Chapter One

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“I would appreciate it if you would stop pacing around, dear.” A soft mumble came from the elderly figure seated on the beige couch. Her gaze settled on her only granddaughter standing not far from where she was seated, and a kind smile was given when her gaze was returned with a clearly confused one. “If you can just sit down quietly and let me finish—“

“Grandma,” The latter said in a flustered tone. “How can I possibly sit quietly knowing that you’re sending me away to a boarding school?” Hurt flashed across her face upon finishing her sentence, and her grandmother sighed.

“It’s for your own good, Sooyoung-ah. The school your mother and I went to, don’t you want to know how it was like for us?”

The adolescent heaved a sigh before coming to a halt. She turned to face her only blood relative left, her gaze softening as she studied her grandmother’s expression for a few seconds. “I do, but…”

“If you’re worried about me, you shouldn’t be. I can take care of myself perfectly fine.” Her grandmother said in response to her pause, clearly expecting what her granddaughter had to say.

“Grandma, are you sure? I don’t feel secure leaving you here all alone, what if—“

“Nothing is going to happen, Sooyoung-ah. You worry too much.”

“But let’s say you—“

“I won’t get and die so soon, I’m not that old yet.”

Sooyoung gave another sigh in defeat. “Gosh, I hate it when you do that, grandma. Continuing my sentence, I mean.”

“You’re too easy to read, dear.”

“Every single time?”

“Every single time.” Her grandmother nodded and chuckled.

Silence washed over the pair momentarily, the youngest read the letter in her hands for the umpteen times and frowned. “Is Aeradias really that prestigious?”

“Why, of course. You should be honoured you’re being accepted into the Academy. As it is already stated, it is only for the profound.” The tone in Sooyoung’s grandmother’s voice suggested that there were more to that, but she did not continue her sentence.

“I’m not that great. I didn’t even know you sent an admission form for me.”

“I didn’t.” Soomin thought to herself, smoothing the front of her hair calmly.

“I don’t know, grandma. They sound so obnoxious.” Sooyoung said. “I mean, I don’t even understand why is ‘extraordinary’ in italic, I’m definitely not a child prodigy.” She scoffed and crossed her arms.

“Well, that’s because they are extraordinary, Sooyoung. You are, in fact, extraordinary as well.” Soomin coughed slightly, her gaze now transfixed on her only heir left.

“I can’t be, I’m not even top in anything or have talent in any field.” Stubborn, Sooyoung replied before tossing the letter aside.

“But you are special, my child. Like your mother, like me.”

The brunette blinked her eyes a few times; the sudden change of tone from her grandmother caught her off guarded.

“Why are you…suddenly so…serious?” She gulped.

“Sooyoung,” The firm edge of her voice caused the teenager to sit straighter in reflex. “Aeradias Academy isn’t just a normal High School. It is in fact, a school for the gifted.”

Sooyoung kept mum but a wave of thought swam across her mind.

“No, I do not mean gifted in that sense.”

Sooyoung groaned. Of course gradma would know what I’m thinking. Gosh, how does she do that?

“The 'gifted' I meant was those born with a gift, a talent, a…speciality.”

“Wha—"

“I haven’t been entirely truthful to you, Sooyoung. In fact, there’s something I have been hiding from you all these while.”

“…what is it?” Sooyoung asked nervously. She didn’t quite like where the conversation was heading, it seemed too peculiar for her liking.

“Students of Aeradias Academy, all of them are gifted in certain areas of expertise. We call them talent outside the compound, but inside, we call them abilities.”

 Sooyoung furrowed her eyebrows. “What?”

“Sooyoung, you—“ Soomin couldn’t believe she was finally letting the cat out of the bag. For sixteen years had she kept this secret from her only granddaughter, to protect her, or so she said. “—are an ability carrier. You are, I am and your mother was as well.”

Trying to comprehend what her grandmother had just said, Sooyoung scratched her head in confusion. “I’m a what?”

“An ability carrier.” Soomin replied. “Though I’ve never really seen you portraying any signs of being one, I’m quite positive you are. There’s simply no reason for you not to be.”

There was an awkward moment of silence, and Sooyoung knew her grandmother was waiting for her to say something. She silently wished she had more sleep last night for her brain could not process clearly what she had just heard. “Gra