Are Visions normal?

I did my best to get through the rest of the day, but it sure as hell wasn't easy. Not after experiencing that living nightmare in class. It was one of the most intense experiences I'd had so far.

I tried to behave normally in front of the witches, but it was difficult. All I could do was think about breaking into the library. It made no sense, but deep down, I knew I needed to get in there and locate the books that my alternate-self had stolen.

As I thought about the vision, I pushed my food around my plate. It was dinner time, but I seemed to have very little appetite, even though I'd skipped lunch to study. Eventually, I sighed, set my fork down, and rubbed at my throbbing temples.

I couldn't eat another damn bite.

"You shouldn't be wasting your food," Faye sneered from across the table.

"Why do you care?" I grunted without looking up.

"He can't eat because something's wrong with him," Morgana said.

"What the hell do you mean?" I asked and shot the brunette witch a glare. "Nothing is wrong with me."

Of course, that was a lie. My mind was murky, and I was completely drained. That vision had sucked all my energy dry, and at this point, I was just running on fumes and trying to push through the rest of the day.

But these witches were making it complicated.

"You practically fell out of your seat in premonition class," Morgana scoffed. "Don't act as if I didn't notice. I saw you."

"I was just tired," I lied. "I guess I nearly fell asleep, and my body jerked itself awake."

I looked at each witch and tried to read their expressions, but after a long moment, I realized none of them believed me.

Finally, Rin snorted and rolled her coal black eyes. "Sure you did." "Sounds like troll shit to me," Blair snickered.

"Yeah, I don't buy it," Morgana said as her ice blue eyes bored into mine. "Why don't you just admit to what really happened?"

"I already told you," I replied as calmly as possible, but my patience was wearing thinner by the second.

"You're nothing but a liar," Sweeny muttered under her breath. Her red mouth pulled back into a sneer, and I could see her sharp, bloodstained teeth peeking through. "Why would we believe a word you say, mortal?"

"And you're nothing but a pain in my ass," I snapped. "You can believe me or not, I really don't care either way. You all can just fuck off."

I just couldn't take it anymore, so I stood up and left the witches to eat the rest of their meals. There was no way I could continue to sit with them while they bitched at me. Normally, I found it amusing, and I entertained it, but I was not in the mood today, not after what had happened in Premonition class.

I thought about heading to my room to rest, but I knew I had to study for my next class. There was a lot of information to retain, and I needed to get as much reading done as possible.

Now that everyone was eating, I could have the study hall to myself, so I marched down the corridors while the portrait eyes followed my every step. My footsteps echoed as I walked along the black wooden floor, and the stained glass windows allowed a small bit of pale sunlight to peek through and cast a warm glow on my skin.

I paused to take a deep breath and let some of the tension roll off my shoulders. I loved when the hallways were empty. It almost felt peaceful, especially when it was sunny outside like right now.

As I made my way to the study hall, someone called out my name, and I turned around to see Headmistress Merlin standing there in the corridor.

She was wearing a long black and white checkered dress with a lace collar, and her dark hair was pulled back into a high bun.

Where the hell did she come from? She wasn't here a moment ago.

"Neon." She smiled. "I'm glad I caught you. May I have a quick word?"

"Sure." I nodded.

"We can walk and talk," Merlin replied before she placed a hand on my back and led me onward.

"Okay," I said as we walked. "So, what did you want to speak about?"

"How are you getting along with your classes so far?" the older woman asked.

"Has Yennefer not reported back to you?" I questioned with a confused frown.

"No, not yet," Merlin chuckled. "She's been quite the busy bee lately, and I haven't had a chance to discuss it with her yet, so I thought I'd just ask you directly."

"Well, everything is going fine," I replied with a shrug. "I think I'm really getting the hang of everything."

"I had a feeling you would." The headmistress' mouth twitched with the beginnings of a smirk. "You're a quick learner. I can tell."

"Is that a feeling or a premonition?" I flashed her a crooked smile.

Merlin tossed back her head and laughed.

"Nice try, but a witch never tells," she said before she stopped in front of the study hall.

"So, I suppose that means you won't tell me how you knew I was going to the study hall?" I asked with a smirk.

"I'm afraid not," she said and nodded to the door.

