"Why is there a school in a place like this?" Zeda Iverson asked from the back of the car.
She felt uneasy, a feeling that had been growing since her trip to Shadowbrook Academy began.
Her parents had practically forced her to come here instead of letting her go to college, even though she'd finished high school a year ago.
Then there was the mystery of her arrival. Her parents couldn't bring her themselves. Instead, a school official picked her up with all her bags.
She was supposed to live at the school, which was unsettling enough, but the location itself was truly creepy. They had driven past endless empty land and were now deep in a forest. She hadn't seen a single house since they left the city over an hour ago.
The driver, a young and handsome man in his early thirties, met her gaze in the rearview mirror. "Shadowbrook owns all this land, even those empty fields we passed," he said, a hint of pride in his voice.
Zeda gasped. "What?!"
Who could be rich enough to own land the size of a big city?
The man just smiled a little, offering no explanation.
"Is it a high school or a college?" Zeda asked. "Because I'm done with high school."
The driver frowned. "The school could be both a high school and a college."
What does that mean? Zeda wanted to ask, but instead she decided to take a deep breath and lean back into the soft leather seat.
Her mind buzzed with questions. She remembered the strange look on her parents' faces when they told her about Shadowbrook Academy, like they had no choice in the matter.
She'd even tried to look up the school online, but the internet said it didn't exist and there was no information about its location.
"What's the name of this place, sir?" Zeda couldn't hold back her curiosity.
"Just call me Dale," the driver replied. "And the school is in Whispering Hollows."
Creepy! Zeda wanted to shout.
She felt like she was heading to a place for witches and ghosts. The school's name was eerie enough, but 'Whispering Hollows' sent shivers down her spine.
Dale drove for another two hours before Zeda finally saw a sign of the academy: a very tall, black fence stretching into the distance with a huge matching gate.
She tried to see where the fence ended but gave up; it was simply too long. They had left the forest now and were driving on a clear road.
She watched Dale pull out his phone and make a call as they approached the gate.
A minute later, the gate opened with a robotic voice welcoming them.
Zeda was sure the fence was electric. She stared, mouth open, as Dale drove them through the school entrance.
"Is this a school?" Zeda asked, shocked. She'd just passed what looked like a massive shopping mall.
Dale chuckled. "It's like its own little city, dear. You can find anything you need here."
"That's amazing," Zeda said, looking at the buildings around her.
Some were old and spooky with a reddish-brown color, while others were modern and fancy, like city buildings.
"The red buildings are for learning," Dale explained, glancing at her in the mirror. "The fancy ones are apartments, offices, and the rest."
"Is there a spa here too?" Zeda joked.
To her surprise, Dale nodded. "Everything's here. We made sure of it. Students won't have any reason to leave."
His last statement made her feel like she had just entered a cage.
"Students can't leave?" Zeda asked, her voice louder than she intended.
"Not really. You won't even want to leave."
Zeda thought about his words, wondering again what this school was all about.
The moment she passed through the big gate, she felt something strange, almost... like she belonged there.
"We're going to the director's office now," Dale said, interrupting her thoughts. "He'll tell you what you need to know."
"Okay. What about you?" Zeda asked.
She wasn't sure she was ready to meet a stranger alone in this strange school.
Dale had been nice so far, and she wasn't ready to part with his company yet.
"I have other new students to pick up, dear. I'm sorry I won't be able to take you to your room when you're done," Dale replied.
There was something unique about Zeda compared to all the new students he had driven in the five years he'd been doing this.
And her eyes...
"You've become so powerful at such a young age," Dale said.
Zeda saw the look of admiration on Dale's face and frowned, confused by his words. "Powerful?"
Dale chuckled. "You don't need to hide it. Your eyes reveal everything."
Zeda sat up straight. "My eyes? What happened to my eyes?"
Dale's expression shifted from confusion to shock. He shook his head and mumbled a curse before driving faster.
Confused, Zeda pulled out her phone and opened the camera to look at herself. As she stared, she couldn't understand what Dale was saying.
Her eyes were still silver, like they had always been, and there was nothing strange about them. Except for the little glow they had, but that didn't mean anything.
Or did it?
"We've arrived," Dale said, stopping her from asking questions.
She got out of the car with a tired sigh and waited for Dale to take her bags out of the trunk.
After he retrieved her three suitcases, he led her into the tall "Administration Building."
They entered the elevator, with Dale easily carrying two of her heavy suitcases.
Zeda was amazed; those suitcases were heavy! She was struggling with her own, even though it was the lightest.
