Academy of Powers: Chapter 1

Hello! This is a short-book series. 

First Book: Academy of Powers

Second Book: Creation's Evolution

Third Book: Fall of the Academy

Fourth Book: Sir's Final Words

Fifth Book: The Blue Vortex

Each book is the equivalent of one Harry Potter chapter and a half. 

So, here we go!

The teacher looked at me. "Son. Can you speak?" I nodded. It was the first day of school. I knew the answer to the question she asked, of course. I was just to scared to say it. She took of her glasses and looked at me. With narrowed black eyes, shining silver hair, and a cruel frown, she was the scariest teacher I'd ever seen in my LIFE. "I'll repeat this again, Arian Hawk. If a horse has a string tied to its leg, how does it walk 50 feet when the string is only 2 feet long?" The answer was mind-numbingly obvious. I just couldn't say it. Mrs. Hammer sighed and said, "See me after class." When the bell rang, all the kids flooded out the door. When everyone left except me and Mrs. Hammer, I looked down at my torn grey sneakers. The teacher sighed. "Arian, I know you can do this if you apply yourself to it. That was a very hard question. Nobody in the past 8 years knew the answer to that riddle. But just admit it if you don't know." I looked her in the eye, and said, "I couldn't admit I didn't know. It would be a lie. I knew the answer." The teacher inspected me closely. She slowly asked, "What was the answer?" I replied, "Obvious. The string wasn't tied to anything. Or, the string was a stretch cord." The teacher's eyes widened. "Correct, Mr. Hawk. But how come you did not say so?" I went quiet. "I- I didn't want to. I felt... it was unneeded. If a teacher knows the answer, how come she asks?" The teacher narrowed her eyes at me. Not in the bad way. She was doing it as if I wasn't human. "I don't think you should go to school tommorrow, hon. It'll be Friday. Take the day off." She said quietly. I nodded, obeying out of sheer fear. I ran home, afraid someone was following me. As soon as I got to the door, and swung it open and shut the door loudly and quickly. I locked it, and put my back against the door. My mom called to me. "Honey, you want a snack? I just pulled some hot cookies from the oven. I immediately said, "That'd be awesome. I'm starved. Oh and... Mrs. Hammer said I shouldn't go to school tommorrow." My mom looked at me. "Did she? Ok, I'm convinced. But why?" I thought about it. "She didn't actually tell me." I grabbed a cookie and bit into it. My mom looked at me for a few seconds, then said, "I'll get the mail." She came back a few minutes later and sat down next to me. She scanned the mail boredly. "Business cards... junk mail... junk mail... ooh, postcard from Uncle Sean! Business cards... more junk mail..." Then she saw something and stopped. "Oh, no. No no no. Not yet." She held up a fancy card that was on pearl-white paper that had a silvery sheen to it. It had a green wax seal that was stamped with... a vortex. On the back, instead of the address and return, it just said... THE CHILD and ACADEMY, like they expected her to know all about it. My mom slowly peeled of the seal and carefully pulled out the letter. It was yellowed parchment. She read it in shaky words. "D-dear Arian, we are happy to inform you that you are now an honorary student of the Academy of Elements and Sacred Arts. If you are interested in coming, please sign here with No. 2 pencil. Hope to s-see... to see you there." She looked at me. "Arian, the Academy is a secret school where people with special powers live. It's good. I- I went there. You go there for the school year and summer for...... 10 years. Do you- do you want to go?" I was completely awestruck. "Yes. But, mom... how will I contact you and dad?" I shouldn't have said that. My mom said, "You can go. But I forbid you to contact your father. He is not, and never will be, part of our family." I nodded quickly. "Mom, when do I leave?" She looks at me with glassy eyes. "You disappear as soon as the letter is signed. Here's a pencil." I take it and my hand shivers as the pencil touches the paper. I quickly write my name. Arian Lane-Edwards Hawk. It wasn't my best handwriting, but it would do. The signature glowed copper, then it disappeared... along with me.

I opened my eyes and a handsome man with brown hair, green eyes, and tan skin was in front of me. He stood up, and he had the weirdest clothes one could imagine. An electric blue bow tie, purple velvet suit, red pants, and a fedora that was sunflower-yellow.  He looked at me with a smile. "Hey, Arian. What's up? So. Let me explain. There are five common powers: Electricity, Air, Arachnids, war, and fog. Then there's the uncommon powers. There are five: Glass, sand, blood, plants, and seeing. Then there's rare powers. There are four: water, earth, fire, and animals. Then.... the power that is more powerful than all powers combined... there is only three... and we only have two that possess them... Death, Life, and Resurrection. We have 35 electricity, 24 air, 76 arachnids, 29 war, and 62 fog. That is only the common powers. Then- 14 glass, 10 sand, 20 blood, 11 plant, and 14 seeing. That's the uncommon. The rare powers- 5 water, 4 earth, 6 fire, and 5 animal. Then the ultimate powers, 1 Death, and 1 Life. No resurrection. You most likely are NOT one of those." I was confused. He just said a jumble of stuff that maybe-maybe not made sense. I started stuttering. "But... c-can you just explain the s-school?" The guy nodded. "Oh, I never said who I am, did I? I am Sir Dylan. You may call me sir, or headmaster. I have a son, also, who's in this school. His name is Michael Dillane. Now, the school... there are 18 dormitories, to 17 powers. Watch out for the war, electricity, and blood kids. They are quite feisty. You need not worry about the rest, especially plant, animal and glass. Unless, of course, you anger them. Then, they're dangerous. Especially, plant, animal, and glass." I was a bit more confused. "Um, hold up. There are 18 dormitories to 17 powers? Is there an extra power? Like you have two?" Sir Dylan laughed. "Oh, no no. It is forbidden by academy rules to marry one of different power. Only mortals. The extra room is for ones who have not been of decision yet." Now I was completely confused. I had about, I don't know... a bazillion questions. "Um, how are you decided?" It was my most confused question. "My, my, Arian! Doesn't someone have quite an amount of questions! Well, you decide based on your needs, wants, and match." I was 100 times more confused than before. "Then... how come nobody chooses rare and powerful ones?" Sir laughed. "That's ridiculous. With great power comes great responsibility. Ever heard that? You are responsible for choosing a life of extreme danger and risk. You most likely will be killed in a matter of days. Weeks. Who would choose that? And most people don't match it anyways." All my questions were answered by that one reply. "Ok. When do I choose?" The headmaster took something from the desk. "Um, according to this calendar, in three weeks at the deciding ceremony. Hope you make a decision by then!" He snapped his fingers, and the door behind me flew open. I walked to it. I was about to step in, when Sir Dylan said, "Now, when you step in there, you are there for the next ten years. Remember that. No going back. Unless, you escape. Then, the school agents, also known as the three oldest war and electricity students will hunt you down to the ends of the earth... and eliminate you. That will sure teach you a lesson, correct?" At that moment, I knew this man was trapped in his own mind. He was driven mad with the thought of escaping students. His smile was fake. His charming face was fake. Under it was a block of hard stone, and a mind as sharp as glass and as crazy as a dog with rabies. I wanted to get away from him.
"One question more, Arian. What is the only think that can stain a tanzanite rose?"
"L-Leave me alone!"
"Answer me when you're ready, Arian. Answer me when you're ready."
 I ran into the door as he cocked his head in a mad grin. As the door shut behind me, I realized I had made the largest mistake of my life. Whatever horror Sir Dylan was... this would be a thousand times worse.