Joe places the last of his clothes in the dresser in his new room for the summer. Rowena and Cassius had sent the boys upstairs to pick out their rooms, telling them that they would explain everything at dinner later that night. Joe had never been more excited for a meal.
The room he picked out was like every other room in the manor. It was about the size of his bedroom back home, a little bigger maybe. It had a bed, a walk-in closet, a private bathroom, a dresser, a desk, and a fireplace. What made his room unique was the view; because his room had a glass ceiling. The room was shaped like a dome with glass walls all around. It gave him a perfect view of the celestial sky. A view he would never get tired of seeing.
Fred and Sam had picked out their own rooms just a few doors down the hall. Joe hadn't looked into them too much but knew that Fred had found what was probably the largest room in the manor. It had enough room to fit half a basketball court inside.
Sam's room was much more modest. Closer to Joe's in size, but his had a separate area containing a massive desk and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
Joe smiles to himself, knowing it was no coincidence that the rooms were perfect for each of them. They were told they could decorate and customize them as much as they wanted to, but Joe didn't see any reason why he'd want to change anything.
A soft knock on the door catches Joe's attention. He swivels around to find Sam and Fred standing in his doorway and invites them inside with a wave of his hand.
Studying his room with wide eyes, Fred lets out a low whistle. "Nice. Dude, how awesome is this place?"
"It's better than I ever imagined."
"Don't you think it's a little quiet?" Sam raises an eyebrow. "Where are all the other students?"
"I'm sure they're around." Joe shrugs. "Have you seen how big this place is? We'll probably meet them all at dinner."
"Speaking of dinner." Fred places his hands over his stomach as it begins to grumble. "I'm starving. Let's go find the cafeteria already."
To no one's surprise, the dining hall is as magnificent as the rest of the manor. The expansive room is painted in warm red and gold, with ivory statues dotting the walls. The ceiling, twenty feet in the air, displays a marvelous mural with pictures of people, clocks, space, and countless magical images. A welcoming fireplace rests on the far side of the room on the opposite side of the dining table. Despite the room's size, there are only eight seats spaced around the empty table.
"Guess we're early?" Joe looks to Fred and Sam and shrugs.
"On the contrary, you're right on time." Seemingly out of nowhere, Cassius appears behind the trio. He winks at Joe. "But that's no surprise, is it?" Cassius quickly trots down the few steps and heads over to the dining table. He takes a seat at the head of the table.
Not knowing what else to do, Joe, Sam, and Fred follow Cassius to the table. They sit in three empty seats on the left side of the table.
"I must apologize for Ro. She's not the best at keeping track of time." Cassius chuckles to himself, knowing a joke the boys don't. "She and the girls will be here shortly. And then we can answer all your questions and give you a proper introduction."
Joe nods, at a loss for words. He takes advantage of the quiet to really look at Cassius. Again, his eyes are the first thing Joe notices. The bright green color is not natural in any way. Cassius's darkly tanned skin only makes them stand out more. His hair is a curly mess. The black strands frame his face and reach down to his neck. His beard is more controlled, lining his jaw and mouth. Even sitting, Cassius looks tall. His body is fairly slim, but his arms look muscular enough to defend himself in a fight.
All in all, Joe thinks he looks pretty normal. Even his clothes, a black denim jacket over a grey t-shirt and grey-blue jeans with a pair of grey converse on his feet, are ordinary. Joe never would have guessed he was a wizard.
The silence is finally broken as Rowena steps into the room. She makes her way to the table and sits on the end opposite of Cassius. "Sorry, I'm late. Though I see I'm not the last person to arrive." She stares pointedly at the three empty seats left at the table and sighs. "Why am I not surprised?"
Like with Cassius, Joe is surprised at how normal Rowena looks. Other than her glowing violet eyes, she would pass as an average human. She's just as tanned as Cassius. Her shoulder length hair is maroon. Though she's not as tall as Cassius, she is just as fit.
"Relax, Ro. They'll be here soon. Besides, they don't need to hear the welcome speech again. Why don't we just get started without them?"