Finally, they arrived at a hallway with only three doors. Dale raised his hand to knock on the door that said "Director."
A smooth, calm voice cut in: "Come in."
She wondered how the person knew they were outside the door, and why Dale took a deep, nervous breath before opening the door.
She found out why when she walked into the large office.
A man sat behind a wooden desk. His eyes were the most piercing she had ever seen. It took her a moment to notice they were bright red.
"Dale," the man said, greeting him.
"Sir, this is the new student you wanted me to bring to you specifically," Dale said, bowing.
Specifically? Zeda looked at both men.
The man smiled at her. "A smooth ride?"
It wasn't until both men looked at her with raised eyebrows that she realized he had been talking to her.
"Yes... he was nice," Zeda stammered.
Dale grinned, seemingly pleased that his efforts had been appreciated.
"Good." The man nodded, then looked at Dale. "You can go. There are still many more students for you and your team to bring in. You did a good job with this one."
Dale bowed and left, giving Zeda a good-luck smile as he went.
Now she was alone with the man with piercing eyes.
The man stood up. He was tall and slim and moved gracefully as he stood in front of her.
Zeda had always thought her skin was paler than usual, but this man's skin was even paler than hers.
Only one thing came to her mind as she looked at his eyes, his skin and his graceful movements:
Vampire.
She shivered at the thought and then chuckled to herself. Those things weren't real.
"You must be Zeda. I'm Mr. Percival, the director of Shadowbrook Academy," he said, offering a hand with long fingers.
"Yes, nice to meet you," Zeda said, shaking his hand. His hand was cold.
He asked her to sit on one of the leather couches and then sat across from her.
"You own this school and all that land, not to mention the forest?" Zeda asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.
Mr. Percival chuckled at her directness. "No, the owner of the school does. I'm just in charge of it for now."
Zeda wondered who owned the school then.
"So, I'll tell you a few things and then let you rest, is that okay?" Mr. Percival asked.
"Yes, sir," Zeda replied.
"Good." He smiled. "First, Shadowbrook Academy is not like the regular schools you know. We focus more on developing talents and supernatural abilities than just schoolwork, though we try to have a balance."
He saw Zeda frown but kept talking.
"For example, if you're talented in singing or dancing, we have good programs here to help you become very good at it. So Zeda, what is your talent? Or what do you love to do?"
Zeda thought about the question for a moment. The answer was easy. "Acting. I love acting," she replied.
Mr. Percival grinned. "That's nice. Here is Mr. Carl's office number; you'll find it on the second floor. He's the director of the theater department, so feel free to see him when you're ready."
Zeda took the paper with the office number and put it in her jeans pocket. "Okay, sir."
"That will be all for now. I'll call you when I want to talk to you again. You'll be living in Apartment 11, room 4. Your roommate will give you your own key. Any questions?"
A roommate? Ugh. Zeda liked being alone.
"You mentioned something about developing supernatural abilities. What does that mean, sir?" Zeda asked. Those words had been on her mind since he said them.
Mr. Percival smiled. "That's what we'll talk about when we meet again, dear. Now, you should go and rest. You've had a long trip."
Zeda wanted to shout until she got her answers.
First, Dale left her wondering about her eyes and how powerful she was. And now Mr. Percival. Supernatural abilities? Seriously?
"This isn't just a school. It's something else," Zeda muttered to herself, with a shiver.
The smile on Mr. Percival's face as he stood up fluidly told her he had heard her.
"Zeda Iverson, welcome to Shadowbrook Academy."
*****
"Hello?"
"I saw her today."
"Okay. How is she? Tell me everything."
"Well, she looks more like her mom."
A laugh came from the other side of the phone. "That's not bad."
"And her skin is lighter than usual. But her eyes are silver with the glow."
"Silver? But she doesn't know about her powers or ascending in the realm."
"That's what I thought. She's special, right?"
"Considering her roots, yes. But her powers could be even stronger than we think."
"You're right. Why do you think her powers are locked?"
A weary sigh came through the phone. "I wish I knew."
"Do you think it's because she's not twenty yet?"
"It doesn't matter. Eighteen is the latest age for powers to manifest. And she's nineteen."
"That's true. So, what are you going to do with her?"
"We'll start with what's clear. Her silver eyes mean she's a mage. So, you need to put her in the mage kingdom. Make sure the strongest mage teaches her."
"That's not a problem. It's a good start."
"Also, make sure she sees a lot. Send her on missions, anything that will trigger her powers to manifest."
"I understand. Anything else?"
"No, that's all for now. Just watch her closely."