Chapter 2: Arrival at Nytherra
Sera woke up very early. The sky outside was dark. The world was quiet. Today, she would leave her home for the first time.
She packed her things slowly. A few clothes. Some glowing herbs. And the letter with the red seal. Her hands shook a little. Her heart felt heavy and full of questions.
Her mother and aunt waited by the door. They didn't talk much. Her aunt gave her a long hug and a small pouch of herbs.
"These will protect you," her aunt said in a soft voice.
Her mother looked into her eyes. Her black eyes were shiny and still.
"Be strong. Be careful," she said.
Sera nodded. She didn't know what to say.
They walked together into the forest. The trees were tall and strange. Their bark was dark blue, and some had no leaves at all. Tiny lights floated between the branches like fireflies, but they moved too slowly, like they were watching.
The air changed as they walked deeper. It smelled like salt and lightning. The wind hummed with quiet magic. Sera could feel it on her skin, like tiny sparks.
After a long walk, they reached the gate.
It was huge and black, made of stone and metal. It was taller than the trees. Strange shapes moved on its surface—symbols that looked like eyes, claws, and stars. They glowed softly, changing colors.
"This is the gate to Nytherra," her aunt said.
Sera stepped forward. The gate opened by itself. No one touched it. A cold mist came out and wrapped around her feet. It felt like the mist knew her name.
Her mother and aunt stayed behind. They didn't follow.
"Goodbye," her mother said. Her voice echoed like wind in a cave.
Sera looked back one last time. Then she walked through the gate.
Inside, everything was different.
The sky above was not blue. It was dark, full of stars that moved. Floating rocks and lights drifted through the air. Some buildings were tall and shiny. Others were made of bone, glass, or tree roots. One building breathed like it was alive.
The creatures here were not human.
One had six legs and three eyes. Another had wings like glass and no mouth. One looked like a cloud with eyes. Some floated. Some walked on hooves or claws.
Sera felt small. She had never seen a place like this.
Then she saw a tall woman with silver hair and glowing eyes. She stood near a tower that stretched into the sky.
"Welcome to Nytherra Academy," she said. "I am Headmistress Lysandra."
Her voice sounded like many voices at once—soft, deep, and echoing.
Sera nodded. Her voice didn't work, so she stayed quiet.
The headmistress looked at the red-sealed letter Sera carried.
"You are one of the chosen," she said. "Follow the light."
A small glowing ball appeared in front of Sera. It looked like a tiny star. It floated slowly down a path. Sera followed it.
She passed strange creatures—students, teachers, maybe both. One had feathers and fur. Another had no face, just a mirror where its head should be. A few had glowing tattoos that moved across their skin.
The ground changed as she walked. Sometimes it looked like glass. Sometimes like moss. Sometimes like swirling fog.
The light led her to the main hall.
It was huge. Bigger than any room she had seen. Long tables stretched across the room. Some students had wings. Others had glowing eyes, claws, or no shadows. Everyone looked different.
A creature with many arms gave her a small silver badge.
"Sera Ashgrave," it said in a voice like bells.
A helper—a tall creature with glowing blue skin—led her to her dorm. The halls were strange. The paintings on the walls moved. Some gave advice. Some just laughed or blinked.
Her room was small but nice. There was a bed, a desk, and shelves. The window showed the strange forest outside.
Sera sat on the bed and breathed deeply. Everything was new. Everything was strange.
Then the door opened.
A girl floated inside. She had wings made of light and hair that sparkled.
"Hi! I'm Lira," she said. "I'm your roommate. I'm a fairy!"
Sera smiled. "I'm Sera."
"You're lucky," Lira said. "This school is full of weird things. We have witches, shadow beings, sky-folk, and dream creatures. But it's fun. You'll like it."
Sera nodded. She wasn't sure yet, but Lira seemed nice.
"Want to see the school?" Lira asked.
They walked through the halls together. Magic lights floated above them. The floor sometimes felt like water, sometimes like stone. Paintings whispered secrets as they passed.
They reached the library.
It was the biggest room Sera had ever seen. The books flew from shelf to shelf. Some glowed. Some had eyes. Some whispered softly.
"This is my favorite place," Lira said. "You can learn anything here. Even things no one remembers."
Sera smiled. She liked it too.
As they walked back, Sera saw someone familiar.
It was one of the boys she had seen earlier. He had pale skin, black eyes, and wore dark clothes. He looked at her and gave a small smile.
"You must be Sera," he said. "I'm Valen."
Another boy stood beside him. He had messy hair and golden eyes that glowed like a wild animal.
"Kael," he said in a deep voice.
The third boy had red eyes and didn't speak right away. He just nodded.
"Riven," he said finally.
Sera felt strange. Like she had met them before—but she hadn't. It was like her heart remembered them, even if her mind didn't.
Before she could speak, a loud bell rang.
"That's the first bell," said Lira. "Classes start now."
Sera looked up at the floating lights. She wasn't ready, but she was here. She had entered Nytherra. She couldn't go back now.
That night, she sat by the window. The moon above was bright red. She held the letter in her hands and read the words again:
All paths meet under the crimson moons.
She didn't know what it meant. Not yet.
But far below the school, in the deep dark, something watched her. Something old. Something powerful.
Sera didn't know it yet—but her true journey was just beginning.