#6 Learn Some Shit

Rowyn POV

I woke up to the sound of my alarm. My eyes blinked open to soft, flickering morning light. My wild curls were a mess, but who gave a shit, this was me.

Thistleblitz, my sparkly little gremlin of a nymph, hovered over my desk like a caffeine fairy on crack, flipping through my notebook with frantic excitement. “Rowyyyyynnnn,” she sing songed, pointing to a glowing page.

My heart thumped. I scrambled out of bed, tripped over my boots, and nearly took out a chair leg in the process. I snatched the notebook, my eyes devouring the swirling golden ink that hadn’t been there last night.

“Welcome to Eidolon, Rowyn Vale.

We are thrilled to have you.

Should you ever need assistance, I will be here.

Yours truly, Vaerion.”

I squealed like a damn child on Winter Solstice. “Oh my gods, the castle wrote me!”

I clutched the book to my chest like a total dork.

“Vaerion,” I whispered reverently. “Thank you so much. I hope we can be good friends!”

The lights flickered gently above me, like a wink. I giggled. Thistle buzzed happily around my head, whispering, “He liiiikes youuu.”

“Damn right he does,” I grinned, slamming the book shut and spinning toward my wardrobe.

“Okay, goth baddie armor time.” Uniforms? Meh. But custom uniforms with black fabric, tiny skulls stitched into the trim, and a perfectly pleated skirt? That’s more my vibe. I pulled on the shirt, tugged the skirt over my hips, slid on my black thigh high socks, and laced up my purple combat boots like a warrior goddess headed to war.

“Skull headband?” Thistle chirped.

“You know it,” I smirked, grabbing the silver scythe accented headband and yanking my curls back enough to show off my freakishly long, pointed ears. Let ‘em stare. I threw on black lipstick, smudged my eyeliner with intentional chaos, and stuffed my new books into my bag. By the time we hit the hallway, it was seven fifteen.

“Shortcut?” I asked. Thistle zipped forward, glowing faintly purple. “Duh. This way, loser!” We zipped down an unused corridor that smelled faintly of lavender and old paper, and I was two minutes from snatching my precious chocolate croissant when the air shifted. And not the good kind.

I turned the corner, and, fucking fabulous, Seraphina Volarix stood in the middle of the hallway with her two blonde fae clones flanking her like a bad perfume ad. Her perfect hair was curled, her uniform was tailored, and her nose was pointed to the gods like she thought she was one. Spoiler: she wasn’t. Her ice blue eyes flicked to my ears and narrowed. She took a step forward, sneering.

“No one gives a shit how long your ears are, slut.” She spat on the floor like that made her cooler.

I didn’t even blink. She raised a hand to shove me, and before she could even touch me, I swung. My fist collided with her smug ass face with a crack so satisfying I swear Vaerion flickered the lights again.

The Barbie bitches gasped. Seraphina stumbled back, hand to her cheek, looking like she’d just been slapped by destiny.

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and said sweetly, “Touch me again and I’ll decorate the hallway with your teeth.” Then I turned on my heel and strutted off like a damn queen, Thistle cackling beside me. By the time I hit the dining hall, I was still riding that serotonin high. I grabbed a scalding hot coffee, snagged a chocolate croissant, blessed be, and took a long, victorious bite.

“Bitch tried me,” I muttered, mouth full of pastry. “Didn’t work out so well for her.”

First class was across the courtyard, and I strolled in like I hadn’t just rearranged a noble’s face. Of course Seraphina was there, already walking in with a fat purple bruise blossoming on her cheek like karma’s personal stamp of approval. Her glare could’ve scorched the walls. I blew her a kiss and grinned. “Try me again,” I whispered under my breath, “and I’ll introduce your kneecaps to the astral plane.”

Let the school year begin, bitches.

“Not bad,” I murmured, sliding into a seat near the middle row. Front seats screamed trying to hard, and back row meant slacker. Middle? Middle was strategic.

Students filled in slowly. Some looked excited, others bored out of their damn minds. A few were already scribbling notes like we were about to be quizzed. I clocked Seraphina sliding into the seat diagonally behind me, flanked by her clone squad with matching smirks. Lovely.

A gust of wind fluttered through the room, and then he appeared, tall, slender, ageless in that eerie fae way.

He wore pale blue robes embroidered with runes, had glowing silver hair that floated like he was underwater, and opal eyes that shimmered like stormlight. He didn’t speak.

He turned to the board, lifted his hand, and magic flowed from his fingertips like glowing golden ink. The letters curled and formed elegantly across the black stone: Professor Claymen.

Then he turned and gave a small smile, his voice deep and smooth.

“Welcome to Eidolon Academy. I am Professor Claymen, and this is Magical Theory and History. I assure you, we will get to the magic…but only once your brains are properly armed.”

A few students groaned. I smiled. Professor Claymen clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace slowly.

“Let’s start with the event that shattered our realms, the Fall of the Pantheon. Roughly one thousand years ago, the divine balance of the world was upended when the Pantheon of gods was…slaughtered.”

The room fell silent. “They were not immortal,” he continued. “Not in the way we assumed. They could die. And something, or someone, proved it. The Godkiller was never found. Entire divine lineages were erased. Magic destabilized. Realms collapsed.”

I leaned forward, scribbling furiously. Every word embedded itself in my brain like a hook. Gods dying. Lineages destroyed. Power vacuum. Everything about this was… familiar. Too familiar. My heart raced.

Behind me, Seraphina’s voice broke through in a low hiss. “I bet the godkiller was lowborn trash like her.”

Thistle buzzed angrily on my shoulder, and I clenched my jaw so hard my molars hurt. I didn’t turn. I didn’t snap. Not yet. Just kept writing.

Professor Claymen continued, “Since then, we’ve lived in an era of splintered bloodlines and weakened magic. That is why you are here, to learn what was so you can help determine what will be.”

My notes were pristine. My focus unshakable.

But Seraphina’s venomous little comments didn’t stop. “How does she even hold a pen with those freak ears?” and “Bet she learned history from a tavern scroll.”

I imagined setting her hair on fire. Or accidentally hexing her into a toad. Or maybe a toad with a receding hairline. The bell rang before I acted on any of it, blessed fucking bell.

I shot to my feet and spun straight into a soft form. “Oh shit, sorry!”

I reached out and caught a small fae girl as she stumbled back. She looked up at me with wide, warm brown eyes. Her pink hair was braided in loose spirals, and her flower crown glowed faintly with dewdrops. Her ears weren’t quite as long as mine, but they had a gentle curve. There was something familiar about her, something soft, comforting. Something that whispered Kyla.

“My fault!” she said quickly. “I’m not the most graceful.” Her books had scattered all over the floor. I dropped to my knees beside her, already scooping up a tome on elemental binding and another labeled Divine Lineage Classification Vol. I.

“Here, let me help...”

Then a boot. A high heeled, shiny, overpriced boot kicked a book straight out from under my hand.

Seraphina’s shrill little laugh echoed behind me as she strutted by, flipping her hair. “Oops,” she said sweetly, not even glancing back.

My fingers twitched. The flower crown girl looked up at me, mortified. “She always like that?”

I met her eyes, passed her the last book, and stood. “Only when her broomstick’s wedged too far up her ass.”

She snorted and covered her mouth. “I’m Aster, by the way.”

“Rowyn.”

“Well, Rowyn…” she smiled, brushing dirt off her skirt, “next class is in an hour and is.... Bloodline Lineage & Divine Lore. Wanna walk with me?”

Thistle zipped in a loop of excitement above our heads. I gave her a grin. “Hell yeah. Let’s go learn some shit.”