy, with a desk near the bed and an empty bookshelf as well, all varying shades of dark, warm earth, excepting the bed. The right wall had a dresser built into it, and the floor was covered by a small carpet of the same dark shade as the one in the lounge.
“What about bathrooms?” I asked. “I mean, if we’re going with the whole ‘circumstances’ thing, sharing a shower space with the rest of the hall isn’t going to help with that.”
“I’m getting to that. Here’s your key,” Aiden said, pressing the small piece of rune-etched metal into my hand. “Put it in the door and say ‘bathroom,’ and it’ll take you to a private space for your use. I’ll be back to retrieve the two of you for orientation in two hours. Take the time to get settled in.” With that, he left, and I dropped my bag on the floor and sank into the bed. Sam was right. It did feel really good. I was almost tempted to close my eyes and relax, but there were way too many thoughts swirling through my head for that to be an option.
I had made it to Janus University. Now it was time to see what it could offer.
Chapter Four
UNSURPRISINGLY, IT was Sam who came to get me only a few minutes later. The harsh knocking on my door was something of a giveaway. She didn’t waste any time.
“Well, are you ready to explore?”
I nodded. That sounded infinitely better than staying here with my thoughts.
“Let’s go, then,” Sam said, already leaning toward the stairs. “We should get back before Aiden does. What do you think of your room? Nice single, by the way.”
“It’s pretty nice,” I replied, following her out. “I hadn’t realized the floors would be coed, but I guess if anywhere would be progressive, it would be a magic college.”
“I’m certainly not objecting,” Sam said. “I wonder what sort of floormates we’ll have. Ooh, and what my roommate will be like.” She made a face. “I hope not everyone in Obsidian is as bad as Aiden.”
I grinned. “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that. If Aiden had any real competition, you know he’d just take them out.”
Sam huffed out a laugh. “True. So, want to head back to the Circle, or wander around the Chorion a little more?”
I glanced in the lounge as we passed it. Still empty. I did notice another room I hadn’t before, though, past the stairs. It looked like a dining room.
“Let’s take a look at the Chorion first, then maybe the library?”
“Fine by me.”
We headed back out of Obsidian House and took a moment to look at the three dorms together. They were all identical on the outside, save for the three sigils above the doors. The stone path diverged to meet each door, but there was also another path snaking between Obsidian and Sol, leading behind the three. Sam looked at it and then at me questioningly. I shrugged, and we set off.
The path led a small ways past the three Houses and then stopped in what looked to be a massive garden. The carefully manicured grass gave way to large trees, maples, oaks, and ash, with what appeared to be purple-leaved ivy snaking between the branches, effectively forming a canopy. The path itself was lined with flowers of all types, and I could see a small bridge over a stream, perhaps forty feet in. Every so often there were clearings with benches and tables set up. The garden didn’t look magical, necessarily, but it did look… peaceful.
“Wow,” Sam breathed, “tell me we’re going to spend time studying here later. This place is gorgeous. I want to draw all of it.”
“Let’s go inside, then,” I said. If this place felt as
calm as it looked, I planned on spending hours here. There was nothing quite like occasionally waking up feeling like a knife was still carving into you to make you want somewhere peaceful to escape to.
We headed down the now-dirt path, glancing around. I recognized some of the flowers, but there were a lot that didn’t resemble any species I’d ever come across. Admittedly, I knew nothing about gardening, so that wasn’t very surprising. Still, I wondered if there were different species on Gaia than Earth. The ivy seemed new, at least.
When I wandered into one of the bench areas, there was a slight pop in my ears, like the feeling I got when a plane took off. I turned around to see if something else had caused the noise and saw Sam still on the path, except her features seemed hazy, as if she was on the other side of a pane of warped glass. It reminded me of my Ward spell.
“Hey, Sam,” I said, “do you see this too?” She didn’t react, still looking around. “Sam?” Still no response. I walked toward the shimmer in the air and passed through it without any resistance. There was another pop, and the strange warping disappeared.
“Did you hear any of that?”
Sam glanced at me. “Hear what?”
Oh. Cool. “Watch this,” I said and stepped into the clearing. The haze returned and I glanced back at Sam, who appeared to be saying something, but I didn’t hear anything. I stepped back out.
“The sitting areas are soundproof.” I grinned. “I’m definitely going to be coming here a lot.”
Sam looked at the clearing with new appreciation. “Now that’s a cool feature. Almost makes up for having to fight to be allowed in here.”
“You say that like you hate fighting.”
“I hate seeing you get hurt,” she said. “That shouldn’t happen on my watch.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling strangely off-balance, but in a comfortable sort of way.
“C’mon, let’s go deeper in,” Sam said. “You can appreciate my awesomeness later.”