Misted drops of water sprinkled the window of the second story bedroom. This morning was a dreary one, and Aika found it matched her own mood.

It wasn't that she wasn't excited, she was. But still, it meant having to leave the comfort of her home.

The night before, Aika had taken great care to clean her room. The russet duvet was folded neatly over her queen bed. The precious ornaments she had collected over the years put back in their mismatched pattern atop her dresser. Dresses neatly hung in her wardrobe (not that she wore them often). Bleak grey carpet vacuumed and thin black walls with their straightened pictures.

Aika's bed, which was set in the middle of a wall had a single picture hanging above it. That was the only picture on the wall. Herself and her older sister, Adira. They both looked so happy. But now Adira was gone, and she was here. The one wall was yellow.

Aika didn't care that it looked odd. It was her sisters favourite colour and served as a reminder.

"Aika! Aika! Aika!" A repetitive voice yelled, barging into the room. "Are you ready to go?" Aiden, her little brother asked, jumping excitedly into her lap.

"I suppose." Aika grinned, smiling fondly down at him.

"Come on, come on, come on then! The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back and teach me magic!" Aiden was up, pulling her off the window seat by her hand. Once she was up, Aiden was already tugging her suitcase towards the door.

"Okay, okay! Let me take it. You'll only fall down the stairs." Aiden poked his tongue out at her, but gave up the suitcase.

Awaiting them at the bottom of the stairs, were their parents. Her mother, a pureblood Blood Mage, and her father, a pureblood Earth Mage stood side by side.

"We're so proud of you honey." Peter Mallory embraced his daughter in a warm hug. Aika could smell the homey scent of the garden she'd grown used to.

Pulling away she turned to her mother, Clarisse Mallory. The regal woman nodded firmly to her. "Go show them." was all she said.

It must have been awkward for her, Aika thought. Her mother barely ever praised her. One would have thought making it into MAGE would've warranted more than a 'go show them'.

"You are coming back right?" Aiden tugged her sleeve, staring up at her with a worried expression.

"Of course I am! And I'm going to come back ten times as strong, so don't you worry. I'll be back before you know it." She kneeled down to his height.

The five year old sniffled before he began to cry. Tears ran from his mismatched eyes. His small arms hugged her knees. Aika pulled him closer and tried not to cry herself.

"Run along, Aika. You will be late otherwise." Her mother picked up the crying raven. "Damon is waiting for you outside."

Damon was their private driver. Aika never could remember, but she was pretty sure Damon was a Werewolf. They made for good bodyguards.

"Morning, Miss Mallory." He greeted her when she climbed in the front.

"Morning. Bleak morning isn't it?"

"Indeed."

That was as far as the conversation went, for neither creature was particularly talkative.

Aika spent the ride entirely slave to her thoughts. She was only broken out of them when the car door was open. Aika jumped, hand flying to her chest, resting over her heart.

"You scared me." She gasped.

"My apologies Miss. We are here."

She turned to face the structure that would housing her for the near future and gasped.

~~~~

I have so many plans for this and yet none at all.

Peace,

BTSWD
Borntosingwithdrama