The black limo came to a stop in front of the massive iron gates, and my heart almost stopped with it. I leaned forward and looked out of the window to observe the students as they dragged their luggage in, chatting, hugging and smiling at each other. All of the confidence and determination I demonstrated back in the house vanished as the fact that I don’t know anyone here dawned on me. I fidgeted in my seat and took several deep breaths, trying my best not to panic.

“Miss Lilith, are you alright?” The driver looked at me through his front mirror.

“Yes Robert, I am fine. Just give me a minute please.”

The car ride wasn’t too long, but the fact that I was alone, anxious and dreading our arrival seemed to make the journey longer. Robert, my middle aged driver, took it upon himself to distract me with small talk and dad jokes. I appreciated his effort and did my best to engage in the conversation, which I ended up enjoying after all.

When the private jet landed on the outskirts of the island, my parents convinced me that it was better if I showed up at school by myself, that it would give me a confidence boost and would prove to the other kids that I was just as independent as they were. It was my father’s nice way of saying that it was better if I didn’t look like I was a daddy’s girl who needs her parents to hold her hands and walk her into school on her first day. I can’t say I disagree, I was already the new senior girl who can’t practice magic, let’s not add a social freak to that list.

I took another deep breath, remembering my mother’s words to me as she helped me pack back in my room last night “You will do great Lilith. I know you will. You are one of the bravest people I have ever met and you are only eighteen. Just imagine all the good you can do once you control your powers. You will be brilliant.” I didn’t believe I was brave or special or even good, but my mother did, and I wasn’t about to let her down.

“I’m ready.”

Robert smiled at me and hurried out of the car, circling it to open my door. I stepped out after I straightened my smooth velvet skirt and looked around. Nobody seemed to pay special attention to me and I was completely fine with that. Robert pulled my suitcase out of the trunk, and I was grateful that my mother promised to send the rest of my stuff directly to school so I could travel light. I grabbed my purse and suitcase and headed to the gates.

“Good luck Miss Lilith.” Robert exclaimed, waving goodbye with his warm smile that stuck with him the entire ride.

“Thank you Robert” I waved back “Goodbye.”

A warm breeze carried the smell of the ocean with it and I started to feel relaxed, my platinum blond hair brushing against my face, reminding me of the time my parents took me to the beach on a hot summer day. I smiled as that memory flashed in front of my eyes and I used that temporary distraction to finally enter through the wide open gates. I walked straight ahead, remembering the layout of the school from the maps I studied on the jet. The dorms and houses were on the left, behind a huge fountain that, according to my mother, I quote “lit up like the moon at night”. On the right, you would find the clubs and sport courts stretched out for miles. They supposedly have a tennis court, a basketball court, a golf course and both an indoor and outdoor swimming pools. And Right ahead were the main buildings of the school. I was headed for the main office, where I would get my schedule and my house key, but I couldn’t help admiring the beauty that surrounded me. The maps and pictures didn’t even come close to doing Lixierra High justice. Everywhere you look, fresh green trees greeted you, their branches swaying with the breeze, the smell of freshly cut grass blended in with the different fragrances of the flowers that were scattered around in the field, and the whole landscape was bathed in the warm glow of the golden sun. I only took a few steps into the entrance and I was already blown away by the exquisiteness of every single detail. My sense of wonder was soon interrupted however, when I began to notice some students staring at me. I could hear them whispering to each other, I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I had a few ideas. They didn’t make an effort to hide their nudging and gasping when I looked at them so I figured that they weren’t going to be discrete about whatever gossip they were spreading around. So much for enjoying my time here.

“You must be Lilith.” A voice came up behind me, accompanied with a tap on my shoulder and I turned around.

“Oh my God… Ahri?” The girl who was standing in front of me was absolutely marvelous. Her lean, modelesque figure towered over me- thanks to the 5 inch black heels she was wearing-only made more beautiful by her baby like features. Her skin was smooth and shiny, and her tan made me feel self-conscious about my extremely pale skin. Blond curls bounced off her shoulders as she shifted her weight. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she stared at me, and it took me a while to realize that sparkle was actually tears. I have never seen this girl before, but I couldn’t shake this weird feeling I got the second I laid eyes on her. Familiarity. Why do I feel like I know her?

What was it that she called me? Ahri?

“I’m sorry, you must have me confused with someone else.” I managed to let out as I tried to compose myself. I don’t know this girl. But why am I suddenly feeling so sad? “My name is Lilith.”

She stared at me for a while longer, the shock on her face replaced with confusion, then acceptance.

“I apologize.” She sniffled. “My name is Sooyeon, I am one of the council members here at Lixierra High, and I am your official welcoming community.” She extended her hand for me to shake and smiled brightly, like she wasn’t about to cry two seconds ago. Weird.

“Nice to meet you, Sooyeon. I was just on my way to the main office.”

“Allow me to show you around then.” She offered, I smiled and nodded, unable to decline her offer. The maps I had were very detailed, but this place was huge and I would rather not get lost on my first day.

“Your parents have told me so much about you.” She said as she led the way to the office. “I just want you to know that you have nothing to worry about. Your condition is rare, but it is not unheard of. The council has assigned you a mentor that will be working with you before and after classes so you would be able to catch up to your classmates’ levels very soon. You will meet him tomorrow morning at 10 in his office.”

