Ceci? Ceci! Wake up!" I opened my eyes warily, and looked up. Cassandra was standing over me, her brown hair dancing around her shouldersas she laughed. "What is it Cassie?" I sighed. "Your late!" she giggled, " Again ." I groaned. I always over sleep. I sat up and stretched. "Get a move on!" called Cassie, as she left the room,"Sister Mary is waiting for you." I hopped out of bed. Sister Mary is my guidance teacher, here at the Abbey. I got dressed as quick as I could, then left the dorms. As I walked down the steps to the corridors, I could smell Chef Jaques Hamburgers, which made my belly rumble. I started to worry. Exactly how late was I? Lessons started at nine, and it wasn't like Chef Jaques to start dinner too early... I sped up a little, then nearly bumped into someone on the bottom step. "Oh... sorry Cecilia." It was Lila. The only other girl in the whole Abbey who ate more than me. "It's alright..." I said, "Where are you going? Lessons are that way" I nodded in the direction. "I ate so much for breakfast..." groaned Lila, "I'm going to lie down..." She walked slowly up the stairs. It was funny, we both had huge appetites, but I never got ill, unlike Lila. I decided to carry on, I had bigger things to worry about. I walked down the corridor, and past the kitchen, where I stood for a second and breathed in the delicious smell. Chef Jaques' assistant shook her head and sighed at me, but she was grinning. "You'd better get to your lesson!"she called. Yes, the lesson. I ran off, and soon arrived at the classroom. I knocked. Sister Mary saw me through the teeny window, and indicated for me to open the door. I walked in. "I'm really sorry-" I started, but Sister Mary shook her head and said, "Never mind, Cecilia." I smiled, and sat down in between my two best friends, Cassie and Beatrix. "Where have you been?" hissed Beatrix, while Cassie smirked. "I- I over slept" i whispered, "I think my alarm clock is on the blink..." "It isn't," piped up Cassie, "It went off this morning, and you slept right through it! Anje also went to wake you up." "Your enjoying this, aren't you" I whispered to her, "You love it when I over sleep!" Cassie nodded and grinned. I rolled my eyes. "Now now..." called Sister Mary from the front," No more chatter, girls." She walked to the blackboard, and waited for complete silence before continuing. "Today... we will be learning how to bind spells to your crest graphs..." Cassie groaned. "Sister Mary, didn't we do that yesterday?"she asked. "We did, indeed" nodded Sister Mary, "But that was White Magic Spells. Today, you will be learning about Black Magic spells, and how they work" Cassie shut up. She had been looking forward to this lesson. "Now, as we know, with crest graphs, binding spells is quite simple..." She explained, for two and a half hours, about Black Magic, its uses, origin, and how to bind the spells. It was very interesting, and we all had to pay proper attention, to sucseed in this world as magicians we had to learn from the best. After the lesson, me, Cassie and Beatrix stood in the corridor together. "That was interesting"said Trixie, making sure her bag was fastened. "Hm" agreed Cassie, "Shall we go to the library and do more research? Id like to know more..." "Lets" grinned Trixie, and we linked arms and walked up to the library together. Thankfully it was empty, and as we didnt have any more lessons that day, we could spend as long as we wanted in there. Cassie went straight to the Dark Magic section, to read up on spells. Trixie found a book on Crest Graphs, and I settled down with my favourite book: The History of Adlehyde. That's where I come from, Adlehyde, in fact, it's my surname... My father, Justin, is the King of Adlehyde... so, that means, I am the princess... yuck. People treat me differently, and I hate it... I dont feel I have proper friends, apart from Cassandra and Beatrix. Well, I hope they're my friends... Im going back to Adlehyde in a few months, when I turn seventeen, they're gonna throw a festival and everything... Cass and Trix are staying here at the Abbey for a few years, to continue with their studies. I have actually been here for ten years, since I was seven... around the time my mother died... er... The females in the Adlehyde family, all aquire a special object, called the Tear Drop I actually still have to find it's full uses... it has some link with the Guardians. Well, it did... the Guardians have 'died'... since the Demons arrived... years and years ago, they wiped out all the Elw and Guardians, and they're back... "Ceci" Cassie hissed. "Huh? What?" i asked, confused. "Look!"she said. Another girl had come into the library. Anina. She was a tad younger than us, and not the best magician in school. She was also quite clumsy, and Cass and Trixie tended to make fun of her. Right then, the exchanged looks. Anina went to the bookscase right at the back of the room... and knocked most of the books off the shelf. "Anina!"cried Cassie. "Why do you always do that?!" Anina sighed. "Sorry"she said, and she glanced at me. "Oh no" I said, closing my book and jumping up, "Do it yourself, Ani" She looked at me with those eyes. Grrr. " No " i insisted. I always helped her, and it took up to much time. "We cant help you either" said Beatrix "We're studying, Black magic and crest graphs" "Ok" Anina said, "I'll ask Anje..." She started picking up the books. "C'mon, lets go see how Lila is" said Cassandra. "Okay" I said, putting the book away. We walked down the corridors, past the kitchen (yum yum yum) and up the stairs into our dorms. "Hey Lila" said Cassie. "Oh... hey Cassandra" said Lila, sadly. "You alright?" I asked. "No" she sighed, "I want to have dinner... but Sister Jessica says I should sit it out for today..." "You poor thing!" I said "And it's hamburgers today..." Lila let out a fake sob. "I cant believe it... you'll eat them all, Cecilia!" She laughed. "We have to go..." said Cassandra. Her and Beatrix left. Lila shrugged. "I'll stay" I said. "Your sweet, Ceci, but really, its almost dinner... dont you want your hamburgers?" "Of course I do!"I laughed, " But your more important" She smiled. " Go , Cecilia! Go!" I heaved myself up. "I'll see you later" I said, leaving, and heading for the kitchen. "Here she comes..." laughed Chef Jaques fellow cook. I laughed. "Can I have a - " "Hamburger?" finished Chef Jaques. "Course you can." He handed me one. "Thanks" I said, and went to sit down. "Yum yum" I said, munching my way through. I was about to order another, when Sister Jessica approached me. "Cecilia..." she smiled. "Yes?" I asked politley, wiping crumbs of myself. "I've decided to leave"she beamed. "Oh... why?" I asked. Sister Jessica had been in the Abbey longer than me. "Im going to stay at an orphanage in Court Seim, which, as you know, is quite a while away." I knew. Court Seim was a small village, home to the entrepreneur Calamity Jane, and her family. "Wow..." I said. I have always wanted to travel. Sister Jessica smiled. "I believe we'll meet again... in time..." She left, and I just stood there, thinking... Then I went to get another hamburger.
"What on Earth..." Cassandras voice wobbled as she tried to keep herself standing. "Its an... Earthquake!"cried Beatrix. I gripped onto my desk, and tried not to drop my Tear Drop. "Keep calm"said Sister Mary. It was three months since Sister Jessicas departure, and yes this was an Eathquake. "I wonder whats causing it" I thought aloud. "You dont think its the d...demons, do you?" asked Anina. "I dunno..." We all squealed as we were thrown to the floor... and then it was over.