'Up! Up! June!'

June awoke at the sound of yelling, and she caught sight of an ecstatic Nicole, dressed in jeans and a wool jersey.

'Good morning,' she said, tossing pillows in June's direction.

Light flooded into the room; the golden sun was even more beautiful here somehow. The leaves of the trees were a luminous green and the ocean water glistened. June could have stood all day at the balcony in her pajamas, watching this new world go along their jobs. Somewhere, beyond the Comikaycrest ocean, on the other side of the portal, was Aunt Audrey. What could she be doing? June pictured her preparing breakfast for one, and felt a tug at her heart.

'Pretty, isn't it?' Nicole appeared beside her.

'Incredibly,' June whispered.

'You might want to get dressed,' Nicole was grinning, 'you wouldn't want to miss the witches.'

June frowned, puzzled. 'The witches?'

But Nicole didn't reply, she was too busy packing her bag for classes.

June understood what Nicole had meant by witches an hour later. She was wrapping her hair into a ponytail when she heard it; she heard the buzzing at first – it grew louder and patronizing – and June stood there, looking at Nicole's wide, ecstatic eyes, puzzled.

Nicole threw open the door, June hurried behind her just in time. All along the corridor, girls stuck their heads out of the room in excitement.

The buzzing ceased. There was silence.

'IT'S GREAT MAMA!' Kendall suddenly yelled. 'Shuckles and thissles everywhere!'

'Shh!' Nicole told him. The other girls glanced their way, frowning. Kendal went back to sleep.

'What,' said June, whispering, 'are we looking at?'

Nicole looked at her, her eyes shining. 'It's on the way.'

And then June saw it.

Broomsticks, black hair, pointed hats, bony fingers and a large sack behind them. The witches, a countless number of them, buzzed along the corridor on their broomsticks, whirring past doors so quickly, all June could see was a blur. It seemed as if hundreds passed them, causing rough winds to sting June and toss her hair all around her. The blur was like a wall of black fog so thick, June could not see the other side. She felt like she stood at the edge of a cliff, and she was looking at time speeding past her.

She was about to ask Nicole what was happening when some of the blur broke apart and a witch stood before them. June's heart lurched with fright.

'One table, two table, I'm not gonna bite,' said the witch in a sing-song voice. Her long, crooked fingers reached into the sack dangling from her broom. 'Three table, four table, I'll leave you in a fright.'

June blinked and they were gone.

The other girls looked as flabbergasted as she felt. June felt Nicole shiver beside her, her hair was a mess.

'I told you,' said Nicole, her voice trembling, 'you wouldn't want to miss the witches. They bring the timetable,' she paused, taking a breath. 'We should get used to it.'

June found her voice. 'The timetable?'

There, lying by their feet, were two neatly rolled up scrolls with gold ribbons. The other girls had gotten over the momentary shock of the witches, and were now chatting excitedly to each other. June looked down the passage, in the direction she thought the witches went, but saw no trace of them.

'They'll come back?' she asked Nicole.

'Yes – every week,' she read the writing on the scrolls. 'Here's yours –' she tossed June a scroll.

June unrolled the parchment; it filled the air with a pleasant scent. Written on the paper, in elegant script, was her timetable for the week.

Nicole asked June, 'What's your first class?'

'History, yours?'

'Sorcery,' she sighed.

The bell rang, echoing loudly and interrupting their conversation.

'That's breakfast,' Nicole made a sound between a shriek and a shiver.

Leaving the dorm, with a wave to Kendal, they walked down the staircase towards the cafeteria through a rush of chattering students. They were blocked immediately, at the entrance of the cafeteria, by the swarming amount of students.

'Breakfast for today will be served as normal. Students are to arrive at their first class promptly at the buzzer.' A female voice boomed across the corridors from the intercom. 'Students willing to join the Music club please see Professor Keys during the third period and students who are willing to join one of four Magic Ball teams meet Coach Sonic in the court, only second year students and above. Thank you and have a pleasant day.'

'If I'm not mistaken, that's got to be the secretary,' Nicole said, standing on tip toe to see above the crowd.

'The secretary?'

'Yep, Miss Sara Loft,' Nicole replied.

June caught sight of a girl, hovering near the ceiling, great, white wings surrounding her. She flew gracefully over the crowd and entered the cafeteria.

'I wish we could fly.' Nicole whispered.

June and Nicole finally made it to the cafeteria and took spotted a vacant table. A few more announcements rang across the room before their order arrived.