"I suppose." Rowena shakes her head and turns to the trio. "I apologize for my apprentice. She tends to run on her own schedule. Something that will have to change now that you're here. Teamwork isn't her specialty."
Joe blinks. "Um, who?"
Rowena dismissively waves her hand. "Your aether partner. I'm sure she'll want to introduce herself."
"My what?" Joe is lost. He can feel his head buzzing again. "I'm sorry, but I have no idea what's going on. Last week, I got a random letter inviting me to come to some magic school. You didn't exactly make it easy to get here either, and now that I'm finally here, all you're doing is giving me more questions than answers! Can someone please tell me what's going on already?"
Rowena and Cassius stare at him.
"Sorry, about him. He's been having a lot of outbursts lately," Fred nervously chuckles. "He's been under a lot of stress."
Cassius grins. "I'm afraid that's our fault actually. Your invitation sort of got lost in the mail. You should have been here months ago. Those outbursts you've been having are a result of not having your magic activated. Let me guess, you've been having headaches? Does your head feel like it's buzzing?"
Joe nods, gingerly touching the side of his head.
"Don't worry, that'll be fixed soon." Cassius reaches over and pats Joe on the shoulder. "You and I are going to have so much fun together. There's a lot you have to learn, and unfortunately we don't have a lot of time left."
"What do you mean?"
"Cassius…" Rowena shoots him a warning look. "Not now. There's no need to worry them. Besides, there's a lot you need to cover first."
"Of course." Cassius glances at the three empty chairs. "Well, I guess there's no point in waiting any longer. Let's get started, shall we?"
With a snap of his fingers, Cassius summons a full three-course meal that fills out the entire table.
The boys' mouths quickly start to water. They haven't eaten all day and every piece of food in front them looks incredibly delicious. Everything from steak to bread rolls to steaming bowls of corn lays out on the table.
The trio doesn't hesitate. They immediately pile food onto their plates and shove it into their mouths.
"Oh, man. This is so good. Is every meal like this?" Fred asks with flakes of food flying out of his mouth.
Cassius laughs. "Oh, yes. And if you have any special requests, feel free to ask. We can summon any kind of food here."
Joe momentarily forgets about his problems and questions, his stomach doing all the thinking for him. This is arguably the most amazing food he's ever had. He could get used to this. Maybe things won't be so bad after all. He doesn't even care that this mysterious partner of his wasn't here. More food for him. After the chaos of the past week, this moment of peace was nice.
But of course, peace can't last forever.
The quiet shatters as a bright flash of purple fills the room followed by a cacophony of arguing voices. A portal identical to the one the boys used to travel to Horae Manor is revealed as the purple light fades. Three small figures fall through it and land in a pile on the floor.
The largest one, a bulky, brunette girl, pulls away, spinning back around to yell at another one. "What was that?"
Another figure, also a girl, but smaller in stature and possessing startling purple eyes, sneers back in response. "That was me saving us, again, because you got us in trouble, again."
"You opened a tear and dropped us in the middle of a firefight! What was I supposed to do, not fight back?"
The last figure, the smallest of the girls, crawls away from the other two, her arms shaking as she moves. "Um, girls? Can't we just be happy we're alive?"
She's ignored.
"You're lucky I didn't tear you into a deep hole," the purple-eyed one says.
"I'm going to tear you," the blonde one responds.
"Girls!" Rowena shouts, abruptly ending their argument.
The three girls shuffle to their feet, as if they just now noticed they weren't alone.
"Oh, hello. Are we late?" The purple-eyed girl batts her eyelashes, folding her arms behind her back. "So sorry. We lost track of time."
Rowena smirks. "Unfortunately, that's the last time you'll be able to use that excuse." She gestures to the trio. "Would you like to introduce yourselves? I know you've already met, but a proper introduction would be polite."
Joe's head tilts to the side as he squints at the girls. Had he met them before? They did look familiar, but he thinks he would have remembered someone with purple eyes.
She's the first to step forward. "Hello again, Joe. I told you we would meet again, and here we are. How are you liking Horae Manor so far?"
"I-" Joe stutters. How did this girl know his name?
The girl pouts, throwing her hands on her hips. "Don't tell me you don't remember me? Some warp partner you are."
