I took her hand.
"Yes, let's see what my father prepared for me."
The moment I touched her, we vanished. In an instant, the world shifted beneath our feet, and we reappeared in an entirely different land another realm. This place felt strangely familiar, like home, only darker… and more beautiful. It reminded me of something out of The School for Good and Evil split down the middle, one side cloaked in shadow, the other bathed in light, yet somehow, they existed together in the same space.
"Now that we are here," she said softly, "there's no going back."
"What am I going to do now?" I turned to her, confused.
Without answering, she waved her hand or maybe it was magic. I didn't just feel different; I looked different too.
I was now dressed in black leather trousers, a matching jacket, and a small cap resting atop my head. My red-and-white hair, however, remained untouched.
"You roll with your mate," she replied.
"What about you? Where are you going?" I asked.
"To where I belong. See you. Someone will come meet you in a few minutes to show you around. Goodbye."
"Wait, don't go!"
But she didn't listen. She dashed away like lightning and disappeared into the night.
I stood there alone, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. Maybe just maybe I knew someone here. At least, I hoped so.
That's when a guy with red curls like mine appeared.
"You must be Fiona," he said, offering his hand for a shake.
"Yeah, I am. And you are...?"
"I'm Jack, the student assistant. The student leader is nowhere to be found, so I'll be assisting you today."
We began walking together.
"So, Fiona, which home do you belong to?" he asked.
"Home? What does that mean?"
He stopped and turned.
"Oh, I see. They didn't tell you we have homes here?"
"No, they didn't."
"Cool. So, there are four homes in this academy Noxmere Academy," he explained.
"There's Luneris, for werewolves. Virelle, for hybrids and rare supernatural beings. Aurora, for witches. And Noxtera, for vampires. So, sweetheart, which do you belong to?"
"Hmm... I... I..."
"I what?" he asked as we climbed the stairs.
"I don't know yet. I don't have my powers."
"Oh, I see. That means you belong to Virelle for hybrids. I belong there too. I'm just supernatural. Come on, let's get you to your room."
"Room? What about her?"
Before he could answer, two figures interrupted us a boy and a girl, the latter with striking purple hair.
"Jack, what are you up to again?" they asked in unison.
"Just showing the new girl around," Jack replied casually.
"That's Lucius Malfoy's job. Why are you doing it for him?"
"You know he's unreachable. I couldn't just keep her waiting."
"Keep who waiting?" a smooth voice echoed from the crowd.
A tall, handsome guy in a dark coat stepped into view. I stared from his boots to his face and instantly slapped a hand over my mouth.
The purple-haired girl whispered beside me, "I know, right? He is so cute."
"Who is he?" I asked.
"That's Lucius the student leader. Half-god, half-demon."
"What?!" I gasped.
"Shhh! Don't let him hear you!"
But she didn't understand why I was so shocked. It wasn't just his looks or his power. He was the boy she and Aurora had saved the boy his father sent to Earth with me. He was the same boy I saw by the highway... and now he was here.
"Is he everywhere?" I muttered under my breath.
"You can say that."
Lucius appeared right in front of me.
"And you are?"
"Fiona," I answered.
"Tsssk. Fiona... Who are you? The Red Fionaaa?" the purple-haired girl teased.
"Wait, she actually looks like her!" the boy beside her exclaimed.
"Whooo?" I asked, confused.
Lucius extended his hand.
"I'm Lucius, the student leader. Sorry for the wait."
I looked at his hand, stunned.
So he actually speaks. And his voice… was just as dashing as his face.
"I..."
"I already know your name," he said flatly.
The purple-haired girl came forward.
"I'm Janet. And this is Desmond my boyfriend."
They both smiled as they introduced themselves.
"Boyfriend?" I asked, pointing at them.
"Yeah, a couple," Desmond answered with a grin.
"So, which house do you belong to?" Lucius asked, pulling out a book.
"She doesn't know yet," Jack chimed in.
"Oh, then you're Virelle," Lucius said, without emotion.
I nodded.
"I'm Luneris," Desmond added.
"And I'm Noxtera," said Janet.
Then I turned to Lucius.
"Virelle," he repeated.
"Nice to meet you all."
"So, what are your powers or your bloodline?" Janet asked.
"I'm from a dragon and god bloodline. I used to shapeshift… before I lost my powers."
Lucius, who had begun walking away, stopped and turned. But he said nothing.
"Wow," Janet whispered. "Just like the legend."
"What legend?" I asked.
"Come, I'll show you," Jack said, guiding me toward the school's library.
Inside, the air was thick with knowledge. Shelves reached the ceiling, filled with books from different worlds and realms. But in the center of the library… a massive book floated in mid-air.
"Wooow," I breathed.
"Yeah, right? That's the legend. The Red Fionaaa."
"Rumor has it she's still alive but trapped," Janet added.
"She died. Come on," Jack muttered.
"No," Desmond argued. "She disappeared."
I stepped closer to the floating book.
"Can we read it?"
Lucius' voice echoed behind us.
"You can't. But there's a smaller one. It tells the same story, but you're not allowed to touch this particular one."
"Come on, Lucius, don't be so mean."
A woman stepped from the shadows. She was graceful, with an aura that silenced the entire room.
"I'm Isabella an Aurora," she said. "Don't mind him. You'll get to read it… eventually."
Everyone stepped back when she entered. The silence was eerie. She carried the presence of a queen.
"The queen of Noxmere Academy Lucius' girlfriend," she added.
"Girlfriend?" I repeated internally.
Why did that sting? Why did it hurt… for no reason at all?
"Keep dreaming," Lucius snapped at her.
They began to argue, then left the library.
Jack leaned closer.
"I'd advise you to avoid Isabella. Since you're prettier than her and right now, the prettiest in the entire school you'd best keep your distance."
"Why?" I asked.
"She's mean," Janet said. "She bullies newbies and powerless students like you."
"So it's best you avoid her," Desmond added.
I nodded.
"Thank you. So… about the book?"
Jack handed me the smaller version. I flipped through its pages, and what I saw made my breath catch.
This is my story. This is me.
The book… it was my diary. Rewritten.
But how? Everything that happened here was exactly what had happened back then.
"Who wrote this book?" I asked, my voice low.
"Some say she wrote it herself," Jack said. "Some say a human named Elias did. Others believe… it wrote itself."
"Wow… so why did it stop? Why isn't it finished?"
"No one knows," he replied. "That's why we never knew what happened to Red Fiona or her family."
I stood in silence.
So it was real.
I wanted to know what happened to my family.
I wanted to know if they survived.
I wanted to know what became of Antarctica after I left.
But when I disappeared… the book stopped writing.
That was when I realized the truth.
I am the Red Fionaaa.