The Start of Something Unspoken
Miruna looked up from her trunk to see two girls enter. Both were dressed in the knee-length skirt and white blouse of the uniform. Miruna watched as they looked around the main common room, the nooks, and then finally their view landed on her. One of the girls noticed Miruna looking her way and smiled.
She approached Miruna with an extended hand, her energy already radiating like a warm wave.”Hello. My name is Thalia. I hope that we’ll get along well; I’m really glad to meet you! I’m so excited to be here! Rowan — oh! That’s my brother!— has told me so much about the classes!” She enthused, swinging her long blond braid over her shoulder. “Did you know that they have a club all about dragons? Isn’t that cool! I reeeallly want to join it!”
Miruna shook her hand, feeling a little overwhelmed by Thalia’s immediate warmth but managing a small smile in response. "I’m Miruna. I didn’t know they had a dragon club. I don’t even know any of their clubs."
Thalia’s eyes went wide. "You didn’t? Didn’t your parents tell you anything about their schooling?"
Miruna shook her head, glancing briefly at her trunk to avoid Thalia’s piercing curiosity. "My parents didn’t come here. I found the application hidden in… one of our libraries. My parents didn’t even know about the school."
"Oh, wow!" Thalia’s mouth fell open in surprise. "Most kids here are from legacy families. People tend to stick with their family’s school. In fact, I don’t think there are normally outsiders admitted. You must be a special case! Aurelia and I have been planning this for years. Ari! Come here!"
The other girl had been hanging back, standing near the doorway with her fingers loosely woven together. She seemed almost relieved for an excuse to join the conversation, and as Thalia grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward, she stumbled a little before managing a shy smile and a small wave.
"Hi. I’m Aurelia Nightshade," she said quietly, her dark brown hair partially obscuring her face as she avoided Miruna’s eyes.
"Miruna," she responded, returning the greeting with a nod.
Aurelia’s smile was gentle, and her voice barely rose above a whisper. She seemed the quieter half of the pair, her energy more contained. Thalia, meanwhile, had already resumed exploring the room, poking her head out from the nook on the other side.
"Ari! We can have spaces next to each other!" Thalia squealed, her excitement reverberating off the walls. "This is going to be so fun! I can’t wait! Oh! Do you know what we’re doing for lunch? Rowan said we’ll eat in the dining court of the castle, but it’s 11:30 now! What if they’ve forgotten about us?"
Aurelia rolled her eyes slightly, giving Miruna a conspiratorial smile. "I’m sure we’ll be fine, Lia."
"I hope so!" Thalia leaned halfway out of the nook, looking slightly dramatic as she clutched her stomach. "It would be so awful to miss lunch! And on the first day!"
"That was like three hours ago. You’re fine," Aurelia teased, settling down into her chosen nook.
Just then, the door creaked open, drawing the attention of the girls. A girl walked in, exuding a calm but unmistakable confidence. She was tall, with fiery red hair with small braids woven throughout it, one of which held a striking phoenix feather that shimmered with hues of red and gold as it caught the light. Like the others, she wore the school uniform, though her posture and steady gaze set her apart.
She took in the room, then offered the girls a nod. "I’m Seraphina," she introduced herself simply, her voice smooth but purposeful. "I’m guessing you’re my roommates."
Miruna noticed how Seraphina’s confidence was quieter, more grounded than Thalia’s bubbly enthusiasm. Seraphina’s gaze settled on the remaining nook, the one beside Miruna’s, and she set her bag down. She turned to the group with a small smile. "I heard there’s a dragon club here. I’m planning to join that."
Thalia lit up, clasping her hands together with a gleeful expression. "Yes! Isn’t it exciting? Do you know much about it?"
Seraphina nodded. "It’s called the ‘Order of Emberclaw’. My mother was part of it when she went to CPSAM. They divide it into three parts: Care, Racing, and the Dragon Guard."
Miruna, curious despite herself, looked up from her trunk. "The Dragon Guard?"
"It’s a team of elite riders who handle surveillance missions and protect the glacier. They’re even assigned as guards on school-sponsored trips." Seraphina’s eyes sparked with a hint of pride. "The other branches are focused on care and research for dragons and racing, which is actually a pretty popular sport here."
"That is so incredible!" Thalia bounced on her toes, practically vibrating with excitement. "I didn’t know there were so many parts to it! And racing? Can you imagine racing a dragon, Ari?"
Aurelia smiled, albeit more reservedly. "Sounds… thrilling," she murmured, clearly a bit wary of the idea.
As the group continued to unpack, Miruna observed her new roommates’ interactions from a slight distance. She felt a bit of an outsider, her thoughts a mix of wonder and skepticism. Her parents hadn’t prepared her for any of this; in fact, they’d barely acknowledged her, let alone her acceptance to CPSAM. She couldn’t help but wonder if these girls would treat her differently if they knew her background.
While she was still lost in thought, an announcement echoed through the room. "Attention all first-year students, please report to the main common room at 11:45 for lunch. Repeat: please report to the main common room at 11:45 for lunch. Thank you."
Seraphina was the first to respond, closing her trunk with a sense of finality. "Well, that’s our cue."
Thalia bounced up. "I’m starving! Let’s go!" She grabbed Aurelia’s hand, tugging her forward with infectious enthusiasm, while Seraphina followed at a more leisurely pace.
Miruna trailed behind the others, feeling a pang of hesitancy as she watched them laugh and chat ahead of her. Maybe they’re only being nice because I’m their roommate. They’ve all got their own history here, she thought, fidgeting with her uniform’s sleeve.
When they reached the main common room, the large space was bustling with first-year students, all dressed alike and talking animatedly. Miruna scanned the room, looking for a familiar face, and soon found Alaric standing by a window, waving at her.
"Hey, Miruna!" Alaric greeted her with a friendly grin as she approached. "How are your roommates?"
Miruna gave a small shrug. "They’re… nice. Full of energy."
Alaric chuckled. "Mine are the same way. I think everyone’s just buzzing with excitement."
Before they could say more, the doors swung open, and a group of Professors entered. Miruna recognized them as the tour guides from earlier. They stood at the front of the room, waiting for the crowd to quiet.
One of the Professors stepped forward and addressed the students. "Good afternoon, first years. In a few moments, we will be guiding you to the dining hall in the castle. At lunch, each of you will receive your schedule for the next week, along with a map of the campus. Please stay with your group as we make our way over."
There was a murmur of excitement from the students. Thalia turned to Miruna with a grin, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "A map! We’ll finally get to see where everything is!"
As the students organized into groups, Miruna found herself glancing back at her roommates, a sense of cautious optimism creeping in. She still had her reservations, but maybe, just maybe, she was beginning to feel a small sense of belonging.