Soo..

  I snatched my suitcase from the floor, my knuckles turning white as I gripped the leather handle.

  Inferior being.

  The words didn't just echo; they ricocheted around my skull like a bouncy ball in a tiled bathroom. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run after him and kick those polished, overpriced boots right off his feet. But I didn't. Instead, I channeled that rage into my legs.

  ?"Okay, world," I muttered, aggressively shoving a stray lock of red hair behind my ear. "Round one goes to the Emo Prince. But the match isn't over."

  ?I turned my back on the empty, echoing arrival hall and marched toward the massive double doors at the far end. Light bright, blinding, natural light spilled through the crack between them.

  The Gnome was gone. The other students had already filtered out. I was, once again, the straggler. The latecomer. The "defect".

  ?I pushed the doors open. They were heavy, reinforced with bronze and runes that hummed against my palms, but my anger gave me strength. I shoved them wide and stepped out.

  ?I expected a schoolyard. Maybe a nice courtyard with a fountain, some benches, perhaps a few strict teachers with clipboards directing us to our dorms. I expected something... institutional.

  I did not expect a metropolis.

  ?"Holy..." The curse died on my lips.

  ?My suitcase slipped from my fingers and hit the ground with a dull thud. I didn't even notice.

  Before me stretched a city that flouted every law of architecture and probably the laws of physics, too. It was a sprawling, vertical nightmare of beauty.

  To my left, towers of dark, obsidian stone pierced the sky, sharp and gothic, looking like petrified lightning bolts that had struck the earth and decided to stay. To my right, contrasting violently, were buildings that didn't seem built, but grown. Massive, organic structures woven from living wood and vines, with balconies blooming like giant flowers.

  ?But the strangest thing was what was happening above the skyline.

  Some towers didn't touch the ground.

  They floated. Huge, jagged chunks of rock and masonry rotated slowly and lazily in the air, disconnected from the earth. They were tethered to the city below by massive iron chains that clanked softly in the wind, though the chains looked more decorative than structural.

  I saw waterfalls that didn't fall down. Instead, they flowed sideways, rushing through shimmering, transparent channels that crisscrossed the sky like aqueous highways.

  ?"It’s impossible," I whispered, my analytical brain kicking into overdrive despite my awe.

  I stepped onto the wide boulevard, forgetting my anger for a split second.

  How does this work?

  I squinted at the nearest floating structure a clock tower that hovered about fifty meters up.

  It’s not wind power. The rotation is too constant. Is it magnetism? My eyes scanned the base of the floating rock. No... look at the faint shimmer underneath. It’s a Repulsion Field. Runes carved into the foundation to locally reverse gravity.

  ?"Inefficient," I mumbled to myself, a habit I’d picked up from reading too many engineering manuals in my father’s library. "The energy cost to keep that rock suspended must be astronomical. Unless..."

  I tapped my chin.

  "Unless they’re tapping into a ley line directly beneath the city. Then it’s free energy."

  ?"Move it, redhead!"

  A shoulder checked me hard from behind.

  I stumbled, barely keeping my balance. A group of Dwarves marched past me, lugging heavy, hissing steam engines on their backs. Their faces were smeared with soot, and they didn't even look at me.

  "Tourists," one of them grunted. "Always staring at the rocks."

  ?I scowled at their retreating backs. "I'm not a tourist, I'm a student!" I yelled, but they were already gone, swallowed by the noise of the street.

  ?I picked up my suitcase and looked around. The Gnome had said something about the 'Central Hall'. But where was that?

  The boulevard was a cacophony of sound and color. It was overwhelmed by a sea of students and residents.

  I saw Elves—High Elves, judging by their arrogance floating half a meter above the ground in a lotus position, drifting through the crowd with their eyes closed as if the ground were too dirty for their robes.

  I saw creatures I couldn't even name. A guy who looked like a walking pile of granite wearing a monocle. A girl with leaves growing out of her hair who was arguing with a vending machine.

  ?"Okay, Valerie. Focus," I told myself. "Follow the herd."

  ?I tried to follow the main stream of students, but my attention span was my own worst enemy.

  Look at that, I thought, stopping to stare at a shop window displaying jars of glowing blue liquid. Is that condensed mana? Or just fancy energy drinks?

  I walked a bit further.

