Where It All Begins

I finish braiding my long hair and make sure my uniform was in order. I look myself over in the large standing mirror. The mirror ripples as a bored voice says, "Lyra, you look fine. How many times do I have to tell you."

I smirk at the mirror and lightly tap it with the back of my knuckle as I say "Thanks Mago, but I want to make sure everything is perfect. There are many who don't agree with me taking a place on the Dark Council. I don't want to give them any reasons to pick a fight."

Mago, the magic mirror ripples again and sighs with discontent. He mutters "If only I was stronger, I could slip into their mirrors and spy on those poisonous toads." I giggle in agreement and remind him "Some of them have magic mirrors too, Mago. You need to be careful."

Mago ripples again but he remains silent this time. My smile quickly fades as I grab a few more things and head for my door. I grab the long golden chain with a small golden circle hanging from it. I run my finger over it before slipping the necklace over my head and slipping it under my shirt. If you look closely, you'd see that it was a small compass with a small diamond in the middle. It wasn't a working compass though, just North, South, East, and West etched into the delicate gold.

It has been passed down in our family for longer than anyone can remember. Each time it takes on a new owner from our family, it changes its size and shape to fit the new owner. Before it was a big thick chain with a pendant, befitting my grandfather but now it's a delicate chain that shines when the light hits it.

I look back to Mago once more before walking to the door. I don't know why, but I can't get rid of the odd, uncomfortable feeling in my chest. As soon as my hand touches the doorknob, my magic washes over the door and it becomes a portal.

The portal was created years ago between my house and the grand council. If I don't use my power, I would just open my door and walk outside but even I don't know the true location of the Dark Council, so this was the only way to get there.

A large, dark hallway appears as I step through and close the door. My boots don't make much noise as I walk down the long hallway. Magic stones float in the air, lighting the hallway and giving everything a soft glow.

Once again, the uneasy feeling comes back but this time it's stronger. I slow my pace before coming to a stop. I silently look behind me, but my door is already gone. Once my power disconnects with it, the portal will close so now all that remains is a solid wall.

I can't put my finger on it, but it almost feels as if I'm being watched. I look around the long hallway once more before narrowing my eyes and turning around. I take a few more steps and raise my hand. I place my hand on the solid concrete wall in front of me.

As soon as my magic bleeds into it, the wall disappears. Bright, warm lights greet me as the sounds of laughter and talking greet me. A few closest to me turn and slightly bow in greeting and I return the gesture as I walk into the grand room. The wall quickly closes behind me, sealing my path once again.

Magical golden stones float high in the air, surrounded by reflecting gems. The light bounces off the reflecting gems, giving the entire room a feeling of magic and wonder. I nod as I walk past people, and they do the same out of respect.

"Lyra!!" I hear someone call me. I turn and find my good friend Aiya. We've been together for as long as I can remember and even though we aren't related by blood, she's like a sister to me. My smile turns genuine as she and I walk to each other.

She grabs my hands and lightly squeezes them with a large smile. "I'm so excited, Lyra! This is it; this is really it! We've been working on this for years and you've finally made it!" Her eyes begin to water as I lean forward and place my forehead against hers.

I whisper "We both did it. You will be joining the council with me next year." She sniffs and pulls back before waving me off and saying "Yeah yeah, I know, I know! It's not like you haven't said it every day, sometimes more than once a day for a month now."

I chuckle as warmth fills my heart. Her family is like my family, so I know how they are. When my grandfather passed away, it was just me. Ayia and her family were like the family I never had but always wanted.

My Grandfather wasn't a cruel man, but he was cold and withdrawn. He hardly ever spoke to me outside of lessons. He was brilliant in magic and theories but when he lost everyone he loved, he became broken and unavailable.

Both my parents were murdered when I was just a young child but to this day, we still haven't found out who did it or why. I was supposed to be with my parents that day, but I came down with a fever and stayed with my grandfather... they never came back.