Annabelle’s Bastion

To say that Bastion Academy was out-of-this-world felt like a grievous understatement. Obviously, being a location of magic and fantasy, it wouldn’t be anything like what Anna was used to. But even with that expectation, she was floored right out of the gate.

“This is still Earth,” Aria explained, leading Anna forward. “An isolated island; without a gate, entry isn’t possible.”

“An… island,” Anna muttered beneath her breath.

Could islands get that large? And the fauna, trees, and architecture certainly didn’t seem like anything from modern Earth. Maybe if she went back in time and added a bit of fantasy. She felt like a kid in a toy store.

It was mesmerizing.

And she had only seen the start of it! Anna arrived with Aria at what she assumed was one of the entry marks, an octagon-shaped building straight out of fantasy with what looked like reception desks along all the walls. Voices echoed across the walls, excited and boisterous at their new world.

People from all walks of life ventured through the building with the same awe in their gaze.

Nobody else had an Aria by their side—someone from the island. Also known as an expert tour guide!

But the oddity of that bit of information was swept aside in Anna’s mind in favor of the grand spectacle awaiting her when she officially stepped into the Academy grounds.

“Oh... my god.”

When she stepped outside, she once again froze. There it was, in all its glory. It was like she stepped through a dark tunnel just to get blinded by the sun.

The beautiful sounds of birds soaring through the skies, the cacophony of the massive crowds showing the same admiration as her, and the ethereal hum coming from the magic lights around her.

Just the visuals were enough to make Anna feel dizzy. The stone grounds, massive fountains with water spurting out of griffin heads, mages dressed in mixes of modern and fantasy clothing, and gardens of myriad colors.

Aria tugged Anna’s hand, pulling her along. If Aria wasn’t there, she’d be petrified, staring at the wonders like under a hypnotic spell.

As they neared it, the crowds thinned due to the blockage at the check-in point. The point that Anna skipped purely because of her trusty guide. Nobody even bat an eye as they walked out.

“Are these lights magic?” Anna asked, assuming Aria heard.

“Yes.”

“Woah.”

Something so simple yet so intriguing. She almost couldn’t take her eyes off of them.

Yet, even those astonishing lights seemingly powered by nothing paled compared to the structure dominating the horizon.

Further ahead was a perfectly circular, massive lake in what Anna assumed to be the middle of the island. Bridges across the lake led to a gargantuan, castle-esque building filled with spires, large windows, and interconnected towers. It looked even grander than just a medieval castle—even too grand to call it a King’s palace.

In the center of the island—the middle of the castle—was a large, octagonal tower that pierced the clouds. Presumably, the top of that building held the command center. The people responsible for the Academy and those responsible for her fate! Perhaps even the highest authority in the magic world.

Could she be in that building one day?

“That is the primary building, the headquarters for Bastion’s operations on Earth,” Aria explained. Anna’s confidence in Aria’s character grew with each passing moment—how she took on the role of tour guide unprompted. The cold woman was actually quite warm!

“It...” Anna didn’t know how to describe it. Even from where she stood, it looked like one of the vastest buildings by width she had ever seen. “...Looks like it belongs to an Emperor.” Yet even that utterance didn’t do it justice.

But that wasn’t even close to all the imposing island had. Even outside the confines of the lake, every building was reminiscent of medieval Europe and fantasy, with shapes like octagons, triangles, or circles. Closer to her, she could see what looked like a large observatory, with its huge telescope pointed… at the sun.

A dense forest with towering trees prevented her from seeing the rest of the island, but there appeared to be the tops of more colosseums in the distance! Foreboding—but just as cool.

How did such a massive place go unnoticed by Earthlings? Magic, obviously. But it was such a ridiculous notion to consider.

“It took years for them to build: terraforming the land, getting the materials to the island, and finding the staff.” Even Aria had a trace of admiration in her voice. “A difficult task; they place great importance in this place.”

Anna absentmindedly nodded.

Someone bumped into her, nearly sending her smaller frame to the ground if it weren’t for Aria’s quick reflexes saving her from that. “S-sorry.”

However, the man had already gone into the crowd behind them.

“Why apologize?” Aria pulled her up. “It was his fault.”

Anna shook her head. “I... wasn’t really paying attention to the... road?” It was more like a cobblestone path.

