It wasn't too dark outside, but it was dusk, and we walked through a tunnel of bushes. Nicola held up the lantern and stared at the end of the line where I was a few paces away from the back.

"Excellent! It appears we have everyone. Great job, first-year students, this has been one of the easier groups I've seen in recent years. You're allowed to talk with each other, you know." Nicola smiled broadly as she continued to walk backward like an expert. "The island of Loxton, where our school is located, is the largest school island in our world. There's more to do here than just attending classes. For instance, we are coming to the end of our tunnel, and through the other side, you will see... well, you'll just have to wait!"

At the other end of the tunnel of bushes, I could see a light enveloping Nicola and the other students walking forward, many of the students began to chatter excitedly and quickened their pace. No one turned around to look at me except for the few kids in the back, but I felt like I intimidated them or something because they didn't say hi or anything, even though I waved at them if we made eye contact. Perhaps I wasn't smiling when I waved, I couldn't remember, but we kept moving forward until I reached the end of the tunnel. As I got closer to the exit, I could hear cheering, whistling, and singing from a massive crowd. Exiting the tunnel of bushes, my eyes widened, and my jaw dropped.

I suddenly stepped onto a narrow street filled with row houses, but some were businesses. People crowded the windows, the porches, and the sidewalk, throwing confetti into the air and singing a song welcoming the first-year students. It was a winding strip of road filled with mages wearing cloaks, shooting out sparks of ice, fire, wind, electricity, poison, and water high above like fireworks. A band on top of a roof blasted horns and hammered drums, feeling the street with a merry tune.

A sign was hanging from two buildings across the street above the middle of the path.

Welcome to the first year's parade!

They also had the mage colors running in decorated lights above, connecting all the buildings with a zigzag. The town was so bright from all the light and color that it was practically daytime.

I couldn't help but smile at all of the excitement around me. My head bobbed along to the tunes filling the street. The people cheering us on didn't even ogle at my mohawk like I expected.

The parade continued for a while, I saw so many cool-looking shops, restaurants, and businesses, all so close together and filled with joyous residents. I kept wanting to know when we would be coming back when a parade wasn't going on. There was a lot to explore. As we reached the end of the strip of town after a mile walk, we entered a trail with plenty of trees scattered around, but we had a clear view of the path at the top of the horizon.

My jaw nearly hit the ground as Loxton came into view. The place was a dead ringer for Buckingham Palace, with its majestic Greco-Roman pillars standing guard at the huge entrance. But the Gothic spikes lining the rooftop from end to end? That was all Loxton. Behind the main building, six towers rose up, each with a unique shape and drenched in light – some bathed in a yellow-green glow, others steeped in amber. As we inched closer, the shapes of the towers came into focus: a teardrop, a flame, a skull, a swoosh, a cube, and a jagged bolt. The sight was breathtaking, and the layout was all bundled up in one area, unlike Attleton's sprawling campus. I wasn't sure which I preferred, but based on first impressions, Loxton was seriously nailing it.

We continued our walk through hills on a smooth stone path getting closer to Loxton. A train whistle blew in the distance and a bell followed. I wondered if that was the train Daphne and the rest of them were on. Nicola guided us to the front of the Loxton doors, two massive rectangles with drawings of mages carved on a white canvas. It was elaborate yet beautiful to view.

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"Okay, everyone, gather around!" Nicola waved at us like a maestro to come closer. "We no longer need to form a line. I just want to make sure all of you can hear me, can you?"

Everyone bunched up a little closer to Nicola.

"Marvelous. I'm going to guide all of you to the dining hall. That's where you will showcase your elemental sparks, and you will go forth with your mage siblings! Does anyone have any questions? Whoever is the first one behind me will have to show off their ability first. Do I have any takers?"

Everyone paused, and a moment of awkward silence passed.

Nicola smirked. "You know, many first-years are always nervous about going first, but you're in good company if you do. A lot of legendary mages have showcased their sparks first! Not to add any pressure, but there's nothing to be worried about."

One kid near the front took a few steps forward, and she waved her hands over her head. "I'll go first!" she chimed.

"Brilliant, we have a taker! Well, come on, everyone, let's go to the dining hall, I'm sure we all have a voracious appetite by now!" Nicola opened the two doors one at a time and then led us through.

I didn't know what she meant by voracious appetite, but I was starving. My stomach grumbled and bellowed, which I was a little embarrassed about, but I didn't think anyone noticed around me.

Inside the grand palace, the carpet was a rich scarlet, edged with threads of gold. The floors boasted a chic diamond design, all polished hardwood. Portraits filled the walls with history and chandeliers hung from the ceiling like constellations of crystal. Nicola led the way, herding us down the expansive hallway and towards another set of imposing double doors. Then she turned to face us all. "Ordinarily, this is where all of you would go, as it's the main entrance to the dining hall, but we're going to walk around to the professor's entrance, and you will all go out on a stage in front of your peers. I know it might sound scary, but trust me, there's nothing to be afraid of! I will be right by your side the entire time." Nicola grinned and took us down another hallway, and we took a right. I could tell the dining hall was ginormous. I heard muffled chatter through the walls from excited students already inside. There was an aroma of savory gravy, garlic, and seasoning in the air. My mouth watered. Part of me wished I had volunteered to go first. I bet I would get a plate of food faster if I did.

We shuffled into this room, a room big enough for all us first-years. Felt like we had our own private dining hall, but it was just us, no one else. The ceiling had these weird grooves; looked like the place could be chopped up into smaller sections. The decor was all about dark wood trimmings, a cozy fireplace, and chandeliers casting a dim light overhead. Nicola was running us through in groups of 10. While waiting my turn, I tried to kill time by counting heads. Stuck in my corner, I tallied around 300 fellow students sharing the space with me. Three hundred. Sounds like a lot, but with everyone packed in together, it didn't feel that crowded. Crazy.

10 students by 10 students, the crowd in the room shrank. No one talked to me, but I wasn't bothered by that. I was technically the only third-year student, and I felt so much older than the rest of the people around me. I listened to the other room to try and get an understanding of what was happening. It sounded like Nicola brought the 10 students out on stage, she introduced them by name, they showed off their sparks, and then a crowd cheered, and then they went to the next person. It was a relatively quick process, but it just took a little while to get through everyone.

I kept growing so hungry that eventually, my stomach gave up, and the hunger seemed to subside, but I still needed food.

Nicola returned to the room, her lips still curved up ear to ear. I couldn't believe how enthusiastic and happy she was after going through and introducing 290 students. Her excitement didn't falter. "Okay! You're the last 10! Sorry for having you all wait so long, trust me, you won't have to do any of this again, and you won't be late for another dinner unless you're late of your own volition. Come on! Come on! Let's get out there!" Nicola clapped, and The last 10 of us followed right behind.