They emerged quietly into yet another room, this one darker than the others, but still bright enough to see easily. Surprisingly, it was covered in snow. Samara wrapped her arms around her chest instinctively for warmth only to discover that it was not very cold. It was colder than the last three rooms certainly, but not nearly as cold as it should have been. What looked like ice jutted up through the snow all over, but on closer inspection it proved to be some kind of glassy blue stone. Several trees, with drooping branches covered in snow stood alone, separated from each other by stretches of snow, ice and stone. 

The path through the snow, built of glassy blue stone, was incredibly smooth and Deborah had no trouble rolling along it. At the rear of the room, near the exit, a large frozen waterfall waited. It fell from two stories up and stretched to the ground in a series of jagged ridges, smooth edges and vertical valleys. The entire thing glittered in the muted light, but one small part of it glittered more dramatically than the rest.

“You see that?” Samara breathed to her companions. 

They followed her wordlessly towards the shining object. It was a diamond the size of a grape melded to the ice somehow. 

“Holy crap!” Scottie said. “Look! It’s another carving!”

Samara stepped back and looked closely. He was right. She saw it as soon as she stepped back far enough and took her eyes off of the diamond. There was a figure in the ice, large like the other ones, and unfamiliar like the last one. She was lithe, half crouched in a battle stance with a spear of ice gripped in her right hand. Her cloak and hood were thrown back, revealing wild hair and pointed ears. The diamond, when seen in context, was set into her chest, probably above her heart. Tattoos swirled around her arms, neck, and half of her face. Her expression was cool, distant, unconcerned, ready for death, or ready to deal it out. 

“What is she?” Deborah said. “An elf too?”

They contemplated the carving for some time before they finally moved towards the exit. This hallway was different. Halfway through they left the ambient light behind and walked beneath the kind of real electric powered lights they were used to. The modern, familiar lights felt harsh and clinical compared to the soft glow of before, so walking down the hallway was like waking up from a mysterious dream by degrees. The low buzz of voices grew louder and more distinct as they neared the end of the hallway. Even though the rooms they had just wandered through in wonder were beautiful and enigmatic, Samara drew some comfort and relief from the sound of familiar voices. On some level she was worried that they had wandered into another world and would not be able to come back, but the sounds of human activity and technology were a salve to her subconscious anxiety. 

The room at the end of the hallway was an amphitheater with several exits and probably over a hundred seats. Several other young people, students no doubt, formed small circles of five or six with a few loners sitting or standing by themselves. Samara estimated that there were around thirty of them, maybe a few more. 

Step by step they left the four strange worlds behind them and descended the ramp until they found some empty seats close enough to seem eager but not close enough to seem desperate. Samara slipped into the aisle of chairs and took the first seat and Deborah rolled to a stop beside her.

“You mind if I sit with you?” Scottie asked. “I don’t want to wear out my welcome though, so you can say no if you want.”

“You can sit with us. You’ve still got some welcome left.” Deborah said. 

“Thanks.” He slid into the seat just behind them and looked around. “I thought there would be more of us.” 

“Me too.” Samara said. “But now that I think about it, I’m not sure why.”

Five more wide-eyed students emerged from the final hallway. Samara smiled at their expressions when she realized that the three of them must have looked the same when they walked in. Behind those students she saw the man with sadness in his aura. He used a cane and moved slowly. Unlike the other students he was alone and his expression was serious, or thoughtful maybe. His eyes met Samara’s from across the room and she looked away quickly. 

Deborah elbowed her and Samara turned her attention to the platform at the bottom of the amphitheater. They watched as a middle-aged woman with long chestnut hair, a fashionable green dress, tattoos on one of her arms, and a pair of stylish glasses, took her place behind the podium. The buzz of the excited students quieted down. The woman’s dress was cut low enough that Samara could see part of a sigil on her chest. 

“Spring Court.” Deborah said, noticing the same thing. “Can’t tell which sigil it is though.”

Samara looked at the woman’s aura. It was a nice aura, full of curiosity, and benevolence with a hint of humor. She could not help but see the other auras in the room however, and the intensity of their colors quickly crowded out what she was able to see of the woman’s. After a couple more seconds of concentration she gave up and muted her ability to see them. 

The woman smiled warmly at the students before she spoke. Her voice was surprisingly resonant and clear, so Samara had no trouble hearing her.

“Welcome to the Academy of the Eternal Courts everyone. What you have already seen on your journey here is only the beginning of what you will have the chance to discover. The world is more complicated and beautiful then you ever suspected, and over the next year you will have several veils lifted from your eyes. My name is Professor Amelia Campbell and I am in charge of your education for the next year. I have much to teach you, beginning with the basics, and perhaps the most basic question of all is, what is a sigil?” She paused and looked out into the students.

Samara was on the edge of her seat. 

“A sigil is potential made definite. It is the uniting of the Three Layers of  existence.”

Professor Campbell stopped suddenly, letting her sentence disappear into the confusion of the students. Samara waited for her to continue. 

“And we will unpack that definition as you progress in your studies.” There was a collective sigh of disappointment. The professor smiled. “Today is orientation day. Take a look around you. These are your fellow students for the next year, spend some time today meeting everyone. In a few minutes two of my associates will come in and give you a tour of the classrooms and fill you in on all the other important details. Tomorrow I will teach your first real class where we will begin your journey of discovery.”

Samara sat back into her chair with a sigh. She was hoping to get her hands on some of the Courts secrets today and finally understand what she had gotten herself into. Deborah looked at her and gave her a wide smile of excitement. Samara forgot her temporary disappointment and felt the strong thrill of anticipation. There was an entire world at her fingertips, full of wonder, mystery and power, and she was going to explore it with her best friend at her side. What more could she really ask for?