Aria stopped and looked down into Anna’s eyes like she was searching for something. “If I wasn’t here, he’d have sent you to the ground and possibly injured you. Would you have apologized then?”

The presence of those cold amber eyes made it hard to maintain eye contact, especially with how severe they appeared. Aria didn’t say that in a tone of ridicule; it was more akin to a curiosity. Or, it kind of felt that way.

However, Anna was still reeling from the sights and sounds around her; she couldn’t care less for such a silly thing. “Maybe? Why?”

“You should find the answer, or your time here will not be pleasant.” She tore her eyes away and led them forward again.

“Uh... ok. If you’re trying to imply I’m a pushover, then you’re wrong!” She sped up to Aria’s front and looked up into those amber eyes. “Intent is important, and I can recognize it most of the time.”

“We’ll see.”

Anna snorted. “How ominous.”

It seemed like some odd way for Aria to show concern. The Academy was bound to be hyper-competitive, add magic and independent resources to the mix, and it was a recipe for pushovers to get beaten down.

Aria didn’t say anything else on the matter, and Anna returned to admiring the scenery around the island.

Soon after, they reached the end of the long lines that stretched from the castle all the way across the bridge. Lined across the bridge’s walls were the open, stone mouths of dragons with white orbs inside them. The center had a massive arch with two human statues on either side, their staves meeting in the center. Through those staves was a long line that went from the castle steps all the way to the bridge’s start.

“Here,” Aria said as they approached.

“Oh god.”

It was going to be a dreadful wait!

Not to mention the noises of chatter; there were so many concurrent conversations that Anna couldn’t pinpoint a specific one. She’d love to chat with some of the people—kill time. Presumably, she had no choice but to wait this time.

However, she had forgotten about the omnipotent power of her tour guide—Aria walked right past the end of the line and onto the stone bridge.

“What?” Anna exclaimed. “We don’t have to wait?!”

“I will not wait for their painfully slow process.”

“You... really?”

Aria nodded and then checked Anna’s outfit. “It will be easy to skip past it.”

“Devious!” Anna did look a little more stylish than most people in that line, but it was hardly her that gave the impression. “I like—wait... are you a student here, too?”

“Yes.”

She hadn’t made that assumption at all! Aria looked as much like a fictional character as one could; Anna assumed she was already a mage! Some kind of assistant to Alisha. However, she spoke like she should be in line!

The confirmation only made it weirder.

“Then why did you pick me up? Actually, I haven’t seen anyone else with someone like you accompanying them. Why?”

“.I haven’t attended the Academy, but I knew about magic, and now I finally get to learn it. I accompanied you because I was asked to... Don’t ask; I do not know.”

That was a little too honest, which threw Anna for a loop. “Should that really be something you admit?”

Bastion did pay Anna some special attention, or at least Alisha did. The only reasons she could come up with were her parents and their wealth, but surely that meant nothing to a mage organization. Alternatively, maybe Anna had a hidden talent. She didn’t like uninformed speculation; either way, she wouldn’t get the answer unless they told her. If she did have hidden talent, she’d find out by comparing herself to her peers. As long as it didn’t affect how others treated her, the special treatment didn’t really matter.

“I don’t care to lie.”

“That’s... admirable.” Anna looked up at Aria’s face but couldn’t get anything from it. “But I feel like you just gave away a big secret.”

“If it was a big secret, they should have told me to keep it that way.”

“And that’s the difference between telling me or not? Just like that?”

“Yes.” No change in her body language or tone indicated it was anything more than that.

Anna giggled. “You’re an odd one, you know.”

She walked beside Aria, a newfound sense of friendship forming in her mind with the odd girl beside her. Her first mage friend.

“You too.”

Words Anna’s heard enough times to treat them as air, though it was likely the same for Aria.

Once they reached the front of the bridge, the true majesty of the castle-like Academy became visible. It looked like she was about to meet a King. A long flight of stairs led up to a set of doors that would herald the start of Anna’s magical journey.

There were only a few men and women in what Anna assumed to be traditional mage robes managing desks where each person in line was checked on a sheet of paper, presumably checked into the building. Luckily, they were in the process of setting up a few more points.

One glance backward sent a shiver down Anna’s spine. She felt slightly bad for skipping that line, but she’d be miserable having to wait back there! It reminded her of waiting in line for popular attractions at a carnival.