I was about to head inside, but there was a question I was dying to ask, and now was the perfect opportunity to do it.

"Headmistress," I said, "I have a question for you."

"Fire away," she replied.

"Are visions common?" I asked.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific," the older witch laughed. "Visions are a tricky subject, and I mean that literally."

"Well, I suppose what I meant to ask was, do witches have random visions?" I clarified. "I mean … even if they haven't acquired all the necessary premonition skills, is it still possible to have a vision?"

"It is." Merlin nodded. "But it's very uncommon. Only a select few can do it."

Again, only a select few. What the hell made me so special? I was dying to ask her, but I had a feeling she would just give me another ominous and vague response.

So, I decided to ask another question instead.

"Will I be able to read minds?" I asked out of plain curiosity.

"Eventually, I mean?"

"Time will tell, but I'm sorry, Neon," she said as she shook her head, "I'd love to continue this conversation, but I must get back to my office. I have a lot of work to get through today."

"It's alright," I told her, "I understand."

I was a little disappointed, but I could always get more answers from her later.

Merlin smiled again before she twirled her long-checkered skirts and headed back down the corridor.

I watched her go until she disappeared around the next corner, and then I went into the study hall. The walls were painted a deep, bark brown, and just like the corridors, the room was filled with portraits that liked to follow my every move. There were also rows of black iron chandeliers that were illuminated by long, ebony candles.

I dumped my premonition book on one of the octagon shaped tables and took a seat by an oval window. When I peered outside, I saw a sliver of gray sky and thick, smoky clouds, and I sighed.

I guessed the sun didn't last long around here.

After I took a deep breath, I opened my thick leather covered book and began to memorize the tarot cards on the pages. The first one was of a young, beautiful woman. She was holding a baby goat in her hands, and it was meant to illustrate fertility. The second image, though, was of a man hanging upside down to symbolize death.

I quickly realized these cards were pretty easy to read. The images could be deceiving, but if I took the time to remember them, it was a piece of cake. I was beginning to really appreciate these lessons, and I got a thrill from learning more and more.

So, even though I was dead exhausted, I pushed myself to keep going.

Once I'd finished studying the tarot card chapters, I turned to bone reading. This section was a little more challenging to learn. Color, tint, and missing or broken pieces all meant something different, and according to the text, missing even one small detail could ruin the reading.

I spent an hour reading about bones, and then finally, I came across the section that discussed senses and phenomenal intuitions.

This part of the book was the most interesting for me. It explained that with the right spell and mindset, I would be able to sense things at a higher level.

I read the listed incantation and what I was supposed to do before I recited the proper spell. Just like we'd done in class, it was mainly a meditation ritual. I had to clear my mind and take in a slow, deep breath. Then, according to the text, I needed to free my mind from overwhelming thoughts and concerns before anything else. I had to numb myself and be open to otherworldly spirits and influences. If done successfully, I could sense whatever I desired.

The more I read, the more I realized premonition seemed to be more difficult compared to blood magic, but that made sense. As we progressed through the classes, the subject matter was bound to become more challenging and challenging.

But I wanted to learn. No, I needed to learn.

My life depended on it.

As soon as I reached the chapter regarding visions, my stomach did a flip, and I rubbed my tired eyes and focused all my energy on the text.

The more I read, the more interesting the chapter became. I realized visions could happen at any time and at any place, but they didn't come to everyone. Only certain people were able to have visions, and those people were explicitly linked to the devil.

Again, I remembered what was said on my very first night. The devil had chosen me and brought me here to the academy.

But why?

Before I could dwell anymore on the question, I heard a group of footsteps approaching. I listened to the chatter, and I knew it was my group since I recognized their voices.

I was sitting in the far back of the room, and to my surprise, the witches took a seat at my table and quietly opened up their own books.

"What?" Morgana shrugged when she caught my eyes. Her cheeks were rosy pink, but they deepened to a crimson red as she met my gaze.

"Nothing." I grinned.

I was in a slightly better mood now that I'd finally had some alone time, and the fact that the witches willingly decided to sit next to me was quite intriguing.

They would always go on and on about how they wanted nothing to do with me, yet here they were.

Perhaps Morgana was feeling guilty for being such a bitch to me earlier, and I couldn't help but smirk at the thought.