Everyone's natural impulse was to scream. But there was a silence, a fragile, crystalline balance that felt like it would break if pushed to the limit.

Suddenly, there was a woosh, and tongues of fire streamed down the hallway, flickering around us and twisting into intricate shapes. Gasps arose from the kids.

Ari gripped my arm. "They're introducing the teachers with their own respective powers," she hissed excitedly.

Then, curling vines snaked out from the ground and spiraled around the fiery shapes. I counted them off. Earth. Fire.

Liquid spun around us, creating small bubbles that reflected light onto shining faces. Water.

A breath of wind, whipping everything into a frenzy. Air. Ari inhaled sharply, and I squeezed her hand.

Finally, it was like the sun had exploded as thousands of golden sparkles landed on each of our heads, twinkling. I squinted, tilting my head.

Five luminescent beings stepped out from the cavernous darkness. I spotted Cyrus and Mistress Lenas, but I couldn't remember who the rest of the beings were.

One of the ladies had straight ice-white hair with streaks of black, and refined features. Her robe, embroidered with swooping windlike spirals, hung around her like a cloud. Ari's aunt. I scrunched up my face in an attempt to remember. Len said something about... Mistress Sage.

The other two I couldn't place. One had tousled maroon hair that was balding, with blazing orange eyes and red robes that were singed on the edges, and the other had swooping blond hair, excited blue eyes and robes with waves curling around the edges.

"Ari," I muttered out of the corner of my mouth. "Who are the other two teachers?"

She seemed to grasp what I was saying. "That's Master Laren Uker, the one with the red hair, and the guy dressed in blue is Master Oin Warlen."

"Are they both teachers?"

"Fire and Water." She peered at the group of five approaching us. The crowd was murmuring slightly.

Suddenly, Cyrus and the teachers stopped before us. He clapped his hands, and silence fell down upon the group.

"Welcome to Woodfall," he rumbled. "My name is Cyrus, and these esteemed teachers next to me are: Mistress Sage, Mistress Lenas, Master Uker, and Master Warlen."

He paused, and swept his gaze across the crowd. "The reason why you are here is because you have extensive magical capabilities. We are here to teach you at your first year in Woodfall."

The kids were raptly listening to him.

"You will be trained in the magics of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. In your second year, if you show yourself to be magical enough, I myself will personally teach you the magic of Aether."

Whispers fled through the crowd, and I saw Kyra stand up straighter. I gritted my teeth, and hoped with all my heart that her magical powers would fall short.

Cyrus glanced around. "Make sure," - his unnatural golden eyes alighting on certain kids - "That you don't let jealousy control you," - a quick glance at Kyra - "To remember where your loyalties lie," - another look at Len - "Follow your heart," - a stop at Ari - "And," he finally said, staring right at me, "Never underestimate your power."

A shiver ran through my body. What did he mean? I wondered. It seemed like those messages were meant for specific people, but who? And why? Why did he say that? Is it his ultimate goal in life to be confusing?

Suddenly, the solemn spell was broken, and he clapped his hands. "Now, in order to start your training, you must be able to harness your powers."

He pointed to the golden sparks floating above us. "These control your powers. They will set your aura off. But," he grinned, teeth glinting, "You have to get them to choose you. You will not be able to enter Woodfall without having your magic harnessed."

And with that, all five adults swept back inside the great oak doors.

A whispering silence cascaded over the crowd, then almost at once, people started leaping and jumping at the sparks, attempting to catch them in their fingertips. But they always fluttered away, a tantalizing hairbreadth away - but oh, so far.

I sat down at the grass, feeling a wave of confusion. He said that you had to get the sparks to choose you. I tried contemplating on that. Squinting, I picked out one of the brightest sparks, fluttering lazily near me, and with immense concentration I willed it to come closer.

Two feet away. One. Six inches. Two inches. One inch. A millimeter...

It sank into my skin, creating a golden pinpoint. I felt a rush of warmth, tingling, traveling up my arm, seeping into my bones...

Wham. My aura flared alight, shining silver around me like a second skin. I flexed my fingers, staring at it, then let out a delighted whoop.

I ran to Ari, my feet whispering through the grass, and I vaguely noticed I was floating through the air. Voices were already murmuring around me. She did it. She did it. She did it.

Flushed with victory, I reached Ari's side, grabbing at her arm. She turned around, eyes widening. "How..."

A crowd was gathering around us, eagerly listening. I caught Len's face, looking awestruck and - proud? And Kyra's face, anger etched in her fine face and saturating her ruby lips and pitch hair.

For a moment, jealousy held me back - I shouldn't say it, Kyra will know - but then it was driven out by the desire to share this knowledge.

"You have to choose a spark," I said, my voice carrying through the grounds. "You have to will it to come to you."

Without chancing a glance at anybody's face, I strode serenely inside the cold, heartless palace.

Hi, Cookies!

Wow, that chapter was awesome. Such drama and magic and stuff! I'm seriously glad that you guys are putting so much heart into this story. Thank you so much for all that support. <3 I will try to write as much as I can, but my leg is hindering me.

Go check out my friend Kitty's profile page! She has a story, called The Mage's Secret. It's really awesome. ;3 I've been bugging her to write more, so maybe if we all pitched in she will continue cranking out chapters as fast as I do. (I seriously like barf out these chapters. Haha. But if it's barf, it's awesome barf, yes? ;D)

Let's get this story to 100 reads! Woop woop! Please vote, comment, like and share this story if you want more! ;D

Thank you guys so much! -Sugar