Charlie was lost, and she hated it. She’d tried to get a meeting with the admissions office, but of course, they were conveniently out to lunch. Worse, no one else seemed willing -or able-to help her. It was like they all worked on some kind of enchanted clock, and her problem was a non-priority.

Since she wasn’t technically an active student, having left under extenuating circumstances, she wasn’t surprised.

She paced outside the office building in frustration, her boots crunching against the cobblestone path. She couldn’t shake the nagging thought of Declan, still out there near the Way. Sure, the grounds around the University were supposed to be safe -for the most part- but Declan had a knack for trouble. Trouble and Declan were practically best friends.

Her irritation simmered, but then an idea struck her. Find Hopper.

Her sister wasn’t just family -she was also a better resource than most of the faculty here. If anyone could help her navigate the chaos of the University’s bureaucracy, it was Hopper. Charlie set off with determination, heading straight for her sister’s dorm.

When she arrived, Hopper’s roommate barely looked up from her glowing Halo device, her face bathed in a faint blue light. She sat sprawled on her bed with an air of effortless elegance that was almost unsettling.

She was of nymph or siren lineage -it was hard to tell at a glance- but the signs were unmistakable. Her seaweed-green hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves, its natural sheen catching the faint light of the room. Her lips and eyes were the same verdant hue, as if pulled straight from the depths of an enchanted lagoon. Pearlescent skin shimmered faintly, accentuated by mother-of-pearl fingernails that clicked softly against the Halo as she swiped through its holographic display.

“She’s not here,” the girl said without preamble, her voice carrying the lilting cadence of someone who didn’t waste words. She gestured vaguely toward the door, her fingernails catching the light like tiny prisms. “Out with a friend.”

Charlie frowned, her mind racing to process the implications. “A friend? Hopper doesn’t have -wait. Was it a boy?”

The girl smirked, a slow, knowing expression that only added to her air of mystery. “Maybe. Not my business.”

“Of course not,” Charlie muttered, crossing her arms. She shifted her weight, trying to decide whether to press further. “Do you know where they went?”

The roommate finally glanced up from her device, her green eyes assessing Charlie with a mix of amusement and mild disinterest. “No idea. I’ve got to get to class,” she said, slipping off the bed with the grace of water flowing downhill. “But if you come back around later, I can help you find Hoppy. You know, if you haven’t found her yet.”

The childhood nickname caught Charlie off guard, softening her irritation. Only a handful of people still called Hopper that. It was oddly reassuring. “Thanks… Anika, right?”

“Anika Mathews,” she confirmed with a faint smile, her voice as smooth and cool as a mountain stream. She waved a languid hand toward the door. “Good luck, Charlie.”

With that, Anika slipped past her, the faint scent of sea breeze lingering in her wake.

Standing in the hallway, Charlie blinked in amazement. Hopper, with a boyfriend? The thought was both surreal and hilarious. But the way the roommate had said it, there was definitely a boy involved.

Still, Charlie wasn’t about to give up. If Hopper wasn’t in her dorm, she’d check the usual haunts.

First, the cafeteria.

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As she approached, the smell of spiced meats and freshly baked bread wafted through the air. They must have been pumping the scents into the air in order to attract customers. Such a gimmick, but a perfect one. Because it worked.

Charlie had been hungry, and after using her sister’s account to purchase a snack, she looked around while she munched down on the best sandwich she’d eaten in a long time.

It was some sort of magically infused meal, and it was worth the cost. Especially since she didn’t have to pay it.

But there was no sign of her sister.

So she made her way to the library, its tall arched windows casting streaks of sunlight over shelves that seemed to stretch into eternity. The smell of old wood and real books was almost as enticing as the freshly baked foods had been. But despite how much she wanted to linger, she turned on her self-discipline and hurried through the massive building with purpose, only pausing occasionally to note a particularly interesting title, before hurriedly moving on.

And zilch.

Finally, the science labs, where the faint hum of magitek machinery mixed with the sharp tang of ozone and alchemical reagents. She didn’t linger long there at all, having already spent far too long searching.

And still no sign of Hopper.

She considered leaving the campus and heading out to make sure Declan was okay, but she didn’t want to return empty-handed.

She grit her teeth, a tungsten rod of determinism strengthening her resolve, and she considered her options.

It was like her sister had fallen off the face of the Earth -or worse, decided to actually have a social life. That thought was more unsettling than Charlie cared to admit.

Frustration gnawed at her, an itch beneath her skin she couldn’t scratch. She bit her lip, her mind racing through possibilities. Where else could she be? The sprawling campus, with its twisting paths and countless nooks, felt like an endless maze.

“Okay, genius,” she muttered to herself, “think like Hoppy.”

She was just about ready to storm back to the admissions office and demand a locator spell when inspiration struck. Aha!

With a theatrical flair, she swiped at the imaginary lightbulb above her head, chuckling softly at her own antics. It was a small distraction, but it eased her frustration just enough to focus. Spotting a stone bench shaded by a cluster of flowering trees along the path, she made her way over and settled onto it, letting out a deep meditative breath.

The bench was warm from the afternoon sun, the air around her buzzing faintly with magic-infused energy that appeared to permeate the entire University. Closing her eyes, Charlie stilled her breathing and cast her senses outward, feeling for the natural threads of life around her. It was like dipping her fingers into a pool of rippling water, each wave carrying whispers of movement and life.

The first connection came quickly: a squirrel. Not just any squirrel, though -a sleek, black-furred creature with glowing red eyes and a fiery patch of crimson on its belly. Weird. Cool, but weird.

Moments later, a small flock of birds swooped into her awareness, their electric-blue plumage shimmering as if charged with energy. They darted through the air like tiny bolts of lightning, their sharp movements almost hypnotic.

“Alright, squad,” Charlie murmured, a grin tugging at her lips as she formed a temporary bond with the creatures. “Time for a little recon.”

She projected an image of Hopper in her mind, clear and detailed, and sent it to the squirrel and birds. Find her, she urged silently. Or find the admissions officer who can actually do their job.

The squirrel chittered, its beady red eyes glinting as it darted off into the underbrush. The birds flitted away in a flurry of glowing feathers, their movements so fast they seemed to leave streaks of light in their wake.

Charlie sat back, letting the connections linger but not overwhelm her. The waiting game was the worst part, her headache slowly building as she juggled multiple perspectives. She flicked through flashes of the squirrel’s rapid movements and the birds’ sweeping aerial views, her focus shifting like a broken kaleidoscope.

Just when she was about to give up and try something else, one of the birds struck gold. Through its sharp vision, she spotted Hopper strolling along a shaded path. Beside her was a tall, objectively handsome boy -or maybe a man was more accurate- with an easy smile and the kind of effortless charm that annoyed Charlie on principle.

“Way to go, sis,” Charlie murmured, a mix of amusement and disbelief in her voice.

Marking their location in her mind, she released the bonds with a quiet thanks, letting the creatures return to their lives. The ache in her temples faded slightly, and she allowed herself a moment to breathe.

Keeping a mental tether to the bird that still shadowed Hopper and her mystery companion, Charlie pushed herself to her feet. “Alright, Hoppy,” she said with a wry grin, “let’s see what kind of trouble you’ve gotten yourself into.”

With determination in her step, she set off down the path, her frustration now replaced with curiosity and just a touch of sisterly exasperation.