Rowena loudly clears her throat, shooting the pouting girl a pointed stare.
The girl sighs. "Fine. Let's just start over then. My name is Tessa," she begins, almost bored. "I am the future aether wizard, spirit of tin, warrior and guardian of space." She raises a brow at Rowena. "Good enough?"
Rowena's lips turn down. "We'll talk later."
Tessa groans and mumbles something under her breath.
The smallest of the girls slips in front of Tessa. "Sorry about last time, guys. We didn't really have a choice." She glances sidelong at Tessa. "But in case you forgot, my name is Juniper, but you can call me June."
"And I'm Arwen," the blonde girl steps forward. "Ari for short."
The trio continues to stare blankly at the girls. They glance at each other for help, but it's obvious that none of them recognize the girls.
"Seriously?" Arwen crosses her arms. "You really don't remember us? It's only been one week!"
"Technically, it's been 218 years… and one week," Juniper says.
Arwen's eyes roll to the back of her head. "Nothing? Paris ring a bell? You stopped a bullet from flying through our skulls, but for whatever reason Tessa wasn't impressed by that so she tricked you into-"
"That's enough, Arwen." Tessa cuts her off. "I think they remember now."
Joe's mind races, trying to push through the confusion. These couldn't be the same girls they met in Paris. Joe, Sam, and Fred are the only people with the ability to time travel that he knew of. Of course, his crazy Uncle Jack managed to get around time somehow. And Sam's great-granddaughter, Samantha, had that pocket watch. But even in those cases it was still limited to family and close friends. How many time travelers are there in the world? Are there any others at this school?
Joe studies the girls once more. They did look familiar. If he pictured them in French revolutionary garb, he could definitely see the resemblance. But there's still one thing Joe can't get past.
"But your eyes," He finally manages to get out. The girl he met in Paris had bright green eyes, not purple.
Tessa blinks, her violet irises dark and alluring. "Well, I can't exactly blend in with eyes like these, now can I?" She tilts her head to the side, a small grin appearing on her lips. "I wear contacts when I visit non-magical lands."
"Well, I guess that makes- wait. Did you just say non-magical lands?" Fred leans over the table, almost falling out of his seat. "Are there magical lands out there?"
"Have you looked around? You're in one." Arwen shakes her head and moves towards the dining table. She takes a seat directly across from Fred. "Not the bright one of the bunch, are you?"
Fred opens his mouth to respond, but never gets the chance.
"You three look filthy." Rowena's eyes trace the girls up and down. "Could you at least wash your hands and change your clothes before dinner?"
The girls all glance down at their hands and clothes. To Rowena's point, they are all dirty, and their clothes look like they belong in the sixteenth century. With a few grumbles, the girls leave the room, hungrily staring at the food as they go.
As soon as they're gone, Rowena returns her attention to the boys. "Now, where were we?"
Cassius speaks, "I was just about to give these boys a crash course in why they're here. I'm sure they're eager to know."
The trio nods emphatically. Cassius has their full attention.
"When there is more time, we will give you the full history of Horae Manor and Warp and Aether Wizards. Unfortunately, we are running on a tight schedule at the moment. You'll have a big day tomorrow when we have you awakened." Joe opened his mouth to ask Cassius what he meant, but Cassius cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Save all questions until the end, please."
Joe sets his hand back down and resumes eating his meal, never taking his eyes from Cassius.
"To begin, you are eighty-second in a long line of magical peace keepers that have been watching over the space-time continuum for over five thousand years. Horae Manor was established by the inaugural couple as a place for future Warp and Aether Wizards to hone their skills and serve as a base of operations for all their missions. It holds many secrets. Good luck discovering them all." Cassius winks at the trio.
Rowena picks up the conversation, "You were selected thousands of years ago to be the next Warp Wizard, and Tessa was also chosen to be the next Aether Wizard. Every Warp and Aether Wizard was chosen from the start. Soon, you will see things you never could have dreamed of, and you will be capable of the most impressive of magical acts."