'Mmm,' Nicole hummed. 'You've got to taste this, June –' she passed June her cup and added – 'what class do you have after history?'

'Beast and Creature Science,' June eyed the drink skeptically. She didn't like the bubbling sound it made.

'I hear Miss Silong, the science teacher, is the most qualified in Comikaycrest – and not just with animals from here. My dad said she went on an expedition in the human world, learning about the creatures from there, too.'

June took a careful sip, and paused to allow the liquid to spread in her mouth; it was a thick, warm substance – but it did not taste very nice. It was too sour for June's palette. She returned the drink to Nicole.

Nicole laughed. 'Don't like it?'

June shook her head and covered the sourness with water.

'I love it.' June watched in fascination as Nicole drained the cup. 'Planning on doing any sports here?'

June nodded. 'Magic Ball.'

'Oh, yes,' Nicole, 'there are four teams, The Midnight Crunchers, The Merfolk Mafia, The Thunder Dragons and The Death Vipers,' she said. 'Personally, I'm not a fan of the last one.'

June was intrigued. 'The Death Vipers? Why?'

'Nobody likes them, they're all monsters.' Nicole looked up at June, her eyes wide. 'And when I say monsters, I mean actual monsters. Vicious. Throat ripping. Ruthless Monsters. They just act like they're a big deal and they don't play a fair game, trust me.'

'Why does the school allow them to play, then?'

'I dunno,' Nicole lowered her voice. 'The Death Vipers have been around since the beginning of Enchanted High.'

June wondered how Nicole knew these things. After all, she was also just a first year. Maybe she had an older sibling here before.

'Anyways,' Nicole raised her voice. 'What subjects are you doing in your third year?'

'Umm, I don't know,' June hadn't given much thought to the topic. 'I think Medical Science is a great subject ... and Numeracy, maybe Beast and Creature science too. And you?'

'Technology – definitely, Sorcery, Talents, maybe Medical science, Numeracy – but by that time it will be much more difficult – maybe Genie studies – and then P.E is compulsory.' Nicole said. 'Oh, and I also wouldn't mind taking part in swimming.'

'You seem prepared,' said June, impressed.

'My dad is pretty tough on me.'

'And your mum?'

Nicole's face softened. 'She's not with us anymore.'

'Oh,' June looked down at her food. 'I'm sorry.'

'Nah, its fine,' said Nicole. 'It was a long time ago, but I do still think about her sometimes ... and your parents?'

June bit her lip. She hated answering that question in the human world and didn't intend on answering it now. 'They're both working,' she lied. The only person that could tell that June was lying was Audrey.

'Oh, where do they work?' Nicole looked up enthusiastically. 'In the human world?'

June nodded.

Nicole sighed. 'I've never been there.' She looked up. 'I would really love to go there, you know. I hear that they are advancing technology wise. I would love to study their devices.'

'Then why don't you?' June asked.

Nicole sighed and shook her head. 'My dad ... he – he's had a few bad experiences there. He wouldn't tell me; we're not really allowed to talk about it at home.'

June thought about her situation. It was strange that June had been brought up in the human world, seeing and knowing everything that was unmagical since she could remember. Why didn't Audrey ever bring her here? It had never occurred to her that there could be people like Nicole, people who had never been to the human world, and only dreamt of being there. June couldn't see what was fascinating about it.

June picked at her food with the fork. 'Do you have any siblings?'

Nicole shook her head. 'Nope. But I always wanted a sister. What about you?'

June shook her head. The bell rang.

'Alright, good luck,' Nicole said excitedly, wiping her face and picking up her bag. 'Don't get on the teacher's bad sides on the first day,' she winked and left.

As June walked her way through the heavily crowded corridors to History class, she came across many odd people rushing to their classes. There was an abnormally large boy, who was fiddling with a tiny tap; it burst open, causing the corridor to flood. Immediately a couple of witches attended to the mess; waving their wands. Seconds later, the hall was new again.

June walked over the second floor corridor and caught sight of a lake of senior class mermaids in the grounds through a large window. One dove deep into the swimming pool and later reached the surface with a handful of red gems. June made a mental note to ask Nicole about that.

Soon enough, June reached the entrance of the History room and took a step inside.

The room, extended from wall to wall, had yellow notice boards and charts across it; with moving pictures of ancient palaces and other historic topics. The parts of the walls that weren't filled with charts had shelves loaded with books. At the front of the army of desks were a long blackboard and a teacher's desk.

