Isabella, Present Day

I woke up with a start as soon as I heard the alarm go off. I moaned out of grogginess and anger, got up and grabbed my phone to turn the alarm. As soon as the alarm was off, I walked over to my chair at my desk. The clothes that I had set up for my first day was a simple semi-dark blue polo, some dark blue leggings and the schools’ blazer that I must wear on me while attending this prestigious college.

Skanderbeg University is a college based in Lezhë District, Albania that focuses on mainly military strategies but is technically considered a liberal arts college. Those who are studying under The Triad School for military and magical studies, like myself, had to wear a blazer to all of the classes and functions that were available to the students who applied and were accepted. Luckily, each apartment had 3 separate bedrooms where 3 people would room together in each apartment of the building complex that housed the nearly 20,000 students studying under the Military Triad School, otherwise known as MTS.

MTS had started back in 1462, back when the three main co-founders were still alive. Gjergj Kastrioti, also known as Skanderbeg, was the founder and head instructor of battle tactics as well as the use of weapons. Teuta, a cleric, was the instructor in healing magic, and was really gifted in her healing. Isabella the wise, an arch sage who had powerful fire and thunder magic, had briefly taught the magic she knew while working with another mage who taught ice and wind magic and a dark druid who helped in teaching dark magic to the pupils who were proficient in each of the specific fields of study.

In the death of Isabella the Wise in 1466, it took quite a while before her position was filled. With the death of Skanderbeg just two years later, it became apparent that the school was on the verge of closing down for good until Teuta, who had later been known as Teuta the Kind, had spoken to Sultan Mehmed II and convinced him that the school could be changed into a school that could also teach many soldiers, nobles, and scholars in the ways of the world. Thus, the school was saved and the history of it was preserved almost 600 years later. As soon as I realized that I was simply wasting time and wasn’t moving my butt to the bathroom and use it, I decided to quickly run over and get ready as soon as possible.

When I ran out of my bedroom and into the common area, I noticed Annie almost finishing up the last pancake in that she was cooking for everyone. The wonderful thing about this college that when you pay your semester’s tuition part of that tuition mainly covers the room and board, and with it, food is to be included as an incentive plan for everyone. As soon as I had reached to the island that separated the living room and the kitchen, Annie turned around and put the last pancake she made on the small pile of pancakes. She then looked up and smiled when she saw me standing at the island, drool starting to come down my face.

“Hey Belle?” Anne asked, a mocking tone obvious in her voice.

I looked up to see Anne smiling and attempting to stifle a laugh. She was apparently pointing to the side of her cheek mirroring mine and I grinned sheepishly as I wipe the drool off my face. Anne is a freshman in college who has chestnut brown hair that is pin straight and reaches halfway down her back. While she is 5’4”, a solid inch shorter than me, Anne has no problem tackling me down as she has close combat and fencing experience. However, her main expertise would be healing magic. I am lucky that I’m even book smart. Out of the both of us having brown hair, I am the one with the curly hair that gets frizzy in the heat all the time. As I was thinking this, I hadn’t noticed that my eyes had darted almost immediately to an envelope that has both our names on front, with elegant cursive that I haven’t seen before. Anne looked in the direction I noticed and in the corner of my eye, I had noticed her smiling just a tad bit.

“Those are our schedules for this semester that our floors’ RA gave to us and Morgan,” she responded casually.

I nodded and immediately went to grab for mine and almost a second later, a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed a hold of Morgan’s letter. I jumped off my chair in shock as I noticed Morgan grabbing her letter and turning it over curiously before walking over to the chair next to mine. As soon as she sat down, she grabbed an empty plate and started putting a smaller stack of pancakes with one hand while trying to open the letter with the other. It took me a little bit before I was finally able to calm down from what she just did and grabbed my letter on the way back to my chair.

“Morgan, you have to stop quietly walking around the apartment common room like that, you could have scared me into a faint,” I explained, while also grabbing some of the pancakes and looking at my envelope intently.

