All Chapters of Genesis : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The following week went by in a literal cloud of magic, a whirlwind of concentrated learning that felt both exhilarating and exhausting. Farrah discovered her elemental affinity to be Fire, which she was pretty happy about, channeling shimmering flames and controlled bursts of heat with surprising ease. As for me? Well, unlike Grandma, I didn't have any trouble wielding Earth. Or any other element for that matter. My connection was immediate, raw, and almost overwhelming. While she was quite impressed with my strength, praising my raw power, I was secretly terrified of it. I couldn't control it half the time, my commands barely containing the volatile forces I unleashed. I had to practically beg the elements to behave, to ebb and flow as I desired, lest I inadvertently cause a localized natural disaster. Grandad, ever the patient mentor, told me I'd most likely need a conduit to help control the magic, just like he had. His primary element was Earth, a commonality we now shared. But b

The room was nothing like I expected our dorm room to look like. The walls were a rich turquoise, a vibrant, unexpected color, with framed paintings of different, serene landscapes accenting them. Two queen-sized beds sat on opposite sides of the room, one covered in a deep chocolate bedspread and the other a light cream. Each side boasted its own sleek desk and chair, both already outfitted with our personal laptops and stationery that Grandad had thoughtfully sent ahead of time. A giant, circular, fluffy white rug was at the center of the room, providing a soft contrast to the polished wooden floor, with a small glass and chrome center table perched on top. It was all a bit too much in my opinion, a touch too luxurious, too deliberately designed.Farrah, however, had other ideas. She let out a delighted squeal, took off running, and threw herself onto the cream-covered bed with an exuberant bounce. I guess that meant the chocolate set was mine."That door leads to your shared bath a

The first day of classes dawned, mirroring the turmoil in my stomach. My nerves were absolutely shot. Before we were placed in our individual classes, we were to perform a series of spells, a sort of magical aptitude test, to ascertain our innate abilities and proficiency. The better you did, the more advanced your classes were, allowing access to the best teachers and smaller class sizes, ensuring more individualized attention. While Gran had assured us we were ready, meticulously teaching us the key things we'd need to know and ensuring we could perform them with our eyes closed, I still wasn't fully confident. Farrah and I had stayed up the rest of the night after unpacking, practicing all we'd learned until our hands ached and our minds buzzed with residual magic. She, ever the optimist, was certain she'd do well.They had all the freshmen gathered into the huge gymnasium, a cavernous space filled with nervous chatter, everyone clad in our training gear. While we only had to wear

Things were done a little differently than we all thought. While we had assumed the various classes would sort students based on their individual skill levels, it was actually that we were placed in one of three distinct groups. Our academic destiny, it seemed, was determined by a cumulative score out of an overall one hundred, with each of the five assessment phases carrying twenty points. Each of the four teachers could award a total of five points or less in each round, depending on how impressed they were by a student's performance. The headmaster's role was crucial: he was there to determine if a score was being given fairly or, in my particular case, if any score should be given at all for certain…unconventional displays.A score anywhere between one and fifty meant you were placed in the Pegasus group, the foundational tier. Anywhere between fifty-one and seventy-five, and the group called Hippogriff was for you, indicating a solid, but not exceptional, grasp of magic. The fina

It had only been one week, and already I felt completely overwhelmed. The relentless combination of new magical concepts to learn and complicated boys to completely avoid left me feeling like I was drowning, barely treading water. Farrah, the twins, and I were almost always holed up in one of our rooms, diligently practicing spells and bingeing on junk food. Melody and Lyric had both worked their way into our hearts with their easygoing charm, and I had to admit, I wasn't mad at it. Even though they looked so much alike, with their rich chocolate skin, captivating hazel eyes, and pouty lips, they were very much different in personality. While Lyric was more vocal, outgoing, and prone to dramatic declarations, Melody was more laid-back and quiet, observing rather than participating. Both girls, however, were intensely focused on their magic, making us the perfect foursome, a united front in our academic pursuits.We were currently studying psionics, first going over what Melody had lea