Each morning felt the same for Iris, but not this one. Today she was determined to ace her physics test. After studying diligently for over a week, today was the moment of truth. Quickly running a brush through her thick blonde hair, she grabbed a frozen waffle for the journey to Madam Aria's School for Young Mages and Gifted Minds. She would finish getting ready on the way. Her parents still asleep, Iris flung the door open and ran up the street to the bus stop. The space wasn't crowded, just a couple of kids a few years younger than her waiting quietly. They all seemed relaxed and comfortable. After trying to decide how to wear the one accessory she was allowed, a soft pink ribbon, the bus arrived. It was nothing extraordinary, just a yellow school bus filled with stinky children, Iris tied her hair into a high ponytail with her ribbon and took a seat by Emiline.
"Ready for the Physics test?" Emiline said with a smirk. Iris met Emiline's eyes with her own bright green ones.
"Actually, I am this time. I studied and everything." The only thing keeping Iris enrolled was her great affinity for magic and excellent memory, and Emiline knew this. The bus rolled steadily along until they were at the gray building they called school. There were rumors that it was a castle a long time ago, but Iris could never indulge in that fantasy. After all, they had a castle already, and the royal family lived in that one.
Her first class was physics. She shared that class with many other fourteen-year-olds, and one boy who could have easily been thirteen. She never had a chance to ask him his age. He always seemed incredibly nervous, like someone was watching him. He tended to disappear for extended periods of time, then return with no questions asked. Today he was looking especially frightened, but he calmed down when he saw his test. Iris smiled to herself, but quickly became focused when she received her test.
Finishing incredibly quickly, she pulled a novel from her backpack. She glanced around, and noted that the boy was missing, test still on his desk. She made it through less than a page when the fire alarms began to blair.
SHELTER IN PLACE rang the high shrill voice of Madam Aria over the intercom. Every student moved to a corner and sat on the stone floor. There they remained for nearly an hour, until there was a heavy pounding on the door. A girl shrieked. The door quickly opened, revealing a tall, dark-haired young woman with a black cloth surgeon's mask. Her eyes were startlingly purple, and appeared to glow softly. Iris's own eyes started to burn, she shut them tightly, and began to concentrate on willing herself invisible. Something about that woman made her incredibly uncomfortable. Within thirty seconds she was unseen. The woman was slowly walking towards the crowd of frightened children. Her eyes seemed to glow more and more brightly as she got closer.
Iris had to resist making noise, as it felt as if one thousand onions were being cut right beneath her nose. Tears rolled down her face. She could tell that the woman was walking towards her now. Iris wanted to disappear away completely, terrified of this strange experience. She looked away and noticed her tears were puddling on the floor. Her eyes were producing enough water to fill a tea cup.
Iris realized that she had to move. Whatever that woman wanted could not possibly be good for her. She jumped up, knocked over a boy with long blonde hair, and ran outside of the classroom, footsteps audible. She didn't look back. She just ran towards the large oak doors to the outside. On her way out of the school, she passed four similarly masked figures, two dark haired men and one woman who was blonde like her, all wearing expressions of worry. Iris pushed open the heavy doors and ran. She ran downtown, keeping herself invisible. Now that she was not in immediate danger, the strain of keeping herself invisible for minutes had just set in. She ran into a dark alley and collapsed on a trash bag.