"When do I get to start?" Joe interrupts her. His eyes are wide with excitement. He couldn't wait to learn magic. Actual magic, not some silly card trick or pulling a rabbit out of a hat. He almost had to pinch himself. He had to dreaming. Everything had changed the moment he received his invitation from Horae Manor. Joe had started a new life.
Cassius chuckles. "Tomorrow you will be sent off to have your magical abilities awakened. I'm sure you've had a few magical moments the past few years?"
Joe nods, thinking back to how he stopped that bullet in Paris. But he had experienced magic before that. A memory played before his eyes. His screaming sister, an arrow flying towards her head, but Joe had stopped it. He didn't understand it at the time, still didn't understand it if he was being honest with himself, but he couldn't deny that he had somehow used magic.
Rowena nods as if she was expecting this. "Sometimes internal magic can manifest itself prematurely, and the user can have occasional outbursts. Don't worry, once you're awakened, you will slowly gain control over your abilities If your letter had arrived on time, we could have had you in training months ago. Unfortunately, it went to the wrong person."
"I'll say." A familiar voice rings out into the hall. "You almost had me partnered with an old man!" Tessa struts back into the room and takes a seat directly across from Joe. She leans forward. "You're definitely an improvement."
Joe nearly chokes on his food. This is the first time he's seen Tessa in modern clothes, not some historic costume. Given Rowena and Cassius' outfits, he should've expected Tessa to dress like a normal person. Still, he's surprised to see her wearing a simple outfit consisting of distressed black jean shorts, a white t-shirt, a red leather jacket, and black combat boots. The only odd thing she has on is an assortment of silver and gold necklaces with strange symbols on the pendants.
Rowena pinches the bridge of her nose. "We did not almost partner you with an old man. We knew it was a mistake immediately. Warp and Aether Wizards have always been the same age. Luckily, the man was very understanding of the situation and helped us correct it."
"I still don't understand how the letter went to the wrong person. They're supposed to be linked to the individual's time signature." Cassius strokes his beard for a moment before shaking his head. He looks at Joe. "Guess you two must have extremely closely linked signatures. Still, I don't believe that has ever happened before."
The conversation abruptly ends as Juniper and Arwen rejoin the others at the dining table. They sit on either side of Tessa. Like their friend, they too have changed into more appropriate clothing. Juniper sports an oversized lilac hoodie and grey jeans with beige sneakers on her feet. As soon as she sits down, her shoulders slump forward and her hair falls over her face. Despite her attempt to hide herself, Joe notices her studying him, Fred, and Sam.
Arwen relaxes into her chair. Despite her boyish appearance, she sits with a regal air about her. She wears a red and white baseball tee with a large, red B printed on the center and has on light blue jean shorts and grey sneakers. She immediately piles food onto her plate.
Joe returns his attention to Cassius. "So, what exactly should I be preparing for tomorrow?"
"Your awakening. You and your friends, along with Tessa, Arwen, and Juniper, will journey to Caelus to bring your magical powers to life." He winks. "It's very exciting. You should be back here within three days."
"But what is an awakening? Like, what do I have to do?" Joe turns to Rowena, hoping for a better answer.
"All you have to worry about is getting there. The All Father will take care of the rest." Rowena smiles and a warm, calming feeling washes through Joe. The tension he didn't realize he was holding in his shoulders vanished.
"Who's the All Father?" Fred speaks through a mouth-full of food, spraying bits everywhere, including Arwen's face. "Oops. My bad."
Her hands stiffly wipe away the crumbs. "The All Father is the man who started all this. He's as old as time itself."
"Because he is time itself." Juniper hands her friend a napkin. "He's one of the most powerful and knowledgeable people in the universe, if not the most."
"And we'll get to meet him?" Sam's eyes sparked with interest at hearing an opportunity to meet another intellectual.
"Well, you won't. He's very picky about who he lets in. As in, fellow magic users only. It's a shame too, he's a super nice guy." Tessa smirks, and tosses a piece of bread in her mouth. "My awakening was incredible. I wish I could feel that rush again."
"Rush?" Joe raised an eyebrow.
"It's the best feeling you'll ever have." Tessa's smirk widens into a grin. "Assuming it doesn't kill you, of course."