It was a quiet morning; the faint sound of birds singing in the trees and among rooftops. The sky a vibrant orange mixed with the coming blue of day to welcome all who saw it. The quiet footsteps of those just heading to work and those coming home from late night shifts. A blend of quiet noise and tranquility. One could imagine waking up to a nice Autumn morning. The trees that dotted the sidewalks and made way for vehicles were a beautiful mix of red at the top, orange and yellow down at the base. The hundreds of thousands of leaves that had already fallen from days before were dry and crunchy against the boots of one man. He was taking a brisk walk through the streets with hands shoved within the deep pockets of his thick and thankfully warm coat. The man looked to be in his mid twenties with dark hair tousled and wavy with blue-gray eyes. His face was slightly chisled in appearance and appeared to stand roughly 5'10" but could easily be 6' if he straightened himself more. The jacket was a dark blue in color with a hard to see white T-shirt underneath. Coal colored jeans and boots added to the outfit, along with a thin gray scarf wrapped around his neck and covered his lower face. He pulled it up slightly with his fingertips to cover his nose before returning his hands back to his pockets. Stopping himself when he reached a stoplight, the male pulled out his cellphone and tapped the screen to open it. He swiped his thumb across the screen to pull open his text messages. However there wasn't really anything worth rereading. He had a text pulled up from his father. Father: [Moon, remember how I told you about how I went to a school for the magically gifted?] Moon: [Yeah? You said it's where you met Mom.] Moon: [What about it?] Father: [I want you to go to that school. It's called Novas University, it'll be a perfect place for you to study] Father: [I've already done and sent all of the paperwork to the Headmaster] Moon: [When did you do this? You only told me about the place recently..] Father: After that fieldtrip you went on, son. The one where you nearly froze an entire tree?] Moon: [I never told you that. How do you know about it?] Father: [Your teacher, Ms. Elmer. She used to go school at Novas too. I just want to make sure you are getting a good education and understanding of your magic.] Moon: [How do I find it? Give me the address and I'll check it out.] Father: [You don't find it. It finds you when you need it most. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get there before the Opening Assembly.] Father: [Keep your nose out of trouble, Moon. You're a bright kid] Just as his fingers were about to click off the phone, he heard it chime. Curious and confused, he took a glance at the number. Unknown. That was strange, who got a hold of his number? "Could be a spam text or something.." he mumbled quietly. Upon closer inspection of the text, he grew even more curious. It was an invitation for an Academy called Novas University. He'd never heard of it. [Dear Moon StarFrost, The Academy would like to congratulate you on being selected to join our esteemed Novas family. You have been chosen as one of many to become an honorary student within our great halls. Here at Novas University, students are able to study and find their own path as Druids. Learn what it means to be a Druid and how to control the newfound magic you may have discovered during your time among the Mundane] This was eerie, a bit scary to think that someone had been watching him. Hell, they very well could still be. Moon took a glance around him, though not seeing anything suspicious. His eyes returned to the text. [While we are sure you have many questions, please join us today at our campus to partake in our Open Assembly and see for yourself the greatness that lies within you! Ignite the Cosmos Within! We look forward to seeing you soon. Sincerely, Aurelius Nightshade Headmaster]