  And that mechanism on the gate... is that steam-powered or soul-powered?

  ?I wandered. I stared. I analyzed.

  And without realizing it, I drifted.

  Like a moth to a flame, I followed the interesting sights away from the wide, marble-paved boulevard. I turned left at a floating fountain. Right at a shop selling dragon scales. Left again down a narrow alley that smelled of exotic spices.

  ?It wasn't until the sunlight began to dim that I realized my mistake.

  ?The noise of the crowd had faded. The cheerful, magical buzzing of the main street was gone.

  I stopped.

  I looked around.

  "Uh... guys?"

  ?The environment had changed drastically.

  I was no longer surrounded by white marble and floating crystals. The buildings here were packed tight, leaning over the street like old men conspiring. They were made of dark, soot-stained brick and rusty metal. The air here wasn't fresh; it smelled of old engine oil, wet fur, and something that looked suspiciously like rotting garbage.

  Steam hissed from cracked pipes overhead, creating a low-hanging fog that obscured the sky. The shadows were long and deep.

  ?I slapped a hand to my forehead.

  "Damn it," I sighed, my voice echoing too loudly in the narrow street. "Just my luck."

  I kicked a loose cobblestone, watching it skitter away into the darkness.

  "Idiot," I scolded myself. "First day. Not even an hour inside the city. And you’re already lost in the slums."

  ?I pulled my bag tighter against my chest, the leather strap digging into my shoulder.

  This had to be the Beast District. The graffiti on the walls gave it away—rough, claw-like scratches carved deep into the brickwork. The scent of wild game was heavy in the air.

  ?"Okay, Valerie. Don't panic," I whispered, my heart rate picking up a rhythm that sounded suspiciously like a panic attack. "Just walk back. Retrace your steps. Left, right, left... or was it right, left, left?"

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  ?I turned around and walked hesitantly into an alley that looked like it led back to the main street.

  It was quiet here. Too quiet. The kind of silence that usually precedes a jump scare in a horror novel.

  Then I heard it.

  Click. Click. Click.

  The sound of something heavy shifting. The sound of hard nails on stone.

  ?In the shadow of a pile of old crates and overflowing trash cans, two eyes lit up.

  They were yellow. Bioluminescent.

  And they sat high. Much too high for a dog or a cat.

  Glint.

  ?A massive shadow detached itself from the wall. It didn't step out; it flowed out, like liquid darkness.

  My heart slammed against my ribs. I turned around slowly, trying not to make any sudden movements.

  ?Blocking my path was a wall of muscle and fur.

  It was a Beastman. A White Tiger, to be precise.

  He was immense. At least two meters tall, with shoulders so broad he had to turn slightly sideways to fit comfortably in the alley. He wore a worn leather vest that left his muscular, striped arms exposed. An old, jagged white scar ran vertically across his left eye, cutting straight through his fur and ending at his jaw.

  He reeked of raw meat and old blood.

  ?"Can I help you, little one?" he asked.

  His voice was a deep, rumbling bass that vibrated in my chest. It wasn't friendly. It was the sound of a tectonic plate shifting.

  ?I took a step back until my back hit the cold, damp brick wall. I looked up, straight into those yellow predator eyes. Fear grabbed me by the throat, choking me, but my brain my stubborn, analytical brain refused to shut down. It kept analyzing.

  Threat Level: Severe.

  Species: Panthera tigris hybrid.

  Musculature: Dense.

  Intent: Hostile.

  ?"I... I'm a bit lost," I said, my voice trembling slightly despite my best efforts. I clutched my bag. "I'm just looking for the Central Hall."

  ?The Tiger leaned forward slowly, until his face was level with mine. The smell of his breath carnivorous and foul washed over me. I saw the individual whiskers on his snout trembling as he inhaled my scent.

  His mouth curled up into a grin. It was a grin that showed way too many teeth. Sharp, yellowish canines, designed by evolution for one purpose: tearing flesh from bone.

  ?"Bwahaha! Really?" he laughed. The sound was dry and raspy.

  "It's my first day..." he whispered, leaning even closer. "...and I haven't had breakfast yet."

  ?SNIKT.

  The sound was sharp and metallic.

  From his fingertips, five razor-sharp claws extended. They were long, curved, and glinted wickedly in the dim light of the steam pipes.

