She found herself looking into a strange room. She could feel herself floating throughout the room even though she wasn't really there. There was an eerie blue glow emitting from underneath the door. Something compelled her to move forward and to open the doors. Jasmine seemed to be in a dimly-lit cylindrical room. Bookshelves loitered the stone walls. There were two figures standing at the edge of the room, an elderly man hunched over a crystal ball, and an owl perched on a thin pedestal across from the old man. The crystal ball was swirling with vibrant blue hues, causing tiny orbs of sapphire light to bounce off of the ball itself. The ball suddenly changed. An image of a young girl sound asleep appeared.
"A-ha! The spell is working!" The old man suddenly exclaimed. His hands produced a flurry of red and blue sparks out of excitement. "Look, Gamma! Finally, we have found one!"
"Whoooo?!" The owl seemed to question. Jasmine began to wonder the same thing. The crystal ball moved in closer on the image of the girl. Jasmine got closer. The strange pair did not seem to notice her, though the old man began to smile behind his long, snow-white beard. She gazed into the crystal ball and gasped. That girl…it was her! The sleeping figure inside the crystal ball was Jasmine herself!
"A young Wizard! A student with amazing potential…" The wizard, or what Jasmine presumed to be a wizard, paused. "enough, perhaps, to save Wizard City!" he exclaimed.
"Oh, really? Where?" The owl asked, ruffling its white feathers. The old man combed his hand through part of his beard. "A very, very distant realm… My goodness! On a realm that does not even believe in magic!" The old man chatted to his owl hopefully. The owl flapped its wings and hooted. Jasmine could see herself in the crystal ball. She was stirring in her sleep now. She was about to wake up. The old man hummed and scratched his beard.
"I wonder what manner of wizard they might become…"
Jasmine shot out of her bed, sweating. Her mother sat on the edge of her bed looking at her.
"I was just about to wake you up." her mom chuckled. Jasmine threw back her arms and stretched.
"I had the strangest dream…" she yawned. Her mother shuffled nervously and Jasmine's bedroom door creaked open. A familiar looking old man appeared. He adorned very peculiar blue and red robes. They were sprinkled with patterns of the moon and stars, and he had a very long, white beard that was almost past his waist, but not quite there yet. Jasmine froze. That was the man from her dream….
"Jasmine," her mother said gently. She put her hand on Jasmine's knee. "you need to go with Ambrose." she motioned her hand at the old man. He waved at her. Jasmine's eyes widened.
"Why?" she questioned. "Who is he?" Jasmine was extremely confused. She had never met him before in her life and suddenly she dreamed about him? And he appeared?
"I am Merle Ambrose. Headmaster of Ravenwood School of Magical Arts." He, sort of, explained. Her mother nodded her head, her brown eyes shining bittersweetly.
"You've been chosen to attend the school, dear." her mom said. Jasmine looked at them blankly, not knowing what to say.
"Um… what do you do- at Ravenwood?" was the only thing she could think of. The headmaster chuckled.
"Why, do magic of course!" Headmaster Ambrose shook his hands. As if on cue, red and blue sparks burst from his hands. Jasmine gasped, he had done that in her dream! So this really is magic? Her mother smiled at her. Her stomach was starting to do backflips from excitement.
"Come on, you haven't much time." rushed her mother. Jasmine hurried out of bed.
"You want me to go in my pajamas?"
"They'll have a set of clothes for you." she laughed. Jasmine nodded her head. The Headmaster began walking downstairs into the living room. Jasmine and her mother followed him, at the bottom of the stairs there was a great, swirling, blue portal. Jasmine could see the image of a tower on the other side of the portal. Jasmine stopped abruptly, causing her mother to run into her. Was she really going to do this? How long was she going to stay at Ravenwood? Was her mom coming too?
"What's wrong?" her mother asked, her voice filled with concern. Jasmine stepped onto the floor and turned to look at her.
"Why do I have to go?" she asked. Her mother smiled sadly at her, which confused Jasmine even more so.
"You have to, I'll call you and explain it later to you." her mother engulfed her in a tight hug. Jasmine returned the hug, wrapping her arms around her mom. She breathed in the familiar scent of coconut perfume and her stomach tightened. She had a feeling she wouldn't see her mom for a long time.
"Here we are!" Headmaster Ambrose said. They had entered the cylindrical room from her dream. Everything was exactly the same, from the stone walls, the alignment of the shelves, even to the crystal ball that bathed the room in blue light. Jasmine stared in awe.
"I'm sorry I had to meet you so abruptly, young wizard." Ambrose looked at her apologetically. Jasmine nodded her head.
"Oh! Almost forgot," he laughed. "we should consult the Book of Secrets to find out what school you are in." Ambrose flicked his staff towards a book on a wooden pedestal. The book flew from its spot and onto a small, wooden desk.
"Go on, take your time." he urged. Jasmine sat at the desk and scooted her chair in.
"Just put your finger on the answer choice." he said. Jasmine nodded her head in response. This wouldn't work with just a tap of a finger, she needed a pencil. The Book of Secrets asked a series of questions much similar to a personality quiz she could find online. Jasmine pressed her fingertip on one of the answer choices. The spot where her finger pressed turned gold and tiny flecks of yellow and white floated out from the page and faintly around her finger. She gasped. The question vanished, and she was left with a few more unanswered questions, awaiting her hand. When she had finished, the page burned with a bright light which caused Jasmine to let out a very audible gasp. Feeling slightly embarrassed, she watched as the book slowly revealed itself. On the top of the page, the words STORM were inscribed in bright violet letters. Jasmine read the brief summary on the school and felt oddly comforted. This school did fit her personality, somewhat, at least. She turned around to Headmaster Ambrose who was waiting intently, excitement brewing in his eyes.
"I got the Storm School," she said slowly.
"Ooh! Storm is an exciting school. I can't wait to tell Professor Balestrom! He's your Storm teacher." Merle explained. Jasmine grinned.
"Here, put these on. They will help you cast magic more freely." Ambrose handed her strange a strange looking robe, accompanied by a pointed hat and shoes. They were her favorite colors, blue and purple. Once she heard Ambrose close the door, she started to change. The clothes felt a little odd to her, but natural at the same time. She felt free, in a way.
"Are you done?" Ambrose's muffled voice came from behind the wooden chamber door. Jasmine nodded, but then realized he couldn't see her nod through a door.
"Oh. Yes!" she shouted. Ambrose entered the room and smiled warmly at her.
"Ah! You look like a real wizard now," he laughed whimsically. He looked as if he was reminiscing moments from the past. "Now, let's go greet Gamma, my owl, in Golem Court." he said suddenly, as if realizing Jasmine was still in the room with him.
Jasmine walked quietly with Headmaster Ambrose. His staff made a satisfying clank noise with every other step.
"Did you know I had a dream about this last night?" Jasmine blurted out.
"Yes, Gamma and I were hoping we were successful in contacting you before we came. We didn't want you to feel like it was so sudden, though that was inevitable." he explained. His staff pulsated with red and white light. "Earth has been shut off from Wizard City and the rest of the Spiral for such a long time... it was nearly impossible contacting you." he muttered quietly. Jasmine stared at the cobblestone path ahead of her, not knowing how to respond. After a few more moments of silence, they came across a tunnel. The words GOLEM COURT were sprawled across a plaque in golden letters. Headmaster Ambrose led Jasmine through the dark tunnel and out the other side.