19:59

Moon reread the message several times, a bit surprised really. So this was some sort of acceptance letter into this magic college? Well, he knew magic was real now after that incident in high school a few years back. He had remembered how furious he was about his girlfriend of 5 years cheating on him with a good friend and classmate of his. Enough that he nearly froze an entire tree in a fit of rage. However, since then he hasn't been able to do it. To cast that icy blast of power. The stoplights changed colors and the walk sign across the street lit up signaling he could walk. There were hardly any cars on the road, much less at this intersection. So, with a huffed sigh, he trudged on across the street, staring at the ground as he did so. However, that strange feeling started to hit him again. Moon lifted his head, now standing halfway on the crosswalk, looking around himself. Then, an exhaled whisper reached his left ear. Moon turned around quickly, not seeing anything at first. His heartrate started to go up little by little. That same noise again invaded his ears like a cold chill deep in the bones. Any passerby would think he was crazy or even sleep deprived. But in reality? Something was definitely there. Upon turning around for the final time, he saw it. Standing on the other side of the street where he had come from originally was the silhouette of what looked to be human. It's body wash dark, swirling bits of magic coursed through it's thin body like a veil. Colors of various hues could be seen mixed into the dark body and it's eyes were giving off an otherworldly glow. Ones full of ancient knowledge and energy. The creature raised a thin arm out towards Moon, it's feet not even touching the ground. It's eery whispers despite standing so far away sounded so close. Like it was right next to him. Moon took a step back, raising a hand towards the creature in an attempt to try and ward it off with his now slumbering magic. No matter how hard he tried, nothing happened. "Shit. Shit Fuck.." he growled, lowering his hand after realizing his power was not going to come out and instead turned to run away. However, the creature seemed to block his escape quite quickly. It was nimble. Quick. This was bad. "Stay away, whatever the hell you are!" The creature extended a hand out and grasped Moon by the jaw. It tilted its head, leaning in close to stare at the male. Moon managed to shake away from its grasp, avoiding it's gaze. Just as it was about to reach out again, Moon tripped over his own feet and fell backwards. But instead of asphalt, he felt.. grass? There was also a buzzing sense that coursed through his body that he couldn't quite explain. Moon opened his eyes and stared at the creature before him, unable to get to Moon. It seemed there was a sort of barrier between the two. Moon hesitated at the threshold, gazing in awe at the iridescent barrier that separated wherever he was and the Mundane world. Certainly from the creature just beyond it too. Slowly getting to his feet after realizing he was somewhat safe, Moon turned around to be greeted by finding himself to be in a forest. Tall pine trees as far as the eye could see along with that buzzing feeling throughout his body. Like a minor shock nibbling away at his nerves. Was he teleported from the creature? No, that wasn't right, cause just behind him the creature was staring at him, along with the streets of his neighborhood. Was this place.. hidden?

That would make the most sense. With the way the barrier was keeping that creature out along with the fact that he was somewhere where clearly a forest would not be. Which means that this place.. had to have been protected? Moon pulled out his phone, getting ready to text his father and ask him about the school, only to find that his phone had no service. He couldn't call or text anybody. Was he truly out in the woods? A huffed grumble came from his throat as he shoved the phone back into his pocket and headed forwards. Though the scenery didn't change at all. More trees. More dirt. That same buzzing feeling. After walking for what felt like an hour, when really it was only about 20 minutes, Moon had come upon the grounds of what looked to be a school. Moon was greeted by finding himself to be in a courtyard bathed in the glow of mystical energy, Moon witnessed students weaving spells with a grace that transcended the mundane. The air hummed with the resonance of incantations, and the scent of magical herbs wafted from the greenhouse nearby. In the distance, the vibrant glowball game unfolded, a spectacle of swirling colors and dynamic magic. Moon's eyes traced the arcs of the enchanted ball, captivated by its responsive dance to the gestures of the players. This was not just a sport; it was a symphony of magic in motion, a prelude to the challenges and triumphs that awaited him. "Where.. am I?" he exhaled in both awe and disbelief. Not sure that what he was seeing was even real. Moon reached a hand up to his cheek and pinched it. Nope, it's real alright. Gathering his composure, the male started walking, making sure to avoid any sudden spells of gameplay going on. It really did look like a regular college of sorts, minus the magic of course. Was this the college that his father told him about? Seems like it given the fact that it came to him when he needed it most. @Bunny of Paradise 🌺

Julliana was ready to give up. It had been nearly 4 years since she had left her home, her family, everything she new in search of this fabled Novas. She wished her mother had been more specific, more detailed, gave her anything but a name but alas… that was what she had. The streets outside were covered in snow and a gale brought the chill of the air in through the tavern doors every time someone walked in. Ana remained huddled by the roaring fireplace, a rough sewn blanket thrown around her shoulders and her gaze locked onto the flames. They danced wildly in her hazel eyes, and the movements became… almost unnatural. Each flame slowed and seemed to stretch upwards, outwards, as if coming towards her. ”We don’t allow any magic in ‘ere lass.” The thick drawl of the barkeep interrupted her thoughts and she would quickly look away from the flames, themselves returning to their normal, erratic dance as they ate away at the logs buried beneath them. Ana hadn’t quite grasped what caused her slips, but what she could tell was it always happened when she was emotional, a sharp contrast to her more innate water manipulation abilities that required an empty mind to master. Right now, that emotion was sadness, a will to give up on everything, a feeling of loss and grief… Standing up she marched up towards the bar. There was no use wallowing in defeat. Waiting for the attention of one of the members of staff, Julliana would voice the request she had asked a thousand times over, and felt doomed to ask a thousand times more. “Excuse me, you don’t know a man by the name of Novas do you?” The barman looked at her confused before letting out a laugh, shaking his head. Yet another dead end it seemed. Ana had made an assumption that whom she was looking for must be a man, the night she was told of Novas, her mother had told her that the man she had grown up believing to be her father was not… and thus, she sent her to seek Novas. That must be her father… that was the only expl