  ?My pupils narrowed. The fear crystallized into focus.

  Options, I thought frantically. I need options.

  I could use magic. Real magic. The green flames I felt tickling in my fingers, begging to be released. I could probably blast him through the wall with a Kinetic Push.

  But if I did that...

  If I use magic here, unregistered and wild, the sensors will pick it up. The school will know. The Church might find out. I’m supposed to be hiding my power level.

  No. No magic.

  ?I shifted my weight. My hand slid lightning-fast to the small leather pouch on my belt.

  Chemistry.

  My fingers fumbled for a second before finding what they were looking for. A small, wax-paper packet.

  I felt the powder through the paper. Magnesium. Finely ground. Mixed with a solid oxidizer I had scraped from some old fireworks back at the palace. A little experiment from home I had brought 'just in case'.

  Just in case I met a tiger in a dark alley. Talk about foresight.

  ?The Tiger lashed out.

  It wasn't a killing blow yet. It was slow, playful. His massive claw swung towards my face, intending to toy with me, to leave a mark.

  ?I didn't duck.

  I stepped forward.

  I shoved my hand right in front of his face, palm open, the packet clenched between my fingers. I crushed the wax paper, exposing the powder to the air.

  ?"Eat light!" I shouted.

  ?I snapped my fingers.

  It wasn't magic. It was a simple friction spark, generated by a tiny piece of flint I kept glued to my thumb ring.

  The spark hit the magnesium.

  ?"SOLAR FLARE!"

  ?CRACK-FWOOSH!

  ?It was as if a miniature sun had detonated in the dark alley.

  A blinding, magnesium-white flash filled the space, burning at over 3000 degrees Celsius for a split second. Shadows were obliterated. Colors vanished. The world became a high-contrast negative of itself: white light and black contours.

  ?"AAAAAH! MY EYES!"

  The Tiger roared—a sound of genuine pain and surprise. He grabbed his face with both massive hands and staggered back, blinded by the sudden overload of light on his sensitive, nocturnal retinas. He tripped over his own feet, crashing into a pile of trash cans.

  ?"CHEATER!" he roared, flailing wildly at the air. "I CAN'T SEE! MY EYES ARE BURNING!"

  ?"It's science, not cheating!" I yelled back, though my own vision was swimming with purple spots.

  I didn't wait for him to recover.

  I bolted.

  I ducked under his swinging arm, feeling the wind of his claws pass inches from my ear.

  "Move, move, move!" I panted to myself, my boots pounding against the wet cobblestones.

  ?I sprinted out of the alley, heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. I didn't look back. I ran as if the devil or in this case, a very angry, blind tiger was on my heels.

  The world was still a blur of afterimages from the flash. I saw a corner coming up.

  Left. Go left.

  I took the turn sharp, too fast, my boots losing traction on the slick stones. I didn't look at what was on the other side.

  ?WHAM!

  ?"Seriously?!"

  It seemed to be a curse today. For the second time in an hour, I crashed head-on into someone.

  This time it wasn't an arrogant prince. It was something softer, smaller, but the impact was just as jarring.

  ?We fell. A tangle of arms, legs, and luggage, sliding across the stones.

  I landed hard on my elbow. "Ouch!"

  When the dust settled, we lay there, catching our breath.

  Opposite me, sprawled on the ground, lay a girl.

  ?She looked... wild.

  She had a spiky punk hairstyle dyed in shades of grey and white. She wore a leather jacket covered in studs and patches, ripped jeans, and combat boots. But the most noticeable features were on top of her head.

  Two grey, fluffy triangular ears stuck out from her hair. Wolf ears.

  And a bushy tail was currently thumping indignantly against the ground.

  ?I scrambled up, adrenaline still coursing through my veins, and pointed an accusing finger at her.

  "WHAT ARE YOU THEN?!" I yelled, still half in panic mode.

  ?The Wolf-girl scrambled up just as fast, baring her teeth in a snarl. She pointed right back at me.

  "WHAT ARE YOU THEN?!" she yelled back.

  ?We froze.

  We stood there, two girls in a dirty alley, pointing fingers at each other, panting. The situation was so absurd, so utterly ridiculous, that the tension snapped like a rubber band.

  ?"Shotgun!" I shouted instinctively. (A habit from home when you speak at the same time, you call it).