“Thank you.” Great. My ‘condition’ was something I wanted to keep a secret, but deep down I knew that it was going to be impossible to hide the fact that you can’t practice magic at a school for mystics. Soon everyone will know and I will be the laughing stock of the entire school.

“Don’t worry” Sooyeon let out in almost a whisper “I know kids can be tough, but I promise you will have a great time here. Your housemates are two great girls and I’m sure you three will be friends in no time.”

We arrived at the main office and Sooyeon took it upon herself to get me all the papers I needed. She handed me my keys and walked me to the living area, acting as my guide and pointing at all the buildings she thought I needed to know. The walk was longer than I have expected, but then again the school was huge. We walked on a brick road, surrounded by sparkling green grass from each side. As we got closer, I spotted the fountain my mother told me about. It was truly a work of art. Made of smooth marble stones the color of the moonlight, it rose as high as the houses behind it, adding a majestic feel to the scenery around it. At its center stood a statue of Poseidon, the Greek God of the oceans, water pouring smoothly out of its mouth, shining under the sunlight.

“Here we are.” Sooyeon ’s voice snapped me back to reality and I looked over to see her standing in front of a house with her warm smile, gesturing me to come closer. I am not sure a ‘house’ is an appropriate description for what I was looking at. Like everything else in this school, my new home was extravagant. It was one of the biggest houses around and I silently wondered if my parents had anything to do with that.

Positioned away from the other buildings and behind a few trees and bushes stood the two story architectural masterpiece. It was far more modern and sophisticated than most of the other living areas here and I suspected it was recently renovated. Long glass windows and doors took out most of the space, casting a halo over the house as the sunlight bounced off of them , and whatever space that wasn’t covered in glass was made out of bright brown wood painted to perfection to blend into the forest surrounding it. Through the glass doors, I could spot a state of the art living room with a plasma TV, a home movie theatre and a sophisticated fire place. White was the dominant color I could spot as the furniture, the walls and even the fluffy rug were all white.

“Your roommates are inside, they will be happy to help you settle in.” Sooyeon said as she started to walk away. “I’ll be at the main office if you need anything.”

“Thank you!” I smiled. Awkward first meeting aside, Sooyeon was really nice and I secretly hoped that my new roommates will show me the same curtsey. I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the main door, ironically the only door in sight that is actually made of wood, and knocked. A few seconds later I heard someone come down the stairs, “I got it” a girl yelled before she opened the door.

“Hello, you must be Lilith.” The girl greeted me with a bright smile and I almost sighed in relief. But much like my first encounter at this school, her smile was soon replaced with a puzzled look on her face, and then came the shock. “Oh my God!” she gasped, staring at me like she just saw a ghost. “No way!” I was tempted to ask what was going on but I bit my tongue the second she threw her arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug.

“Rose, would you let go of the girl for heaven’s sake? You’re crushing her.” A second girl came down the stairs, her blue hair sparkling when the sun hit it.

“But Kira look" the first girl said as she pulled me inside the house, "it’s Ahri!”

“No she’s not, that’s Lilith, our new roommate. Lilith Ignis, right?” She asked as she extended her arm for me to shake, simultaneously pulling me away from the grasp of the other girl, Rose was her name.

“Yes that’s right, I’m Lilith.” I gave them a tight smile, unsure of what to say.

“I’m Kira Skythorn” the blue haired girl started, “and my crazy friend over here is Rose Patel. You’ll have to forgive her lack of social etiquette, she’s adorable but crazy.”

“Hey, I’m not crazy. Could you honestly look at her and tell me she doesn’t look like the splitting image of Ahri?” Rose insisted.

“Drop it Rose.” Kira said firmly.

“Fine.” Rose sighed, and then seconds later she perked up again. “It’s very nice to meet you Lilith, let me show you around the house. On this floor, you will find the living room, the kitchen and dining area, and the library. Upstairs are our bedrooms, you’ll have your own bedroom and bathroom, and oh my God you have to see the view. It’s breathtaking.” She continued to ramble as she grabbed my hand and dragged me up the stairs, giving me the full tour of the house, which I have to admit, was every bit as sophisticated from the inside as it was from the outside. The rooms were spacious and well lit, every room decorated with a different style according to its habitant’s taste. My room had the basics, a king size bed, a desk and a closet area bigger than my bathroom back home. Rose said that I could decorate it however I wanted and that they would take me shopping as soon as I settled down. I really appreciated the offer since I still don’t know my way around school let alone the whole island, and the girls’ willingness to accept me into their lives so soon made me feel a lot better.

“Come on, put your luggage down and join us in the living room. Let’s get to know each other!” Rose chimed with a clap, and headed down the stairs, calling for Kira to make some coffee. I put my suitcase and my purse on the bed and looked around, taking in my new surroundings. I walked to the tall glass window and looked out, taking aback by the beauty of the view that lied ahead of me. Behind the trees and the grass, shimmering under the bright sunlight was a vast lake, so still and so peaceful you’d think it was a mesmerizing painting. The place was quiet aside from the chirping of the birds and the humming of the bees, and an overwhelming sensation of peace and contentment crept up on me. I might like it here after all.

A few minutes later I managed to pull myself away from the window and went downstairs to join my new roommates for coffee.

“You weren’t lying about that view, Rose. It’s gorgeous.”

“I know right?” Rose giggled as she handed me a mug of hot coffee.

“Did you like your room? It’s barely furnished b