A tall, skinny and stern looking man with glasses resting on the bridge of his hooked nose eyed the students. He had his arms behind his back, and stood rigid as a statue.

'Everybody settle down. Take a seat,' He said loud enough to hush the din. And immediately everyone was still. 'I am Professor Lincoln; I will be teaching you history.' He paused and crossed his arms. 'I should warn the lot of you that I tolerate no nonsense. I advise you to take History very seriously; it is not a subject to be fooling around with. Before we begin, I'm going to re-arrange your seating. That way, there won't be any trouble and interference.'

*

He began to place the students in pairs. June sat in her seat, nervously tapping her fingers on the desk when he finally reached her.

'And you, young lady,' Lincoln's eyes shined; something about him seemed familiar to June, 'what is your name?'

'June Price.' She didn't have to speak very loud; the class was so silent.

'June –' the way he said her name, June didn't know what it was, gave her goosebumps, 'next to James.'

June walked across the class feeling everyone's eyes set on her as she sat next to the boy. He had thin, black hair that just looped over his brown eyes.

He reached out a hand. 'James Scott.'

June shook hands with him; he had a firm handshake. 'June Price.'

'June,' James repeated. 'The sixth month of the year? That's a strange name.'

June only nodded.

Minutes later, everyone had been repositioned into different seats around the classroom and the professor was ready to begin with the lesson.

'Can anyone in this class name the fire queen?'

A girl at the back shot her hand into the air. 'Her name was Filandra,' she said proudly.

'That's Queen Filandra,' said Lincoln. 'Yes, she lived with her sisters Qumiane, the water queen, and Sonasia, the sand queen and their parents Queen Gertrude and King Filmer.' He began walking in between the rows of desks.

'Any wizards here?' he asked the class. 'No?'

None.

'Well, a wizard would know that when two spells collide, it's a disastrous fate for the casters.' He paused at the end of the row. Then continued, 'It's a shame the King and Queen weren't wizards. There was an argument, a vicious battle. Spells were casted. Curses were thrown. Wands were misused. And they were led to their deaths.'

The class was so silent that each breath was heard.

'But ...' he continued, much louder. '...their spells were so full of energy, so powerful, that when they collided ... a spark was formed. That spark became a man, filled with every negative energy that the king and queen had radiated when they casted the spell.

'This man was called Prince Xavier. And Prince Xavier then crowned himself king. The worst king the people had – and King Filmer was horrible. Xavier showed no mercy towards his kingdom. He destroyed most of it and charged taxes for almost everything. He had an army of followers and this became an advantage to him.

'The three sisters, though, nobody knows what happened them. They could have fled, they could have died, they could have killed themselves – we do not know.'

Lincoln walked to the bookshelf behind him, pulled out a book and, with a click of his fingers, an exact copy passed itself to the class. A single book hovered to June and James.

June read the title, 'The Empire of King Filmer.'

James looked at her, stunned. 'You can read Royal Tongue?'

June frowned, puzzled. 'What?'

'Page 1048.' Mr. Lincoln instructed and the book automatically flipped its pages.

On the top of the page, a picture of a man with metallic armor, like a knight, was seated on a white horse. He held up his staff and a lightning bolt struck a building which immediately crumpled into ashes.

'This man is Prince Xavier.' Lincoln continued. 'He had the ability to produce lightning with his staff. And with no known weaknesses the villagers found it difficult to protest.'

The class fell into an even deeper silence; each pair stared at the picture.

'Now, page 103.' The book did as it was told; each book on each desk flipped to the desired page.

'Can anyone tell me what's written here?'

June didn't understand what he meant; anyone could read what was written on the page, it was there in pure English.

'The prince fell in love,' June read. She muttered to herself, but the entire class heard it.

Lincoln looked at her, without surprise.

'Ah yes, love,' he said, 'even more powerful than lightning. He met a woman – Linasia. She had no powers, she wasn't royalty, and she was just an ordinary village girl. But Xavier was infatuated with her.

'He asked for her hand in marriage. She refused him. Wicked though he was, his heart was torn. Her father scolded him. In a fit of rage, he threw curses at the old man, and Linasia, protecting her father, muttered a spell for the first time – it killed Xavier.

'It killed him – but did he die? Did he –'

Lincoln looked at his watch and frowned.

'Looks like that's our lesson for today – but ...' he went back to the bookshelf, clicked his fingers, and the book passed itself.

'This book contains some local legends and other general knowledge about history that will be taught this year. I advise you to read it in your free time.'

He finished his sentence with his eyes resting on June. The bell rang.