  "Ditto!" she shouted simultaneously.

  ?The Wolf-girl lowered her hand slowly. Her left ear swiveled forward confusedly, like a little radar dish.

  "Shot...gun?" she asked, tilting her head. "Is that a greeting among your kind? Or a weapon?"

  ?I laughed nervously, rubbing my bruised elbow. The adrenaline was fading, leaving me shaky.

  "Never mind. Human thing," I sighed, brushing dirt off my travel cloak.

  I held out my hand to help her steady herself. "I'm Valerie. And I'm desperately looking for the Central District, before I get eaten by a tiger or run over someone else."

  ?The girl looked at my hand, then grabbed it firmly. Her palm was rough, calloused, and surprisingly warm.

  "I'm Roc-ta," she said, shaking my hand vigorously.

  ?She suddenly leaned forward, invading my personal space, and sniffed at my neck.

  Sniff. Sniff.

  I stiffened. "Uh..."

  "You smell like fear..." she observed dryly, pulling back. She wrinkled her nose. "...and like burnt magnesium? Did you set something on fire?"

  ?"Let's just say I gave a cat a very bright surprise," I said grimly.

  ?Roc-ta’s eyes widened, and then she let out a bark of laughter. "You blinded Big Tig? Hah! Serves him right. He's a bully."

  She adjusted her jacket. "I need to go to the Central Hall too. Are you a student?"

  "Yes," I nodded. "But I thought I was the only one lost on the first day."

  ?"Oh, I'm not lost," Roc-ta said cheerfully. She motioned for me to follow her and ducked into a narrow, winding alleyway that looked even sketchier than the last one. "I know the way around here better than anyone. I was born here. My whole pack lives in these alleys."

  ?I hurried to catch up, walking beside her. I was glad to have a guide who looked like she could hold her own in a fight. But her comment made me frown.

  "Born here?" I asked, surprised. "I thought this was a school? Don't you live in a dorm? And don't you go back to your tribe after your studies?"

  ?Roc-ta stopped walking for a moment. The cheerful, tough posture slumped visibly. Her wolf ears went flat against her head a clear sign of sadness or submission.

  "If only it were that simple," she said softly, kicking at a crushed soda can.

  ?She started walking again, slower now.

  "Among us Beastfolk... magic is rare. And unwanted," she explained, her gaze fixed on the dirty cobblestones. "If you have magic, you are considered 'unnatural'. A deviation from the natural order. You don't smell like the pack anymore. They think the spirits have cursed you."

  She looked at me, her yellow eyes sad.

  "You get banished," she said simply. "Aeridor is the only place we're allowed to be. For us, this isn't just a school, Valerie. It's an asylum. A refugee camp."

  ?I looked at her in shock.

  I had been so wrapped up in my own self-pity, my own drama about being the 'witch' and the 'bastard', that I had forgotten I wasn't the only one. Everyone here had a story. Everyone here was unwanted somewhere else.

  "Oh..." I said softly. "I didn't know that. I'm sorry."

  ?Roc-ta looked up. She saw the genuine pity in my eyes and seemed to decide she didn't want it. She shook herself, physically shaking the sadness off like water from her fur. She tossed her hair back and put that tough grin back on.

  "For a human, you're poorly informed," she teased, nudging me with her shoulder. "Read a book sometime."

  ?I shrugged and smiled back, relieved the heavy atmosphere had broken.

  "I read plenty," I retorted. "Just not the right ones, apparently. I'm less into politics and more into... explosions."

  ?We turned a corner, passing under a low archway.

  Suddenly, the world opened up.

  The gloom of the slums vanished, replaced by blinding light and noise.

  We stood on the edge of the Central Square.

  ?"Wow..."

  My jaw dropped.

  It was gigantic. The 'Central Hall' wasn't a hall at all; it was an open-air arena. The space was so large you could easily park four castles from my father's kingdom inside, moats included. The floor was made of a glass-like, black material that reflected the sky, making it look as if we were walking on clouds.

  Thousands of students swarmed together like a sea of colors. Robes of every hue, armor, fur, scales—it was a chaotic, beautiful mess.

  And far in front of us, hovering in the center of the arena on a floating stage, stood a man in a white robe, spreading his arms as if he wanted to embrace the whole world.