A tall woman with platinum blonde hair tied into a ponytail stepped through one of the many side doors and headed straight for them. She had a pair of rectangular glasses over her steely... pink eyes. Her clothing was a fancy black and white suit, which made her look like one of those guys who manage celebrities. Not to mention the clipboard in her hand, cementing that image.

“Nora,” Aria said, following Anna’s gaze. “She’s one of the highest-ranking teachers in the Academy. She’s in charge of mana control. “

“So… a big shot.” Anna swallowed her nervous lump. She looked like the kind of person who would yell at them for skipping in line!

As expected, those pink eyes met Anna’s and squinted. She beckoned them toward her, her brows furrowed at Aria but with an expression that seemed she was used to dealing with the girl.

“Don’t worry.”

An impossible task. Anna lowered her voice, whispering, “If anybody asks, this was all your idea!”

Aria nodded, and they silently approached the tall lady.

“Aria...” She sounded exasperated as if dealing with Aria’s whims was a norm. “What do you think you’re doing?” That was a voice like steel, a strict educator but not so much as to be unpleasant on the ears. Quite the opposite—it was almost seductive. “And you brought...” She checked her clipboard for a moment, and her eyes briefly flashed. “Annabelle Frost with you.”

Her name was on that small clipboard? Among the likely thousands of people entering the Academy? And the way she reacted—she knew Anna beforehand. She had to ask why, but that could wait until after the scolding.

“Yes. We’re here for the opening,” Aria responded without a change in her tone. “Then we will head to the dorm. I did not want to wait in that line.”

A total lack of decorum.

Anna slapped her forehead.

Nora’s hands went to her hips, a signature move for an incoming lecture. However, after a moment, she just sighed. “You aren’t above our rules anymore, Aria. You are now a student like every other person in that line and will receive no special treatment from me or any faculty.”

“Special treatment? Me?” Aria asked rhetorically, a trace of mockery in her tone. There was definitely a history there—Aria almost sounded bitter. “Our names are already present; we don’t need to wait.”

Anna tried to make herself as invisible as possible, but that didn’t last long as those pink eyes turned to her. “Miss Frost, what about you?”

“Uh...” There wasn’t a point in lying, nor would Anna actually throw Aria under the bus. “I would die if forced to stand in a line for longer than 20 minutes... I think.” She practically whispered the last part. However, all she received was a glare that made her shrink a little. “Sorry.”

It was a strange feeling to be in a situation where none of her background meant anything; who her parents were, where she lived, who she was close with. All of it meant nothing in the new world. Being stared at like that really cemented it.

The weight of that realization gripped her tightly—it was easy to forget how much she could get away with back on Earth.

For the first time in her life, she felt small. It wasn’t bad, actually. To know that no decisions were being made by others on account of who she was. Just that… she’d like that realization to hit in a less serious situation!

“Aria was technically correct; you two are already on the list." She sighed, shaking her head. "But you didn’t know that. That is why I came out here—to get you... However, if you pull any stunts again, your punishment will not be as light as mere detention, you hear me? Both of you.”

Aria nodded. “Yes.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” Anna tilted forward in a slight bow. She had to stay on the good side of those at the top of the Academy. Hopefully, Nora didn’t care too much.

Nora chuckled. “Good. This sort of self-importance will result in disciplinary action, the worst of which could lead to expulsion and having your memory of magic wiped. Don’t let whatever you had on Earth affect your behavior here—you will not get away with it. You are all equal in our eyes. Humans.”

That was…harsh. Anna once again nervously swallowed. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Even if Bastion did treat her specially, she wouldn’t let that dictate how she interacted with her peers, nor would she behave as if treated differently. She knew full well how it could affect others.

Nora stared for a second longer as if to gauge Anna’s response as genuine. After a few seconds, she nodded and took her hands off her hips. “I believe you, Annabelle.”

“Can we go?” Aria stepped forward and asked.

Nora squinted at Aria. “You better not influence our newcomers poorly, Aria. Alisha might just kill you this time.” She turned around and beckoned them to follow. “Come with me; I’ll take you guys to the stadium for the opening ceremony. After that, since your temporary schedules have already been created, you will head straight to the dorms—do not wander yet—to get yourselves comfortable for classes tomorrow.”

She led the duo up the stone stairs and into the magnificent great hall of Bastion Academy.

Anna felt like she just cleared the first hurdle... kind of.