“I’m sorry Belle, my feet have only one setting I’m afraid,” Morgan responded apologetically.

Morgan, a woman that comes from a long line of female rogues and assassins, had been born and raised in the UK and was taught several languages, two of them included Albanian and Korean respectively. Out of Morgan’s lineage, she obtained black wavy hair and eyes so blue, it seemed to make so many people feel as though they were swimming in them, and thus soon forgot who she was altogether. Luckily ever since the three of us moved in together in mid-August, we happened to do a lot talking and binge-watching stuff on Netflix together so we were one tight knit group.

As soon as I was able to grab the number of pancakes that I wanted, I immediately shifted my focus on the letter with my name scrawled on it and decided to open it right then and there. Once I opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, it read:

Dear Ms. Isabella Hoxha,

This letter is to inform you that as of September 1st, the term will commence and thus will be starting your first set of classes for the day. Down below, you will have your list of classes for the week where you will follow for the entire fall semester. As you may know, your studies always come as first priority so we expect that you will put most of your time into your textbooks and notebooks for the entirety of your semester. Your classes will be listed as follows:

Monday

-European History 10am-12pm

-Magical Theory 2pm-4pm

Tuesday

-College Algebra 10am-12pm

-Human Biology 2pm-4pm

Wednesday

-Greek 1 10am-12pm

-English Composition 1 2pm-4pm

Thursday

-Off Day

Friday

-Off Day

In any case should you need to come for extra time, you can schedule such an event for your professors at the time that is most convenient for them. At this time, as your Thursdays and Fridays are free, it is required that you mainly focus your time mainly on your studies. If you wish to apply for extra curriculars, please find that information with your floor RA. They will guide you to that depending on what your strengths and weaknesses are. I hope you all enjoy the fall semester and wish you all the best!

Sincerely,

Dean Arnold Miller

When I looked up, I noticed that both Anne and Morgan had similar schedules as well, but only with which days they had class and which days they had off. Other than that, neither one of us had the same classes, which was interesting to say the least.

“Well, this is interesting,” Anne replied with a huff.

“It is indeed,” I explained, curiosity creeping up as I try to glimpse at Anne’s schedule.

As soon as Anne noticed me trying to catch a glimpse, she pulls her schedule away and shakes her head in disappointment. Anne and I have been close friends since we were in the 3rd grade in the US and when we both received special letters of recommendations to attend Skanderbeg University, we were confused at first. Our parents, however, were ecstatic with joy and explained to the both of us as to why we were invited. At the end, we decided it would be an interesting experience to study overseas and once we graduated high school, planned our summer vacation before going to Albania for the fall semester.

We hadn’t done much, just spent most of the time reading up on our favorite fantasy and mystery/thriller books before August had rolled on by and our time to head to the airport had come. Once we arrived, both of our parents had each hugged us and said that they will call once or twice a week to ensure that we were alright. To this day, we have yet to miss a single call from them.

“Earth to Belle,” Anne said, waving her hand in front of my face.

I shook my head a bit and looked at her. She rolled her eyes and smiled at me as if understanding that I was in my own head again.

“Hard to believe we are here again?” Anne asked, knowing the answer well enough.

I nodded and added, “You know how I felt for so long, feeling as though I never truly belonged in the US.”

“Well now that we are here, how do you feel?” Anne asked, a look of uncertainty and curiosity hitting her face.

“As if I feel at ease,” I answered, relieved that for once, I am more relaxed than I have ever been before.

Anne and I smile at each other for a moment and turned to Morgan happily. She seemed to smile at our happiness as well, knowing full well that the three of us seem to fit along pretty well. Our moment of happiness somewhat vanished as soon as a knock hit the other side of the main door. I noticed that the three of us immediately looked at the door and then back at each other, hoping that one of us would be the one to go and answer. After a moment of silence, I let out a light sigh and got off of my chair and walked briskly to the door. Once I unlocked it, I braced myself as I twisted the handle and opened the door to see a man standing on the other side.